[PlatzdaTurbo]

Originally Posted by Sahil

Although I expected to hear this, I was hoping the F10 530d matched up to the E60's explosiveness. The F10 525d certainly didn't do so.
Lets hope the updated 530d engine(same as the x3 3.0d matches up to the E60 530d)

Great review ! I used my cousins 545i E60 with heads-up display extensively in Boston back in 2005 when BMW first introduced this feature. Although it was more fascinating 6 years ago as it is today, it's real utility is felt while using the navigation.

I guess you could more or less be assured that the engine responsiveness and ferocity is more than a match for the previous gen 530d. Its been termed as over eager. lol. Where the f10 looses it vs the e60 is in steering feedback and communication. Perhaps that is what does not make it fun enough. In TopGear words, the e60 tried its best to kill you, the f10 is just too suave and well behaved i guess.

Sahil i was wondering, with Navigation now offered across the BMW range , can the iDrive software and wiring in your car be upgraded without any major overhauls for GPS to start functioning in it ?

[myavu]

Thanks @Rehaan for a superb and detailed review of my dream car.

One silly question. Can we custom order 530d without Rear Seat Entertainment System? This car is for driving and driving and driving. If we occasionally sit at back the whole mind and eye will be at the front engine/dash/console/steering.

Cheers!

Vinu

[Sahil]

Originally Posted by PlatzdaTurbo

I guess you could more or less be assured that the engine responsiveness and ferocity is more than a match for the previous gen 530d. Its been termed as over eager. lol. Where the f10 looses it vs the e60 is in steering feedback and communication. Perhaps that is what does not make it fun enough. In TopGear words, the e60 tried its best to kill you, the f10 is just too suave and well behaved i guess.

Sahil i was wondering, with Navigation now offered across the BMW range , can the iDrive software and wiring in your car be upgraded without any major overhauls for GPS to start functioning in it ?

The steering feedback is one part, I infact wasn't all that let down by the F10's steering. Its the power delivery that is the problem, its not as "explosive", as mentioned in the review the F10 is more linear.
In a shootout the F10 will perhaps beat the E60. But the driver of the E60 will yet have the bigger grin.

My cars specs did mention that it's pre-wired for the navigation and hence it has the DVD drive (which was removed in future models). I am sure there still is a module that has to be fitted to get it to work. However, I haven't bothered checking as a navigation is for my use.

[driveanddrive]

This is the same engine that does duty in the 5 Series GT, right? I had an opportunity to drive the GT. Man I was for 2 days after the drive. Insane power! I didn't even notice I was doing triple digits within seconds.
Great, great car.
Also, thanks for the review! HUD seems awesome.
As I said on the other thread, must be hectic with all the launches and reviews!

[S350L-E240]

Rehaan,

Brilliant review, but you will have to do this again in some time with the new 530d coming in with the upgraded engine! And with the expansion of the F10 model range in the year 2012, you will have a lot more to test.

Coming back to this car, Been almost a year now and close to 9000 Kms' and your review truly sums it up, sadly I did not get the HUD / Navigation / Rear view camera & Black Panel Instrument, the ones I miss are HUD seeing how amazing it is in terms of information displayed including door open etc. in complete graphical format.

Also for some reason without doubting you at all I seriously find the new 530d while not explosive in power has the ability to give you a kick down at any combination of road & engine speed, Yes E60 felt agile but having driven both for long durations I always have found the smile more satisfactory in the F10 but again I suppose this is a personal opinion. And with the new engine upgrades taking it to 560 Nm this will only add more pleasure. 535d is also in the pipeline but only when needed but all legal requirements have been taken care of!

Another point once again without doubting you at all is the half a second delay in the response, I sometimes get it but in Sport mode everyone in the car always has asked me to change it back to normal as the sudden splurge in power almost makes some of them a little giddy, one more thing I noticed is recently I used shell fuel and maybe it was a mental thing but the car felt a whole lot more refined.

Also don't know if you noticed one bad thing about the 5's seats is they are almost flat and offer very little side support, and for me I also miss being able to extend the length of the seat cushion, a point I am really trying to push with BMW India to start offering the comfort seats as standard.

