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Old 3rd November 2022, 18:21   #1
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My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review

Hello Fellow Bhpians,

Greetings to all of you who have stumbled upon my small ownership report of my very own BMW. I hope my report is worth your while and I hope I am able to give back to the community from whom I have gained a lot of knowledge. Please do note that I am not an enthusiast, nor do I push my cars to its limits. I am just another family man who just focuses on driving sedatedly and has a taste for interior space, utility and gadgets. The views presented in this review is of my own and is in no way a general view. There are just too many aspects of the car and I don't know if I will be able to cover them all. I will be glad to answer any questions that you might have.

Also, a small shoutout to other bhpians who with their ownership report have encouraged me to pen down mine after almost 13 years of being on TBHP. I would like to mention a small remembrance to Sam Kapasi for his inspiring writing skills and his own ownership report of his Skoda Superb. And a shout out to kalyan_hyd for his amazing detailed report of VW Tiguan Allspace.

My ownership and knowledge of cars is very limited and is nothing to write home about. I love sedans and my mom used to fondly call it the cars with the butt. Disclaimer: I have always bought preowned cars. Prior to my current car, I have only had two other cars:

a) Maruti Esteem VXi:

My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-img_6064.jpg

My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-img_6319.jpg

I started off my ownership with a 2006 Maruti Esteem VXi which I had acquired in 2010 and sold it in 2013. It was my first car and still remember it fondly. But, it was not adequate for a person like me. I am around 6.1 feet tall and it was really cramped up on the inside.

b) Volkswagen Golf 1.2 TSi Highline Variant Mk7:
VW did not have a good image back in India and I had even test driven the VW Vento but it did not impress us. There were some negative TBHP reports in those days by which I shied away from VW.

However, I got the chance to relocate to Netherlands and got exposed to the world of European cars. It was then that I accidently got a VW Touran allocated to me on one of our Euro Trips. With 6 people on board and equivalent baggage, the car with its 1.4 TSI engine performed flawlessly and efficiently. We covered almost 4500 kms in a single trip. From the beaches of Normandy to the mountains of Switzerland and the Autobahn of Germany, it handled everything with ease. The ride was extremely pleasant and it changed our perception of VW forever. When the time came for us to buy our first car, I was torn between the BMW F30 and the VW Golf 1.2TSI Highline Mk7. The F30 did not impress me. For the price offered, the Golf was much better in comparison (engine specs aside) for a light footed driver like me. As time did tell, I kept the Golf with me for 5.5 years and apart from the normal wear and tear, I had zero problems with it. The fuel efficiency was amazing and I drove the car for almost 73k kms in those years all over Europe.

My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221002_184811.jpg

My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20180404_125141.jpg

My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20171022_211143.jpg

The 2 years of pandemic slowed us down considerably. The space provided by the variant (stationwagon) specification was amazing and we have filled up the boot on many occasions. This made my better half finalize that our next car WILL be a stationwagon. One of the gripes that I had with my Golf was that it had a MIB1 system which was small and slow. The next gen MIB2 (and onwards) were much better systems. Just FYI, the VW Golf has been the best selling car in Europe for many years now.

Last edited by _raVan_ : 27th November 2022 at 05:39.
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Old 3rd November 2022, 18:27   #2
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re: My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review

Requirements and short listed cars



Soon, it was time for a change. My requirements for a new car was very simple:
a) Should be one of the holy trinities
b) Should be a stationwagon
c) Should be a petrol

And honestly, I would be lying if I said that the above was the only criteria. For a guy like me who is enticed by the latest gadgets, I would love my new car to be up-to-date with the modern automotive world. But, the key was to find the balance between a must have and good to have features in the available cars. The more features you would want, the more pricier the car would get. One of the things that I looked for was Adaptive Cruise Control, as I knew that it will help me in my travels.

The features that are provided by all the manufacturers are almost the same and they do their job well. So, I don't think it will be justified for me to say that I bought my car because of this feature that the BMW does best. All the manufacturers worldwide have caught up to the technology that Tesla once boasted to be masters of, and have started to better them. God bless competition.

As a downside, the German manufacturers have fragmented their car buying experience so much that the price difference between the base and the final spec'ed up car is massive! There are so many packages that you can choose from, and even after choosing the packages, there will be other features that you will have to select separately. If I can give them any feedback, that would be to simplify the ordering of the car build for the people who are buying it first hand. Please take a note from Volvo and/or Tesla.

