Bakersfield Life

Plenty of love for BMW 535i

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        If a car were modeled after the checklist of your ideal mate, then I’m pretty sure the BMW 535i would complete me.
 
      No offense to Julio, my hubby of 15 years, but there’s something alluring about the BMW 5 series. It was almost love at first sight. Now how can that be?
 
      Was it the 535i’s sleek look, debonair mannerism, amazing intelligence or super athletic build?
 
      Hec, I even asked my Facebook friends if it were possible to marry this car. Julio didn’t find that too amusing, but he knows I love him “this much” (stretching my arms from side to side, a technique I learned from my soon-to-be four-year-old.)
 
      My new friend, BMW Sales Representative Jose Robles who hails from Salinas and is a former college ball player, rattled off a list of “attributes” that made the 535i a perfect candidate for any driver who loves a sophisticated robust auto with star-power attention.
 
Among the list:
• The totally redesigned iDrive controller. It provides quick access to music, ConnectedDrive system (i.e. get your calendar or a visual image of your caller), and more. I just love the TeleService, which gives me an update and visual image of the car and alerts me, for instance, if an oil change is needed or tire pressure is low.
• Safety. Caught up an accident? The 535i driver assistance technology will alert emergency services so help can be on its way.
• Its charming eyes. The front lights are capped with strip of frosted glass and come with the xenon adaptive headlights that move “like eyes.” For instance, if you’re turning to the right, so will your front lights. And if you veer to the left, you get the point. I felt like a little kid messing with that function.
• M sport suspension and throttle programming so you can adjust the car from comfort mode to sports or sports plus. So, depending on your mood, you can go from casual driving to sportster in a matter of minutes, or less.
 
       “It results in a smoother ride,” Robles added.
 
      And a fast one at that!
 
      Robles took me on for a speed drive and boy, I was glad to have a seatbelt on!
Many of my friends encouraged me to test its swiftness for myself and drive it to the max but I’m way too cautious and slow when it comes to speed (I think that CHP speeding ticket off Highway 152 on the way to San Jose during my undergrad college days really shook me up. Never recovered since.)
 
      And can I just say that I love the feel of the steering wheel. It’s like holding one of my Coach leather bags.
 
      Yes, this car is a beauty.
 
      But I can tell you this much: I don’t think the BMW 535i may want to stick it out with me ‘til death do us part. We would have to settle for friendship. Here’s why: Opportunities for love abound for this TwinPower Turbo engine with 300 horsepower.
 
       Case in point:  As I test drove this tall, dark and handsome (carbon black metallic on the outside and cinnamon brown leather on the inside to be exact) over a few days, heads turned left and right.
 
       On the freeway. At the stoplight. In the parking lot. Men, women, college students.
All of them wanted to meet not me, but the 535i. They studied the outer appearance, and if it were parked, took a peek inside. I’d almost bet the 5 series just loved all the attention. Who wouldn’t?
 
       But that’s what life is like when you have the dreamy 535i at your side.