What Makes the BMW 520d The Most Sensible 5 Series You Can Buy this Year

We recently tested the BMW 540i M Sport, and more recently had the opportunity to flick a few different ‘Fivers’ around on a secret airfield, 3-hours North-east of Bangkok, and spent some serious time with the ‘basic’ 520d, and soon learnt that there is nothing basic about this Executive-sized BMW. In Singapore, the 520d fills a very important gap, which its larger petrol-engined siblings have left off.

OneShift Editorial Team

15 Jun 2017

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...hits the 100 mark in just 7.5 seconds. That enough to keep you in-front of the pack when accelerating from the lights?

What we like:

Good styling

sips on fuel

ride comfort

road presence

kit offered

refinement

What we dislike:

Could have a wider torque band

While the 190hp from the 2.0 B47 engine, which is a carryover from the previous car, may not be eye-opening, the 400Nm of torque is certainly satisfying, with the oil burner producing just 50Nm less than the 540i M Sport we tested. We would have liked if the torque would kick in slightly earlier down the rev range at 1,450rpm, just like its petrol-engined 530i sibling, instead of 1,750rpm, which could be a plus, especially during heavy traffic situations. Like many diesel-powered engines, the maximum torque lies in a narrow band which ends at just 2,500rpm, however you will still get anything above 300Nm as you build the revs.

Transferring power to the rear wheels is the job of an 8-speed Steptronic transmission, built by ZF. Quick gear changes mean that the oil burner hits the 100 mark in just 7.5 seconds. That enough to keep you in-front of the pack when accelerating from the lights?

Cornering stability is good, though not as sharp as cars with the M Sport suspension, which is a cost option for the 520d. Instead, the 520d is equipped with a set of conventional springs.

Despite the lack of selectable suspension settings, giving the car the beans around the corners reveals a car which is well-balanced, and does handle directional changes with ease, although a little softer in doing so. Turn in, ease in on the throttle, and feel the wave of torque pushing the car, while the rear pushes. Pretty satisfying.

Noise insulation has also been well planned out, and you’d only know that there is a diesel under the hood, if you push the car harder, with just minor diesel chatter entering the cabin.

But where this mighty 5-ver does the job best is in its fuel economy, delivering a very impressive 20.8 Km/l in combined cycle, which is why we do love a diesel to begin with.

But Should You Get One?

If you are fine with a little bit of chatter, be it the smirks and mutterings of shallow friends (because you cannot keep up with the Joneses), or from the noise of that oil burner up front, you are into something good.

While the diesel does provide you with range, that 400Nm (the Mercedes-Benz E200 produces just 300Nm) is certainly a joy to experience when your foot goes down. And keeping in mind, that the 520d does slightly outperform a Mercedes-Benz E200 to the 100km/h mark, while simply being more efficient. So you can even drive without ever flipping your car into 'Eco' mode, without feeling the guilt...

Hence before the new VES kicks in, this might just be the best entry-level Executive sedan Germany has to offer.