BMW 5-Series Saloon (2010 - 2017) 520d (190bhp) Luxury 4d Step Auto Owner Review

A long time high mileage "road warrior" I have owned five petrol BMW 7 series, and only had problems with one an E32 740i. Approaching retirement I thought it better to get something more economical, plus the latest 7 series would not fit in my garage! I had advised a friend to buy a 520d in 2017 and it was a good car, so when a local main dealer had a low mileage 520d Luxury at a keen price with lots of extras, I seized the opportunity. Turning to this car's features: - Performance - 0-60 is less even than the 740i [above] or E38 735i V8 - so no slouch. Handling & Ride - as one expects of a BMW is excellent. This one has variable damper control, so the driver can chose the best combination of handling and ride to suit the road. Cabin / comfort - comfortable (posh seats), and adequate space even though I am over 2m tall, good boot, well laid out ergonomic controls. Low noise at motorway speeds. Air conditioning good. Economy - good mpg, even around town, £30 pa road tax (really) an infrequent service especially now I do less miles (perforce during Covid). Build quality - excellent - not a single drip on my garage floor. Reliability - excellent - no faults apart from a cut tyre. Safety - very good - optional extra features add to this and the car survived an early rear ending by "white van man" seemingly undamaged (checked and bumper mountings replaced as a precaution). Technology - very good, navigation, adaptive cruise, rear camera, phone prep' etc. means there is little I would add. Previously I would not have considered a diesel, but the 8-speed 8HP ZF automatic gear box is superb and means you barely notice. Nearly always in the right gear, quick and responsive/ Does around 40mph / 1,000rpm at current [UK] motorway speeds means that the engine is barely stressed and doing less than 2,000 rpm.