GRANDER DESIGN
VALUE
A maximum on-the-road cost of $103,870 for the BMW 520d wagon represents reasonable value against its sticker price of $99,900. That money buys a leather interior, ambient lighting, LED headlamps, a powered tailgate and the company’s newest infotainment software displaying satnav, wireless Apple CarPlay and digital radio on a 10.25-inch screen. A $7200 M Sport pack bundles 19-inch alloy wheels, body kit, sports suspension, sports seats and anthracite roof liner. The warranty runs for three years and the 520d needs conditionbased servicing – roughly 12 months/ 15,000km. A $1695 upfront cost covers the 5 Series for basic servicing for the first five years/80,000km.
COMFORT
Passenger space isn’t an issue in the 5 Series and the wagon extends that practicality with extra rear head and legroom and a cavernous 570L of cargo capacity. That open area behind the rear seats doesn’t induce any unwanted boom or noise in the big wagon and sound suppression is every bit as good as the sedan. The leather upholstery is well padded and the front seats are contoured to keep occupants restrained during cornering. I’d love the touchscreen to be deeper – it presents a shallow satnav view compared to squarer rivals – but the resolution and ease of operation are first rate.
SAFETY
The 5 Series wagon will steer itself for a limited time and, in concert with the adaptive cruise control, will happily deal with stop-start driving on an arterial road. Cross-traffic assist, blindspot and lane-departure intervention and seven airbags are standard. The 520d sedan was tested by ANCAP and earned a high five-star score; the wagon is unrated. An optional remote control parking app helps prevent you dooring other cars or garage walls in tight spaces and the head-up display keeps your attention focused on the road ahead.
DRIVING
The wagon drives just like the sedan, making it a better proposition than the X5 for those who appreciate dynamics. It sits flatter through the turns, the (optional) adaptive suspension adjusts from plush to firm as the size of the bumps increases and precise steering makes the big car a delight to drive on back roads. Outward vision is as good as you can hope for in a vehicle this size and the eight-speed automatic seamlessly shifts to keep the 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine surfing in its 400Nm sweet spot. Claimed fuel use is 4.9L/100km – expect to match our return of 6L-odd.
ALTERNATIVES
Wagons are being over-run by the SUV brigade so the only real competition at this price comes
from Audi and Mercedes-Benz in the form of the A6 Allroad and E220d All-Terrain respectively. Both demand a premium by virtue of being all-wheel drive but the reality is none of these cars will see much more than a beach road or bush track and the BMW will cope with that. The Audi tops out at $129,600 on the road with a 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel while the Merc’s peak price is about $121,500 propelled by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder.
VERDICT
You can buy a lot of diesel for $20,000, especially at the low rate this BMW uses it. Add in the fact the 5 Series Touring matches the competition on specification and it is the smartest choice for a mid-sized wagon. Its rarity on the road also makes SUV drivers sit up and take notice.