The question of the title is rather invalid for a two-litre premium diesel which aims to provide luxurious, comfortable, economical and safe travel. But I can't get it out of my head, since it is a BMW. I will confess: The first thing I tried to do when I got my hands on the 520dwas to disable her all electronics (yes, all of them, since she's not a stranger) safe driving aids and test if she marries and then, if it drifts. A original BMWhe couldn't help but tell me "yes" to everything, waving challenging the -beautiful- buttocks her and go with the sidewhenever and however I wanted. But, that's just a detail.
BMW could rest on its "laurels", the Delivery that it has created in the premium segment and sell the brand name in its large saloons. Instead, the Germans decided to go a step further with the new 5 Series: Keep the "tradition" that made BMW what it is today and, essentially, to move the 5 Series up a class, making things dark for the competition.
So, we got to the result: The Bavarian brand to be the international leader in sales in the premium category with an increase every month (!) and to achieve mammoth profits, ranging from EUR 2 billion. In the Greek market, sales of premium models remain buoyant (BMW recorded 2,529 registrations in 2014) and, our test model, the 5 Series, which is at the "psychological threshold" of 50,000 euros, was in the second place with 83 classifications (the first being Mercedes E Class at 119). So what is it that makes the 5 Series attractive... no matter what?
Luxury
Even on the face of it, our test BMW, the 520d, with its two-litre common rail diesel engine, gives its mark: Luxury and qualitybut also liveliness, without fanfare. In terms of design, the 5 has appearance executive, but without being "sterile". It looks and is long (almost 5 meters long!), it avoids the blatant look, but has youthful elements on it, which make it more modern. For example the -characteristic, now for all its models- nose that gives it an aggressive -but not blatant- look.
Inside, it doesn't take much imagination to understand what we find: Luxury, comfort and quality, combined with discreet sporty elements, give the -expected- "identity" of a BMW that respects itself. To talk about the quality of the materials, or about the assembly, comfort, hidden and obvious storage spaces, would be simply superfluous, since the Bavarians have made a "school" -also- in this area. The clever thing was that they broke up the competition by providing inside the 5 Series, a lot of elements of Series 7...
What is worth looking at, however, are the elements that differentiate it from the competition and make it stand out in the category. First of all, the fact that it manages to have a dual character without concessions: It focuses on pleasure of driving, without sterilising the driver at once, while launching comfort levels (rolling quality, shock absorption, sound insulation etc.) of a higher category.
Then, it is the management of the menu of the car. In the 5 Series, we don't find a touch screen, but a large -colour, of course- Screen, placed high in the centre of the dashboard. The menu, from the car's status displays to the GPS and radio, is managed by a round multi-switch control (a combination of a pushbutton switch and touch pad), placed next to the joystick (which is literally joy- stick!) of gearbox. The surprise is that with this switch, managing the menu is a lot easier for the driver on the move, as it is as distracting as possible.
Another highlight is the car's dial itself. The driver has three choices of driving programmes, like it's straight out of Playstation- dial has the usual BMW colours, interspersed in black, while the choice of sport, the dial turns bright red, displaying the relationship we have chosen and everything else that is necessary with easy-to-read, digital indications. In the selection EcoProthe dial takes a striking blue coloring and on the right, instead of a strometer, the "needle" plays between the charge and in power, helping to bring consumption down even further. And the automatic air conditioning is top of the range in terms of practicality and ease of use.
On the road
The 520d's long wheelbase (close to 3 metres) not only offers plenty of space for passengers (add the 520 litres capacity of the trunk), but also greater comfort, which, in combination with the 1,700 kg of its overall weight, but also its soft suspension settings and great soundproofing, make city trips and journeys feel like being in the living room of their own home.
But as much as the passengers enjoy riding around in the 520d, the more (maybe more) the driver rejoices. Η driving position is tremendous and, despite the soft suspension setting, the car takes pressure gradient, but quite small, while the steering wheel is direct and gives information as befits a driver-centric BMW. And this is where the (more) fun stuff begins.
The 520's two-litre diesel engine delivers 184 hp and ferocious torque 380Nm, combining the best of diesel and petrol engines. That is, it has an average fuel consumption 4,5 litres (8.1 was recorded at... frighteningly high speeds, with the accelerator constantly at full throttle, which is the maximum one can achieve). This alone is the most... low consumption for a 1,700 kg premium two-litre car would be enough to make it an achievement.
But it is a "detail", along with the barely EUR 107 of circulation taxes (its pollutants are very low). Because its performance (it can do 100 from a standstill in just 7.9 seconds!) are reminiscent of a sports model, while... the fact that at high speeds, the sound of the engine (filtered in the cabin) as well as its behaviour at high revs reminiscent of a petrol car, since the characteristic "rattle" that we have come to know in diesels disappears.
This, when combined with the eight-speed -just monumental and addictive- automatic transmission, has the "recipe". The 520d is like this set up that allows us to move even in very fast pace, taking advantage of the high adhesion margins...without... heartbreak. And of course, if the driver is in the mood for "games", the electronic aids are partially and fully deactivated. In conclusion, the experience with the 520d makes you wonder: What more could you ask for in a car?
