BMW 530d RANGE
Is The Latest 530d The Best Car
BMW Make? Its There Or Thereabouts, Reckons Andy Enright
The shock of the BMW 530d has largely worn off. When it was first unveiled, it was a genuine revelation. Until that point, diesels were still bought primarily to save on fuel bills. While this argument worked well for skinflint city cars, it carried less clout when applied to ritzy executive cars.
The BMW 530d rewrote the script in being the first such diesel car that youd choose over its petrol equivalent, fuel bills notwithstanding. Its huge reserves of lazy torque and uncanny refinement just made it an easier, more pleasant car to drive. The fact that it would routinely turn in fuel figures nudging 40mpg was merely the icing on the cake. The latest 530d aims to put even more distance between itself and the rest.
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The rest have come on leaps and bounds. Whereas once
BMW had an unassailable lead in this corner of the market, now there are a good deal of talented rivals snapping at their heels. The Mercedes E320CDi comes within spitting distance of the BMWs mighty 218bhp power output and
Audi,
Jaguar and
Volvo all offer worthwhile options. Worthwhile but, in the final analysis, not as good as BMWs package.
Priced at £32,430 or at £34,480 for the Touring estate (£35,270 or £37,320 if you upgrade from SE to Sport), the 530d weighs in less than the Mercedes for a car that is both newer and ultimately more satisfying. It may not have escaped your attention that some disgruntled commentators have noted that this generation Five isnt the step forward its predecessor was and theyre probably right. That said, the last car was so far ahead of the pack at launch that it was only very late in its life that the Mercedes E-class started taking a few verdicts from it. The 5 series again steps to the head of the pack and the 530d is the most satisfying of the bunch by quite a long chalk.
It also has a genuine claim to being the best car BMW currently make, contending with luminaries like the M3 and the 320td. Claims that a little of the edge has been taken off the Fives dynamics at the very limit somehow matter less with a leggy diesel version than they would with, say, a more coltish petrol engined version. Anyway, the 507bhp V10 M5 shows that BMW has plenty of reserve left in that particular tank. The 530d offers awesome muscle to call upon.
With 500Nm of torque, youll rarely feel shy of urge. To put that figure in perspective, its comfortably more than a Mercedes S500 limousine can muster, and about the same as a
Honda S2000, a
Peugeot 206 GTi and a
Mini Cooper can manage between them! Suffice to say that when you need to blow past a middle lane hog, youll have instant urge at virtually any point in the rev range. Its also very quick off the mark. BMW have worked to improve the turbochargers low end flexibility and unlike many diesel cars which bog a little off the line, the 530ds pickup is almost instantaneous.
Expect to notch 60mph off in 7.1 seconds and the naughty side of 150mph is routinely available where conditions permit. Without wishing to labour the fuel economy angle, buyers can expect an improvement over the old Five as a result of superior aerodynamics. On the combined cycle, the 530d will return 40.
9mpg. Incredible but if youre still not satisfied, theres always the 272bhp 535d to consider.
"When you need to blow past a middle lane hog youll have instant urge at virtually any point in the rev range"
Such is the reputation the 530d has carved that it is in serious demand as a used vehicle, residual values being extremely strong. Factor that in with low ongoing running costs and you have a car that if you can stomach the upfront price actually makes a very economical car to run. This is reflected in reasonable leasing costs which should see it achieve a good deal of popularity. Even the initially surprising styling is starting to bed in quite nicely on this particular eye.
Although certain BMW trademarks like the kidney-shaped grille and the cut back rear window pillar remain, Burkhard Goschel, BMWs head of research and development claims "the days of lookalike BMWs are over from now on each volume model will display its own unmistakable personality." This is in contrast to Audi and Mercedes whose models appear increasingly homogeneous. At first glance, the 5 Series seems to incorporate cues from both the Z4 and the 7 Series. The oddly proportioned bootlid is reminiscent of the 7 Series whilst the flame surfaced flanks reflect the light in a similar way to the Z4. Much of the focus has gone into developing innovative technology but at the same time keeping weight from creeping up.
More space is coupled with a weight saving of up to 65kg, due in no small part to lightweight aluminium including much of the chassis and bodywork of the car and the suspension components. Although the 5 Series does carry over some 7 Series styling cues, its clear that BMW have listened to customer feedback. The bootlid is less extreme and although the 5 Series features the controversial iDrive control system, its notably easier to use than the 7 Series system and is backed up by more conventional knobs and switches on the fascia. The fiddly electronic handbrake system used by its big brother has also been replaced, in this instance by a conventional manual one.
Much thought has gone into the way electronic systems blend with good old manual ones. BMW have taken the notion that electronics should aid rather than replace manual systems and the active steering system is a good example. Rather than developing the sort of pure drive-by-wire systems that often isolate the driver from road feedback, BMW has instead developed a system that maintains a link between the front wheels and the steering wheel but which adjusts the power assistance dependent upon speed and yaw rate, promising quick turn-in when you punch the 530d into a corner but without the accompanying nervousness at high speed that many such cars demonstrate. This system is networked to the Dynamic Stability Control system, reducing the interventions DSC has to make.
Dynamic Drive, BMWs active suspension system, is available as an option, and Active Cruise Control, a system that automatically controls distances to the car in front, is also available to order. BMW hasnt left too many safety features out of the 5 Series. Brake Force Display is an interesting concept, enlarging the brake light area when the driver really anchors on. Another first for BMW is Adaptive Headlights a feature many will associate more with
Citroen.
This system, sadly still an option, swivels the headlights by up to 15 degrees left and right to illuminate more of the road through a bend. Unlike Citroens rudimentary old mechanical system, this calculates speed, yaw rate and steering angle before steering the beams. Another technology borrowed from another manufacturer in this case
Chevrolet is a Head-Up Display that projects information onto the windscreen. BMW has yet to offer this technology, but it will be along shortly.
If any car can convince the public as to the merits of the latest generation Five Series, the 530d is the one. Impeccably built and quick yet without a devastating punch in the disposable, its a car that has no meaningful Achilles heel. The dream ticket of repeatedly wielding all that torque with little financial penalty takes some beating. Whats more, nobody else has quite figured out how yet.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: BMW 530d range
PRICE: £32,430 - £37,320 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 18
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 7.1s / Max Speed 152mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 40.9mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side and window airbags / ABS / DSC
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/mm 4841/1846
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