BMW 5 Series (2003-2010)

Transcription

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Which? Car review
BMW 5 Series (2003-2010)
Apr 2002 Class: Luxury cars
New price: £30,090 - £69,385 Used price: From £1,825
On sale:
Performance:
Ride comfort:
handling:
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
Boot & Storage:
Safety:
★★★
★★★★★
Reliability:
★★★
Total score:
80%
Great to drive, with excellent handling and strong engines.
Refinement is good, and comfort levels high. Build quality and construction feels good.
Access to the boot is awkward, and some of the controls are fiddly. Expensive to buy and can be thirsty.
Pricey parts.
Recommended models
in the range
Which? Car Top Choice Model
530d SE 5dr
New price: Used price: £4,875
Fastest Model
M5 4dr SMG
New price: £66,755
Used price: £19,850
4.7 secs
0-62mph:
Most Efficient Model
520d M Sport Business Edition 4dr [177]
New price: Used price: £10,395
Combined fuel economy:
55.4 mpg
Cheapest Model to buy new
520d SE 5dr [177]
New price:
Overview
The 5 Series is still held up as the yardstick for the luxury sector. With the introduction of
the stop-start EfficientDynamics system and better engines, both petrol and diesel offer fair
economy. Residual values are strong, too.The 5 Series had a mid-life makeover mid-2007, and
further improvements were made in 2008 (an all-new model goes on sale spring 2010). The
range now includes BMW’s stop-start technology to boost fuel economy.
The drive is as quiet and agile as ever, and the suspension is well balanced, cushioning
any bumps despite the sporty set-up. Both the engine and gearbox worked seamlessly on
the 2007 3.0-litre petrol we drove, which returned 34.4mpg (close to the officially-claimed
36.7mpg). We’ve also tested the 3.0-litre diesel Tourer estate, which managed 34.9mpg (also
close to the official figure).
Inside, everything is well laid-out, but it’s a shame BMW hasn’t made its iDrive system any
easier to use. The Tourer’s 395-litre boot is a good shape and grows to 720 litres with the back
seats down.
The 2003-2010 BMW 5 Series scores an average three stars in the latest Which? Car
Survey. The most common problems reported are with the lights, turbo, battery, cam belt and
air conditioning.
£30,090
Cheapest Model to buy used
525i SE Midnight Blue Edition 4dr Auto
Used price:
£1,825
Cheapest Model to Run (new)
520d SE Business Edition 5dr [177]
New price: £31,115
Running costs: £21,882
(3 years/36,000 miles)
Owner’s View
This car is a joy to own
and drive. It has presence,
power and economy. What
more could you want?
Which? Car review
BMW 5 Series (2003-2010)
Luxury cars
On the road
How we test
The 5 Series is a pleasure to drive, with impressive performance and handling on the road, and
a refined and classy cabin. A host of electronic wizardry is there to help you out and make your
journey as safe as possible. The only downside is that the 5 Series can be a pain to park due
to poor visibility - it’s worth investing in an optional electronic parking system.
Performance
★★★★★
The 525d we tried is no lightweight but, despite that, the engine pumps out enough power
to deliver some pretty impressive performance. It’s smooth and cultivated throughout its rev
range and the diesel could be mistaken for a petrol engine, such is its refinement. The sixspeed manual transmission is well matched to the engine, and the gears engage easily and
precisely as you move through the ’box. If you want more power, then the 530d is similarly well
mannered, barely less economical, and packs an even greater punch.
Entry-level options are the 520d (177bhp) and 523i (190bhp), both perfectly adequate,
whilst the top performers are the V8-engined 550i (407bhp in the 550i SE saloon) and
scorching V10 M5 (507bhp). Model tested
diesel 520d (177bhp) manual 4-dr 2008
petrol 520i (170bhp) automatic 4-dr 2006
petrol 530i (272bhp) manual 4-dr 2007
Ride comfort
Acceleration (37-62mph)
8.3 secs
7.2 secs
6.0 secs
9.6 secs
6.3 secs
We use the sophisticated electronic timing
equipment to record standing-start and
in-gear acceleration, and repeat each test
several times.
