BMW 520d Touring
Saloon is an executive class leader. Now we find out whether new estate has the edge as well
MODEL TESTED: BMW 520d Touring M Sport PRICE: £41,385 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbodiesel, 187bhp
BMW ’S 5 Series Touring is only available in two trim levels: entry-level SE and M Sport, which we test here. All cars use the firm’s eight-speed auto box, so the 520d M Sport comes in at £41,385.
DESIGN & ENGINEERING
THE 5 Series Touring is based on BMW ’s OKL platform for rear-wheeldrive vehicles. This uses similar tech to the larger 7 Series luxury saloon, only the 5 Series doesn’t feature the flagship’s Carbon Core technology in a bid to keep costs down. However, there’s still extensive use of lightweight alloys to deliver a good level of dynamic ability, despite more metalwork around the rear end due to the estate bodystyle.
The Touring features double-wishbone front suspension and a multi-link layout at the rear. Plus, our test model was fitted with the £985 adaptive dampers that help improve the ride on the 18-inch alloys that come with M Sport spec.
There’s also another adaptive function as part of the Proactive Driving Assistant that links the sat-nav, suspension and gearbox to select the right parameters for the car on a given section of road. It means you should always be in the right gear for a corner or a change in gradient.
Plenty of other standard tech is fitted, including a widescreen navigation unit as part of BMW ’s idrive system. All 5 Series Tourings get climate and cruise control, Bluetooth, DAB, LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors and heated seats, plus clever active aerodynamics outside to maxim ise efficiency.
DRIVING
IT weighs only 35kg more than the saloon, at 1,660kg, so the 5 Series Touring is remarkably similar to drive to its sibling. With the Variable Damper Control in its softest setting the 520d rides smoothly but with plenty of control, absorbing imperfections in the road with a supple edge, even on fairly large wheels and low-profile tyres.
Switch to Sport mode and the compliance is still there, with the chassis dealing with undulations well. However, the softer edge is replaced by firmer damping, with tighter body and wheel control that means you can really exploit the grip the BMW ’s chassis serves up – but in total security.
The steering is the best here – none of these cars offers much in the way of feedback, but the BMW’S is the most precise, and allied to its grippier chassis, it’s the most involving choice. This is true even in day-to-day driving, while the comfort and ride quality edge it ahead of the Mercedes.
BMW ’s 187bhp 2.0-litre turbodiesel almost matches the chassis’s 7 Series-like refinement. It is much improved and the quieter engine here, and with 400Nm of torque its performance is spot on.
On test the 520d sprinted from 0-60mph in 7.8 seconds. This was two tenths slower than the more powerful Mercedes, while it trailed the Volvo by half a second. However, it’s not enough to make a difference on the road as the 5 Series’ in-gear performance is on par with its rivals.
This is where it counts, and with the eight-speed automatic gearbox handling changes smoothly and rattling through gearshifts quickly in manual mode using the paddles, the 5 Series is the most comfortable, refined car of the three on test here.
PRACTICALITY
ESTATES are all about practicality, and the 5 Series offers plenty of space thanks to its 570-litre boot. Although it’s 70 litres down on the Mercedes, it still offers 10 litres more load capacity than the Volvo and is a usable shape.
The BMW gets a standard power tailgate but its split design gives it a practicality advantage over its rivals; the rear glass opens, making it easier to load shopping bags. With the boot open there’s no loading lip, either.
There’s plenty of room in the rear. Legroom and visibility are good and the cabin is comfortable. The 5 Series feels large in the front, with the expansive dash giving an impression of width. It’s spacious but you feel more ensconced in the BMW tha n its rivals.
OWNERSHIP
BMW finished 15th in our most recent Driver Power owner satisfaction survey. This was three places behind Mercedes and two down on Volvo. But BMW franchises didn’t perform very well in our latest dealer survey, ranking 24th. Mercedes garages finished four places higher, while Volvo’s were 17th.
All three cars offer strong levels of safety, but, unlike its rivals, the BMW doesn’t get autonomous braking as standard. It comes as part of the £895 Driving Assistant pack, which also adds rear cross traffic alert, lane change and lane departure warning, collision alert and speed limit info.
RUNNING COSTS
THERE’S only £650 between these three cars, so any running costs advantage could sway your buying decision. The BMW’S 119g/km CO2 emissions equal the Volvo’s, putting both cars in the 25 per cent Benefit in Kind tax bracket. But as the 5 Series is cheaper, it’ll cost higher-rate earners £4,117 per year in company car tax compared with £4,165 for the Volvo.
The Mercedes might be the cheapest car to buy, but emissions of 120g/km mean it’ll cost £4, 264 per year in company car contributions. This advantage on paper was reflected on test, as the BMW returned 49.6mpg, while the Volvo managed 45.5mpg in our hands. The E 220 d recorded 40.6mpg, so you’ll spend around £290 more on fuel in the Mercedes annually.