I’ve had a BMW 520d touring auto from 29th May and here are my first thoughts after 6 weeks and 4,500 miles of driving.
My car is SE specification with no options other than an 8 speed automatic gearbox. It has standard 17 inch wheels and run flat tyres (no spare). Exterior colour of blue and a beige leather interior. I do circa 30,000 miles a year so comfort is my priority but I do drive ‘swiftly’ so do expect a car to handle on the B roads as well as the motorways. I do very little town driving as I live in rural Gloucestershire but I do a fair bit of motorway driving.
First things first, the headlights are dire. This is a company car and at the top end of my budget which left no room for options unless I paid the full value of the options myself. With hindsight, I would have specced Xenon’s. I had them on my last car and were amazing. Going back to halogen, and the BMW halogens in particular, is a very retrograde step. I have checked other forums in case it is me expecting more than I should but it does seem to be a very regular complaint – the 5 series needs to have Xenons if you want to drive at night!!!!! OK, Rant over.
In every other respect the car is fantastic. It is super comfortable for a family of four and dog, quiet, refined, quick, handles well (especially for such a large car) and reasonably economical.
The car is very large, the bonnet exceptionally so. Interior space up front is excellent and you sit quite low in the car, you feel very cocooned. Quality of the trim is the best I have ever experienced and I have driven plenty of Audi/Mercs/BM’s before. The car has quite a long wheelbase which combined with an ‘average at best’ steering lock and thick pillars makes car parks sometime challenging. I am more than competent at driving (ex HGV1) but it is a large car with restricted vision in smaller spaces. Drive slowly and it’s fine. The upside of this is that on the road, it is supremely relaxing and just eats up the miles. It is ultra quiet and everybody I have given a lift to has remarked how quiet the car is when travelling. This can cause an issue on motorways as unless you are on cruise control you can very easily be travelling at a higher speed than thought/sensible.
The car does have a ‘Sport/Comfort/Eco Pro’ button by the side of the gearbox and it does make a real difference. I don’t bother with Eco Pro. It works up to 75MPH and is supposed to dial down the air con and electrical systems to save fuel. In real life if saves hardly any fuel but the car is as responsive as me when I am asleep.
Comfort is where I spend most of my time, car behaves like a lazy auto should changes up between 1700 and 2000 RPM in normal driving and is very smooth. Car will accelerate quickly when you kickdown.
Sport is the B road blast option. It holds gears longer, turns traction control down a bit and won’t engage 8th gear. Nice for when the mood grabs.
As I don’t have the adaptive suspension option, the sport/comfort button doesn’t alter the ride but it rides just about right for me on the standard 17’s. I would be the first to admit that I would prefer bigger rims for aesthetics but as a day to day car, 17’s are the sweet spot for ride/handling. I would not consider M Sport suspension at all. The SE is firm enough for a back road blast and comfortable enough on the motorway.
The engine is certainly big enough for propelling the car up the road even if it does weigh in at 1.8 tonnes. Overtaking is no problem whatsoever and I expect this to get better as it loosens up over the next 20,000 miles or so. At 80MPH the car is turning over at just over 2,000 RPM.
Even though the car is ‘bog standard’, the included kit is still impressive and some highlights are:
Bluetooth integration to phone is fantastic. Some people are surprised when I tell them that I am driving as they just can’t tell.
Ipod Integration with the I-Drive displays album artwork and you can control the ipod directly with the I-Drive – very good.
E-mails, SMS and my calendar can be displayed on the I-Drive screen from my BlackBerry (iPhone will work from ios6 release). When stationary you can view the complete e-mail, when moving you can just read the headers.
Can program the ventilation to come on 30 minutes before you get in the car to cool it down with ambient air. Handy for these hot days we are currently experiencing!!!!
MPG – I guess a lot of people are interested in this and I am happy with what it is delivering. I have done a lot of driving with a roofbox on and with 4 bikes on the roof which is all sub 40MPG but in normal driving I am getting just over 45MPG. This is measured brim to brim, the actual computer reckons I get an additional 2MPG. If I were to drive on the motorway at 70MPH, the car would be delivering well in excess of 50MPG. I don’t so it doesn’t.
