BMW 520d Reviews

Incredible. Some of us have been carping for years that the very notion of "prestige" badges is not only obsolete but actually quite fatuous. But would anyone listen?  Then BMW proves it with one of their very own models.VALUEBMW want $82,300 for their entry-level 5 Series sedan, the 520d with its very good four cylinder turbo diesel. Says it all for the obscenely inflated prices Australians pay for prestige cars that this seems almost acceptable.  The Touring (that's wagon to us) is $92,800. Uh, sorry?An almost $10K premium for the slightly more practical yet far heavier and, it must be said, daggier version. Oh, plus almost eight grand "dealer and statutory charges" and you're at $100,000 before so much as opening the encyclopedic options list. Six figures for what is, I'm sorry, a superannuated family jigger.Hey, if you've got the wherewithal, go for it. If you haven't and you must have it, by all means hock an organ or two. But paid in one dump or spread over a lease, if you're ready to drop 100 big ones on a station wagon with a four pot oiler then you've more cash than cranial filling.This is where the "prestige" thing  whether it's a blue and white badge, a tristar or four rings  looks puerile, especially when "lesser" Europeans such as the Skoda Superb, Volkswagen Passat or Citroen C5 come in wagon versions every bit as nice to sit in with diesels as good at up to $50,000 cheaper.TECHNOLOGYBMW's flacks are telling everyone who'll listen that twin-clutch automatics, such as those used in Audis and Mercedes-Benz, are a self-shifting cul-de-sac. Nein, ever more sophisticated versions of the old style torque converter auto are the go.It is, of course, merely coincidental that BMW have imbued the latest 5 Series with a new eight-speed auto. As to what this suggests for the excellent twin-clutch units in the M3 and 335i coupe, they have yet to say.That's not a misprint by the way. It does indeed say "eight" speed. Why? Because Mercedes use a seven speed. Say what they will, this is one upmanship, pure and simple.I not long ago asked engineering guru Graeme Gambold how many forward gears you really need in an automatic. He reckons five. Six is nice.In terms of other tech, the heads-up display (a holographic speedo and sat-nav director projected at the driver's eyeline in the window just above the steering wheel), is an oustanding example of form meeting function. It also happens to be standard, as are adaptive headlights, parking assistance, iPhone and iPod Integration, optional Bluetooth internet on the wide-screen navigation system.DESIGNHey, honey I've pimped the wagon.  What's the last thing you'd do to a stolid, dignified and above all four cylinder diesel family car? That's right; stick a sports kit on it.A redeeming feature of the previous generation 520d was its 16-inch conventional tyres. The M-Sports kit of our test car adds 18-inch run flats and lowered suspension; precisely what you wouldn't be looking for in this variant. It also adds several more grand.Access to the load space, the reason you are paying up from the four door, is a clever split tailgate in which the top glass half can open remotely with the keyfob and the cargo cover folds back electronically. Good room within, the 560 litres cargo storage becoming 1670 with the rear seats folded almost flat.There are various semi-up-down configurations.  Unlike the previous Chris Bangle-designed 5 Series, BMW has acknowledged it is driven by (high) paying customers, as opposed to political prisoners whose possessions have been confiscated and identities erased. Glory be, there are storage spaces for phones and stuff.What was an austere, borderline unpleasant cabin, is now aptly lush with front pews that are beautifully accommodating though not especially supportive when the steering wheel is turned hard.SAFETYIt's all there, as it should be. Five star safety with a full outfit of active and passive injury prevention.  