This is my first car review, and I’ll try to keep it as short as I can.
As my first review, I have tried my best to post this review on TEAM-BHP, please pardon me for my amateur writing and views.
Brought the car on 18th June'15. Apologies for delaying the review.
Background, History and why 520i
Coming from Mumbai, I am moving from a dull low-revving 1.2L Chevrolet Beat to a high-revving 2.0L turbo BMW 5 series. (Yikes!)
And the Black Beauty. Parked in Jodhpur now.
Requirement & usage pattern:
After about 5 years and 60000 kms, the black beauty started showing signs of aging. I always wanted a sedan and booked a Ford Fiesta in Mumbai in Dec'14. A week later, I got some business opportunity in Dubai and hence cancelled the car's booking. But hey, I still love FF.
Here in Dubai, you can enjoy cars from segment which are more or less, always your dream cars in India.
I needed a car which I could preserve for at least 5 years and which could carry 4-5 passengers with ease. Although I was sold for Toyota GT86, but soon I realized that it can't be the first car in the family.
So the hunt began and we checked out Audi A3, A4, A6, BMW 320i, MB E-class and then we finalized 520i.
Since this is my 2nd car, I couldn’t help comparing the Bimmer to my loved Chevy Beat. I know I’m mad, but the Beat has given me so many smiles that I can easily forget all its dislikes. The steering response of Beat(P) is up there with the best in Indian hatchbacks, seating space is decent, and ride comfort is good too. It’s just that the Beat is underrated because of Chevrolet.
Coming back to the Bimmer..
Cars I considered before finalizing 520i-
- TOYOTA GT 86
- AUDI A6 (Started with A3)
- BMW 320i
I won’t go into details of why I left the above cars but every car in the list is a great car and it was very tough for me to finalise the 520i. (In fact, I booked the A6 in the first place!)
Before purchasing the 520i, I looked heavily through all the posts on Team-BHP and I must say, part of the reason I bought this car is because of how passionately GTO and Rehaan have both posted review of 5 series. Hats off guys! Thank you very much! You guys have really saved me loads of time in checking the car completely. I'm privileged to join TEAM-BHP as a member.
Really.
Going for the 5 series is quite a decision if you ask me. It has become the Chevy Cruze of the segment. Very few on car shopping would buy Cruze as the face lift is on the cards. Same is the story with the 5 series as well. But to me, the F10 520i is an amazing car. No factor could deter me from buying it. I went away with the dealer stock option car and avoided choosing features which can personalize the 5 series to any extent. The reason to avoid customization was plain simple; it saved me money as well as time taken to build/deliver the car (European Delivery program).
Check here for details. BTW, the dealer stock option in Dubai is fairly loaded too. I doubt if anyone would ever want anything more than this.
The major features I got were:- Electric Glass Roof
- Electric Sun Blinds For Rear Windscreen (2nd best feature)
- Sun Blinds For Rear Windows (Best Feature)
- Led-Fog Lights
- Park Distance Control
- Intelligent Emergency Call
- Teleservices
- Beige leather upholstery
- Connected Drive Services; or; BMW services
- Concierge Services
- Remote Services
- Xenon Lamps
- Convenience Telephony
- Brake Energy Regeneration
- Driving Experience Control switch (Comfort /Sports/ECOPRO)
- 5 Year warranty as well as service, repair and maintenance package
- And finally, the infamous Automatic Start/Stop Function (How I wish I could remove this..)
Optional accessories I’ve installed:
- BMW rear seat Entertainment unit (6 pics below)
- Aluminum Pedals
Features I plan to install in sometime:- Sports steering which is available in Indian 5 series
- Full 10” In dash screen with SAT NAV in place of the 7” unit
- Bigger alloy wheels from the present 17” 10 spoke alloys
Freebies I received from the BMW salesman-
- BMW car care kit with BMW bag
- BMW keychain
Booking & delivery experience with the dealership
This guy gave out his heart out to deliver the car on 18th June at midnight (Ramadan) and assisted me at all times with all my silly questions.
I, receiving the car keys from Wael, while my son wanted the baby car.
Some random clicks.
Rear seat Entertainment Unit:
The Entertainment Screen.
Feels good but UI and overall build quality is just average. A strict no-no if you're planning to get one. I paid 42k in Indian money for them!