Other notes:
Engine oil warms up very quickly, within 3 miles. I guess this will be different in the winter (note I wrote oil not water – it doesn’t have a water gauge, just an oil temp gauge and oil takes longer to warm than oil)
In the sun you do get an annoying reflection in the windscreen. I wear polarised sunglasses so it isn’t an issue for me.
Also in the sun, you can get an annoying reflection from the shiny black trim in the central reservation. Why can’t trim be matt to avoid this?
Car spins its rear wheel very easily – might be the energy tyres but could be an issue in the snow…
Brakes stop very well but do need a firm shove, much firmer than most cars I have driven recently
Rain water collects on top of bumper below tailgate making it dirty.
Very accurate speedometer, reads 100MPH when doing a true 98MPH judged by TomTom sat nav
Car rolls and rolls and rolls when you lift the throttle. Takes a bit of getting used to, you need to lift much earlier than expected or else you are straight onto the brakes!!!!
In summary – best car I’ve ever had; quick, economical, handles well, comfortable just don’t drive at night!!!!
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Fascinating. Thanks.
Car spins its rear wheel very easily – might be the energy tyres but could be an issue in the snow
As did every BMW I have known. In the winter round here - without winter tyres- BMWs are literally undriveable. They spin their wheels in ice or snow.
As much use as a Bugatti Veyron.
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It's easy to see why the 5-er is such a sought after car, it sounds near perfect. As long as you avoid that pesky night driving thing.
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Terrific review, a900ss! Full of interesting and useful stuff that you never find in the boy racer "professional" reviews (e.g. The lights, reflection in windscreen, bluetooth performance).
(BTW, I really like the combo of dark exterior and light interior that you have chosen. )
You say "The car is very large..." and that this can make car parks sometimes "challenging". This is what puts me off large cars. I don't pretend to be even average in my parking skills, and I find the A5 big enough as it is!
It prompts me to ask a slightly strange question: If three cars like yours were parked along side each other in a standard hypermarket car park (each perfectly positioned within the parking bay), how easy would it be for the occupants of the middle car to get out of the vehicle?
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Ah but y'see ( sucks teeth ) yer Audi, now yer Audi is front wheel drive y'see.
Rear wheel drive BMWs and Mercs much easier to park. Better lock.
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>> Ah but y'see ( sucks teeth ) yer Audi, now yer Audi is front wheel
>> drive y'see.
>>
>> Rear wheel drive BMWs and Mercs much easier to park. Better lock.
>>
That's what conventional thinking would suggest but it just doesn't happen this time. The car has a long wheelbase and an average lock at best.
It is nowhere near as manoeuvrable as the E class I drove a few weeks ago and that's a real shame.
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Good cars those E classes. I know someone who's got one...
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>> Good cars those E classes. I know someone who's got one...
>>
Go on. Rub it in. :-)
Last edited by: a900ss on Fri 13 Jul 12 at 17:53
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Good headlights too apparently...
:-)
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>> Good cars those E classes. I know someone who's got one...
>>
Yes, until his company finish the lease on the "car which dare not speak it's name", then give him a mere Audi as a replacement! :-)
Then the boot will be on the other foot ( to use an appropriate metaphor).
Now, if you'd bought the car with your own hard-earned, like us proles, you could keep it for as long as you like. ;-)
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I know I know !
:-)
Just fairly impossible to resist when someone sticks their head above the parapet !
If it was my own money it would look a lot like a Mondeo estate to be honest. I was happy enough with one of those for many a year. Good headlights on those too y'know...
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Fri 13 Jul 12 at 18:20
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>> If it was my own money it would look a lot like a Mondeo estate
>> to be honest. I was happy enough with one of those for many a year.
>> Good headlights on those too y'know...
>>
Not sure about that....
I upgraded the headlights on my 2007 S-Max to Philips Xtreme and it made quite a difference.
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I assume Humph was referring to a Mondeo with Xenons.
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You know what they say about "assume"...
No, my old Mk3 had good lights with normal bulbs.
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Mine did too - but if you got a new Mondeo it would be the current model.... so you have no experience of lights on that but have Xenons on the large estate you currently drive.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Fri 13 Jul 12 at 22:00
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>> >> Good cars those E classes. I know someone who's got one...
