Don't blame the 2010 BMW 550i Gran Turismo for killing the BMW 5 Series wagon in the U.S.
Oh, you haven't heard? The 5 Series wagon is gone for 2011. Only 878 Americans bought one in 2009 (yeah, nice going, you guys), and the most BMW ever sold was 2,351 back in 2005.
Now BMW is asking us to find room in our hearts for the 2010 BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo. This crossover-hatchback-wagon is shaped like a giant root vegetable. But executives in Munich are convinced we'll buy 4,000-5,000 in 2010.
No doubt you're ready to pooh-pooh their moxie. But that rutabaga rump isn't going to make or break the 2010 BMW 550i Gran Turismo.
Keep It Real
Practicality is pretty much the whole point of the 2010 BMW 5 Series GT.
With seating for only five, our 2010 BMW 550i GT isn't a classic, three-row mommy-and-daddy-mobile. It is, however, useful in ways that BMW wagons and crossovers have never been.
The 5 Series GT has the idealized step-in height and narrow rocker panels seen on the Ford Flex and other such family funkmasters as the Toyota Venza and Honda Crosstour. You don't stoop (535i xDrive wagon) or stretch (BMW X5) to enter the 550i Gran Turismo; you slide into its driver seat, arthritic knee and all. The doors open wide, so finagling your kid's car seat into the backseat of the 550i GT isn't really finagling at all.
The rear bench is a broad, comfy plain uninterrupted by bolsters, so said Graco can cinch down nice and secure. The 5 Series Gran Turismo is also the only BMW other than the 7 Series with rear-seat fore/aft adjustment. Scoot the seat back to strap in your darling rugrat; slide it forward to wipe Cheerio snot from his chin on the fly.
Once he has grown into an argumentative teen, you'll be grateful for the full 41.8 inches of rear legroom. That's 6 inches more than in a 2010 BMW 535i Wagon and 5 more than even the X5. Only a 750Li gives you a bigger buffer (44.3 inches).
Headroom is the same as in the X5 (39 inches) despite the fact that the 550i GT is 8.5 inches shorter in height (61.4 inches)
5 Series in Name
Not even BMW is clever enough to find this much extra space in a 5 Series body, though.
Though the 2010 BMW 550i Gran Turismo is marketed as a member of the 2010 5 Series family, its 120.7-inch wheelbase, 63.4-inch front track and 65.1-inch rear track are identical to our long-term BMW 750i. It's true that the 2011 BMW 5 Series sedan shares this platform architecture, but its footprint is still smaller.
The 550i GT and 750i are also the same width (74.8 inches). The Gran Turismo measures 3 inches shorter nose to tail (196.8 inches), though, while standing 3 inches taller (61.4 inches).
The rear bulkhead prevents gooey toddlers from hearing or feeling the howling winter wind.
Alas, the extra height only translates to 5.7 inches of ground clearance. So you'll still need your shovel and kitty litter when the all-wheel-drive xDrive 550i GT shows up later in the 2010 model year.
7 Series Hatchback in Reality
So we're dealing with a 7 Series hatchback with the profile of an overgrown parsnip. Maybe the payoff in utility will offset that. Maybe.
For this exercise, you'll need a giant schnauzer and a deluxe stroller. If you don't have these items, you can mime them. Walk around the back of the 5 Series Gran Turismo and feel around on the tailgate. Two release latches? Yes.
Grab the one on the right to open the conventional full hatch. Pat your hand on the cargo floor to summon the giant schnauzer. The liftover height is just under 28 inches (little more than the 750i), so he'll nail the jump. At 15 cubic feet, the 2010 BMW 550i Gran Turismo's cargo bay is not big — scarcely more than the 750i (14 cubic feet) and less than the 2010 5 Series wagon (17.7) and X5 (35.8).
The roof line is sloped, too. The available height within the cargo bay fluctuates between 13 and 27 inches, so if your schnauzer isn't pretend, fold down one section of the rear seat to give your dog room to walk about. Maximum capacity is 60 cubic feet — more than in the 5 Series wagon (58.3) and the Accord Crosstour (51.3), but less than the X5 (75.2) and Toyota Venza (70.1).
Now grab the second latch in the center of the tailgate. It opens a trapdoor that's about 16 inches high by 37 inches wide. Pointless? No. That stroller will slide right in. And not only have you spared yourself the exercise of opening the whole hatch, the separate rear bulkhead behind the backseat prevents the gooey toddler from hearing or feeling the howling winter wind while you go through the loading exercise.
Keep It Real, Part 2
We love babies and puppies, but midway through our week with the 5 Series GT, we are so in the mood for something less cute. Our staff therapist orders a massive burnout.
