[Taipei-TT]

Hello,

This seems like an awesome site with friendly and knowledgeable posters.

I'm coming out of a 2008 Audi TT. Absolutely love the car and wanted to hang on to it for another year . . .but it's out of warranty and the DSG has been a nightmare, a new steering rack, it's been down the past 2 weeks while it waits for a flywheel . . .nightmare to love that car. Anyhow!

So kids are getting bigger, and while I initially thought I was going to go for a 3-series coupe, the 5 series has my eye. Brand new design so I won't get the switch bug when the new 3 series comes out in a year or two . . .and has all the space I'd ever need without going to crazy.

I'm thinking of getting the 520d. I'm Canadian, but live in Taiwan. Obviously, I'd love to get a 530d, but it adds over $30 000USD to the car and puts that car at the $115 000 USD range . . .getting a bit crazy! So . . .if I'm going to go for this car the only price points it makes sense at is the 528 or the 520d. And looking at the comparison on speed etc, I think real world driving the d has a compelling case. Diesel is about 12-15% cheaper than premium fuel here, engines are taxed on displacement, (saving about $1500USD per year). The 535 sells at a price similar to the 530d, and with that choice, I'd go d.

So . . .without talking myself back into the oil burners (had a 2007 Audi A3 TDI . . .and really loved the torque down low in city driving and endless highway runs of over 1200km on a tank!) Anyone in here driven a 520d? Obviously not a rocket ship, but enough grunt to push this car around at a reasonable gait?

If I go for it...I will only get real leather seats and probably a sun roof as options. Pretty much everything else is standard that I want and need.

And a last question, can anyone point me to the V Spoke styling 236 rims? I have no idea what they look like. If I order the car now...I'm looking at a November/December delivery according to the dealer here in Taipei.

Pretty excited about the car and about to pull the trigger . . .once I finalize that I can truly live with a 520d . . .

[listerone]

Can't answer your *exact* question but I *do* own a 335 diesel here in the US.IIRC,my "d" features the same 3.0 litre diesel found in the 520D.In my 335 the 3.0 is a beast.Jeremy Clarkson,on Top Gear,decribed the engine best when he said of it in one episode "it's not exactly electric but it is *relentless*..and he stressed that word.That's exactly how I'd describe my "d".

[HighlandPete]

The 520d is not a 6-pot diesel, but the 'humble' 4-pot as used in many of the smaller cars. It will be the most common model F10 in the UK, as it does make sense for all the reasons posted. True it won't set the world a light, but is a good unit and well tested and liked in the previous model E60/1 cars here in the UK.

Obviously not as smooth and refined as the 3.0 litre variants, but if you can't go to a 3.0 not a car to pass by.

HighlandPete

[gorban]

I have a 525d Touring with the 3 liter 197 hp 6 cylinder engine. I also have a 120d with the 2 liter 177 hp 4 cylinder engine. I have also driven the E60 520d a number of times. For a short while I tuned the 120d with a box up to 205 hp.

The big difference between the engines is of course 4 versus 6 cylinders, where the 6 is much more refined, vibration free and has better torque on low rews.

Nevertheless, the 520d is a good basic engine which doesn't lack power and in the F10/F11 it has been improved to 184 hp and 380 Nm. The torque is actually better than the 528i and almost on par with the 535i. This will not give you good acceleration from zero or high top speed but very good performance between 80-120 km/h where most of us drive. The fuel consumption is unbelievable with 5.0 liters per 100 km for the manual F10.

There are quite a few reviews out there of the 520d Touring that the press tried out in June. Almost all reviews are positive about the new engine but recommends the automatic gearbox. The are also a few owner reviews online now.

I have an F11 520d Touring with sports automatic and dynamic dampers on order with delivery in October/November.

[smanoj77]

I drive the manual 520d, done about 750 miles so far. True it is not as refined as the 6 cyl ver, but it does well for normal city nd motorway driving. I haven't pushed the engine too many times, but whenever I was on cruise control and the car was accelerating to the desired speed....man the car can pull!! Its giving me 49mpg at the moment.

[kaishang]

Personally, I like 6-cylinder BMWs. They are smoother - they are inherently smoother it is just not possible to make a 4-cylinder engine as smooth as it is possible to make a 6-cylinder. So if it is in your price range, I like the 528 (caveat: have not driven either a 528 or a 520 or any F10 5-series).

I have the 3-litre diesel. Overall, coming from a 6-cylinder gasoline engine before, the diesel makes more financial sense, but it is less fun and still sounds a bit like a truck.

BTW - I've taken two driving holidays in Taiwan, great country

[gorban]

I have now done a test drive for the third time in an F10. This time it was the 520d with the standard automatic transmission. The car has a little more vibration and noise than my E61 525d but not that much. For ordinary driving the 520d will be just fine. The hardest thing to get used to, coming from the previous 5 series, is the difference in how the steering feels. The new F10 does not have that direct feeling.