BMW 520d much more affordable

By Hugh Maguire In an era where diesel engines are becoming ever more popular in the luxury segment BMW make some of the best available. Now since July 1st, BMW"s smallest diesel the 2.0 litre which powers the 320d and the 520d has benefited from its low emissions by dramatically reducing the price of both cars. In the case of the 520d on test here by no less than €8,136.00! Making access to a new 5 Series much more affordable. First impressions My test car was the 520d M-Sport and therefore has a full and discreet M-Sport body kit, which consists of a front air dam, side skirts and a rear diffuser as well as M-Sport alloys. It looks fabulous. Behind the wheel The cabin of the 520d is typically BMW, very minimalist and simple. The dashboard is a model of ergonomic excellence. Clear, concise and uncluttered though it all looks rather bare with just two round dials in the instrument binnacle. At night all the instruments and switchgear are illuminated in a soft easy on the eye red glow. Studies have shown that this type of illumination best suits the transition from viewing the road ahead to refocusing on the cars instruments at night. It is this attention to detail that I so admire and it is evident in every BMW I have driven. The driving position is excellent and the seats proved comfortable and supportive. The only downside for me was the all-enveloping blackness of the test cars cabin. Everything, the leather seats, roof lining, carpets, and dash was black, choosing a grey or beige would be somewhat less oppressive I suppose. The main instrument cluster is absolutely fine but the second centrally mounted binnacle, which contains the information iDrive screen, looks a bit out of place. The new simplified iDrive is though much more user friendly. Standard equipment across the 5 Series range is very good indeed with a host of standard features including to mention a just a few: twin airbags, side airbags, side curtain airbags, ABS with EBD, traction and dynamic stability control, ISOFIX, BMW iDrive, a puncture warning system, automatic air conditioning, a super stereo system with CD changer, keyless entry with pushbutton start, and of course electric windows, locking and so on. You really need to check the spec for whatever car interests you as each model varies so much. The M-Sport pack adds features such as Sports suspension, the aforementioned cosmetic bodystyling, larger alloys, leather sports seats, cruise control, auto headlights and wipers and a lane change warning system amongst other goodies. Performance The new 4-cylinder 2-litre turbocharged diesel produces a healthy 163 bhp, giving this car a respectable zero to 100 km/h of 8.3 seconds and a top speed of around 225 km/h, which is quite impressive. It emits just 136g/km of C02. In everyday terms I must say that this new engine performs very well indeed. At idle only a faint thrum from the engine hints that this car is diesel powered. Once on the open road it is truly remarkable, it accelerates smoothly, proves refined and with the slick optional tiptronic auto gearbox endows the car with great get up and go. On the economy side it proves equally impressive consuming just 7.9 litres of diesl per 100 km on average over my test period. This gives the 520d a range in excess of 1,000km between refuels! Road Behaviour What a car to drive. It is exhilarating in the way in which it responds instantly to every driver input. The handling is razor sharp. Point the 520d at a sequence of bends and it will effortlessly track your chosen line no matter what the conditions. Push the car hard and it seems the limits of grip are out of reach, push really hard and the Dynamic stability Control kicks in to tame your over eager approach. The balance of the car is near perfect with a 50%/50% weight distribution. In short it is a real drivers car, rewarding in every way. Refinement is high with little or no engine, road or wind noise to intrude. Accommodation is very good and the boot is generous in its size. Verdict I am going to keep this short and sweet. This 520d is one of the best smaller engined luxury diesel cars you can buy. I really enjoyed every kilometre behind the wheel. The car is responsive, agile, dynamic, practical, economical well equipped and truly rewarding to drive. However even better news is the fact that it has now come down in price from €54,000 to €46,057 making entry to 5 Series ownership that bit more affordable.