Urban Mixer Auto : 2004 BMW 530i 4DR
by Michael Schratter
The stance, the aggressive stance.
In my opinion BMW has been getting the sport sedan right for decades and the 530i is a perfect example of how the über-engineers from Munich can take a 4-door car and make it look and feel like an executive road weapon.
I will presume that you agree with me when I say that a car’s presence either makes or breaks your “driving mood,” and that the exterior design of a car is important. And so as I approached the 530i, the trade mark BMW twin pointed-oval grille coupled with those now famous predatory headlight eyes immediately captured my attention and brought an evil smirk to my face. My aggressive instincts were at the forefront as I slid behind the wheel and sat myself down in the pristine leather, awash in the glow of the jet cockpit display. At that point I had to remind myself that regardless of my road domination fantasies, this was a borrowed BMW, I was not on the Nürburgring, and I wasn’t going to get thrown in the slammer because of a lucky opportunity to drive this German sex machine.
And so behave I did, and oh what a gentleman’s experience commenced!
The BMW 530i is a beautiful mix of sport performance and luxury comfort. Everything from the high gloss polished wood trim; to the beige leather of the supportive power front sport seats… the car’s interior exudes class. When you couple the car’s elegant smart interior with its 225hp engine, an engine that is made up of large, healthy Bavarian horses… well, needless to say you’ve got yourself a winner.
The 530i’s formidable low and mid-range torque and an almost turbo-like rush of top end power makes the 6 cylinder BMW an exciting ride. An adrenalin rush without compromising its nobleman’s driving experience, an addictive package that has you feeling powerful and in control. It’s no wonder that I insisted that I drive the car for every short, walkable errand run. It was easy to convince myself that it was reasonable for me to complete all of my outside movement in the BMW 530i.
Walking is for wimps, and the Beamer is for me.
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To read the press release announcing Urban Mixer Auto, click on to our media release site, HERE.
To find out more about the 2004 BMW 530i 4DR, sponsored by auto/ONE, click on to their website, HERE.
October 8th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Yikes. Perhaps leave the car reviewing to people who know the business.. calling a bargain basement 5-series “an exciting ride” with “an almost turbo-like rush of top end power” is laughable to anyone with a teensy bit of knowledge. Not to mention that you’re basically functioning as an extension of auto/ONE’s advertising arm.. why not just link to some classified ads?
October 9th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
@Zendependant – that’s not the point. If we felt the car reviewers of the world were independent, we’d trust and respect their reviews. Instead, they seem to be geared to the aficionado seeking to one-up each other.
Our views are based on an enthusiast, not an expert, reviewing real-world and available vehicles – it’s a completely different spin on the process.
As for auto/ONE – we work with a number of dealerships – it’s only right for us to give a little bit of respect and even love to the people who make reviews like this possible. To think that the person reading the column doesn’t know the difference is what I would say is laughable – our reader is intelligent, discerning and wants to have a decent take on vehicles.
As for the 530i, I’ve driven the car over an extended period. It’s a respectable vehicle and drives decent.
FYI – the writer of this column, Michael Schratter, drives a new M-Coupe. He’s also loves his bikes and speed – perhaps a little too much.
I agree, the 530i isn’t an M5. As part of our research, one of the first vehicles that Michael drove was the top-of class BMW M5. During the course of our road tests, we also took a Bentley Continental GT Coupe and a Maserati Quattroporte to task. If the writer states that the car is exciting to drive, I believe him. He’s not only credible, but he’s actually taken this and a dozen other cars through a series of tests and has written his conclusion based on that.
Other info that may be pertinent – the vehicles were mostly tested in the summer in Vancouver BC. This is important to note since we’re at sea level and the air is slightly humid. Results may vary in different locales at other altitudes. I note, for example, a former vehicle, an 1999 1/2 Audi A4, performed differently in Vancouver than in Calgary.