Lastly, Alloys on the 520/525/530d are the same, 523i comes with the 5 spoke wheels which were suppose to be standard on 530d at launch but due to extreme negative reaction to those alloys BMW India went this way, sad thing is they are unable to offer better alloys due to Run Flats as any other alloy is 18" and above only.

Rating it a well deserved 5 stars, and my personal favorite about the car is the ability to cruise at close to 145 Km/ph @ 1800 Rpm, and the car feels as if it's only gliding over a steep downhill slope.

And did you notice the gear stick is a lot better looking compared to the other models,

Regards,

P.S: Myavu, You cannot custom order the 530d,

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Additional Equipment

The 530d is the top of the line diesel 5-Series in India. It comes with the following goodies over and above the 525d :

- Steering wheel with paddle shifters
- Sport mode selection
- "Full black panel" instrument cluster (explained below)
- Larger 10.2” iDrive screen (vs 7”)
- Head-Up Display
- GPS Navigation system
- Reverse camera
- 8” screens for each of the rear passengers + remote + 2 headphone outs
- Additional DVD player at the rear + 2 sets of A/V inputs
- Differently styled alloy wheels

Interestingly, the 530d comes with more standard equipment than the top-of-the-line petrol 535i (in India)!

[Mpower]

Great review. 530d is a lot more than just that 40 odd bhp that people make it seem.

How's the ride quality and steering feel compared to the E class that you tested.

[GTO]

Super review of my favourite sedan in India. Yup, I'd prefer the 530d even to the mighty EVO X.

Butttttttttttttttttttttt the 530d offers poor value for money. Simple reason is that the nearly-as-competent 525d is a whopping 8 lakhs cheaper!! For guys like me who couldn't care less about gizmos, that is an alarming difference in moolah.

Originally Posted by ajmat

Am still dreaming about this car.

I bet. This picture says it all:

Originally Posted by sachinj12

The linear power delivery in the recent launches,they are done keeping in mind the urban commute? Case in point being the new Swift, the Figo and now this?

Large displacement engines - such as the one in the 530d - have loads of torque even before the turbo starts spooling. Even the Fortuner (for example) has negligible turbo-lag.

Originally Posted by PlatzdaTurbo

I guess you could more or less be assured that the engine responsiveness and ferocity is more than a match for the previous gen 530d.

The E60's acceleration was definitely more fierce, aggressive and in-your-face. Fact is, for pure driving pleasure, a 25 lakh rupee used E60 530d is better than a new 50+ lakh F10 530d (though the latter is way easier to live with)

Originally Posted by myavu

Can we custom order 530d without Rear Seat Entertainment System? This car is for driving and driving and driving. If we occasionally sit at back the whole mind and eye will be at the front engine/dash/console/steering.

Ssssshhhh, the rear seat entertainment system helps to keep the kids quiet (or the wife too??) so you can focus on the driving. No distractions

[Akshay1234]

Great review Rehaan, tthe 530d is definitely a great buy at that price, I think you guys should review the new A6 too, what say?

About the throttle, maybe you needed to reset the transmission, it would have helped with the response surely.

The engine really does sound very good for a diesel, but the silent performance is a bit unnerving at times

Also I was surprised how soft the suspension is in normal mode, driving enthusiastically over Mumbai roads saw it bottoming out a couple of times, putting it in Sport solved that issue.

[Raosaheb Desai]

Superb review Rehaan,
Truly its loaded machine.
Though gearbox is same as 525, in kick down mode what is difference in real world?
Do the batteries are different (for the extra gizmos)
Thanks

[narula123]

Now this is precisely the reason why BMW is pulling the game away from MB. They are not just offering cars with better performance but are now playing on Merc's turf - Luxury. But its sad to see that a car that expensive has small issues like seat vibrations. All this should have been checked before the car leaves the factory as majority of the owners will be in the rear seat.
But overall a car with a good potent combination of beauty and brawn. If only I had that sort of money :P

[Dieselite]

Rehaan !

Crisp review dude. Very helpful at the right time too for me ! A few more points need clarification for me :

The Analogue TV Function has been removed from the car.

I was told by Bavaria Motors, Pune that this car comes with a 125 GB HDD on board to store music. If true, isnt that another minor extra over the lower variants ?

S350L-E240 !

