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It is interesting to me how the world's car makers tend to perpetuate national characteristics. Japanese cars tend to have very high quality, but bland styling. On the other hand, for the past few years, the Germans have been letting their quality slip a little. The latest survey on quality I saw put Japanese brands at the top — as you would expect — but American cars have now surpassed those from Europe, including Germany. What the Germans are increasingly concentrating upon is technology. This is certainly true with a vengeance at BMW, and that company has added wild Geo-Mechanical styling to the brew, as well.

The 5- and 7-Series Bimmers now have the new look — and you either love it or hate it. I just finished testing a 530i — the top of the line 5-Series sedan (above) — and I think it looks like hell. Ditto for the 7-Series (below). But I must admit that both cars attract a lot of highly favorable attention. Styling is always a very personal thing. The folks at BMW weren't afraid to make a controversial statement, and I've got to respect them for that.

I have real reservations, though, about the level of technology on the 7-Series, in particular. The new 745i that I tested a few months back is the world's first "drive by wire" luxury sedan. Everything is done electronically, including the driving controls. The transmission, the brakes, the steering, the accelerator — even the emergency brake — are all operated electronically. This scares me because I simply don't believe that the technology is sufficiently reliable to do what they're attempting. Maybe in a few years but not today.

A couple of years ago, I was testing an Olds Aurora. On the way home from the Hippo, it suddenly died on the 28th Street ramp. One second it was purring along, the next second the engine was dead. I pulled the car over to the shoulder — what there was of it — and waited for help. The problem turned out to be blessedly simple: a fuse in the engine management computer had worked itself lose.

The same thing could just as easily happen to you in a 7-Series BMW. But, unlike the Olds, you would be left hurling along the freeway with no steering, no brakes — not even an emergency brake. With the power off, there would be no way to control the vehicle at all.

Fortunately, the 5-Series hasn't gone that far. It has the same Geo-Mechanical styling as its big brother, but most of the driving controls are still operated by good old-fashioned cables and linkages — just like the Good Lord intended. My 530i test car even had an excellent manual-shift transmission. Despite its looks, it was a terrific driving car, with lots of power from its 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine and great handling. Lots of fun. Of course, that kind of fun doesn't come cheap: The sticker was $55,795. If you've got the money and like the looks, go for it. R&D