Wednesday 23 February 2011
BMW 520i review
A full in-depth review of an e39 2001 BMW 520i.
Positives: Refinement, comfort, road presents, motorway power, build quality, chassis, exclusivity
Negatives: Sluggish low rev takeoff, overly complicated controls, buying / running / maintenance costs
Performance: (3/5) The 520i shares the same design engine as the '525i and 530i' models, just with a smaller capacity. The unit itself is powerful above 3500 revs, but lacks torque lower down the rev range. But an advantage to this is the sublime motorway cruising. The engine does however strike a good balance between power and economy compared to the rest of the range. The 2.2L unit can feel a little slow to react away from traffic lights, partly due to BMW's ASC 'anti skid control' which cuts power to the rear wheels in the event of wheel spin. This system is a very respectable safety feature on rear wheel drive car's like this one. The manual transmission however could do with another gear, but, being a manual, the acceleration time is improved over the automatic.
Handling: (3/5) The 520i is an 'ultimate driving machine' and it shows in some areas. The 5 series isn't as sharp to drive as the 3 series because of the added weight, however when the road becomes twisty the 520i is class leading, thanks to the rear wheel power delivery, wide tyres, supple chassis and BMW's ASC system, which independently applies the brakes to aid cornering speed and traction, but if you want to have some fun, it can always be switched off.
Comfort: (5/5) The 520i strikes a good balance between sportiness and comfort. The ride soaks up bumps and makes the car a relaxing cruiser on the motorway, but can be a matured sports saloon on the back roads. The car is also quiet and safe.
Interior: (3/5) The rather complicated climate control system, and slightly flat seats let it down. On the plus side it is very spacious, more than adequate front and rear head and leg room, however the back is only really suited for two due to the bulky transmission tunnel. The build quality is class leading however, constructed from high quality materials. The 520i offers generous boot space as well.
Reliability: (3/5) Some of the electronics can become faulty in older models now. The battery can run flat as well. Build quality is good however, so nothing will fall off. Being a BMW though, if something does go wrong, it will be very expensive to repair.
Recommend: '525i models' as the extra torque would benefit the lower rev range. Leather seats would be more suited to the car as well.
Best Avoid: Pre 2000 520i '2.0' models because 150bhp isn't quite enough for the size and weight of the car if your looking for effortless performance
'520i 2.2' Best for: Long distance, wealthy executive commuters, looking for a long distance, motorway luxury vehicle, and can afford for the running costs.
View YouTube Review at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9VL5bx5z7s
Positives: Refinement, comfort, road presents, motorway power, build quality, chassis, exclusivity
Negatives: Sluggish low rev takeoff, overly complicated controls, buying / running / maintenance costs
Performance: (3/5) The 520i shares the same design engine as the '525i and 530i' models, just with a smaller capacity. The unit itself is powerful above 3500 revs, but lacks torque lower down the rev range. But an advantage to this is the sublime motorway cruising. The engine does however strike a good balance between power and economy compared to the rest of the range. The 2.2L unit can feel a little slow to react away from traffic lights, partly due to BMW's ASC 'anti skid control' which cuts power to the rear wheels in the event of wheel spin. This system is a very respectable safety feature on rear wheel drive car's like this one. The manual transmission however could do with another gear, but, being a manual, the acceleration time is improved over the automatic.
Handling: (3/5) The 520i is an 'ultimate driving machine' and it shows in some areas. The 5 series isn't as sharp to drive as the 3 series because of the added weight, however when the road becomes twisty the 520i is class leading, thanks to the rear wheel power delivery, wide tyres, supple chassis and BMW's ASC system, which independently applies the brakes to aid cornering speed and traction, but if you want to have some fun, it can always be switched off.
Comfort: (5/5) The 520i strikes a good balance between sportiness and comfort. The ride soaks up bumps and makes the car a relaxing cruiser on the motorway, but can be a matured sports saloon on the back roads. The car is also quiet and safe.
Interior: (3/5) The rather complicated climate control system, and slightly flat seats let it down. On the plus side it is very spacious, more than adequate front and rear head and leg room, however the back is only really suited for two due to the bulky transmission tunnel. The build quality is class leading however, constructed from high quality materials. The 520i offers generous boot space as well.
Reliability: (3/5) Some of the electronics can become faulty in older models now. The battery can run flat as well. Build quality is good however, so nothing will fall off. Being a BMW though, if something does go wrong, it will be very expensive to repair.
Recommend: '525i models' as the extra torque would benefit the lower rev range. Leather seats would be more suited to the car as well.
Best Avoid: Pre 2000 520i '2.0' models because 150bhp isn't quite enough for the size and weight of the car if your looking for effortless performance
'520i 2.2' Best for: Long distance, wealthy executive commuters, looking for a long distance, motorway luxury vehicle, and can afford for the running costs.
View YouTube Review at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9VL5bx5z7s
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