Kaefer,
Thanks for clarification, still reckon it's only half an option as it should close from the cab as well. My .02c

You can open the tailgate (1) from a button on the dash (2) by using the button on the key fob and (3) by opening it by its "handle" in the tailgate. Options (1) and (2) are very useful.

As far as closing it goes, in the U.S., the only way to close is the button on the bottom of the tailgate. It seemed like such a pity that that was the only way to close but I've got used to it and like it. The kids like it too. Really easy way to close the tailgate (compared to my wife's Mercedes ML where one has to PULL the tailgate down with force).

I'm pretty sure that the 2nd row seats are completely different too. I read that they don't slide back and forth in the non 3rd row configuration.
Also, in the 3rd row configuration, part of the 2nd row seat flips forward so that kids can get to the 3rd row seats.

Yep, one of my favorite features. So easy to maneuver this heavy beast when parking and at slow speeds. So easy to drive at high speeds -- tracks great.

Here's a reviewer's comments when comparing two 2009 5-series models:

Active Steering is perhaps the most significant new technical achievement. This system, part of the optional Sport package, electromechanically adds a positive or negative steering angle to the setting chosen by the driver, via a planetary gearset integrated into the steering column. This reduces steering motion at low speeds (say, while parking) and when negotiating tight turns on curvy roads, requiring only two turns lock-to-lock rather than three. It also makes the steering much more direct at high speeds. Driving two 5-series-one equipped with Active Steering and one without-back-to-back on an autocross course, we found the car equipped with Active Steering allowed us to hustle through much more quickly and with far less understeer than the car with BMW's conventional, but still excellent, rack-and-pinion setup. On twisty seaside roads, it takes a little getting used to, because you're expecting to have to cross your arms a lot more than is actually necessary, but the results are noteworthy. Philip Khn, Active Steering project manager, maintains that the system "is such a huge leap in technology, it's comparable to the introduction of ABS."