Cheap remote from 90's
Reason why I bought'em..
Average BMW IR Headphones. Got 2 of these with the kit.
Ok so here goes. Opinion on the car:
Interiors:
Dashboard's layout is practical, but AC vents feel like they won't last a mile. Also check the boring steering.
Driver and Passenger Door. Sorry for the card-board pic. Shot during PDI.
Headlamp Control Switch feels premium. Exact opposite is case with AC vents above it. The only AC vents which felt so fragile would have been from the Vento.
Other buttons and stalks
The interior color I’d opted was Veneto Beige. Wifey didn’t like Dakota Cinnamon Brown as we have an open parking which would make the car an oven in Dubai summers.
The leather quality is very good but it definitely can’t match up that of an Audi. The door pads, dashboard and ICE buttons all reek sheer quality but there are a few shoddy area’s like the inside plastics of door handles which just don’t match up with the rest of interiors in feel good factor.
There are a few features in the car which aren’t seen in the competition
The front seat armrest is among the best in the business. Split opening helps in the other person not removing hands from the armrest. Excellent!
- Touch sensitive buttons. Thanks to GTO for highlighting this otherwise I would've never explored it.
You can program a total of 8 buttons for any available function from the iDrive. If you just want to check which function is assigned to which button, just glide your finger over the buttons and the screen will display the assigned action
Seats (and Comfort)
Top-notch leather quality along with good seats helps in long journeys. The seats are supportive and it won’t take long for anyone to find the comfortable driving position. The under thigh support is really good and the back comfort is awesome. These seats remind me of the new Ford Fiesta which also offered a similar experience.
Sorry for the poor pic again.
Wide Rear seat Arm rest.
The head rest can be brought forward or backward depending on the comfort level. I couldn’t find comfortable position with it after installing rear seat entertainment unit, though. It actually helps with less whiplash effect in case if vehicle gets hit from behind.
If you’ve got the moolah, then get the BMW optional multi-contour seats.
The space below rear AC vents serves as ICE & rear zone AC controls in 550i.
Safety:
6 Airbags, ABS, DSC and a lot more tech terms which I don’t even understand.
Another BMW exclusive feature is the rear door design. Look carefully in the below pic that the door is designed in such a way that the rear door crease always sits behind the front door. This helps in easy opening/removing the door in an uneventful accident where the front door is locked or messed-up with the rear door.
Braking
This one stops from 100-0 without any drama. You can feel the bite of the braking and the best part is that you can also feel ABS engaging little late or only during extreme braking. My previous drive in Dubai was a Petrol Innova and I know how tough it gets to stop a car during emergency braking. As I am writing this, I’ve already crossed 3k KM’s on ODO and haven't experienced a single instance where I felt nervous during braking. These units cant disappoint.
Engine:
The engine compartment is well sealed and when you open the hood, the engine clicking catches you by surprise. The N20’s petrol motor sounds like a refined generator engine (I’m saying this because my previous ride Chevy Beat was dead silent! you can’t notice the petrol A6 and E class working either). Anyways, it has got a good low end torque which is helpful in moving off quickly at Dubai signals. Even with this 4 cylinder turbo it is very hard not to drive beyond 150+ speeds. This just doesn't feel like a 2.0L engine. Pedal to metal acceleration will make the car’s front go up slightly and passengers tightly gripping the grab handle bars. Gives an amazing feeling of a sports car. Budding racers would love both, the generator like sound and the instant acceleration.
With my novice views, I would better stop right here to pass on any comment on BMW’s mechanical brilliance.
Fun to drive? You bet.
The sole reason I went ahead with this over the A6 was 5’ers driving factor, otherwise IMHO the A6 is much better car in all other aspects.
For my family, we wanted something that could help in Dubai’s traffic and has the ability to pull out of a corner with authority (sometimes, you just wanna enjoy). The BMW does that for me. Contrary to what few others feel about me not going in for the more powerful 528i, there is so much of power in 520i that the 528i just seems irrelevant in Dubai’s traffic. I could have gone for the same in India, but not in UAE. To drive easily in Dubai’s roads, I know, I can barely utilise 520i’s max power or for that matter, its instant acceleration on the busy Shaikh Zayed road. Point to note is that, there’s also no road in UAE which allows the cars to go past 120(legal limits, 140 if you want to overtake!), max I can go in city is 80. For daily driving, this turns out to be a decent option. For the record, I was fined heavily while driving on Al-ain highway for over-speeding. God-knows what would have happened if it were 528i or 550i.