The options that came up was:
a) Audi A4/A6 Avant: The new A4 and A6 are both excellent cars. I was more inclined towards the A6 because of the space, but the new A6, being very new to the market, was out of my budget. But, I was still scouting for any lucky opportunities that could open up.

b) Mercedes C/E Estate: If I had the money for it, then it would have been the new E class eyes closed. The new E is amazing on the inside. I personally feel that they could have done a bit better with its outside looks. The MBUX system that they have developed is _THE_BEST_ in the market right now. BMW has a lot of catching up to do and I personally feel that their iDrive 8 does not hold up with the Mercedes. But Mercedes was also higher in their asking price. Still, kept it short listed and was scouting for any lucrative opportunities.

c) BMW 3/5 Touring: The 5 series G31 was launched in 2017 and is still the best selling executive car after the E class in the world. Since the 7th gen is approaching its end of life and the G60/G61 launch is around the corner, there was quite a bit of selection coming up in the used car market. But most of them were the pre facelift models. The LCI model was launched in 2020 and the difference between the features of pre facelift and the LCI model was indeed a long list. Then there was the plugin hybrid option. But, I was discouraged from pursuing it by some of my friends. I was strictly told, either go for purely electric, or purely petrol. Anyhoo, I kept both the petrol and plugin hybrid in my list as plugin hybrids makes more sense for a driver like me. The itch of not being able to own the BMW previously kept on gnawing at me. I have always admired the beemers and had become a dream car for me ever since I was a kid.

Some wild cards:
a) VW Passat Variant: With the positive experience that we had with our Golf, I kept the option of looking for a Passat. But, the interiors were almost identical to my Golf (except for the rear passenger space and boot space). I wanted a change, and hence dropped it.

b) Volvo V90: The V90 looks spectacular and is one of the best designed car in my humble opinion. My son is a big fan of it and unlike the Germans, almost all of the V90s were fully feature loaded. The Swedes have a different way of loading up their car with features. Just add a couple of packages and your car is fully spec'ed up.

c) Volvo XC60: This SUV really is a head turner and was the first SUV in my list. But, the petrol variant is a very thirsty engine and one of my friends also complained about the really low fuel economy. But the plugin hybrid models were very popular. Also, my wife and myself were not really interested in having a SUV. Maybe, an option for some other time.

d) Mercedes GLB: Last but not the least, the GLB was also a good option, especially with the 7 seater option. My wife didn't want to go for a 7 seater and secondly, if you want to have the modern features and technology in the GLB, you will have to go with highest trim. And that, shot up the price.

One of the observations from my hunt in the used car market of the Netherlands was that the X3 and GLC are more expensive than the E class and the 5 series. Maybe the experts in here can shed a light on this? Is it only because they are SUVs? I assume they are based on 3 series and C class.

Last edited by _raVan_ : 27th November 2022 at 05:13.
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Old 3rd November 2022, 18:30   #3
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re: My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review

The Find

I spent months scouting for my next car. I always scout for used cars in the official websites. I had given up hope and had already decided to postpone the plans of buying the car to next year as we were expecting our baby girl to be born anytime. But one fine evening, I thought of just removing the filter criteria of reversing camera from my list as it can be retrofitted, and there was this 2021 LCI model with 16k kms on its odometer that didn't seem to be in the right place. Since it was already late in the night, I could not contact the dealer to get further information on the car. I spent a sleepless night thinking over it. I was pretty sure that maybe there might be something that I was missing on. The next morning, I waited patiently till the dealership opened and immediately called them. My excitement was confirmed. The car was indeed in the right place and was up for sale. It had the 360 camera setup and hence, they did not mark reversing camera separately in the feature list. It was maintained by the BMW dealership itself and was driven by their own staff and was kept on sale. He confirmed that it was not used as a demo car. The car was a bit above my budget but I huffed and I puffed and I cried at my wifey to sign off on it till she agreed frustratingly. I immediately booked an appointment for test drive the same day and drove off immediately to the dealer.

