German Car Zone

Again, and again, who said the car has no purpose? The so-called purpose is what is being questioned. A supercar's purpose is understood from the moment it is shown so thats a very poor, actually invalid example. The 5GT is trying to create a niche, big difference. Supercar niche has been around for years and years.


And again, they question why bother? I can see it now, if the 5GT sells 4K units it will be deemed a success.



Keep believeing that. X6 doesn't sell because it is an aquired taste at best and defeats the purpose of having a SUV, and its damn expensive.


The 6-Series had its day in the sun it is now old and you know it.




True about the R-Class, but the thing is with you and BMW's marketing nonsense you're going to brand the 5GT a success no matter how few units it sells, is the BS factor. The projected number is what 5K? If it does 1K will that be considered a flop or failure? No of course not, yet another excuse will be given.

M

Whew...that was a lot of nothing EnI. The bottom line is this, you and the like cheer the press when they champion a BMW product and call them idiots when they don't. Period.

Writers are human so of course they're going to give their personal/subjective feeling on an automobile, what do you expect them to do behave blindly like you marketing people do?

What is so two-faced and hypocritical about your argument is that you say the writers don't care what people's needs are yet, yet when a BMW is praised for being sportier, better handling in tests that most drivers will never do, you're all cheers. Talk about being ignorant to everyday concerns.

In short what you're saying is that we should listen to you and BMW's CM instead of the press? Or should we listen to all sources and form our own opinions, as most people do anyway?

I don't know what you're reading but American magazines sure as hell didn't favor American products over Europeans ones. That is absurd. Secondly they most certainly do point out that what they say is their opinion, not some type of biblical information that can't be questioned. In your world no journalist would ever question anything BMW does or sells here and we'd all be BMW-loving zombies what worship any and everything BMW does. Thank god it isn't that way.

How else would the public know how a car performs? The often times meaningless figures from the manufacturer? Who or where does one turn to see an honest comparision of competing vehicles? The press material from BMW?


M

Marcus, I can't help you if your unable to understand. Live on your simple life ...

We had several debates, and every time we end up at the same point: you starting to call my arguments a CM / PR BS, excuses etc.





I don't know why you have an idea planted in your head that everything marketing / PR says is just an empty & useless propaganda.

Some traumatic experience in the past?

Like most arguments, the true reality probably lies somewhere in between the opposing viewpoints.

ENI, you do talk a bit more CM/PR BS than you realise.

Same thing as before, I'm too simple and ignorant to understand, yet I get it perfectly. You simply can't deal in reality. You'll talking that marketing crap until hell freezes over and it won't mean a hill of beans when a product fails and the sad, really sad part about it is that you'll never, ever admit that BMW or CM made a mistake. You'll just revert back to the same old "people or Americans are too stupid/simple to understand what BMW is doing or what the point something like the 5GT is".


Because 9 times out of 10 that is exactly what you give. Useless BS and then on top of that you have the gall to say Americans are so stupid/ignorant etc. yet you expect them to buy BMWs. BMW USA better be glad you aren't anywhere near being in charge otherwise they'd be finished with this ridiculous, head in the sand way of thinking you have.

Buyers that don't like one of these new BMWs are clueless, nevermind that they understood BMW all these years, journalists know absolutely nothing ****unless they praise BMW**********, and the rest simply aren't worthy of buying a BMW or even understanding what one is.

The world according to EnI.

You telling me to "live my simple" life is your save-face, cop-out for your BS being called what it is.


M

Marcus ... again: if some model is selling extremely well accross the globe yet not so well in US that doesn't mean the car is a failure. It just isn't targeted primarily at US market. And therefore it's inappropriate for US-based journalist / customers to bitch about the car only because it's offered in their market. Yes, in some cases BMW (eg. 1er hatch ot The Touring models) may not even bring some models to US, and those models will still be a success in general.

Yet when eg. cars like 1er hatch, X1, X6 etc are introduced usually the US media & people start the anti-campaign: since reasoning the car from their point of view only, forgetting the car also aims at millions around the globe not only to US. And not catering US taste does not equals being worthless / redundant / pointless. And ... I'm sure 5er GT will find some customers in US. Just like 5er Touring has.

The world is not turning merely around US, you know.

Regarding X&: the car is selling extremely well - exceeding expectations. The only deviation is that it sells better in some other markets than US - where the sales are still OK ... but other markets are doing better. Much better. And as said: US gets one of the cheapest price X6 compared to other markets. And in many (especially small) markets X6 out sells X5. So don't BS about the isn't selling because being unpractical & too expensive. Unpractical & too expensive to whom? To you?

