1981 BMW 528i Reviews

Andrew Chesterton road tests and reviews the new BMW 5 Series 520d, 530i, 530d and 540i sedans with specs, fuel consumption and verdict at its Australian launch in Victoria.

BMW Australia has given its 5 Series range a mid-life upgrade with some minor styling changes, engine enhancements and added value for money by including its 'Lines' packages as standard.

Halfway through a seven-year stint as the enviable car bay filler in Australia's corporate garage, BMW raises the bar.

BMW's 5 Series has long been a class benchmark, successfully balancing its requisite size and luxury with a dynamic edge that often evades its rivals.

The basic specs say the BMW 528i is a blinged-up version of the base 520i. Read in that light, the almost $20,000 premium on the entry car is a genuine "bugger me" moment.Being BMW, you can't read it in that light. The 528 is a performance version of the 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine found in the 520i yet uses only marginally more fuel.Time behind the wheel shows there's more to appreciate in the 528i than just extra grunt - the default features make it cheaper to buy than to option up a 520i to the same specification.VALUEThe starting point for the 528i is $98,200. That's about $3000 more than a Mercedes-Benz E250, while the same money will buy an Audi A6 with a 2.8-litre engine and quattro all-wheel drive.Standard gear on the BMW (and not found on the 520) runs from bi-xenon headlights to internet connectivity when the car is stopped, a satnav system with a 10-inch display, powered front seats, a heads-up display and 18-inch alloy rims.TECHNOLOGYThe Beemer is the newest kid to the mid-size prestige party and has a couple of tricks the others can't match. An eight-speed automatic is teamed with idle stop/start and brake energy recovery to minimise fuel use and the new direct-injection turbo engine is still more than capable of shifting what is a substantial chunk of car.A "Driving Experience Control" dial on the centre console has four settings to adjust engine, throttle and suspension set-up. It takes you from laid-back fuel miser mode to full-on fang with the flick of a switch and the changes can instantly be felt through the wheel, pedals and chassis.STYLINGUnderstated is an understatement for this segment. The European styling brief for mid-sized cars is "sharp conservative" and, while the Beemer is a sporty drive, it isn't a look-at-me-mobile. The lines are cleaner than its predecessor and increase the family resemblance to the 3 Series.Horizontal layers and colour contrasts in the interior are meant to enhance the impression of width and the front seat passengers certainly don't want for space. Fitting three average adults across the rear will involve some negotiation on whose shoulders are against the seat cushion, though. Build quality is spot on but so it should be at this price.DRIVINGIf performance has an edge over comfort, the BMW is a winner. The grip levels are tenacious from the latest generation of run-flat tyres and the new multi-link suspension lets the driver know what surface they are rolling over without letting that disrupt the drive.The 2.0-litre direct-injection turbo engine generates 180kW/350Nm (the 520i's outputs are 135kW/270Nm). Despite the jump in grunt, the 528i only uses 6.7 litres/100km against 6.4 litres/100km in the 520i.It is a similar story down the strip, with the 528i's 6.3-second run to 100km/h well up on the base model's 8.0-second time. And the BMW gurus have even given it a decent exhaust note under hard acceleration. The eight-speed auto is all but unnoticed unless it's being hammered, which is about as much as you can ask from any transmission.VERDICTThe 528i sits in the sweet spot in the 5 Series range. It isn't far off the 535i in performance, meaning it has the power to match its well-planted chassis, but has a huge fuel saving over the six-cylinder engine. Standard features in the 528 are more in keeping with the prestige image than the base 520 model.BMW 528iPrice: $98,200Warranty: Three years/unlimited kmResale: N/A (5 Series average 56 per cent) Service intervals: 25,000km/12 months Safety rating: Five starsEngine: 2.0-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder, 180kW/350NmTransmission: Eight-speed automatic, rear-wheel driveDimensions:  4.9m (L), 1.86m (W), 1.46m (H)Weight: 1685kgThirst: 6.8 litres/100km (95RON), 158g/km CO2 