>> >>
>> Now, if you'd bought the car with your own hard-earned, like us proles, you could
>> keep it for as long as you like. ;-)
>>
Well, as I did.
My E class has xenon headlights, a good turning circle, lots of other things (including crap satnav!*) and on the whole I am very fond of it.
* Edit.
Actually the bit about crap satnav is not totally fair. The traffic warnings and revised routes are excellent. Its the entering of a new destination which is a pain.
Last edited by: Duncan on Sat 14 Jul 12 at 08:03
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The sat nav on my large German estate car had a bit of a wobbly recently. All started with an invasion, sorry holiday, into Belgium and France... Car happily moved itself to CET as expected on disembarkation at Zebrugge. Sat Nav ticked forward one hour, and the clock on the dash wizzed forward an hour as well. Unfortunately, maybe something into the programming, it did not want to leave France. History repeating itself I guess. Car stuck on CET time, and no way to change it. You can manually change the time zone, but choosing GB manually set it to something approximating Indian time!! There's no way of manually adjusting the time!
A quick trip to MB on the off chance they could fix it on the spot came to nothing - they tried disconecting the battery (aka switching on on and then off...) So car booked in to "reinstall software". Problem fixed, car cleaned, and the courtesey car, a C180 SE auto, a surprisingly quick and comfortable car. Oddly, or at least in comparison to my experience with BMW/Audi it was not new but an '09 plate. Felt as good as new though, but was running on Nexen (sp.) tyres which seemed ad bit cheapskate!!
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...but was running on Nexen (sp.) tyres which seemed a bit cheapskate!!
Coincidentally mine has Nexens on the front, and Hankooks on the back, which slightly mars the Approved Used gloss of the rest of the car. They seem tolerable, although I did detect a hint of rear-wheel skitter the other day on a familiar bend that I took only marginally faster than I intended.
Perhaps it's because top-brand tyres in this size are £130 a time (£250 for Humph's wheels) but I can't compute skimping on tyres for a car like this.
Incidentally, I can set the time on mine through the steering wheel. No nav to go wrong here though.
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>>
>> It prompts me to ask a slightly strange question: If three cars like yours were
>> parked along side each other in a standard hypermarket car park (each perfectly positioned within
>> the parking bay), how easy would it be for the occupants of the middle car
>> to get out of the vehicle?
>>
Very difficult. It's the width that is the real issue. It won't fit in the length of a standard bay but that's not too much of a problem. It 'just' fits in width wise but you have to be very careful not to ding the paintwork opening the doors.
I just know that this car will get quite a few door mark knocks where other people open their car doors and knock my car.
Plus as I have two small children, one under three, I need to fully open the doors to get them into their child seats and strap them in.
Last edited by: a900ss on Fri 13 Jul 12 at 17:52
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Given that a £12k, 15 year old design, (with bulbs design of 1960's era) car like mine can produce excellent dipped beams that illuminate the road well without dazzling others, can't be bettered or equaled by a hi tech £30k+ 2011 design car.
Do we actually make progress with car design?
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I do think though that some people must have frighteningly poor night vision. I don't have perfect eyesight, I need glasses for reading for example but I do note when travelling with others after dark that I seem to be able to see things like road signs a lot earlier and more clearly.
You know the sort of thing, when you ask a passenger to confirm something you saw written on a roadsign because you are now looking beyond it and they say "What sign? Oh that sign, hang on...yes it says...um..ah, yes.."
:-)
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Fri 13 Jul 12 at 22:21
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I thought they removed all signposts after dark, I never seem to see them.
Still, it keeps people in work by erecting them again first thing in the morning.
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I fitted Halfords +50% Brilliance bulbs in my Mondeo's dip beams as soon as I got it - I do with every car I intend to keep long-term. I suppose I should replace the bulbs now, after 16 months and 25k miles they must have silvered a bit. I'll do it in the autumn :)
Great 520d review a900ss, I deliver a few of these (not yours, although I did bring a blue/white leather 520d Touring down that way a few months back) and it's interesting to read some feedback on the car after you've got over the initial settling-in phase.
Last edited by: Dave_TDCi on Fri 13 Jul 12 at 22:53
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>>I fitted Halfords +50% Brilliance bulbs in my Mondeo's dip beams as soon as I got it - I do with every car I intend to keep long-term.