I still remember the first impression that me and my son had on seeing the car. It looked stunning in the mirror finish that they had provided on the car. The moment we sat inside the car, the interiors just felt luxurious. Especially, given the fact that we were coming from the interiors of a Golf, we were sitting inside the car with our mouths wide open. There is a certain finesse that I cant actually describe. The interiors looked and felt premium and it had the WOW factor that you would look for. And there are buttons! There are buttons all over the place! I was sitting there in the driver's seat, giggling like a little boy and pressing every single button saying "Ooo, what does this button do!", till I saw the salesman staring back at me.

I must say that modern cars have come a long way. The salesman had to spend some time with me to get me acquainted with the iDrive 7 system and explained some of the autonomous driving features that the car comes with. In my mind, I was screaming "Please, I know enough now, let me go for a spin!", but as soon as I would look at the steering wheel, I would be "How the hell do I even start it?". I have driven automatic before, but it has been quite sometime. This was going to be my first automatic. To be honest, it was a bit overwhelming and I could relate myself with my father as to how confused he was when he was operating his first touch screen phone.

Once you get a feel of what the systems can do to aide your driving, there is no going back. I can really understand what many reviewers rave about when it comes to safety systems. For me, the cruise control and the speed limiter in the Golf was an eye opener, but this was a whole new level of driving experience for me. And yes, this is a autonomous level 2 car (ref: Self Driving Cars Wiki and SAE Blog).

Some of the things that I liked about the car:
+ The plush and comfortable interiors. It feels like home and I really love to get back inside the car.
+ The autonomous level 2 assisted drive systems. It helps in relieving some of the driving pressure, especially on long tiring journeys.
+ Mild hybrid technology. For a car of this size and weight, the fuel economy is amazing!
+ The comfort seats option. Also known as the multi contour seats, this 20 way adjustable seating is something to be experienced.
+ The HUD! Simplifies driving a lot by giving you all the important information you need on the windshield itself.
+ Apple carplay and Android Auto build in
+ The lounge lighting
+ The iDrive 7
+ The MyBMW app
+ The Panoramic Sunroof
+ Comfort access aides the keyless entry and exit
+ TPMS for individual tires
+ Brilliant 360 camera

When the excitement settled down, I noticed a few things that I think BMW could have done better:
- There was not a single baggage hook in the trunk! It surprised me to no end when I opened the boot to stow my grocery bag. I almost had a box of eggs splatter all over the floor. The other G31s have, at the least, a single baggage hook, but mine did not come with even one. I had to order a cargo net separately.
- The wireless phone charger is only suitable for smaller phones. My phone did not fit in it. Due to this, I am unable to activate my BMW digital key. And, BMW does not allow it through a wired connection.
- The internal rear view mirror is not adequate for the rear view.
- Subscription services
- Some of the plastics feel really very cheap. Eg: the control dial, the AC and volume knobs, etc. They could have added rubberized or metal touches to these.
- Easy entry option has been removed from all BMW models. This option used to slide the drivers seat back on switching on/off the car so that you enter and exit the vehicle easily. As of now, only the steering wheel goes up and down for easy entry and exit. I have heard that it can be activated using beemercode. Yet to check it out.
- The rear middle seat is not a good seat to be seated on due to the middle huge hump

Nitpicking on upgrading from Golf:
- Storage options inside the cabin could have been a bit more. There are no sunglass holder, no below seats drawer, not much of chubby spaces to stove away things. My Golf had it.
- The turning radius feels a bit bigger than the Golf
- In addition to the above point, due to the length & width of the car, I find a bit more difficult to park in tight spaces. But the 360 camera comes really handy for this.
- BMW could have added 3 zone climate control as standard. Instead, they went with 2 zone with an option to add 4 zone and rear seat heating as an extra.

Last edited by _raVan_ : 27th November 2022 at 05:53.
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Old 3rd November 2022, 18:40   #4
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re: My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review

Quick Links


External Views

Internal Views

Infotainment system

Driver Assist Systems

Driving Experience

Small tidbits

Accessories for the car

Last edited by Aditya : 27th November 2022 at 08:36. Reason: Index links fixed
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Old 3rd November 2022, 18:47   #5
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re: My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review

External views



I love the G31 design. I really appreciate the changes that they have done to the LCI over the pre-LCI model. I find it better than the A6 Avant and the E class Estate. The front looks menacing enough and the rear has one of the best designs that I have seen.

Without any further ado, attaching some of the photos that were taken at the dealer itself.

