BMW 5-Series Touring (2010 - 2017) 520d BluePerformance SE (Business Media) 5d (2012/12) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

I should imagine it tells other cars in the car park that although it is kept clean with a hand wash and vacuum every weekend, I'm not really a very nice person to live with.

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

Looks like a "mafia staff car" according to my Italian wife. I am not in the habit of asking my neighbours what they think of my cars, but one was speechless at the ability of the thing to drive off in properly deep snow.

Would you buy this car again and why?

Yes. Economy, performance, quality and sheer dependability mean that this is the car we use no matter what else is in the driveway.

What are you likely to buy next?

On current performance ? I'd very much like another one. Perhaps with an auto gearbox, though I doubt it'd be so stellar in the snow.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Franchised

Did you buy this car new?

Yes

What price did you pay?

£0

When did you buy the car?

February 2012

Did you get a good deal and why?

It's a lease car. Most soughtafter, so the purchasing manager complains regularly about the lease cost (to me).

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

Needed a both a high mileage hero to do 50k per year for three years and a family drudge for the weekends. This seemed to fit the bill better than anything else I looked at.

What was the dealer like?

Car was delivered to the office, so I did not see the supplying dealer. The servicing dealer is a disaster, I admit I just go there out of curiosity to see what they are going to mess up this time.

What's it like to drive?

Think canal barge and you've got it.

What's it like to park?

Fine, has sensors with screen graphics, a very good turning circle.

Have you had any problems with the car?

Yes. The steering was really weird for the first year and I thought it was just me being too un-coordinated to place it properly on the road. When I had to swerve the car at VERY high speed in Germany and had real trouble collecting it back up again after I had missed someone else's accident, I realised there was something really wrong. The dealer said "Ah yes, we know about that" and replaced the steering box and updated the SW.

What's most practical about your car?

Munich to Desenzano (Lake Garda) - average 58.4mpg at 78.2mph in ECO PRO mode.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

It has Bluetooth audio which means I can listen to BBC radio here in Italy through the iPad. Utterly brilliant. I love the presence of the SOS button, I hope I never have to use it, but is nice to know it is there. I also love the roof rails because BMW fitted them for free after a row.