>>
I do the same. I started the process by fitting Cibie units to my 1600E in its youth.
I uprated my Mondeo with Osram Silverstars x 4 and also the side lights.
About to order Philips bulbs for my new toy but I read they can be a PITA to replace.
I want to stay totally legal rather than retro fit Xenons.
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In all this talk of lights there's no mention of the indicators - wonder if he's used them yet?
OK, that's a cheap shot and an obvious one, but wasn't there something odd in the way BMW indicators cancelled, or was it Vauxhall?
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Indicators are the same as vauxhall as in they stay in central position even when on.
A half push in the direction you want gives 3 flashes. A full push turns them on and they turn themselves off when the steering wheel straightens. To manually cancel them you fully push them in the direction you are turning. If you push in the opposite direction, the opposite indicator comes on.
Fairly straightforward but it does confuse a lot of people who end up indicating in the wrong direction.
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File that one with electric parking brakes under Solutions to Problems Nobody Had. it doesn't even have the EPB's redeeming feature of leaving more space in the armrest compartment for jelly babies.
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>> Indicators are the same as vauxhall as in they stay in central position even when
>> on.
>>
I actually miss that now I've moved away from Vauxhalls. One of the things I really liked about them in fact. It just seems so logical to me. Clever how the wipers will cancel themselves and always resume from the off position when you switch the car off and then restart it.
Maybe it only appeals to nerds like me? No offence intended a900ss!
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I could never warm to them. I always found them overly fussy and I remember the first time I drove a vx with. Indicating all over the place especially on the mway. Glad we are getting rid of them at work for Kias.
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>> I do note when
>> travelling with others after dark that I seem to be able to see things like
>> road signs a lot earlier and more clearly.
When you are the driver you'll change the way you observe things and act. The passengers will relax and won't concentrate so hard because they aren't driving. It's one of those automatic adaptations that the brain is capable of (when you've become an experienced driver) without you even realising it. Wonderful thing the brain.
Of course it may be that your friends don't eat enough carrots.
Last edited by: corax on Sat 14 Jul 12 at 11:57
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I am not sold on the BMW indicator system. This idea that you indicate the same way that "To manually cancel them you fully push them in the direction you are turning." doesn't always work as you expect in my experience.
I lost count of the number of times that the indicators stayed on, and as soon as I pushed them to cancel them, they cancelled themselves at that awkward moment - with the net result that my attempt to cancel them resulted in me simply putting them on again.
I got so fed up with them that I stopped using them as much as I should have.
.... and that, M'Lud, concludes the case for the Defence.
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Never found it a problem Londoner - never indicate !
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Great report, a900ss. I really must do one on my car.
With indicators, I can't see why everyone doesn't settle for the system that VAG use: gentle push against the first detent gives three flashes for lane changing, and a firmer push puts them on continuously until they self-cancel in the normal way. OK, you can get used to other set-ups, but why should you have to? This one feels natural from thr beginning.
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I agree about how well the VAG system works - and you can disable the 3 flashes if you want via the MFD.
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>> I agree about how well the VAG system works - and you can disable the
>> 3 flashes if you want via the MFD.
>>
The 3 flash can also be disabled in the BM. As can DRL'S be switched on or off in the same menu.
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>> The 3 flash can also be disabled in the BM.
>>
I not sure that they can be in my large German estate car.
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I've no idea about mine. The salesman confidently demonstrated the three-flash feature at the handover but I can't make it work. Doesn't bother me - for lane changes I just hold the lever against the spring and it flashes till I let go, like every other car I've owned.
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Three flash can be enabled/disabled through the iDrive on my 320d. Not sure about the DRLs though. I haven't seen that option.
I still find BMWs indicator set-up irritating. Too many times they self-cancel when you don't want them to, and don't self-cancel when you do. What's wrong with a conventional switch and a self cancelling lug on the steering column? It has worked flawlessly for decades.
Interesting to read that the oil temperature warms up quickly on the 520d. On the 320d, it takes about 15 miles to get up to its normal operating temperature of 100 degrees C. The gauge takes a good 2 miles to even move. I'm not sure if this is a real gauge or a just a "show" gauge, as the temperature doesn't fluctuate at all. For example, you can cane it across country and then spend 10 minutes idling in traffic, and it sits bang on 100 degrees all the time.
