2017 BMW 540i xDrive | Why Buy?

– Detroit, Michigan

BMW circa 2017 is not the same kind of car company that you may have grown up adoring. Though still making successful driving machines, the German automaker has made its biggest strides with technologies that add to the in-cabin user experience, and those that aim towards a future where cars drive and people simply ride along.

The all-new 5 Series is the most recent poster child for this revision of priorities. In 540i trim, this is still an exhilarating sedan to drive when an enthusiast gets behind the wheel (thank god). But sheer weight of new technologies on the car can’t be ignored, and, frankly, it’s things like automatic parking and gesture controlled infotainment systems that are more likely to bring in new buyers.

In this week’s Why Buy? we cover the new 5ers driving chops, of course, but we also dig deep into the latest form of iDrive, autonomous driving features, and all the ones-and-zeros tech that makes the midsize BMW such a compelling luxury competitor. Enjoy the rundown in the video above.

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