And since BMW's twin-turbocharged and direct-injected 4.4-liter V8 delivers 450 pound-feet of torque at just 1,750 rpm (plus 400 horsepower at 5,500 rpm), smoking our Sport package 2010 BMW 550i Gran Turismo's 275/35R20 102Y rear meats is as easy as loading the stroller.
However, the new ZF-built eight-speed automatic transmission in our preproduction 550i GT gets pretty steamed at us afterward and temporarily shuts down. We have to shift into Park, turn off the engine and restart it before we can continue up the road.
We hate to piss off the transmission, because this eight-speed is excellent as automatics go. It has 5,000 clutches (OK, five clutches), and the upshot is that it can skip gears (straight from 8th gear to 2nd if necessary) to ensure rapid response to changing throttle demands. Gearchanges are noticeably quicker and smoother than with the ZF six-speed automatic in our 750i.
Our BMW 550i Gran Turismo is also very quick. This 4,900-pounder hauls itself up to 60 mph from a standstill in 5.3 seconds (5.1 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip) and blazes through the quarter-mile in 13.4 seconds at 105.7 mph. That's scarcely slower than the 750i and a full 2 seconds faster than the X5 xDrive48i (7.0 seconds to 60 mph; quarter-mile in 15.4 seconds at 91.3 mph).
Of course, the X5 M blows the homely 550i GT away with its 12.8-second quarter-mile.
But you'll be hard-pressed to get into the Motorsport-tuned X5 — or a 750i sedan — for less than $90,000. The 2010 BMW 550i GT has a base price of just $64,725, and our lightly optioned test vehicle costs $74,025, which is about what you'd pay for the regular-strength X5 with the same equipment.
Keep It Real, Part 3
Also, it just so happens that our 5 Series Gran Turismo tester stops shorter and slaloms faster than the X5 M. It stops from 60 mph in 112 feet (versus 116 feet) and goes through the cones at 65 mph (versus 63.5 mph).
Most of the time, though, you're hardly aware of the 550i GT's abilities. It feels big and heavy, because it is big and heavy. Amidst all that, you notice that the brake pedal is pleasantly firm with a short stroke. There's some initial weirdness, because the big hatchback has a regenerative braking feature that engages the alternator to recharge the battery during deceleration (otherwise the alternator freewheels).
Slowly, it dawns on you how well the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo handles, too. You keep adding speed through corners, and the big lug never gets out of sorts. You're not going to wake up early on a Saturday to hustle it down some obscure road, but if an interstate closure forces you onto an obscure road, you'll have some fun.
Our 550i GT tester has the active steering option, which supplements the standard hydraulic power steering pump with electric hardware that varies the steering ratio while also providing a mild rear-wheel-steer feature (to make for tidier parking). Effort is fairly light at low speeds, and the wheel weights up nicely as you steer into turns.
Unfortunately, the active steering isn't well calibrated for driving on the limit in our instrumented testing, as the continual and often overzealous ratio adjustments can throw off the vehicle's attitude during rapid directional changes. As if sensing our disapproval, the steering unit on our 2010 550i GT malfunctioned, delivering a binding sensation as we yanked the wheel to exit the slalom.
We'd skip the active steering on the 550i Gran Turismo. Ditto for the 20-inch wheels and tires, which fill out the wheelwells but ruin the ride.
Tough Turnips
Ride quality really does matter on the 2010 BMW 550i GT, you see, because this isn't the sort of BMW you buy when you're single.
It's as close as BMW will ever get to building a minivan. The X5 can haul more stuff, but unless you insist on having a third row, the 5 Series Gran Turismo is better for hauling kids. Also, until the non-Motorsport X5 gets the twin-turbo V8, the 550i GT is better for hauling ass, too. (The 535i GT arrives later in 2010 if this isn't your priority.)
Apart from its quickness, though, the 550i Gran Turismo isn't really about the drive. No need to pull out the tired "Ultimate Driving Machine" tagline; the 5 Series GT stops and handles well, but it doesn't feel ultimate.
Instead, the 2010 BMW 550i Gran Turismo is just useful. At the same time, we think it has to be useful to find its buyer, because style isn't its message. Ah, well — minivan substitutes shouldn't ever look too stylish anyway. If they did, maybe you'd feel embarrassed getting into them in your stained sweats and house slippers.
The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.
Add A Comment »
dgvette says:
01:37 PM, 08/27/2010
Me and my wife just traded our 2009 ZO6 for one and I have no regretes. We still have out 2007 Denalli and my 2010 F-150 Platinum P/U.
