| Article Index |
|---|
| 5 Series Touring - E61 (2004 - 2007) |
| Design and Drivetrain |
| Chassis and Suspension |
| Safety and Technology |
| Specifications |
| All Pages |
Chassis and Suspension
Like its saloon counterpart, the extensive use of aluminium combined with a host of innovative technical features ensures the latest BMW 5 Series Touring is the most involving driver's car in its segment.
A sporty spring and damper set-up at the front has been combined with a self-levelling air suspension for the rear.
Designed to act almost horizontally, the air suspension units do not intrude into the boot area like conventional suspension turrets and so create the maximum width available.
An air compressor also maintains the optimum rear ride height given any load.
Meanwhile, the two optional features of Dynamic Drive and Active Steering have taken estate car ride and handling to another level.
Dynamic Drive uses hydraulically controlled anti-roll bars to counteract body sway in corners and eliminate the vibrations a poor road surface produces.
At up to 0.6g of lateral force, far more than experienced on a fast twisting lane, the body only rolls 0.5 degrees.
A conventional, non-Dynamic Drive car would experience this at just 0.1g of lateral force.
Active Steering on the other hand, uses an electric motor and separate transmission on the steering column to vary the steering ratio depending on road speed.
At slow speeds and when parking only 1.7 turns are required to go from lock to lock, but at higher speeds a nominal three turns are needed to perform the same procedure.
To qualify this, as no one will turn from lock to lock at high speeds, this change of steering ratio equates to a less sensitive feel and subsequent response, making the car feel more composed when at pace.
