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Friends call me crazy when I tell them two of the best engines manufactured include the one that helps thrust the space shuttle out of earth’s orbit and BMW’s 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder powerplant, which propels a good many of the German automaker’s cars down the road. “But can the 3.0 liter break earth’s gravity?” one friend asked over dinner....




Friends call me crazy when I tell them two of the best engines manufactured include the one that helps thrust the space shuttle out of earth’s orbit and BMW’s 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder powerplant, which propels a good many of the German automaker’s cars down the road.

View full sizePhoto by James Gaffney/The Times-Picayune

“But can the 3.0 liter break earth’s gravity?” one friend asked over dinner.



No. But the turbocharged version of the powerplant found in the smaller and lighter 1 and 3 Series is among the most high-kickin’ engines ever to launch a sporty European luxury car.



Unfortunately, under the hood of the larger and heavier 528i, the same engine without the turbocharger boasts only 240 horsepower and 230 pound-feet of torque, which can seem a bit lackluster during fast accelerations and high-revving gearbox changes. This is why many fans of the 5 Series step up to the turbocharged V-6 found in the mid-trim 535i, which churns out 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque.



Others go a step further by opting for the top-trim 550i’s twin turbocharged, road-thumping 4.4-liter V-8.



Expect the MSRP to soar along with your increased performance-oriented driving needs.



But, if you’re like me, the power difference may not matter all that much when you realize the 5 Series’ entry-level 528i (the one I drove last week) looks nearly identical to the 7 Series costing nearly one-third more (starting MSRP $45,050 vs. $70,650, respectively) and comes with many of the same luxury gewgaws.



Brigitte Bardot purr

It’s impossible to ignore how the rear-wheel-drive 528i is not only amazingly agile and responsive, but it also possesses what may be the most quiet and — dare I say? — elegant sounding engine notes this side of the Rhine River. But this merely reflects what many insist is BMW’s mastery of the inline six-cylinder engine, a smooth and creamy symphony of automotive achievement that has wooed more than a few devotees.

Photo by James Gaffney/The Times-Picayune

In third gear at 6,000 rpms, for instance, is when the engine’s near-orchestral sweet spot reveals itself to be a songbird of revs. This is aided in no small part by the whisper-quiet cabin. In fact, if given the chance, I would drive from New Orleans to L.A. without ever once shifting out of third gear, preferring to hear the automotive equivalent of Brigitte Bardot purring for 1,800 miles.



Perhaps in the spirit of full disclosure I should confess my unrepentant passion for and devotion to the Munich-based automaker’s Bavarian beauties, believing the 3, 5 and 7 Series to be among the finest and most virtually flawless driving machines ever manufactured. Little if anything has ever surfaced to convince me otherwise. To me, while the rest of the world is producing foxtrots, BMW is scoring a joyous and precise Strauss waltz.



Best of both worlds?

The 528i is still sporty enough to be a kissing cousin to the way-fun 3 Series, especially in manual-shift mode when the eight-speed transmission really gets to strut its stuff. But luxury-wise, the 5 Series lineup has much more in common with the trés upscale 7 Series.

View full sizePhoto by James Gaffney/The Times-Picayune

And, truth be told, some of the 7 Series’ luxo-barge gadgets are downright unnecessary — not to mention odd. Case in point: the “Gentleman Function,” an iDrive feature allowing the driver to electronically take control of the front passenger seat. For me, this would be a total waste of money unless, of course, I possessed a creepy, 15th-century sense of chivalry or simply enjoyed messing

Tags: BMW, is-featured

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BOOSTER CLUB: Is BMW's 5 Series the sportiest luxury sedan on the road today? was originally published by New Orleans Auto Reviews: BMW. Read the full story by clicking here.