2010 2011 BMW 5 Series Forum F10 - View Single Post

carl_d · 06-14-2010, 06:29 AM

More from Autocar on the F11...

http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/...ouring/250457/

BMW 520d Touring
Test date 11 June 2010 Price as tested £30,380

Boot space is a healthy 560 litres, and opens up to 1670 litres
What is it?
This is the fourth-generation 5-series Touring, some 19 years on from the original E34-series model was launched. 650,000 of the breed have been built so far.

Like the saloon, the 5-series Touring is based on the same architecture as the 7-series. This gives it one of the longest wheelbases in this class and more legroom than the outgoing model.

What’s it like?
It’s arguably rather better looking the saloon. The Touring only shares its front half (from the B-pillar forwards) with the saloon but the long, slightly sloping, roofline and hatchback rear seems to do a better job of balancing out the 5’s flat bonnet and bluff, upright, nose.

BMW’s engineers say they went to great lengths to improve the Touring’s luggage and load-lugging utility, ensuring the car isn’t just a lifestyle estate.

Despite the falling roofline, the load height is pretty impressive as is the width of the tailgate opening. The hinges and counterweight mechanisms for the tailgate have been compressed into the roof panel, which results in a completely uncluttered loading aperture.

The boot space is a very healthy 560 litres - enough, as BMW demonstrated, to swallow a washing machine. The capacity will extend to 1670 litres with the rear seats down.

BMW has put plenty of detail work in here, too. The rear seat is now split 40:20:40 (and advance on the standard 60:40 split, which usually finds the widest part of the seat on the wrong side for right hand drive cars).

The sprung-loaded seatsbacks can be dropped by pulling a flap in the side of the loadbay. They also lie almost flat when down and the seat back angle can be adjusted when they are erect.

Like the first 5-series Touring, the new model has a flip-open rear screen set within the tailgate. This handy touch is augmented by luggage cover that be slid – while still extended, up and along the inside of the D-pillars, making loading shopping through the rear window rather easier.

This 520d manual is the entry-level model in the UK. For the £30,380 on-the-road price it is pretty handsomely specced. Rear air suspension and self-levelling is standard, as is stop-start, leather upholstery, cruise control, parking radar front and rear, upmarket audio and Bluetooth.

On most levels, this is a beautifully engineered and realized car, which, in entry-level form, really feels worth the money. The engine is obviously diesel when pressing on, but it’s otherwise perfectly class competitive and, and thanks to the extensive armory of Efficient Dynamics kit, remarkably frugal.

The only area for nit-picking is with the chassis tuning. According to one senior BMW engineer, the philosophy when tuning the 5-series chassis was to err towards driver comfort: the average 5-series driver is around 50 years old. Truth is, it shows.

Our German test car also had 18in wheels and Dynamic Damper Control. DDC allows the driver to select ‘comfort’, ‘normal’, ‘sport’ and ‘sport plus’ modes.

Most UK drivers will not opt for the DDC, but according to a BMW engineer who worked on the new 5-series, the standard UK chassis equates to somewhere between ‘normal’ and ‘sport’.

However, only in Sport mode did the car feel decently alive and keen on changing direction reasonably quickly. Overall it was swift enough (especially considering the promised economy), stable, confidence inspiring and thoroughly premium-feeling.

Should I buy one?
As agreeable as this 5 Touring was, it was not particularly sporting – more briskly competent. It’s also clear that at softer settings, the 5’s dampers deliver a demonstrably poorer ride on poor surfaces, something that affects the UK particularly.

BMW’s engineers are so concerned with the feedback, that they are set to conduct UK road tests very shortly in order to tweak the 5-series’ standard chassis settings before sales begin in September.

If they can put the final spark back into this car, it will be a remarkably complete machine.