The 3 also suffers from annoying reflections in the windscreen. There's a "dip" in the dash plastic behind the instrument panel, and another behind the i-Drive screen, both of which reflect in the windscreen.
Last edited by: DP on Sun 15 Jul 12 at 11:04
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DRLs can be deactivated via the menu on pre-April 2012 cars. After that date they have to stay on by law.
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>> DRLs can be deactivated via the menu on pre-April 2012 cars. After that date they
>> have to stay on by law.
>>
But my car has a factory build date of 05/12.
It was built to order, not sat in some dealers yard and I've also checked that it was a May build from the door sticker.
Might be an older version of software in my car that is still allowing me to set them on or off.
Last edited by: a900ss on Sun 15 Jul 12 at 13:53
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>> DRLs can be deactivated via the menu on pre-April 2012 cars. After that date they
>> have to stay on by law.
>>
I will take a look. Mine was registered and delivered in March, and built in Feb.
Last edited by: DP on Sun 15 Jul 12 at 13:54
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I don't think it's actually a legal requirement yet. Something very civilized about being able to disable them....Glad that BMW haven't opted for leery looking LED beads. Reflections on the windscreen ? Heavens ! What's become of the blue propeller ?
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Isn't it a white propeller against a blue sky?
}:---)
Last edited by: WillDeBeest on Sun 15 Jul 12 at 16:17
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>> I still find BMWs indicator set-up irritating. Too many times they self-cancel when you don't
>> want them to, and don't self-cancel when you do.
Oh, wow. So in that sense it's just like owning every model of FIAT made in the last decade? Love it :-)
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>> Other notes:
>>...
>> Also in the sun, you can get an annoying reflection from the shiny black trim
>> in the central reservation. Why can’t trim be matt to avoid this?
>>
Found that with my wife's car, anybody thinking of ordering/buying a car with shiny black interior should really try it out first. When the sun shines it's right in your eyes. Horrible stuff.
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>>>Isn't it a white propeller against a blue sky?
Aha. Strangely enough it isn't. Seems most people think this is the story behind the BM logo, but it is actually the blue and white of the Bavarian flag. Saw a BM historian explaining this on some obcure TV show a month or two ago.
Good review by the way. I had my local dealer try to tempt me out of my 2008 520d manual Touring by giving me a new 520d auto saloon. A massive step up in interior quality and ambience, and materials much better. The auto was so much better than any I have tried (quite different from the 3-speeder in my XJ-S).
Were it not for the fact that mine was a 'friday afternoon' car I would consider staying with BMW, but the pain I have been through with this one makes me a little reticent to risk it. I need to kill mine first as well. Have now racked up 110,000 from new. Still a mile-eater, but still no personality (the car that is....)
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Oh, and the lights on mine are not great. The biggest problem is the dipped beam is set too low and they can't / won't adjust it up to a (still legal) setting.
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Thanks, SFD. I feel better for knowing that.
Now, make yourself really useful and get over to Crankcase's 'Tubby' thread and put that SF into numbers!
}:---)
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>> Were it not for the fact that mine was a 'friday afternoon' car I would
>> consider staying with BMW,
They make a lot of their cars on Friday afternoons these days. My F30 has had issues, but from chatting with a few colleagues over lunch today, mine is one of the better ones. :-(
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>>> When the sun shines it's right in your eyes.
OK for UK use though!
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So I know of a few on here with new BMWs. And my brother has one. All have had problems. As a percentage of people with new BMWs that I know of... not good. I'd expect a lot better. The fault on my brother's X3 has occurred for a second time.
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My own experience of BMW reliability was disappointing to say the least, and yet, on 09 November 2011, Parkers Guide announced:
"The BMW 3-Series has once again been named as the most reliable car in the UK, after a survey of 1.2 million vehicles."
(notice the phrase "once again")
Not only that, but BMW was the most reliable manufacturer overall.
www.parkers.co.uk/company-cars/news-and-advice/advice/2011/november/the-most-reliable-cars-revealed/
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Too much unnecessary crap on them. Brilliant engines and well put together, but too much flawed technology.
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>> "The BMW 3-Series has once again been named as the most reliable car in the
>> UK, after a survey of 1.2 million vehicles."