We drove to Momentum in Houston and test drove everything we had any interest in. We drove down to buy a X-5. My wife had never driven a BMW so the dealer tossed us the keys to anything we wanted. My wife looked online at the GT and hated it. I sent her pics I took from my phone 2 weeks earlier on a 535 GT. She hated it! We ended up her choice buying one. Let me tell you my wife is so picky it isnt even funny. We loved this car, I know it is kinda ugly but Wow how practical and even fun to drive. Hands down we like this car!! We bought a loaded MSRP 535 GT with everything but dynamic drive ( a $2500+ option) We drove one with it and I wasent impressed as was the salesman. MSRP on ours was over 70k we got over 5500 off and drove away. Happy campers. Oh it got 25 MPG driving home and we drove 85-95 mph on I-45 for 200 miles. This was a car with almost no miles.
ravenstyle says:
04:00 PM, 02/05/2010
What is happening to all these new cars coming out lately?? they look absolutely awful.!
jmaroun says:
10:39 AM, 02/05/2010
What a waste of natural resources and talent. I can't believe that misdirected BMW engineers have been forced to design this car. Even a mom driving her daughter to ballerina class would opt for an X3 instead.
Joseph
San Diego
mx5gtprht says:
09:40 PM, 02/04/2010
I'm just pissed off because I love this car and would never be able to afford it :(
Ok, so I'm 2, and I am a car enthusiast. BUT I like cars that are different, and this certainly is. I saw it in the flesh at NAIAS and was blown away with its quality, and that awesome dual purpose hatch/trunk combo. Do I have a family? No. But I think this car makes a statement, while still being a great driving car. If I had the money, I personally would give this a real close look.
cr_driver says:
06:07 PM, 02/04/2010
Appreciate how this insightful article explains the reason of being of these car and its utility.
Gotta focus to understand above all the criticism.
As fast as the C&D review, that speaks quite well of the monster engine it has.
dino6 says:
05:34 PM, 02/04/2010
While I can't see the point of an X6 or x5M, I can actually see the ideal market for this car. I have an eighty something mother who I sometimes drive to church or to shopping, etc. and the rear seat accomodations and not too low-not too high step in height would just be ideal for her. In many parts of the world, execs are still driven around by chauffers, even mid-level execs, so this car will also find a market there. More than the hatchback, I see the rear seating as the main reason for this car. The hatchback also makes this is probably the first BMW ideal for soccer moms, certainly one can see it has some advantages over an X5.
speedynk says:
01:57 PM, 02/04/2010
This is BMW's answer to the slow selling E61 (wagon) which was priced very close to the X5.Given the American driving public's love affair with the SUV,which one would be the obvious choice.
If the E61 had been been offered as a 530T (rear wheel drive)- at a price point about $2000 above a 528i there might have been more takers - I love my 528 but wagon utility with same driving feel would have been my choice - no top heavy CUV with stiff suspension.
So now we have a 5 door 750 priced about $8000 more that the 535xT - I'll pass
puffs says:
01:05 PM, 02/04/2010
I feel israil that you may be missing the point.
I think what separates the X6 from this vehicle is the GT's stroller stowing capabilities and the harsh breezes associated with such activity. The more affluent buyers these vehicle target are clearly more intelligent and able to recognize this glaring distinction. They are able to adjust accordingly based on need and satisfy this specific desire.
It is both vehicles and their ability to involk the spirit of the AMC Eagle that I find truly inspiring. Both a 1980 four door and a 84 SX4, BMW has recalled a once forgotten great machine.
The eagle has landed.
vincesfo says:
12:52 PM, 02/04/2010
video???
miniguyverona says:
12:16 PM, 02/04/2010
I was driving home from downdown Cincy yesterday, and a black 535GT with MFGR plates was in the next lane over. I had about 10 minutes to look at it...it's actually a lot better looking in person. Still not as good as an actual 5 hatch would look, but an enormous improvement over the x6. In theory, they're solving the same problem, but the 5GT looks decent. I still don't know why you'd buy one over a 5 Wagon or X5 if you need utility, and want to save 10-15k.
In comparison, it's conversion is more successful than Honda/Acura's Crosstour/ZDX, talk about faint praise. :-!
ptcdawg says:
12:11 PM, 02/04/2010
Obviously, the Pontiac Aztec was before it's time. It seems everyone is copying it. :)
renorally says:
11:57 AM, 02/04/2010
I like the step in height. Too many cars at my age (early 50's) are either too low or a stretch. I actually like the styling for the and the X6. One does need to see them in metal to appreciate how they look. For some reason BMW's don't photograph well. My main concern for BMW is if they keep investing in these low production niche vehicles, they will strangle funds for cutting edge technology.
compressor says:
11:54 AM, 02/04/2010
"As if sensing our disapproval, the steering unit on our 2010 550i GT malfunctioned, delivering a binding sensation as we yanked the wheel to exit the slalom."