No spare tyre, though unlike Volvo's S60, there are at least run flats on which you have a hope of making civilisation in the event of a puncture. But if you're distant from the metropolis it's anyone's guess whether the tyre store (a) is open and (b) stocks compatible rubber.DRIVINGBMW either don't know who the 5 Series is for any more or they want a bet each way. They're after easy riding E-Class patrons, but in order not to alienate those who buy into the "ultimate driving experience", a plethora of settings to alter the ride, throttle response and steering can be had. At least these annoyances were absent in our test car.While I was among the few participants in Carsguide's 2010 Car of the Year judging who disliked the 535i sedan for more than its hilarious $135K price tag, I was but one of the 10 present who loved Skoda's clever and ample Superb Elegance TDI.It mattered not a lick that the latter does its steering and driving at the front end and BMW sticks with rear wheel drive purity (at least for the foreseeable future). It matters a sight less in the 520d.These are  repeat  diesel family buses and this is Australia, land of the unmarked speed camera and the third rate road surface. The BMW's rear wheel advantage asserts itself mainly in terms of a smaller turning circle.Interestingly that octo-auto can't mask obvious lag when the 1715kg wagon is prodded off the mark. At CCOTY, no one complained about the Skoda's twin clutch six speed DSG.VERDICTBuy two cars instead or one and save 50 grand. 60/100

WE turn the spotlight on automotive's newest and brightest stars, as we ask the questions to which you want the answers. Ultimately, however, there is only one question that really needs answering would you buy one?WHAT IS IT?This is BMW's entry level 5-Series, the economy king with a surprising amount of kit in the new generation model. Better buying than a 3-Series with a larger engineHOW MUCH?Priced from $83,300 which is competitive against main rivals.WHAT ARE THE COMPETITORS?Which are the Mercedes-Benz E250CDi and Audi A6 2.0 TDi. Possible nuisance value from other brands like VW with the Passat CC.WHAT'S UNDER THE BONNET?This 2.0-litre turbo diesel, four cylinder engine used in numerous BMW models including the X1, X3, 320d and 120d. It's a worthy powerplant delivering 135kW/380Nm in the 520d with a surprising turn of speed and strong acceleration, sharpened when needed simply by pressing the Sport button on the console.HOW DOES IT GO?Impressive, roll on is as good as a petrol 3.5-litre V6, possibly better and it runs smooth and silent. Particle filter takes noxious odour away when idling in the drive. Slightly detectable as a diesel on start up - nowhere else. Nimble feel for a medium large car tipping the scales at 1625kg.IS IT ECONOMICAL?Rated as low as 5.2-litres/100km but we are seeing a neat 6.0 on the trip computer that was activate at zero kilometres and the test car was showing 4000km _ pretty good.IS IT `GREEN?'Yep, gets a five star green ratingIS IT SAFE?Gets a five star crash rating thanks to six air bags, stability control, safety bonnet, strengthened body, plenty more.IS IT COMFORTABLE?Supremely. Has large, soft leather seats, roomy cabin, minimal noise intrusion, plenty of goodies to keep you happy.WHAT'S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?Surprisingly good competent, responsive, comfortable suspension that offers sporty drive feel with excellent bump control as well. Well weighted steering, strong brakes, grippy tyres. Like to look too though a bit on the conservative side - right in target market territory.IS IT VALUE FOR MONEY?Yes, well equipped, electric park brake stop/start button, cruise, leather, decent satnav and audio, Bluetooth, eight-speed auto head up display to name just a few features.WOULD WE BUY ONE?Yes, we'd look at one over the entire 5-Series range - you don't need anything more.VERDICTBimmer's best buy... the 520d.