You are always a step ahead on the BMW "inside" news ! When is this engine upgrade expected ? i'm supposed to book a White 530d with ivory black interiors this week. (after looking at your car pics i didnt seek any other option!)

i've been writing on your ownership review but i dont think you have seen that. Awaiting a reply to when the engine upgrade will be available !! I'll be holding on to my cheque till i hear from you Poor Bavaria Motors will have to wait till you can share the info !!

cheers !
Dieselite

PS : Moderators, if this post in inappropriate here please move it to a rightful location !

[S350L-E240]

Dieselite,

My deepest apologies trust me I must have skipped it by error because I have always made it a point to help anyone and everyone when it comes to anything related to BMW / Any maker I can help with,

Coming to your question the new 3.0d engine is having some issue with the tuning for our conditions which is why even the X3 xdrive30d deliveries only start sometime in October and then with due course once the kits for the 530d run out it will go into production in the new format but are you sure you want to wait? lol it's only a minor bump, and I really don't think you will lose much with the current engine, but than I guess the heart needs every extra horse and torque possible!


And trust me TV function is useless, and thanks for the compliments on my car, Will PM you about more variants for the 5, as very soon the 530d is no more the flagship for India!

Regards,

P.S Just saw your posts on my f10 thread will reply there, really sorry for not being able to reply before hand.

@Raosahebdesai The gear box in 525d and 530d are the same but in a different variant, the 530d being the sports transmission, it has minor differences and in sport / sport+ mode the kick down is a blast!

Originally Posted by Dieselite

Rehaan !

The Analogue TV Function has been removed from the car.

I was told by Bavaria Motors, Pune that this car comes with a 125 GB HDD on board to store music. If true, isnt that another minor extra over the lower variants ?

S350L-E240 !

You are always a step ahead on the BMW "inside" news ! When is this engine upgrade expected ? i'm supposed to book a White 530d with ivory black interiors this week. (after looking at your car pics i didnt seek any other option!)

i've been writing on your ownership review but i dont think you have seen that. Awaiting a reply to when the engine upgrade will be available !! I'll be holding on to my cheque till i hear from you Poor Bavaria Motors will have to wait till you can share the info !!

[Dieselite]

S350L-E240 !

Thanks for the prompt reply ! If its a minor bump then why is it coming ? A 2Nm bump should have a corresponding 10 Bhp added ?? A sub 6 second 0-100 kmph?

The rear AC should make its appearance ? Or maybe thats reserved for the 535d ? That should be a CBU i think and not a CKD ?

Flagship or no flagship...if any new variant is going to be within 60 OTR it could be worth a wait !

I'm all eyes and ears dude !

bring it ON !!

cheers !
Dieselite.

[S350L-E240]

Hello,

The new engine has 560Nm compared to 540 Earlier, and 258 Bhp, and improves the 0-100 from 6.3 to 6.1.

And 535d has no immediate plans as now the focus will be moving to the launch of the F30. When 535d comes in, it will be a CKD only. Rear AC too, for now there are no plans, BMW India hardly has had customer demands for it and most users of the F10 are very satisfied with the standard AC but then constant upgrades will continue as now even the 525d gets Rear Seat entertainment and soon a new downsized but more powerful engine in it.

Don't get too confused, get the 530d, at least you get the HUD which I miss so badly,

Regards,

[Dieselite]

hey,

I think its more to counter the new A6 3.0 tdi ? The quattro gives it a better off the line advantage and it holds it till the end against the current 530d. BMW HATES losing the fastest spot to Audi !!

what can a 535 possibly have more than what the 530 already has except the rear AC. hmmm....worth a thought

The HUD does add a LOT of BLING !

awesome...cleared my head...full steam ahead !!

cheers
Dieselite.

Originally Posted by S350L-E240

Hello,

The new engine has 560Nm compared to 540 Earlier, and 258 Bhp, and improves the 0-100 from 6.3 to 6.1.

And 535d has no immediate plans as now the focus will be moving to the launch of the F30. When 535d comes in, it will be a CKD only. Rear AC too, for now there are no plans, BMW India hardly has had customer demands for it and most users of the F10 are very satisfied with the standard AC but then constant upgrades will continue as now even the 525d gets Rear Seat entertainment and soon a new downsized but more powerful engine in it.

Don't get too confused, get the 530d, at least you get the HUD which I miss so badly,

Regards,