The 5 Series interior gets high marks for comfort and appearance. Trim is sumptuous. The 528i comes with attractive leatherette with brushed-aluminum accents, while the 540i is trimmed in soft leather with burl walnut panels discreetly applied to the center console, dashboard and door panels.Power front seats with 10-way adjustments are standard, as are power tilt-and-telescope steering column and electric windows, mirrors and door locks. The automatic climate control has separate temperature settings for driver and front-seat passenger. The 540i comes standard with a 12-speaker stereo. A power moonroof comes standard on the 540i, optional on the 528i. About the only option one might want to add are heated front seats. Leather upholstery can be ordered for the 528i. 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. If the optional rear-seat side airbags are ordered, the BMW cabin has a total of eight airbags to protect driver and passengers in the event of a crash. Most notable is BMW's Head Protection System, which consists of a tubular airbag on each side of the cabin anchored at the base of the windshield pillar and above the rear door. In the event of a side impact, the tube inflates, breaking away from the trim panels that conceal it, and serves as a barrier between heads and hard surfaces that would cause serious injury. Tests have shown the head protection system markedly improves survivability in side impacts.
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