Ride comfort
Rating
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
The nicely balanced suspension copes well with uneven surfaces. There’s little body tilt when
cornering and the optional dynamic drive system can keep the ride height constant regardless
of the load in the car.
Most models offer an optional sports suspension package, larger alloy wheels and lowprofile tyres, but for UK roads, we’d suggest the 5 Series is more comfortable if you stick with
the standard settings and wheels.
Model tested
Performance
Rating
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
Ride comfort is assessed by our laboratory experts who have driven hundreds of
thousands of miles in a myriad of different
models.
Which? Car review
BMW 5 Series (2003-2010)
Luxury cars
On the road continued...
How we test
Handling
★★★★★
Handling
Even on very twisty roads and at high speeds, handling feels safe and predictable; even
at high speeds the 5 Series feels very stable and secure. In fact, it belies its large size and
handles like a much smaller, lighter car.
Stability control is fitted as standard and helps the driver maintain control in emergency
situations. Steering is precise and responsive and provides good feedback to the driver; the
active steering system monitors the car’s speed and adapts the steering weight accordingly.
Traction control also kicks in to prevent wheel-spin on slippery surfaces, and there’s a tyre
pressure monitoring system fitted as standard. Run-flat tyres and cruise control are available as
options.
Model tested
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
The brakes are very effective and easy to control, with a host of electronic systems to help you
out in tricky situations. Brake assist, ABS and BMW’s Cornering Brake Control all come to your
aid when slowing down or bringing the car to a halt.
Braking distance (62-0mph)
37.5m
39.0m
38.8m
36.5m
34.5m
Road noise and engine noise are very low, even at high speeds. The interior workmanship and
quality of the fittings are reassuringly high.
The diesel versions we tested were very quiet and smooth. Wind noise was more
noticeable than any noise from the engines, but still not a problem.
Cruising noise
64dB
65dB
65dB
67dB
64dB
The Which? Car braking test measures
stopping distance from 62-0mph and is
repeated ten times in quick succession to
highlight any brake fade issues.
Refinement and noise
Rating
★★★★★
★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
Refinement and noise
Model tested
Brakes
Rating
Brakes
Model tested
On-the-limit handling is explored well
away from public roads to ensure a fair
test. Our obstacle avoidance test is one of
the harshest tests in the industry..
Rating
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
The Which? Car experts use a decibel
meter to record interior sound levels
at common UK motorway speeds, and
combine this with subjective assessments
to arrive at an overall score.
Which? Car review
BMW 5 Series (2003-2010)
Luxury cars
On the road continued...
How we test
Cabin and controls
★★★★★
Cabin and controls
The instruments are all well laid out and very easy to read — the CD/radio is simple to use and
an optional head-up display (which projects information onto the base of the windscreen) can
be fitted for the speedo and satellite navigation system if you wish.
The steering wheel can be adjusted for height and reach, and rain-sensing wipers,
automatic headlights and auto-dipping rear-view and door mirrors all help to make for a stressfree journey. On the downside, the steering wheel and column are rather overloaded with
switches and controls, there aren’t enough storage compartments and, while the automatic
headlights are a nice touch, it’s not obvious whether they’re switched on or off.
The iDrive control system is effectively a joystick, push-button and dial all rolled into one
control that the driver uses to operate and modify the settings on various functions such as the
ventilation, audio and communications technology. This takes quite a while to get used to, and
could be rather intimidating for technophobes - try before you buy.
Model tested
★★★★★
★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
Visibility and parking
★★★★
Visibility and parking
Rating
The 5 Series is a bit of a pain to park, as visibility to both front and rear isn’t great and it’s hard
to judge where the bumpers are. An electronic parking assist system is an optional extra,
providing audible warnings for both front and rear of the car — although strangely, the front
warning system is only activated after you’ve first reversed, meaning it wouldn’t help in all
situations where you might need it.
Adaptive headlights — which swivel the headlights depending on car speed and steeringwheel position to provide optimal road illumination — are also a handy option.