Yes, I can see you starting arguing: only 40k people out of 6 billion bought the X6 - so the car is a huge failure. Or: 5er GT is selling way beyond 5er sedan & touring numbers ... so the people still prefer sedan & touring over GT ... therefore GT is a failure. You have absolutely no clue about the point of marketing, and how it really works. It's not just PR & propaganda / advertising.

I'm done with you here ... Since it's really no point repeating same things all over again. We totally disagree on this issue. That's it. Period.

Back on topic and the good news continues.
BMW 5-series GT 535i Executive - Road Test First Drive - Autocar.co.uk

Creating this thread for 5er GT test drives, reviews, reports, etc...

Car&Driver first drive ...





2010 BMW 5-series Gran Turismo - First Drive Review

Once more from BMW, a vehicle to fit the thinnest of niches

BY JENS MEINERS
September 2009

Among the flurry of fast-roofed and four-door hatchbacks coming to market over the next couple of years, one interpretation clearly stands out: the 2010 BMW 5-series Gran Turismo. Indeed, the unusual, tall proportions of the Bimmer set it far apart from Audi’s more conventionally shaped A5 Sportback and A7, as well as the more low-slung Porsche Panamera and rakish Aston Martin Rapide.
But it doesn’t look the way it looks simply to stand out. When the idea for the car first began to take shape, BMW executives decreed that it should offer the legroom of a 7-series and the rear headroom of an X5. Given those two goals, it’s no wonder that this new model is no classic beauty.

Better Looking In Person (We Seem to Be Saying That A Lot Lately)
That said, we found the 5-series GT to be better looking on the road than on the auto-show stand. It never came across as excessively huge on the Portuguese test roads we drove, and we think it will fit right in on the streets of North America. The design sometimes still struggles to be cohesive, but we can say that it looked best in white. We would advise buyers to go for the largest wheels possible—the 18-inch wheels look positively miniscule—and we thought the GT logo, which is styled to evoke the L-shaped taillights, was a nice touch.

....

Drives Well, but It Isn’t Particularly Fun
The 5-series GT driving experience is closer to that of the taller X5 than the regular 5-series. In fast corners, the GT tends to initial understeer, but it is easy to apply power oversteer, which gets the stability control busy. The active steering—not our favorite way to wheel a BMW, it must be said—is effortless at low speeds, taking the fear out of tight parking situations.
The GT boasts an adjustable suspension with multiple settings, and it does its best to mask the car’s two-plus tons. The Comfort setting tends to foster bobbing and swinging motions, while Normal—a good compromise between sporty and soft—makes the driver feel more secure. As soon as the road turns extra-twisty, we advise activating the Sport setting, which further firms up the suspension and heightens powertrain responses. The difference between Sport and Sport Plus is nearly indiscernible beyond the latter relaxing the stability control enough to allow drifting, something about which we encourage you to think twice, considering the GT’s mass. Overall, despite BMW’s efforts to make the GT as sedan-like as possible—witness all the stuff with the multifunction hatch and cargo-area divider—it’s not a vehicle that tempts you to get up at 6 a.m. on Sunday for a day of spirited driving.
When the car arrives in the U.S. later this year, it will be available only in 550i guise at first; expect to pay around $65,000 for the privilege of owning one. The 535i will arrive later, likely at a $60,000 price point. BMW plans on bringing a quarter—5000 to 7500 cars—of annual GT production to the States; why would you drop the coin on one? Well, let’s say you desire a higher seating position and the practicality of a liftgate but wouldn’t be caught dead in an SUV or a wagon and have to have a BMW that still sort-of-a-little-bit looks like a regular car. If you fit in that mighty thin niche, the 5-series GT is your car.



Fully story: 2010 BMW 5-series Gran Turismo - First Drive Review - Auto Reviews - Car and Driver

AutoBild first drive: ... HERE





PROs: spaciousness, high level of comfort inside, very stable + comfortable ride, excellent materials + fit&finish, hi-tech features, upscale & airy interior atmosphere, versatility, excellent diesel engines, smooth & quick auto gearbox, effortless drive (good agility & handling), initially unconventional driving position height - which offer great view out.

CONTRAs: not very elegant rear end design, car is very big & very heavy, (for a BMW) too soft suspension in Comfort mode, compromised rear view due to small hatch window, high base prices.