Twin turbos are on their way out at BMW, being replaced by more economical twin-scroll single turbos. The first with the new twin-scroll engine is the 535i, which is part of the new sixth-generation 5 Series models.BMW Australia spokesman Alex Brockhoff said the twin-charger engine has no more power than the model it replaces, but it hits maximum torque of 400Nm 100rpm earlier at 1200 revs and carries it all the way through to 5000rpm. Brockhoff says the twincharger is fed exhaust air through two inlets rather than one, producing a faster-spinning and more-efficient turbo.In the 535i three-litre in-line six-cylinder with Valvetronic, it achieves a 7 per cent fuel saving of 8.4L/100km over the 540i's 10.4L/100km. CO2 emissions are down to 195g/km from 250, yet power and torque remain at 225kW and 400Nm.BMW has also increased equipment levels in the 5 Series to be higher than their competitors. However, prices are up right across the range by as much as $8000. But BMW claims that if you consider the increased standard equipment levels, there is virtually no increase and even a price decrease on the 528i compared with the previous 530i.Increased standard equipment levels include an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, bigger wheels and heads-up display – previously a $2800 option except in high-spec models – which shows vital information on the windscreen in front of the driver so they don't have to take their eyes off the road.PRICING AND VARIANTSThe new 5 Series goes on sale here on June 3 - two weeks ahead of the US - with the petrol-engined naturally-aspirated 190kW inline-six 528i ($99,900), the 535i ($128,900) featuring the new 225kW twin-scroll turbo in-line six and the 300kW V8 550i ($178,900). They will be followed by the diesel-powered 380Nm four-cylinder 520d ($83,300) in September, and a six-cylinder diesel is expected to be added next year. The lean-burn engines available in Europe will not be imported because of the high sulphur level in Australian fuels. Touring 535i and 520d wagons are expected in October.BODY AND FIT-OUTThe sixth-generation 5 Series has been slightly stretched and has shorter overhangs front and rear giving it the longest wheelbase in its class. Cargo space remains 520 litres. A full-width front air dam, plus horizontal lines front and back provide a wider look.If the xenon headlight option is included there are LED daytime running lights included and a 'milky eyebrow' which is an attractive opaque LED lighting effect above the main headlights. Inside, there is little change except for a few extra aluminium accents while the dashboard has been tilted 7.2 degrees toward the driver.There is more aluminium in the construction, including the bonnet, doors and side panels, making its body 50kg lighter, as well as the all-aluminium suspension from the 7 Series and new 5 Series Gran Turismo. However, with all the new equipment, stiffer chassis and electronic driver aids, total weights are up between 40kg for the 1700kg 535i and 170kg for the 1830kg 550i.ENGINESThe three-litre 528i has 30kW more power and 60Nm more torque than the superseded 2.5-litre 525i but fuel economy is down from 9.4L/100km to 8 and CO2 emissions are down from 227g/km to 187. The new 535i features the three-litre in-line six-cylinder which combines Valvetronic and twin-scroll single turbocharging for a 7 per cent fuel consumption saving, while power and torque remain the same.The 550i gets TwinPower turbo in its 4.4-litre V8 to deliver 300kW (+30kW) and 600Nm, up a whopping 110Nm over the previous model. Fuel economy is down to 10.3L/10km from 10.4 and CO2 is 243g/km, previously 246.SAFETYElectronic technologies, driver aids, a stiffer chassis and pedestrian-friendly bonnet lift the crash rating from four to five stars. When impact is sensed in the front it electronically signals pyrotechnic actuators to lift the bonnet 5cm in the rear and 3cm in the front, creating a buffer from pedestrian impact with the engine block.DRIVINGThe wet roads of the twisting and bumpy Yarra Ranges of Victoria were the perfect test for the 535i models available at the national launch this week. We drove only 535i models, some fitted with four-wheel steering and the Adaptive Drive package of Dynamic Damper Control and Dynamic Drive and others without these fancy gizmos. If you can afford the $10,600 for them, go ahead and splurge as they are not gimmicks.Honda and Mazda gave up on their mechanical four-wheel steering technologies because they were expensive, complicated and heavy. Besides, no one really wanted them in sporty cars. In these long-wheelbase luxury saloons, it makes perfect sense. It is electronically controlled and adds only 10kg to the car's weight.The rear wheels move just 3 degrees, but it's visible if you are following one. It is also noticeable through the steering wheel. At slow speeds, such as hairpin corners, it pulls the nose in tight as it virtually shortens the wheelbase. At highway speed it has the eerie feeling of crabbing sideways as you change lanes. It may feel strange, but it's stable. Add in the flat-cornering and controllable ride of the Adaptive Drive package and it will handle any surface.On the wet surface, we chose normal and even comfort settings so the wheels had more time to react to quick irregularities and keep the tyres on the road for more grip. It also reduced the intervention of the stability control. However, over undulating surfaces, the comfort setting can make the car float and induce car sickness. If you can't afford the package, you will still have a saloon that handles nimbly with a more natural steering feel.Grip is still remarkable and brakes are sharp with plenty of feeling and no jerky ABS kickback, even on a wet Reefton Spur. Tyre noise is higher than you would expect in a car of this calibre, but the twin-scroll turbo engine is refined, powerful, responsive and quiet. At 'full noise' there is only the most polite muted induction and exhaust roar. The surround view takes some getting used to as does that overly complicated transmission knob.Seats are comfortable, if a little slippery with high lateral G forces. After a dash across the Spur, I had a raw back from sliding sideways and sore knees from bracing myself against the door skin and centre console.Strap in tight. It's a wild ride, yet tamed by innovative electronics.