Model tested
We penalise cars with difficult controls,
and we look for things like backlit light
switches and easy-to-use heating and
ventilation adjustments.
Turning circle
11.9m
11.9m
11.9m
11.9m
11.9m
Rating
★★★★
★★★
★★★★
★★★★
★★★★
Visibility is a major issue for motorists
today, so each car gets a 360-degree
swivel view test to reproduce the driver’s
eye view and any obscured areas.
Which? Car review
BMW 5 Series (2003-2010)
Luxury cars
Comfort and practicality
How we test
There’s plenty of room both front and rear and the seats are comfortable, although getting into
the central rear seat can be problematic. The boot is quite large and practical, but the high sill
can pose some loading and unloading difficulties. The heater and air conditioning systems will
keep cabin temperatures comfortable at all times. The Touring is well laid-out, though it has
nowhere near as much load-space as the huge Mercedes E-Class estate. Getting in and out
★★★★
For a luxury car you’d probably expect easier access; the central rear seat is hard to get into,
due to the high centre tunnel (needed to house the rear-wheel-drive transmission). The remote control locking handily closes the windows and sun-roof, if you’ve forgotten to
do this before you get out. The doors have in-built lights to help you see what you’re doing at
night.
Model tested
Seat space and comfort
Rating
We take measurements all around the
driver and passenger’s door apertures
and note the height of the seat, door sills
and step down onto the car floor. The
best cars don’t require too much bending
or stretching to get in and out.
Seat space and comfort
★★★★
★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★
★★★★
★★★★
Front seat space is generous with plenty of headroom. The driver’s seat can slide back to
accommodate people up to 1.95m tall (6’5”). Rear seating space is also plentiful and sufficient
for two tall adult passengers or three children.
The front seats are firmly padded to offer good support, and can be adjusted for both
height and tilt. The rear seats are equally good. Leather seats are optional (standard in the M5). Model tested
Getting in and out
Rating
★★★★
★★★★
★★★★
★★★★
★★★★
We assess seat comfort subjectively,
using our road testers’ expert knowledge
and experience from thousands of different cars. And we measure the head-, legand elbowroom on offer in every seat, to
see how well the car caters for people of
all shapes and sizes.
Which? Car review
BMW 5 Series (2003-2010)
Luxury cars
Comfort and practicality continued...
How we test
Boot and storage
★★★
Boot and storage
The 5 Series saloon has a fairly large boot (520 litres) but only about average for this class of
car, and not really up with some of its rivals, such as the Audi A6 and Mercedes E-Class. The
boot lid opens automatically by remote control but you’ll need to resort to an old-fashioned
shove to close it again. The boot space itself is practical and flat, but it lacks cubby-holes for
smaller items and, due to its depth, it can be hard to reach right to the back of it. The boot sill
is also quite high which can make loading and unloading bulky or heavy items tricky. Split/fold
rear seats are optional, as is a ski-hatch.
If you want more storage space then go for the estate (‘Touring’) version. Although it offers
no more boot space than the saloon with the rear seats in position, and can’t carry as much as
an E-Class estate, the load bay expands to a respectable 1,650 litres with the rear seats folded
down.
Model tested
Heating and ventilation
Boot space (seats up/down)
455 litres / litres
445 litres / litres
455 litres / litres
455 litres / 865 litres
455 litres / litres
Rating
★★
★★★
★★★★
★★★★
★★
★★★★
The heater is reasonable and can warm up a freezing (-10 degrees C) interior to a balmy 22
degrees in around 18 minutes (13 minutes just for the front cabin). The air conditioning system
works well and temperatures can be adjusted to suit individuals in different parts of the car in
models with climate control.
Model tested
Rating
★★★★
★★★
★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
Carmakers give official stats for boot
space, but our tests are more realistic. We
load the boot up with measuring blocks
only as far as the rear window line, so
that luggage is well secured and won’t
obscure rear visibility. We repeat the test
with the rear seats up, and folded down
(where possible).