My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-carimage-7.jpeg

My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-carimage-8.jpeg

My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-carimage-9.jpeg

My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-carimage-10.jpeg

My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-carimage-11.jpeg

The menacing headlights:
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-carimage-21.jpeg

I absolutely love the rear 3D tail lights!
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-carimage-20.jpeg

The front kidney grill is an active one. It swings open by itself to let air in when needed.
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221116_181346.jpg

The radar for the ACC:
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221116_181353.jpg

The rims look really sporty and gives the car a nice stance. This is the first time that I am experiencing a car with a staggered tire setup. The front is a 245/40R19 and the rear is a 275/35R19:
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-carimage-23.jpeg

My car came with Pirellis for summer tires, but I upgraded to Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 for winter tires.

The 4 cameras for the 360 setup (Rear, Side mirrors and Front):
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-gridart_20221117_205517699min.jpg

The engine bay:
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-carimage-24.jpeg

The car is equipped with Comfort Access option. So, you can lock/unlock the car without having to touch the key or the car. The boot can be opened and closed with the swing of your leg.

Last edited by _raVan_ : 27th November 2022 at 04:43.
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Old 3rd November 2022, 18:50   #6
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re: My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review

Internal views



The interior is very well made and put together. The materials seems of really good quality and hope it stands the test of time.

The seats feels very premium and provide 20-way adjustment. You can easily find the sweet spot for your driving pleasure and you feel pampered. It has memory function and two adjustments can be stored.
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221116_181453.jpg

Safety hammers are provided:
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221116_185625.jpg

The M-Sport steering wheel is different from the regular 5 series wheel. It feels chunkier and has a nice feel to it. The left side is for the driver assist functions and the right side is for the multimedia functions. Also, the buttons are different as this set is from the Driver Assistance Pro package.
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221117_093855.jpg

A small chubby hole for parking tickets:
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221117_164331.jpg

Door bins for my items. This car did not come with a in-built umbrella. Hence Sam, no paisa-vasool event for me. So I keep a small emergency umbrella with me.
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221116_184049.jpg

The dashboard layout is very elegant and I like the placement of buttons. I also appreciate the fact that there are physical volume and AC knobs.
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-carimage.jpeg

The auto start-stop button has been removed thanks to the mild hybrid system.
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221115_160519.jpg

The 360 camera:
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-carimage-16.jpeg

The center stick. In my humble opinion, this has been there for many years and its time for a change. I have seen that going forward, this is going to be removed from all future models by BMW.
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-carimage-13.jpeg

The useless wireless charger for me. But yeah, my friends and family with smaller phones do use it. Small cupholders are also provided.
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221116_185408.jpg

The glove box is a bit smaller than what i expected.
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221116_181517.jpg

Center armrest console is wide and deep.
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221116_185651.jpg

The passenger side seat with memory function:
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221116_181550.jpg

There is adequate space in the back. Since this is a stationwagon, the roof line doesn't recline in the back seat. So tall passengers have no problem. In my case, my two kids will be more than happy to be there.
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-carimage-12.jpeg

Door bins in the rear seat.
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221116_183930.jpg

Center arm rest in the rear seat with the cup holders.
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221117_094038.jpg

The middle, bigger than what I expect, hump:
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221119_145846.jpg

The central AC vents does their job well and has 2 USB C ports available. Two small pockets for mobile phones are provided if needed. 4 zone AC was not added by the previous owner.
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221117_094021.jpg

The panoramic sunroof.
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-carimage-17.jpeg

The boot is very spacious. Can be opened and closed from/by the key, leg kick, boot button and from the driver's seat.
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221116_183947.jpg

When fully loaded in one of my airport runs.
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221112_093357.jpg

Storage cover and separation net is provided:
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221117_165930.jpg

When not needed, both can be stowed away:
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221116_184020.jpg

Space for first aid kit.
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221116_184010.jpg

Hooks for cargo net:
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221117_165832.jpg

A 12V socket is available in the boot:
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221117_165801.jpg

One of the highlight of the car is the night lighting it provides. It just looks and feels awesome to drive the car at night. The photos does not do it justice. The lounge lighting is excellent in the car.
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221113_19055601.jpeg

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Old 3rd November 2022, 19:03   #7
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re: My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review

Infotainment System



The infotainment system of the G31 is smooth and very responsive. The center dial ring eases the use of the system and I find myself not using the touch screen too often. As mentioned previously, my car came with the iDrive 7. Initially it felt a bit overwhelming, but with time, I started to navigate through the required options very quickly.