Since the introduction of diesel-powered vehicles began with the introduction of the X5 in 2003, BMW diesels have risen from just 671 vehicles to 3342 or 21 per cent of total sales.In some models, such as the X5, it represents up to 70 per cent of sales.Now BMW has added its first four-cylinder diesel engine to the X3 and 5 Series to bring its total diesel models to seven.And, for the first time, they are the entry level vehicles in their range.The X3 2.0d costs $62,900 and the 520d $79,900.They join the 120d ($48,000), 320d ($56,700), 530d ($115,000), X3 3.0d ($75,900) and X5 3.0d ($96,300) with the most powerful diesel model, the 200kW/565Nm twin-turbo X5 3.0sd arriving early next year costing $102,800.In Europe, BMW offers diesels in every model range except the Z4, including a new twin-turbo 210kW 645d coupe and convertible.However, BMW Group Australia public relations and corporate communications manager Toni Andreevski said he could not foresee a 6 or 7 Series diesel coming to Australia as it was not what customers wanted.The third-generation two-litre turbo diesel engine powering the X3 and 5 Series is a lightweight unit with an all-alloy block and cylinder head.It produces 125kW of power and 320Nm of torque and on the national launch, along dusty roads in the Victorian wine district, the engine proved a worthy addition to the dynamic BMW range. Being lightweight, yet torquey, it does not make them nose heavy nor do they seem to be outweighed by the cars, even the 1750kg X3.There was no dramatic understeer, while oversteer could be easily provoked past the corner's apex with a judicious amount of throttle, thanks to the torque on tap.Fuel economy for the X3 is claimed to be 7litres/100km, but we recorded about 8l/100km on the launch, while the 520d is claimed to be 6.1 and we recorded 7.1.They are still good figures considering the vigorous driving they copped on the launch.BMW also claims the emissions from the vehicles are just 162g/km for the 520d and 185g/km for the X3 thanks to a particulate filter on the exhaust.The engines are also particularly quiet and smooth, even at idle with the bonnet up.There is the usual clattery sound, but it is not as loud or obnoxious as some other diesels because they are fitted with two balance shafts.A few revs brings the noise down even further and, surprisingly, when given full throttle there is not the usual disharmonious double-sound.Instead, there is a muted, almost V8 burble.Both vehicles are mated to six-speed automatic transmissions, which are smooth and fast in auto or manual sequential mode.The X3 comes with the same level of specification and equipment as the 2.5si petrol model which includes front and rear parking sensors, stability control, hill descent, six airbags, leather seats, rain sensing wipers, auto headlights, cruise control and more.The 520d comes with eight airbags, Dakota leather, control display with colour monitor, USB connection for iPod and more.  