Back in the dim dark past, the BMW 528i was a top-end model - as a car nut kid I always thought the number sequence had a nice ring to it. So when the key fob to the entry-level petrol model were handed over, it was something of a step back in time.Dressed in "Imperial Blue" metallic paint with what BMW describes as "Dakota Oyster" leather interior trim, the new-look Five has emerged from the styling wastelands and is a nice looker again.VALUE: For a tickle under one hundred thousand before you get plates and hit the road, the features list needs to be good - cruise control with brake function, bi-xenon headlights (adaptive and high-beam assist systems are both optional), fog lights, electrically adjustable and heated exterior mirrors, electro-chromatic interior mirror, rain sensing wipers and automatic headlights are among the standard fare.The driver gets head-up display (which polarising glasses don't like), plus there's also ambient lighting, climate control, Bluetooth phone link, satnav and sound system (with the larger screen that's part of the Navigation System Professional for an extra $1600) with CD and USB port (which won't charge an iPhone when hooked up for music), a multi-function sports leather steering wheel and electric lumbar support for driver and front passenger.There's some powered seat adjustment but the bulk of the test car's adjustment was manual - which is poor given the pricetag.For a tickle under $100,000, the 528i features list was padded with options putting the as-tested pricetag up over $112,000 - among them is an extra $500 for the Sports Automatic Transmission with gear shift paddles, upgraded climate control for $800, a $3200 glass sunroof and the Park Assist system for $1600.There's a no-cost option for 17in wheels, which ups the profile from 45 to 55 and narrows slightly.TECHNOLOGYSome will like the high-tech one-up-manship feel of having eight ratios on offer from the (optional) sports automatic transmission with paddles on the steering wheel, but the sport mode on offer does a good enough job to make the paddles an indulgence.The electrics of the 5 are fed by brake energy regeneration, which reduces power supply loads on the engine.Some of the other clever stuff - which adds more than $2000 to the price - on the 5 includes the parking cameras and sensors, which offer a view of the car's surrounds, making close-quarter work in carparks a doddle.The Dynamic Damper Control system ups the ask by $2650 but is probably one of the more worthwhile options on the list, giving the driver some handling bias when required - normal mode is a good all-round set-up, which has given back some ride quality to the BMW mid-sizer.That said, the runflats still pick-up and transfer more than they should from small bumps in the road, something that dropping back to the smaller-diameter alloys might reduce a little.DESIGNCertainly more handsome than it's predecessor, the new 5-Series looks less startled and more cohesive.The interior space is not as good as the exterior suggests, calling it snug is being generous. Four average-sized adults might be comfortable but sitting behind my own 190cm driving position, the leg room in particular was tight.SAFETYActive safety features abound, ranging from active front headrestraints, stability and traction control, runflat tyres, anti-lock brakes and corner brake control.The cabin has dual front and side impact airbags for the front driver and passenger, as well as full-length curtain airbags.DRIVINGA prestige cruiser, the 528i has an almost calming influence for the driver - the optional adjustable suspension's normal mode is the best for most road conditions, with comfort being a little too soft - and almost wallowy - on some undulating road surfaces.At first glance, the six-cylinder engine's numbers don't suggest it will deal with the car's girth, but it is better than expected.The three-litre six sings when required - as most Beemer engines do - and teams well with the eight-speed transmission, although it seems a little excessive to have eight ratios, given the engine revolutions at cruise are similar to previous generations.The Sport and Sport Plus modes tighten the suspension up substantially and the 528i feels almost nimble, suggesting the more powerful Sport models will be entertaining machines with this feature.The 528i is an enjoyable drive, but at a more genteel level.It's a little tight for a tall driver - particularly if there's any need to accommodate a rear passenger comfortably - and the absence of full electric adjustment in a car wearing this sort of a pricetag is a bit rich, so to speak.VERDICTA well-crafted and handsome machine, the entry-level petrol 5-Series has plenty to like but falls a little short for space and some features on the options list that should be standard.BMW 528iPrice: from $99,900 (as tested $112,870)Engine: Three-litre 24-valve in-line six-cylinderTransmission: eight-speed automatic, rear-wheel drivePower: 190kW at 6600rpmTorque: 310Nm at 2600-5000rpmPerformance: 0-100km/h 6.7 secondsTop speed: 250km/h (governed)Fuel consumption: 7.8 litres/100km combined, 10.7L/100km on testTank: 70 litresEmissions: 187g/kmBrakes: four-wheel ventilated discsDimensions: Length 4899mm, Width 1860mm, Height 1464mm, Wheelbase 2968mmTrack: fr/rr 1600/1627mmCargo Volume: 520 litresWeight: 1655kgWheels: 18in alloys

