BMW 5 Series 525i 2005 Review

At $89,000 is provides entree to a larger vehicle than the evergreen 3 Series and one that is more in keeping with the size Aussies have come to expect from a family sedan – the well heeled ones anyway.

The small six develops 141kW of power and 245Nm of torque provided you fill the tank with high grade 98 RON petrol. It will take ordinary unleaded and any grade in between for that matter but with a slight loss of power as a result.

• Although BMW claims a 0-100km/h time of 8.7 seconds, it is not going to rock your world. Power delivery is generally adequate, but we had difficulty keeping up with an older turbo Forester for instance.
• A six-speed tiptronic transmission is standard which means you can leave it in D or change gears manually, but without the need for a clutch. There is also a sport setting that retards gear change points for more spirited driving.
• Safety is well catered for with eight airbags and a variety of electronic control systems designed to keep the car on the road, including ABS, DBC, DSC with ASC+T. The monitor brakes, stability and tyre traction. But the 5 Series scores only a four-star safety rating in European tests.
• Fuel economy is rated at 9.9L/100km from the 70-litre tank which should give the car a range of more than 600km on a single tank. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to run ours down.
• Inside it's large and comfortable. There's 46mm more rear legroom than the previous model, thanks to a 62mm longer wheelbase). The luggage compartment is also larger.
• The dash is dominated by wide computer screen with a large knob in the centre console that controls such functions as airconditioning and entertainment. It's an updated version of BMW's controversial iDrive system with colour-coding to make it easier to use.
• All 5 Series models come with "Active Steering" which varies the amount of steering effort required based on the driving conditions. At slow speeds only 1.7 turns are required from lock to lock, but at higher speeds a nominal three turns are needed.
• Automatic wipers and headlights are standard as is an auto-dimming rear vision mirror. We found the dimming effect combined with optional exterior anti-dazzle and the car's high- waisted sides reduced vision at night, leaving us uncertain of the location and distance to traffic around us.
• The 525i is well equipped with leather upholstery, individually climate aircondition- ing, electric seats (back and height adjustment only) and 16-inch alloy wheels.