Heating and ventilation
Feel sorry for the tester who has to warm
each car up from a frosty -10 degrees in
our climate chamber. Starting with a cold
engine, we measure how long it takes to
warm up the front and rear of the cabin.
Diesel cars usually take longer. We also
check the effectiveness of air conditioning, where fitted.
Which? Car review
BMW 5 Series (2003-2010)
Luxury cars
Running costs and depreciation
How we test
Running costs for the 5 Series are average for this type of car. Initial purchase prices are high,
but its fuel consumption is reasonable and depreciation is pretty low.
Servicing costs are not as bad as you might expect for a BMW; the variable service
intervals mean that gentle, sympathetic drivers can go quite a while between garage visits. Insurance varies from group 15 for a sensible but slightly dull 520d, through to 20 for the
supersonic M5. Road tax and company car tax liability aren’t too bad for the 520d, though the
V8-engined petrol models and the M5 V10 are, unsurprisingly, in the highest bracket. Fuel consumption
The earlier 525d and 530d returned close to BMW’s claimed fuel consumption figures in our
tests, giving 40.4mpg and 39.8mpg respectively, and the latest diesels (from spring 2005) are
more economical yet: BMW claims 50.4mpg from the four-cylinder 520d, and 45.6mpg from
the six-cylinder 525d. Petrol (combined mpg, claimed)
19.1 mpg - 37.7 mpg
Diesel (combined mpg, claimed)
34.0 mpg - 55.4 mpg
Model tested
Urban (claimed/measured)
43.5 mpg/40.4 mpg
30.4 mpg/30.7 mpg
29.7 mpg/28.0 mpg
20.9 mpg/24.8 mpg
25.2 mpg/25.2 mpg
Model tested
Extra urban (claimed/measured)
65.7 mpg/50.4 mpg
51.4 mpg/52.3 mpg
51.4 mpg/49.6 mpg
36.2 mpg/44.1 mpg
47.1 mpg/47.1 mpg
Model tested
Motorway (measured)
36.2 mpg
30.4 mpg
41.5 mpg
32.1 mpg
32.1 mpg
Model tested
Combined (claimed/measured)
55.4 mpg/42.8 mpg
40.9 mpg/40.4 mpg
40.9 mpg/38.7 mpg
28.5 mpg/33.6 mpg
35.8 mpg/34.4 mpg
Fuel consumption
We test fuel economy under strict lab
conditions – using realistic test cycles – to
reveal the facts behind the figures. Our
figures rarely match manufacturer claims
as, unlike the official mpg test, we measure economy with both a hot and cold
engine, and on the motorway.
Which? Car review
BMW 5 Series (2003-2010)
Luxury cars
Running costs and depreciation continued...
How we test
Emissions
Emissions
The new diesels, with particulate filters, are clean-burning and produce relatively low carbon
dioxide emissions: the 520d puts out a tax-friendly 149g/km, and the 525d a still manageable
172g/km, making them good choices for company car drivers. The improvements to the petrol
engines in spring 2005 also brought a lowering of emissions, but the more powerful engines the V8 and V10 models - are still understandably in the top tax bracket. Petrol (CO2, claimed)
177g per km - 357g per km
Diesel (CO2, claimed)
136g per km - 221g per km
Model tested
Emissions (claimed/measured)
136g per km/161g per km
Safety and security
Euro NCAP score
★★★★
Here is the video of the 2003-2010 BMW 5 Series saloon Euro NCAP frontal, side and pole
crash tests.
Which? safety rating
★★★★★
Active (crash avoidance)
Passive (crash safety)
Child
Pedestrian
-
Security
The 5 Series scored well in our security tests - it’d be difficult to drive one away without the
correct keys. It’s also well-protected against break-ins, though the Audi A6 has proved more
impenetrable. Theft of car: Theft from car:
★★★★★
★★★★
Safety
We rate cars for safety using Euro NCAP
crash test scores (where available),
alongside our own comprehensive safety
checklist. Uniquely, we also feed in results
from our accident avoidance test – after
all, it’s far better to steer around a crash
than rely on the airbags...