Some people can recite all 50 American states alphabetically, others every rugby league premier side since 1908. There are rumours of a person who knows the second verse of the national anthem;  though surely this is incredible.If you really want to bore at an international level, though, try learning every variant of BMW.In past half decade this carsguider alone has driven almost 50 of the blue-and-white-badged models from the puny and pointless 118i to the future-is-here Hydrogen 7.The latest two to reach us; though not even yet the last due this year; happens to be, in their way, the best the Bavarian has offered in 2007.'Best' not because they're the quickest or necessarily the most desirable. Rather because by the mad-money standards of the marque,  they're affordable and sensible both economically and ecologically.And they provide decent dollops of the 'sheer driving pleasure' BMW goes on about in the ads.The entry level models in their respective ranges, the X3 2.0d SUV and 520d sedan both use the same updated and highly effective four cylinder turbo diesel.BMW's junior diesel is a gem. Just as the 3-litre six cylinder version challenges the bigger of the marque's own petrol engines; the 2-litre four potter takes it right up to the smaller capacity petrol sixes.The third-generation all-alloy unit produces 125kW at 4000rpm and a hugely handy 340Nm from as low as 1,750rpm. Compared with the former engine, it offers a 20kg weight saving, a power boost of 10kW and a fuel saving of 10 per cent, while emitting 185 gram of Co2 per kilometre.From January it will also be available in the 120d and 320d. In X3 form, though, it represents the best metal-for-the-money package BMW offer here.That is, of course, skewed by Australia's deranged tariff regime under which the behemoth X5 3.0d starts $30K under the same-engined 5 Series sedan.Even so, in this package the X3 begins to look like more than a shrink-wrapped and cut-rate X5, a criticism that's dogged BMW's medium SUV since its inception.This new sense of legitimacy is helped by the $62,900 tag, which puts it at a significant remove from the bullying bigger brother. It's a price point that's almost reasonable, one that could conceivably tempt punters who go for top end Japanese SUVs.While flirting with the options list is a bit like taking a high class call girl to a casino; ruinous and expensive, the 2.0d gets by just fine without gratuitous embellishments such M-Sports kit et al.It gets by even better because like the 520d in standard form, it's free of the runflat tyres that BMW insists are the best thing since internal combustion but which every New South Welshmen with dental fillings dreads for their rigid ride on our rubbish roads.If the X3's cabin is starting to look a bit dated the driving experience remains clicks ahead of any comparable vehicle.Such body roll as there is in this tall, 1750kg BMW informs rather than distract during cornering. In default mode, the X3's permanent all-wheel-drive provides a 40/60 torque split, but will shove it all to one end or the other in extremis.It's hard to imagine any such contingency this side of certifiable behaviour, with a dynamic stability and traction control program that reacts with calm authority even on such loose surfaces as we encountered.It's a measure of the unbearable lightness of steering these days that some found the BMW's just a bit heavy. In fact, it's meaningfully weighted and entirely appropriate to an SUV that designed for driverly gratification before all else.Me? I'd much rather have a 320d wagon if such a thing was to be had here. Yet even an avowed loather of SUVs could roam the X3's natural suburban habitat without feeling a complete turncoat.And if the X3's performance/economy equation is good (a 9.6 second 0-100km/h sprint time meets 9.7 litres per 100km combined cycle) the 520d gets more of both out of the same engine.A 'proper' BMW, with the rear wheels driven and the weight distribution about even, it takes about five Kms of B-road driving before you wonder why the 523i costs $5,000 more.At 8.6 seconds, the 520d is almost half-a-sec quicker to 100km/h from halt. At 6.1 litres per 100km, it cruises 3.2 litres per 100 k more economically.If progression off the mark isn't exactly linear; the turbo's split second hesitancy feels longer when turning into traffic, the mid-range rush more than compensates. When spooled up, progress in this allegedly lesser 5 Series is seriously sharp, to the extent that you'll want to re-check speed when entering a corner. So composed is this chassis that you're almost always travelling faster then it feels.Quixotically the base 16s and optional 19-inch M kit tyres are conventional jobbies, while the intermediate 17s and 18s are runflats. Stay with the standard-fit rubber (the 5 Series has a temporary use spare anyway) and be reminded why BMWs remain the keen steerer's choice of the prestige Germans.There might be nine variants of the 5 Series alone, but the base model provides a good reason not to bother learning about the others.Snapshot BMW 520Dprice: $79,900engine: 2.0L/4-cylinderturbo diesel; 125kw/340Nmeconomy: 6.1L/100km (claimed)transmission: 6-speed auto BMW X3 2.0Dprice: $69,200engine: 2.0L/4-cylinderturbo diesel; 125kW/340Nmeconomy: 7L/100km (claimed)transmission: 6-speed auto BMW 520D: a flirtatious beginning