BMW 5-Series Saloon (1996 - 2003) 520i SE 4d (00) (2002/52) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

I think if I were a car, I would be this car!! It has many of the same qualities as me! BMW drivers often have a rep of being a **** but that's because we're having so much more fun on the road!

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

Despite it being only the 520i, they all think that it's ballistic!! Everyone complements it. There are quite a few people who mistake it for a E46 3 Series though, but they aren't exactly car enthusiasts.

Would you buy this car again and why?

I don't want to get rid of it!! In fact one of my dream cars would be the E39 M5!! It's everything this car is but more!!

What are you likely to buy next?

I've been looking at a BMW 3 Series, either the new saloon or an E92 coupe.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Franchised

Did you buy this car new?

Yes

What price did you pay?

£24,000

When did you buy the car?

September 2002

Did you get a good deal and why?

Yeah, they gave us a really good deal.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

What was the dealer like?

They were really friendly. When our car arrived, the man sat in and went through all the controls and stuff which was really useful.

What's it like to drive?

The steering is precise and perfect. It is so nicely weighted, and you always know which way your wheels are facing. The acceleration is nice and smooth, and the ride is very refined at speed. Driving in town is nice and easy but the fuel consumption is terrible in traffic. The car is a natural born motorway cruiser, it just loves it on there!! It's very quiet but there can be a bit of tyre roar depending on the road surface. The suspension is very soft, it absorbs all the little bumps in the road really well! The engine in the 520i isn't that powerful but it's good enough to put a smile on my face!!

What's it like to park?

It is a fairly large car so it does make it quite difficult to squeeze through tight gaps, and it's a nightmare in the tiny multi-storey car parks!! But the parking itself is really easy, the car's boxy shape makes it so easy to judge where all the corners are and the parking sensors (when they work) are absolutely brilliant. Makes you look like a pro!

Have you had any problems with the car?

I have driven the car quite hard and honestly, it's built like a brick. There were some minor problems here and there but the driving more than makes up for it. One of the cup holders were stuck for quite a while and when it finally came out again, it broke off. The rear parking sensors are a bit faulty as they only work some of the time. The external temperature is faulty now as well, it definitely isn't a constant 50 degrees celsius outside! But that's about it, nothing major.

What's most practical about your car?

The fact that you can carry 4 passengers in comfort!! Every time we go anywhere, I end up driving because my car is the most "spacious".It has a fairly large boot which is useful when we're stocking up the shop and house! Even though we didn't have fold down seats, I could still manage to fit my bike in the car!

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

The technology from a car that was built more than 10 years ago is astonishing!! The E39 was will ahead of its time in terms of technology!! There are so many sensors around the car. Far more hi-tech than the Honda Civic we recently bought! I love to play around with the on board computer, it can digitally display stuff like engine revs, temperature, litres of fuel left, fuel consumption etc.