The 5 Series interior gets high marks for comfort and appearance. Trim is sumptuous. The leatherette that comes standard on 525 and 530 models is attractive, with brushed-aluminum accents. The bucket seats feel like buckets; they wrap around your lower back and derriere. Our car did not come with a Cold Weather Package ($600), so we missed the heated seats.Our 530i came trimmed in soft gray leather with beautiful Vavona wood trim panels discreetly applied to the center console, dashboard and door panels. This was part of the Sport Premium Package ($4300), which also includes the sports suspension and other features. Ten-way seat adjustments and a power tilt-and-telescopic steering column help the driver fine tune seating position. The 5 Series center console is much more elegantly designed than the somewhat disappointing console in the 3 Series cars. The little cubbyhole with the roll-up lid and the slot for pens on top of the console seem out of place in an otherwise beautiful 5 Series interior, however. The 5 Series perfunctory cupholders show BMW is still struggling, or is not concerned, with this most American of features. Studying the audio system owner's manual is needed to fully master the BMW Business CD Car Radio as it's called. It automatically changes volume according to speed, ties into a cellular telephone, and has tuning features useful for traveling from city to city. Once you're reading is done, you should be able to tailor station selection, tone controls, and other settings to your preferences. It's a good-looking system with buttons linked to fields displayed digitally. The map lights work very well, but a compass would be useful. A nice sport steering wheel that came as part of our Sport Premium Package is elegantly designed without the big pillow associated with older style airbags. It has all kinds of buttons on it to control audio and other functions that may require a trip to the owner's manual to fully master.
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