Bit misleading, as it only covers leased cars. If you are a manufacturer that doesn't have that many leased cars, you're not going figure very highly...eg. Lexus, who usually do very well in other surveys.
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>> If you are a manufacturer that doesn't have that many leased cars, you're not going figure very highly...eg. Lexus,
That's because of...? What?
They have the Lexus CT200H (which admittedly is expensive) and the diesel IS200... both should appeal to some lease drivers. At the higher end for those wanting expensive cars there are hybrids.....
.... no you're right company drivers will tend to want none of these. A diesel premium brand is better in BIK and MPG terms than the hybrids and the CT200h is too expensive. To get a well equipped one which comes with low BIK rates is still really expensive.
:-)
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When DP first told us about his 3-series, I thought he'd been unlucky - but it seems he's not alone. Let's hope a90ss has better luck....but it shouldn't be luck when you're getting any new car, should it - let alone a BMW.
I believe the 3-series now sells better than the Mondeo: I wonder if mass production, newer to BMW than to Ford, has taken its toll. My Z3 was seven years old when I got it, and admittedly as a fun car has done only 13,000 miles in the four years I've had it - but it's had a noisy water pump replaced as a precaution, and two new tyres - and that's it. It was I believe assembled in the USA but they didn't make as many as they do the 3-series.
SWMBO's four Minis have all been fine too - good old British workforce!
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>>I believe the 3-series now sells better than the Mondeo
It has for more than a decade or more. Maybe it cannot be made reliably for the cost? Who knows.... remember what other manufacturers said of the original Mini.
Mass production has nothing to do with this though does it. My brother's X3 is not so well made because it's is made in America for starters.
And Minis are made in the UK. As you say.
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>> When DP first told us about his 3-series, I thought he'd been unlucky - but
>> it seems he's not alone. Let's hope a90ss has better luck....but it shouldn't be luck
>> when you're getting any new car, should it - let alone a BMW.
>>
I'll keep you all updated should anything go wrong but we have a quite a few Merc and BM's on our fleet and it is the Mercedes cars that are proving unreliable. So much so that they have been dropped from our list now.
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I genuinely wish you a good experience 900.
It took a lot to persuade my boss that a new 520d touring was better for the comapny than a 1 year old V70, and after some number crunching I got my way. Then the problems started (electrical, self levelling suspension, Bluetooth, stereo, wheel bearings, etc, more recently random electrical faults where it sayss a bulb has blown but changing the bulb doesn't fix it. Oh, and a boot that un-does itself when you start the engine, or when you are sat at traffic lights. ARGH!!). I have cringed as I tell him each time what has gone wrong.
Then he bought a LR Freelander that has had a number of problems, then the engine failed and had to be replaced with a new one at 17,000 miles. Made me feel a bit better that I am not the only one suffering the pain! His other personal car is a Merc and this has been reliable, but they are fleecing him on unnessasary service parts. I miss my old S60 Volvo.....
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On the DRL subject, my February built, March registered F30 has no option to turn off the DRLs. At least, not under the Lighting menu anyway. :-)
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I can change the car's settings to turn off the DRLs, but I want them to stay on.
I like being more visible to other road users, especially as I have a dark coloured car.
Plus, I don't think that my DRLs are too irritating, because they are plain Holaogen ones, rather than the fairy lights.
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>> Plus, I don't think that my DRLs are too irritating, because they are plain Holaogen
>> ones, rather than the fairy lights.
Likewise. To be honest, it never occurred to me to turn them off, but I just had a look in the interests of knowledge :-)
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I'm not terribly bothered whether my drls are on or not. From where I sit I can't see them. ( unless I drive unfeasably close to the back of a shiny van or something)
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It does bother me if the DRL's are on or not on the BMW as in poverty spec lights the DRL's are the actual headlights.
Makes a mockery of auto lights if the headlights are on all the time....
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>> Makes a mockery of auto lights if the headlights are on all the time....
Only the DLRs/headlights are on - the rear lights are not on. Neither are number plate lights, dashboard illumination etc.
Cheap solution for manufacturers to provide DLRs on some models though.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Tue 17 Jul 12 at 20:12
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First 6 weeks with a 520d - madf