Edmunds/Insideline - this is the only comment you have on this? Like it OK for this to happen. First of all, this should never happen and as journalist, you should highlight this malfunction to a greater degree. Secondly, this is a BMW and should be held to a much higher standard. When you buy a car from THE peformance sedan company, you should at least expect it to allow you to thrash it around without issue.
I really hope another manufacturer steps up to offer everyday cars aimed back at drivers. Maybe spyker can do something with saab. Everything else caters to the poser tech crowd that just likes to brag about wht their car "can" do, not what they can do.
israil says:
11:38 AM, 02/04/2010
The bottom line is that its a 5000lbs $70,000 hatchback. As cool and useful as it may be, its way too expensive to generate necessary sales. I don't think consumers will justify spending that kind of money on a hatched vehicle that "car-like." Its even about 15k more than an equivalently spec'ed X5. And if anything it'll be competing for buyers with the X6. It just seems like poor product planning.
puffs says:
11:25 AM, 02/04/2010
I am a hatchback guy (I drive nothing but hatches) and I grew up surrounded by BMWs. There are some BMWs of today and many of yesterday that I lust over.
I agree with most the readers and I will say no to the car with a permanent wedgie and pig nostrils.
To think that this company made arguably some of the greatest cars ever; cars you cherish, cars that make your non-car junkie friends think you are crazy because you constantly hand wax them. Cars Edmunds writers still miss from their long term fleets (E46M3) and still write about years later. I guess BMW wasn't happy to corner the yuppie and car enthusiast market; apparently they needed to broaden their demographics by catering to mom-jeans/turtleneck/pearl-wearing suburbanite women. Move over Volvo Station Wagon! Stand back Honda Odyssey! Here comes the 2010 "Grand Twedgie" with two pull handles for extra grip and various insertion options. They enlighten us with the innovation of stroller stowing, protecting feeble children everywhere from experiencing further cold beyond what they encountered on the way to the car. Blocking that slight breeze and that extra second culminating into the difference between life and death, or worse, a lesson in design.
I will pass down this $74k gem for generations. No future progeny of mine will feel the harsh scorn of a stroller placed in the trunk.
jatbeni says:
09:33 AM, 02/04/2010
And a response to the fact that the 5 GT is a cheaper 7 series...
Ferrari in launching the 24 month CPO program said this - "the true entry level for new Ferrari owners was a pre-owned Ferrari"
So - a true entry level 7 series (if that is indeed what you want) is a used 7 series.
Why buy this abomination?
jatbeni says:
09:29 AM, 02/04/2010
Hate the X6 - and I cannot figure who buys these - but I do see some in Chicago. The usual driver is a hottish middle aged MILF - or a similar Metro male...
But personal prejudice aside, if you were to check the X6 sales, BMW did sell 4,787 of these in 2009 vs. 4,548 in 2008 (up 5%). Though their X5 sales went down from 31,858 to 27,071 (down 15%)
So in sum - the overall sales from this platform are down - but less than the overall 20% drop in BMW sales in the U.S. due to the bad economy etc. On that parameter, perhaps, BMW thinks that it has been successful with its X6. And - so they went ahead with their splicing and dicing of the market into more customer segments - and launched the 5 GT.
Evidence would then suggest that we can blame(?) the X6 owners - who made that product somewhat of a success - as the reason why BMW has gone ahead with the strategy of launching the 5 GT???
wikiwiki says:
08:37 AM, 02/04/2010
I think it is underpowered and too affordable. Ha. How many of these ultra expenseve, unobtainable, kind of useless cars are there now? And how many model variants does BMW have??
jeepsrt says:
08:32 AM, 02/04/2010
I saw one of these at the dealer dropping off my Wife's car and a salesman asked how I liked it, I said it was unfortunate looking and he was actually shocked.
charlesb says:
08:21 AM, 02/04/2010
Oh wow, that is gorgeous.
OK, I'm kidding and generally I'm a wagon/hatch sort of guy. BMW might have a dud on their hands with this whole Grand Turismo program.
icecubefosho says:
08:19 AM, 02/04/2010
How does this manage to look sinfully ugly, while the EX35 is relatively handsome?
intothewest says:
08:17 AM, 02/04/2010
"Giant root vegetable" inspired vehicles don't sell. No matter how fast. If that were true, the guy at the local drag strip with a 10-second Pacer would be on to something.