The sound of a 4 cylinder is not a big deal to us. We can easily afford higher gasoline bills and could have purchased a bigger engine but I chose to pick something that makes more sense in the long run. I had an AMERICAN car that lasted 5 years and never once had to clean the throttle body. If that can last that long, a masterfully engineered, and technologically superior BMW with better maintenance package should be just fine. I am barely bothered in the number of cylinders, It's power delivery for in-city driving is what all I care about.
Steering:
Compared the E60’s Hydraulic unit which set a benchmark for steering feedback, the F10’s electric unit is still a joy to use. The steering is just right. Feels comfortable and serves its purpose. There is also enough feedback to make turns through corners exciting.
In Dubai, where cars are required to make sharp left turns at junctions after approaching signal, you get a true feeling of what the steering is up to. You know how much you’ve to turn and how much wheels would turn. :thumbs up Steering return back action is smooth.
Although well set-up, the Steering wheel itself doesn’t look good for a 2015 BMW. Even my Beat’s 5 year old steering looks better and feels much meatier to hold. BMW should stop this steering wheel on all of their cars. A6 with its small 4 spoke unit and aluminium paddle shifters wins hands down.
Transmission:
I drove a brand new Vento GT TSi and I could feel the gears changing in that unit as well, but with the ZF sourced unit on 520i, no chance. The 8 speed ZF auto box on 5 series will put the famous DSG box to shame. No wonder, many other brands are using ZF sourced units (including Volkswagen). The tranny provides quick shifting in D and superlative performance in S-mode.
Gear lever itself is an attention magnet.
Driving modes- Eco/Comfort/Sport:
In Sport mode, BMW claims of stiffness in suspension. On my short trip to Jabel Hafeeet Mountains in Al-ain, I made use of the sports driving mode along with sports tranny option to gain more control on car and brakes. Didn't notice a thing but could sense the steering weighing up in sports mode.
The Eco-pro mode is useless in UAE, we don't need it. It is only useful as a driver alert tool for individuals who have the habit to cry about FC. Comfort mode is acceptable, default and the one I use on a regular basis.
Wheels/Tires:
Ok, So many of us don’t like RFT’s. But hey, would you want to change a tire on a fast moving highway or still reach your destination for that important meeting? The time needed by BMW service folks to replace the tire with TPMS fitment is less than an hour and I feel that’s the way to go. For the record, BMW service in UAE gives top priority to cars which have a flat tire. You really don’t have to wait long for tire change. With limited coverage and less reach, this might not work in India, though.
If there’s a puncture in any tire, the TPMS will let me know and I'll get a new tire after arriving at my destination, partial amount will be borne by insurance company too. UAE is an area where we don’t have to worry about personal safety from criminals if we got a flat. Taxi is always a phone call away in UAE.
Suspension
The 520i is unarguably the best driven mid size sedan and sits somewhere between the Audi A6 and the Toyota GT86 in my choice of cars. For our family, it's just perfect. With GT86, it would have been tough for my wife and kid, and with A6, it would have been tough for me.
*I wouldn't call this a Sports car. The 550i (or the M5) with better set up and ARS is the one.
Boot Space
Just about OK. I can only fit in my son's pram and 1-2 extra bags. Still better than Audi and Merc. Probably because of the absence of spare wheel gives it more space to run more deep.
Tech Features: S.O.S: 
Now, this is supposed to call the BMW helpline but in UAE, this button directly calls up the police station. I’ve checked it twice and I can vouch for it. So when you press it, you get a rude response from the other side that this is police station and if there’s no emergency, just hang up. Ouch. A better feature is that in case of an uneventful situation, this will automatically connect you to the police station.
Cruise control:
Helps in UAE, Useless in India.
Auto-start-stop system:
Absurd! Money not well spent by BMW.
Music System:
Just OK. As GTO mentioned in his review, this one’s not for bass hungry folks. Addition of good quality woofer would just void the warranty.
BMW Apps:
A great feature so you can connect your iPhone and do what you do with your mobile. If you're a tech lover person, you’ll buy a BMW just for the Connected Drive. With iDrive controls, things get so easy for the driver.