Hilton Holloway

06-14-2010, 06:29 AM	#206
carl_d General 41 Rep 683 Posts Drives: E90 335i M-Sport N55 6SP Nov10 Join Date: May 2005 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	More from Autocar on the F11... http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/...ouring/250457/ BMW 520d Touring Test date 11 June 2010 Price as tested £30,380 Boot space is a healthy 560 litres, and opens up to 1670 litres What is it? This is the fourth-generation 5-series Touring, some 19 years on from the original E34-series model was launched. 650,000 of the breed have been built so far. Like the saloon, the 5-series Touring is based on the same architecture as the 7-series. This gives it one of the longest wheelbases in this class and more legroom than the outgoing model. What’s it like? It’s arguably rather better looking the saloon. The Touring only shares its front half (from the B-pillar forwards) with the saloon but the long, slightly sloping, roofline and hatchback rear seems to do a better job of balancing out the 5’s flat bonnet and bluff, upright, nose. BMW’s engineers say they went to great lengths to improve the Touring’s luggage and load-lugging utility, ensuring the car isn’t just a lifestyle estate. Despite the falling roofline, the load height is pretty impressive as is the width of the tailgate opening. The hinges and counterweight mechanisms for the tailgate have been compressed into the roof panel, which results in a completely uncluttered loading aperture. The boot space is a very healthy 560 litres - enough, as BMW demonstrated, to swallow a washing machine. The capacity will extend to 1670 litres with the rear seats down. BMW has put plenty of detail work in here, too. The rear seat is now split 40:20:40 (and advance on the standard 60:40 split, which usually finds the widest part of the seat on the wrong side for right hand drive cars). The sprung-loaded seatsbacks can be dropped by pulling a flap in the side of the loadbay. They also lie almost flat when down and the seat back angle can be adjusted when they are erect. Like the first 5-series Touring, the new model has a flip-open rear screen set within the tailgate. This handy touch is augmented by luggage cover that be slid – while still extended, up and along the inside of the D-pillars, making loading shopping through the rear window rather easier. This 520d manual is the entry-level model in the UK. For the £30,380 on-the-road price it is pretty handsomely specced. Rear air suspension and self-levelling is standard, as is stop-start, leather upholstery, cruise control, parking radar front and rear, upmarket audio and Bluetooth. On most levels, this is a beautifully engineered and realized car, which, in entry-level form, really feels worth the money. The engine is obviously diesel when pressing on, but it’s otherwise perfectly class competitive and, and thanks to the extensive armory of Efficient Dynamics kit, remarkably frugal. The only area for nit-picking is with the chassis tuning. According to one senior BMW engineer, the philosophy when tuning the 5-series chassis was to err towards driver comfort: the average 5-series driver is around 50 years old. Truth is, it shows. Our German test car also had 18in wheels and Dynamic Damper Control. DDC allows the driver to select ‘comfort’, ‘normal’, ‘sport’ and ‘sport plus’ modes. Most UK drivers will not opt for the DDC, but according to a BMW engineer who worked on the new 5-series, the standard UK chassis equates to somewhere between ‘normal’ and ‘sport’. However, only in Sport mode did the car feel decently alive and keen on changing direction reasonably quickly. Overall it was swift enough (especially considering the promised economy), stable, confidence inspiring and thoroughly premium-feeling. Should I buy one? As agreeable as this 5 Touring was, it was not particularly sporting – more briskly competent. It’s also clear that at softer settings, the 5’s dampers deliver a demonstrably poorer ride on poor surfaces, something that affects the UK particularly. BMW’s engineers are so concerned with the feedback, that they are set to conduct UK road tests very shortly in order to tweak the 5-series’ standard chassis settings before sales begin in September. If they can put the final spark back into this car, it will be a remarkably complete machine. Hilton Holloway __________________ 2010 E90 335i M-Sport, 2005 E90 325i M-Sport, 2003 E60 520i, 2002 E46 330i Sport II, 2000 E46 325i Sport I, 1999 E46 318i, 1998 E46 323i SE, 1996 E36 323i SE, 1996 E34 518i, 1995 E36 320iA, 1994 E36 316i Last edited by carl_d; 06-14-2010 at 06:35 AM..
	Appreciate 0 Quote