So - How many X6s have sold? Curious, because in my neck-of-the-woods, I seem to see more 430s, Bentley GTs, and Astons than X6s.
Good luck Bimmer.
fuhteng says:
07:45 AM, 02/04/2010
What the heck? How does BMW manage to make that next-gen M5 we saw a few days ago so sexy, and this thing looks like a pig with cancer?
At least this thing won't be around long. 4,000 sold? Not a chance.
throwback says:
07:22 AM, 02/04/2010
I just don't get this vehicle, or the X6 for that matter. If this was built on the 3 series platform it would make more sense to me. Same for the X6. I won't blame BMW since folks aren't buying their wagons. I guess I am just old but I would much prefer a wagon which would be lighter, faster, and handle better. Probably cheaper too. This car seems like a lose, lose, lose proposition compared to a 5 series wagon.
agnh says:
07:15 AM, 02/04/2010
4865 lbs?!? Seriously....
I read an article just the other day about how Lambo is going to start redirecting their efforts from increasing power to decreasing weight.
I think there are many other manufacturers that should follow suit. Think about your favorite BMW for a moment. Now think about how well it would perform if it weighed 400 lbs less with the same engine.
redliner says:
07:02 AM, 02/04/2010
I know I'm going to get a lot of heat for this, but I like it. Looks and all. I decided to go have a look in person at my local dealer and (at least in the showroom) it looked like it would fit in well in the neo-industrial part of town with all the pricey lofts. Current BMWs just don't work in pictures, but in person they look MUCH better.
ba27 says:
06:05 AM, 02/04/2010
SEVENTY FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS?!?!?!?!
I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict that this will sell about as well as that OTHER stupefyingly ugly Teutonic people-hauler, the Mercedes R-class.
In other words NOT WELL.
whickersham says:
05:54 AM, 02/04/2010
I sat in one this past weekend at the DC auto show, I think this little old lady who was in the front seat sums it up when she said, "Nice interior, but why does this thing have to be so damned ugly on the outside, did they do this on purpose?"
zoomzoomn says:
04:55 AM, 02/04/2010
In the end it does not matter how many cool features it has, or how wonderfully it drives. In the end it's still a goofy looking, heavy four seater. Maybe not has goofy and heavy as the X6, but close. This is yet another BMW model that gives true meaning to the word "niche". Where's the profit in niche? Hmmm.
mieden says:
04:54 AM, 02/04/2010
video?
rustyshunt says:
04:33 AM, 02/04/2010
I guess when I walk into the BMW of Manhattan showroom
And I see a 4900lb X6 wagonoid I'm supposed to say
"Don't you have another 4900lb wagonoid
That isn't so damn pretty?"
Is this the X6 perfected?
Or X6 Bastardized?
Two vehicles fighting for 7-8k sales a year
Nice!
keptman says:
03:44 AM, 02/04/2010
4900 lbs! BMW needs to lay off the donuts!
Here is an idea that I have been mulling over for a while. I think that the U.S. govt. should mandate that all unibody vehicles, with 2 rows of seats, must weigh less than 4000 lbs. One row of seats, 3000 lbs or less. Three rows of seats, 5000 lbs or less. I think that this would go a long way to reducing oil consumption and getting the global warming nutballs to back off.
Auto manufacturers obviously have the engineering prowess, they just need to redirect their efforts somewhat. I have no problem with vehicles with 300+ hp and all the bells and whistles (more power to ya!), just spend more R and D dollars and computing power on shedding the fat.
cz75 says:
10:43 PM, 02/03/2010
BMW Cross Tour (Ugh!!!), and priced accordingly.
etanretla says:
10:15 PM, 02/03/2010
first there was the x6...now this!..seriously, what is the point of this segment?..who are these people who cant live with either minivans, wagons, or suv's?..
ugly!..pointless!..
why cant bmw stick with their standard lineup and invest their money elsewhere - say, fuel efficient engines, or a better looking x3?../
mozzz77788 says:
10:15 PM, 02/03/2010
Wow people have been throwing the "A-word" all over this thing. Let's save it for the X6, shall we?
thaitanium15 says:
10:10 PM, 02/03/2010
@vwestchester
No one cares about the look of your E90 328xi. However, on the subject of the 550i GT, I like it but would still prefer an X5.
vwestchester says:
09:26 PM, 02/03/2010
Oh my God. I hate it like I hate the Pontiac Aztek. I think I still like the look of my E90 328xi...I think....