Twin turbos are on their way out at BMW, being replaced by more economical twin-scroll single turbos. The first with the new twin-scroll engine is the 535i, which is part of the new sixth-generation 5 Series models.BMW Australia spokesman Alex Brockhoff said the twin-charger engine has no more power than the model it replaces, but it hits maximum torque of 400Nm 100rpm earlier at 1200 revs and carries it all the way through to 5000rpm. Brockhoff says the twincharger is fed exhaust air through two inlets rather than one, producing a faster-spinning and more-efficient turbo.In the 535i three-litre in-line six-cylinder with Valvetronic, it achieves a 7 per cent fuel saving of 8.4L/100km over the 540i's 10.4L/100km. CO2 emissions are down to 195g/km from 250, yet power and torque remain at 225kW and 400Nm.BMW has also increased equipment levels in the 5 Series to be higher than their competitors. However, prices are up right across the range by as much as $8000. But BMW claims that if you consider the increased standard equipment levels, there is virtually no increase and even a price decrease on the 528i compared with the previous 530i.Increased standard equipment levels include an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, bigger wheels and heads-up display – previously a $2800 option except in high-spec models – which shows vital information on the windscreen in front of the driver so they don't have to take their eyes off the road.PRICING AND VARIANTSThe new 5 Series goes on sale here on June 3 - two weeks ahead of the US - with the petrol-engined naturally-aspirated 190kW inline-six 528i ($99,900), the 535i ($128,900) featuring the new 225kW twin-scroll turbo in-line six and the 300kW V8 550i ($178,900). They will be followed by the diesel-powered 380Nm four-cylinder 520d ($83,300) in September, and a six-cylinder diesel is expected to be added next year. The lean-burn engines available in Europe will not be imported because of the high sulphur level in Australian fuels. Touring 535i and 520d wagons are expected in October.BODY AND FIT-OUTThe sixth-generation 5 Series has been slightly stretched and has shorter overhangs front and rear giving it the longest wheelbase in its class. Cargo space remains 520 litres. A full-width front air dam, plus horizontal lines front and back provide a wider look.If the xenon headlight option is included there are LED daytime running lights included and a 'milky eyebrow' which is an attractive opaque LED lighting effect above the main headlights. Inside, there is little change except for a few extra aluminium accents while the dashboard has been tilted 7.2 degrees toward the driver.There is more aluminium in the construction, including the bonnet, doors and side panels, making its body 50kg lighter, as well as the all-aluminium suspension from the 7 Series and new 5 Series Gran Turismo. However, with all the new equipment, stiffer chassis and electronic driver aids, total weights are up between 40kg for the 1700kg 535i and 170kg for the 1830kg 550i.ENGINESThe three-litre 528i has 30kW more power and 60Nm more torque than the superseded 2.5-litre 525i but fuel economy is down from 9.4L/100km to 8 and CO2 emissions are down from 227g/km to 187. The new 535i features the three-litre in-line six-cylinder which combines Valvetronic and twin-scroll single turbocharging for a 7 per cent fuel consumption saving, while power and torque remain the same.The 550i gets TwinPower turbo in its 4.4-litre V8 to deliver 300kW (+30kW) and 600Nm, up a whopping 110Nm over the previous model. Fuel economy is down to 10.3L/10km from 10.4 and CO2 is 243g/km, previously 246.SAFETYElectronic technologies, driver aids, a stiffer chassis and pedestrian-friendly bonnet lift the crash rating from four to five stars. When impact is sensed in the front it electronically signals pyrotechnic actuators to lift the bonnet 5cm in the rear and 3cm in the front, creating a buffer from pedestrian impact with the engine block.DRIVINGThe wet roads of the twisting and bumpy Yarra Ranges of Victoria were the perfect test for the 535i models available at the national launch this week. We drove only 535i models, some fitted with four-wheel steering and the Adaptive Drive package of Dynamic Damper Control and Dynamic Drive and others without these fancy gizmos. If you can afford the $10,600 for them, go ahead and splurge as they are not gimmicks.Honda and Mazda gave up on their mechanical four-wheel steering technologies because they were expensive, complicated and heavy. Besides, no one really wanted them in sporty cars. In these long-wheelbase luxury saloons, it makes perfect sense. It is electronically controlled and adds only 10kg to the car's weight.The rear wheels move just 3 degrees, but it's visible if you are following one. It is also noticeable through the steering wheel. At slow speeds, such as hairpin corners, it pulls the nose in tight as it virtually shortens the wheelbase. At highway speed it has the eerie feeling of crabbing sideways as you change lanes. It may feel strange, but it's stable. Add in the flat-cornering and controllable ride of the Adaptive Drive package and it will handle any surface.On the wet surface, we chose normal and even comfort settings so the wheels had more time to react to quick irregularities and keep the tyres on the road for more grip. It also reduced the intervention of the stability control. However, over undulating surfaces, the comfort setting can make the car float and induce car sickness. If you can't afford the package, you will still have a saloon that handles nimbly with a more natural steering feel.Grip is still remarkable and brakes are sharp with plenty of feeling and no jerky ABS kickback, even on a wet Reefton Spur. Tyre noise is higher than you would expect in a car of this calibre, but the twin-scroll turbo engine is refined, powerful, responsive and quiet. At 'full noise' there is only the most polite muted induction and exhaust roar. The surround view takes some getting used to as does that overly complicated transmission knob.Seats are comfortable, if a little slippery with high lateral G forces. After a dash across the Spur, I had a raw back from sliding sideways and sore knees from bracing myself against the door skin and centre console.Strap in tight. It's a wild ride, yet tamed by innovative electronics.