2008 BMW 520d Road Test Review

It’s been fact now for twenty years or more: if you want respect in the company car park, there are only two choices – the three-pointed star or the Bavarian. There is something about those two badges, when sitting on the nose of the car, that ‘cuts it’ with the executive classes.

That’s not to say that Mercedes-Benz and BMW have an easy gig keeping themselves clear of the pack - it’s getting a helluva lot hotter in the luxury segment. There are now some serious contenders throwing the elbows about and each would like nothing better than to knock the shine off the dominant Germans. Like Lexus for instance. And Holden’s Statesman. And Jag; what wouldn’t it give to reclaim its lost foothold in the luxo-express market.

Those marques snapping at the heels of BMW and Mercedes Benz are getting better in every way, and any gap, real or imagined, is narrowing. But, for now at least, it’s still the German marques on top. Just. For sheer engineering excellence, for the dynamics at the wheel and the satisfying totality of the package, they’re very hard to toss.

(Perhaps being forced to wear lederhosen and slapping the thighs vigorously while singing jolly songs turns young German chaps into great engineers. Perhaps it’s just the beer, cake and accordions…)

So, yes, back to you: if you’re throwing your weight around on the corporate ladder, having the right car has become a bit like having the right office. It establishes who’s who in the zoo when they’re gridded-up downstairs.

Which brings us to BMW’s 5-Series.

In the car park, this Beamer cuts it. We’re not talking about styling here – we’re talking about presence. This is no ‘wallpaper’ car; when it’s there you know it’s there, and it commands attention.

Whatever might have been said about the Bangle lines, you can’t ignore them. And in the 5-Series, arguably, they work best of all. Not all agree with this of course; some find fault with its heavy flanks and slabby rear quarters.

But few would question its sporting heritage, nor that there’s a purposeful air to its strong lines. Sitting on muscular arches, with wide low front (accentuated by hooded ‘eyes’) and hefty rubber, this car is begging to have its skin driven off. Which most Germans will happily oblige (a caution: don’t ever get caught dawdling in the wrong lane on an Autobahn).

The German marques, and BMW in particular, lean on the dynamic capabilities of their cars and the way they reward the keen driver. That’s you, and us (after all, this is a site for keen drivers). So, though the 520d has been on sale here for nearly a year now, we were not going to pass up an opportunity to borrow the keys for a week.

BMW, it is well recognized, has mastered diesel technology in its road and race cars. It was no surprise then to find that ‘ours’, the 520 diesel, was very willing at the wheel.

If you’re not yet convinced about diesels, take this one for a spin. It is a fabulous engine. While just 2.0 litres and moving a not-inconsiderable 1520kg bulk, the 520d pulls strongly away from the line, managing a claimed zero to 100 km/h sprint time of 8.6 seconds. And it will pull very happily all the way to the red-line without ever sounding like it is tripping over itself. Of course, there is never any need to rev the grommets out of it – the real urge, 340 Nm, where all the action is, falls between 1750 and 3000 rpm.