Security
★★★★
★★★★
★
Adult occupant
Child protection
Pedestrian protection
While testing fuel economy, we also
collect exhaust gases to enable us to
measure the amount of carbon dioxide
(CO2) emitted. We also check whether
particulate filters are effective at removing
sooty emissions from diesel engines.
Security scores come from the security
experts at Thatcham, who break into
hundreds of cars each year. Most modern
cars are very difficult to drive away, but
are still too easy to steal from.
Which? Car review
BMW 5 Series (2003-2010)
Luxury cars
Which? Car Survey results
About our survey
The Which? Car Survey is the UK’s most robust reliability and owner satisfaction survey. In
2015, drivers told us about 58,000 cars, covering more than 484 million miles in the previous
12 months (that’s equivalent to driving to the moon and back a hundred times). This unique
feedback allows us to rate satisfaction and reliability for hundreds of new and used cars.
Note: Star ratings below are from 1-5 (1 is very poor and 5 is very good). Percentages
shown under ‘Most common faults’ indicate the proportion of owners reporting each problem
in the past 12 months.
Brand
Sample size: 3,170 people
BMW ratings
Overall owner satisfaction for this brand
Brand reliability
Dealer Servicing & repair
Model: BMW 5 Series (2003-2010)Sample size:
135 people
Ownership ratings
Overall owner satisfaction for this range
Ease of driving
Comfort
Dash layout and controls
Practicality
Value for money
Running costs
In-car technology
-
Everyone who takes part in the Which?
Car survey tells us about their car and
the dealers who sell and service it. We
analyse this feedback across all cars to
give top-level satisfaction ratings for each
brand, including the brand’s reliability
record over the last eight years. All star
ratings are out of five.
Model ownership ratings
★★★★
★★★
Dealer Sales Service
Driving enjoyment
83%
Brand ratings
These show how owners score this car
in 12 different areas, from performance to
heating. Owners’ ratings are subjective –
so may differ from Which? Car test scores
– but they give a good idea of what the
car is like to live with. Where relevant, cars
are scored against other cars in the same
class (e.g. for space).
82%
★★★★
★★★★
★★★
★★★★
★★★★
★★
★★
★★★
-
Owner’s View
A real pleasure to be
in, either to drive or as
a passenger. Powerful
smooth and quiet.
Owner’s View
Has proved very reliable,
comfortable and suitable
for the long journeys
(mainly holidays) for which
it is used. A great European
cruiser on the autoroutes!
Which? Car review
BMW 5 Series (2003-2010)
Luxury cars
Which? Car Survey results continued...
About our survey
Reliability ratings
Reliability ratings
Overall Reliability
Petrol cars
Reliability
Breakdowns
Average annual repair cost
Diesel cars
Reliability
Breakdowns
All cars
Reliability
Breakdowns
★★★
Up to 3 years old
4-8 years old
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
★★★
5%
£216
We split reliability into breakdowns (including failure to start), faults (where parts
need replacing) and problems (minor issues e.g. squeaks and loose trim). Where
the car has been on sale for some time,
and we have numerous survey responses
from owners, we also split scores by the
age of car and fuel type. Star ratings are
out of five – the more stars, the more reliable the car.
Most common faults
Breakdowns: Percentage of cars suffering a breakdown in last 12 months
Average annual repair cost: Average annual cost of repairs (not servicing), in past 12
months
Most common faults
Up to 3 years old
-
-
-
4-8 years old
-
-
-
Lights
Turbo
Other Minor
Battery
Cam Belt
Failure rate: The proportion of owners reporting this problem in the last year
10%
7%
4%
4%
4%
Want to know what’s most likely to go
wrong as the car gets older? These are
the five most common faults reported by
owners, grouped by age into new, recent
and older cars. A score of 40% means
four out of 10 owners reported problems
with that part of the car over the previous
12 months. Engine electrics and non-engine electrics (e.g. windows, stereo) cause
more headaches than mechanical parts in
most modern cars.

BMW 5 Series (2003-2010)

Transcription

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