Rear and side shades:
If you have a kid, you’ll love this. In UAE where sunlight makes you blind, this is so more needed.
I miss Soft close doors, Power tailgate and the Comfort access but I'd rather keep 10k AED in my pocket than pay that much for these features.
Last and the Best I like, the
BMW CONNECTED DRIVE:
I really never thought of anything like this. If you’ve seen Die Hard 4, then you might recall how the BMW Assist helps in remote starting the BMW. There isn’t a feature like that (although this can be done very easily after market) but there really are cool features than that. Read on.
Make use of the Concierge services to find out the nearest Shopping mall, hospital, restaurant or anything. BMW assist helps in making a reservation at the restaurant, advises on the best road route, informs you of flight schedules, Airport terminal information, movie timings, availability of tickets, room availability in hotels, etc. You can even ask them about the colors available in E-class or the A6. Service is available 24/7.
A service agent will even transfer the GPS coordinates of the POI you want to the car and car’s navigation will take care of the rest. How cool is that!
BMW Remote:
After installing MyBMW Remote app in my iPhone and Moto G, I could Lock/Unlock the car, Start the AC, and locate the car in the parking lot by turning on the headlight or in a crowded area by GPS. I have already used it once and know how helpful this is.
The app also helps in sending address from the mobile to the car for navigation. Since you can preset the AC timings from the iDrive controller, there’s an option to activate the AC of the car while you’re having dinner.
BMW Office/Messaging:
Useless. This allows you to send emails/messages while you’re driving. Just speak the words and speak ‘send’ after you’re done. A bit of gimmick if you ask me. Would never prefer doing all this if I'm driving. Mobiles already offer all of this.
Likes:- A Complete Family/Performance/Premium Sedan
- Tech Toys; viz; BMW Connected Drive, Concierge Services, S.O.S, Teleservices
- 5 Year Service, Repair/Maintenance and Warranty Package
Dislikes:- No space for bottles in Door: I keep looking for slim water bottles in grocery store.
- Rear bench’s low seating position: Ingress and egress gets tough. This car is definitely not for senior citizens. The front seats are height adjustable so that’s not a problem.
- No split folding seats on standard variants. Option for getting it done costs more than 1k AED
- No remote for rear seat passengers to control ICE: Not available even as an accessory/option. Even MS Celerio has one!! The last time I travelled in an OLA’s Etios sedan, I saw the ICE remote lying behind the gear lever.
Shame on BMW for not providing one! How I wish BMW had provided a 4-zone AC along with rear controls for AC and music system, just like the A6.
Overall, a great machine! I am happy with 520i. It serves the purpose and I don’t regret it a bit. For most of my driving, this is just right. I know I’ll have to probably visit BMW service center frequently for every minor issue, but then, that's what I signed up for. There are many members on the forum who love and are passionate about their cars. Life's too short to worry about stuff like that.
I hope this review serves as a thank you note to TEAM-BHP for posting fantastic review of the 5 Series (which helped me in finalizing) and helps other prospective buyers as well.
and the happy family..
Hello Viren83! Congratulations! It's a beautifully written review out there. The F10 5-Series is indeed my favourite from the segment. The EPS unit is leagues ahead of that in the A6. Mind if you could share the final price in AED? I'm planning to move to Dubai next fall so wished to know the final price. Once again, congratulations for this mammoth; do keep this thread alive! :)
Many many congratulations viren. That's one helluva update - from a Beat to a 520i. clap:
Makes me want to move to Dubai right away, a Bimmer is such a dream car for me!
Hey Viren83, congratulations on the 520i! I must say, that's a super upgrade from the Beat!
I really liked the Connected Drive and BMW Remote feature. This is one really cool feature and I don't think it is available in India. Everyday, when I leave for office I wish if the car's air con was switched on before I go out and sit in the car. However, IIRC the Mahindra-Reva's E2o also offers this feature similar to the BMW remote.
I am also awaiting delivery of my car and T-BHP official new car review has helped me a lot in making this decision. Although it's not a BMW, just a Tata Zest ;)
Congratulations Sir! What a fabulous ride you have got. I guess this would be the "Father of all upgrades" from Beat to BMW 5! Phew!
happy motoring with your beautiful family and car!
Congrats on the awesome car! Venetian beige is my personal favourite interior color....hope you have many happy miles in it!!
