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 along with a power tilt-and-telescope steering column. 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 ($1,050). Heated front seats ($500) are an option. Montana leather upholstery ($1,450) can be ordered for the 528i. Power-operated rear-window sunshades ($575) and manual pull-up rear side window shades ($180) can be added to any 5 Series sedan. Deeply bolstered manually adjustable sport front seats are available at no cost for the 540i. If the optional rear-seat side airbags ($385) are ordered, the BMW cabin has eight airbags to protect driver and passengers in case 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 case 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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