BMW never loses sight of its sporting roots, but where does it say sportand luxury are incompatible? Not here. Interior trim is sumptuous, whether leatherette with brushed-aluminum accents (528i) or soft leather with burl walnut panels discreetly applied to center console, dashboard and door panels (540i). Power front seats with 10-way adjustments are standard, as are power tilt-and-telescope steering column and power windows, mirrors and locks. The automatic climate control has separate temperature settings for driver and front-seat passenger, and the standard audio system has ten speakers (528i) or 12 (540i). About all one might want to add are a power moonroof--on the 528i only; it's standard for the 540i--or heating elements for front seats and even the steering wheel. Leather upholstery can be ordered to replace the 528i's leatherette (and wood can replace the aluminum trim). Power-operated rear window sunshades and manual pull-up rear side window shades can be added to any 5-Series. Deeply bolstered manually adjustable sport front seats are available at no cost for the 540i. A recent addition to the 5-Series options list is an onboard navigation system. Using a transmitter/receiver that communicates with GPS (Global Positioning) satellites, the system can pinpoint the car's precise map location and display it on a screen mounted in the center console. By following a series of steps--and inputting information via touch-pads on the screen--a driver can have his or her route plotted out automatically. Other features too numerous to list increase the system's versatility.
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