2011 BMW 5 Series 550i Trim Overview

There are two major upgrades in the 2011 BMW 5 Series 550i – V8 power and leather upholstery. Gone is the standard vinyl, and 400 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque now come screaming under the hood from a 4.4-liter turbocharged V8. You’ll also get standard front- and rear-obstacle detection systems here, along with the standard nav with voice recognition and traffic. The six-speed manual is standard here as well, but you’ll also get the option of the eight-speed shiftable automatic. You’ll also get the choice of all-wheel drive instead of the standard rear-wheel drive, both running on 18-inch alloys, although AWD versions get a small width upgrade. Automatic headlights are steering-linked and adaptive xenon. There are power windows, doors, sunroof, heated power mirrors, and a memory system for the 10-way driver’s power bucket, the leather-wrapped power tilt/telescoping steering wheel, and the mirrors. A digital media connection and Bluetooth are included with the hi-def stereo, and rain-sensing wipers and foglights are also included. There are six airbags, front-seat active head restraints, and four-wheel antilock brakes with brake assist. But with all that power, you’ll also need traction control, antiskid, and a limited-slip differential, so BMW saw fit to toss those in as well.