My friends and family think that I have the best job in the world. Every time they see me I am driving a new car that has been dropped off for evaluation. Corvettes, Mustangs, Explorers, and Sedan De Villes are just a few of the vehicles that have occupied my driveway this year. Oh sure, there are the occasional duds, a purple Camaro is a notable example, but for the most part my acquaintances have little sympathy when I complain about the long hours I spend writing and researching. To them, I have a job that consists of fast days on twisty mountain roads and plush press events. Of course I'm not complaining, for fear of losing my job to one of the millions of people who would kill to have it, but there are times when the deadlines and 60 hour weeks get a little overwhelming. Every so often, however, a car is dropped off that reminds me why this is such a fantastic job, and when BMW showed up with a 528i, I knew that my complaining would be over for awhile.

I had seen the pictures, read the press releases and gotten the early impressions from the enthusiast magazines, but still wasn't prepared for the beauty of this car. The first thing most people will notice about the new 5-Series is the dramatically revised front end. The hood has an aggressive bulge, the grille is integrated into the hood giving the nose a stronger shape, and the headlights are now covered by clear lenses. Those looking closer will see that the front air dam is blended into the bumper better, and that the car has a clean, rounded appearance; evoking a distinct but restrained silhouette. The 1995 525i is nothing to sneeze at, but parked next to this beauty it looks 10 years out of date.

As one would expect in a driver's car, the gauges and controls in the 528i are typically well laid out and readable. The abundant use of pictographs, however, had us reaching for the owner's manual to decipher the hieroglyphics that denoted some of the secondary controls such as the cruise and stereo buttons. Once interpreted, we were quite happy with their placement and ease of operation. The 528i has a healthy list of standard features that include well-thought ideas such as power-adjustable headrests, a right-hand sideview mirror that tilts downward when the car is in reverse to aid parallel parking, power sunroof, electric tilting steering wheel, and express-down windows for the driver and passenger. Noticeably missing on this well equipped car was a CD player. Oh sure, a disc changer can be ordered as an option, but it seems rather sad that the under-$40,000 Volvo 850 Platinum Edition we tested earlier this year was equipped with an in-dash CD player and an 8-disc CD changer in the trunk, while the BMW 528i scrimps by with a cassette player. It may sound petty, but I hate getting nickel and dimed on luxury cars. If the new 5-Series has any noticeable interior fault, it's with rear seat passenger space. Obviously larger than the diminutive 3-Series, it still lacks the headroom necessary for comfortable, long range trips with four adults. We loved the legroom, however, which is a distinct improvement over the previous model. Visibility is quite good except for small blind spots created by the rather large B-pillars; we wouldn't want to decrease their size though, because they contribute to the car's athletic build and solid feel. The front chairs in the 5-Series are wonderfully supportive, with a tad more room and give than the ones found in the 3-Series. Undoubtedly this is to accommodate the fatter wallets of the 5-Series buyer. Storage space is at a premium in this car due to the lack of a proper center console and the worthless glove box, but we were impressed with the logical location of the four cupholders. Trunk space is adequate for this class, and the split-folding rear seats and ski pass-through are helpful for accommodating larger items, Despite a few nit-picky observations, the 528i's cabin was a great place to spend time.

Of course, one expects a $45,000 car to have a nice interior; that's not, however, the reason people buy BMWs. Turn the key to find out why BMW sales figures have climbed nearly 10 percent since 1995. The new, 2.8-liter, inline 6-cylinder engine thrums to life like a well-tuned guitar; whispering promises of spirited driving, yearning for a quick tap on the long, skinny go-pedal. We were delighted to find our car equipped with a five-speed manual transmission and were also relieved to see a defeat switch for the traction control system. (We aren't opposed to these labor saving, safety enhancing devices, it's just that sometimes we actually like to drive our cars and are glad that the good people at BMW are thoughtful enough to recognize this.) We took our tester through our regular road courses and were duly impressed by its balanced nature. Off-the-line acceleration is a touch slow, as the 6-cylinder struggles against inertia to move the car's hefty 3,450 pounds, but once running we had no complaints; the 528i's flat torque curve guarantees passing power in nearly any situation. The steering is sharp and precise, with just the right amount of BMW fairy-dust sprinkled on it to make it lively without being scary. The ride is luxurious, but firm enough to remind you that you're in a car, not a boat. BMW's engineers have spent a great deal of time improving the 528i's rigidity over that of its predecessor. By strategically mounting reinforcements in the car's structure, torsional stiffness has been improved by 80 percent, bending stiffness by 40 percent. To drivers this means a controlled, predictable ride is available anywhere on the speedometer. In addition to improving the cars rigidity, BMW has been able to improve the 528i's sporting feel by using an all-aluminum suspension and variable-ratio rack-and-pinion steering. Found previously in the 3-Series, the rack-and-pinion steering provides limited assist when the wheel is on-center, good for stability during high speed correction, and progressively more assist as the steering wheel moves toward the locks, great for squeezing into tight parking spaces.

One rainy July afternoon, we took our tester from metro Denver to the small resort town of Estes Park. The road is a winding two-laner that has little traffic through the week. The most noticeable thing about driving the 528i, apart from our new intern saying 'wow' every half-mile or so and the envious looks thrown by people in their Audis, Saabs and Mercedes, was the ease with which we found ourselves driving, 20, 30 even 40 mph over the posted limit. Several times, my jaw would fall into my lap at the sight of the speedo's needle positioned somewhere in the two o'clock position. The car was so smooth and refined that it felt just as safe and secure at 100 mph as it did at 40 mph. We think that much of the credit for this should go to the suspension team at BMW, but the unsung heroes have to be the men and women that put together the new chassis. The 528i's unwillingness to vibrate and shake, while still letting in the wonderful sounds emitting from the engine compartment, is the key ingredient in the car's predisposition for high-speed touring. The 528i's outstanding anti-lock brakes were also instrumental in providing the driver and passengers with the feeling of safe calmness. The easy modulation of their incredible power never failed us, allowing us to make faultless panic stops safely and easily.

Lest you think that the new 528i is just for weekend racers, let's take a look at some of the safety equipment: all-Season Traction, 4-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, 9-mph crash-resistant bumpers, 2-step door unlocking, vehicle security system with driveaway protection, dual front passenger airbags, optional side-impact airbags, 3-point seatbelts at all seating positions, automatic seatbelt tensioners and an interlocking door anchoring system that increases the passenger protection in a side-impact accident. We bet if Ralph Nader liked to drive, this would be the car for him.

We came away from the 528i impressed. Its beautiful exterior shape; intimate, well-executed cockpit and superb road feel leaves little to be desired. Since we're automotive journalists however, it's our job to talk about those little things to be desired. First, it would be nice if the engine had just a little more low-end grunt. This would give it the extra oomph it needs to get around the many idiots that fail to recognize the green-means-go rule at Denver's crowded intersections. Second, it would be nice if there were more rear seat headroom. The cozy cabin is fine for the driver and front seat passenger, but the same can't be said for rear seat passengers who may find their necks cramped and backs aching after trying to scrunch down in their seats. Third, we would like to see the 17-inch performance tires that are available on the 540i available on the 528i. We think that this would improve the car's roadhoalding ability and would allow BMW to remove the 528i's top-speed governor. Aside from these things, we wouldn't hesitate to recommend the car to anyone who can afford it. When it comes to fun and luxury, the 528i is nearly impossible to beat.