The virtual cockpit professional with the ever watching camera on the top. The middle section can be changed from maps to assisted driving information. The maps data can be moved to the HUD.
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221113_200058.jpg

Home screen with the widgets:
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221117_165046.jpg

Handwriting recognition is something that I use very often to put in addresses while driving:
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221117_164750.jpg

Built in BMW apps:
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221117_164829.jpg

Hotkeys are also very handy to access the frequently used functions. There are 7 hotkeys provided in all:
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221117_164848.jpg

The built in 48V battery assist. I have only seen it being used while coasting, but I read that it helps in the auto start-stop.
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221117_164557.jpg

For the people with the question "Kitna deti hai?", journey data on the highway runs. Do note that it is with Summer tires and on a non-traffic day:
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221112_140235.jpg

With highway and city mixed:
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221112_140257.jpg

The brilliant HUD. Its extremely handy and I use it for my maps navigation and I use my instrument cluster for driver assistance display. All the necessary information is presented right in front on the windscreen.
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221113_200037.jpg

My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221113_200730.jpg

Side note: BMW released the iDrive 8, and personally I think they could have done better. The MBUX is leaps and bounds ahead of it.

Last edited by _raVan_ : 27th November 2022 at 05:16.
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Old 3rd November 2022, 19:05   #8
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re: My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review

Driver Assist Systems



Modern automotive cars have come a long way. The driving features have revolutionized and ever since Tesla entered the scene, I have felt that the focus is more on the technology. I am not complaining in anyways, and I am happy with the direction we are headed in. Me and my friends often have had debates and yeah, the conclusion was to each their own. Every manufacturer has their own ADAS systems configured and BMW is no different.

BMW offers two different packages for the assist systems. All the 5 series G30/G31 LCI models comes with Driving Assistance package as default.

Driving Assistance package:
a) Front collision warning for cars and pedestrians with emergency braking
b) Rear Cross traffic warning when reversing with emergency braking
c) Speed limiter
d) Cruise Control

The Driving Assistance pro package comes inclusive of the above features, plus:
a) Lane departure warning
b) Blind spot metering
c) Automatic lane change
d) Side collision warning with active protection
e) Front collision warning with active braking
f) Steering and Lane control assist
g) Active Cruise Control
h) Assisted Driving View in the Virtual Cockpit
i) Predictive Speed limit & traffic sign detection

It will be better to refer to some youtube videos demonstrating the same:

Assisted Driving View:


BMW Driving Assistance Pro package:



Pedestrian Emergency Braking:


If your car has the Assistance Pro package, the buttons on the steering wheel will have the led light bar on top of them:
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-gridart_20221117_211200436.jpg

Also, there will be a camera pointed at you from the virtual cockpit to check if you are attentive enough. Feels like a teacher is looking at me to make sure that I am paying attention.

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Old 3rd November 2022, 19:08   #9
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re: My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review

Driving Experiences



As I have mentioned earlier, I am not someone who would push his car to the limits. I am a very sedated light footed driver. I have primarily driven the Esteem and an i20 in India. The control of the Esteem was just ok, and the i20 was meh. Driving the Esteem on the Mumbai Pune expressway was a good feeling for me, but I need to be honest that it was not confidence aspiring and was scary above 100kmph. i20 was more modern and more comfortable to drive in the city, but again, on the highway the light steering and the boat-like feeling was not something that I preferred. Driving in the Netherlands was quite a revelation for me. I got a taste of what Volkswagens are capable of on Highways and Cities. I bought the Golf and it was a pleasure to drive. I would highly encourage people to try the Golf if looking for a car in Europe. I hope they will launch the car in place of Jetta in India.

Driving the BMW, for me, has been a much better experience. I feel more relaxed. The driver assist systems kicks in time-to-time and you feel reassured that everything is fine. The interior space allows my tall frame to move and stretch a bit. The noise insulation is extremely good and we can have a comfortable chat inside the car at high speeds. The car feels very planted at high speeds, though I am yet to drive it on the German autobahns. After a long journey, I still feel fresh to carry on. I must confess though, that the assisted systems sometimes acts weirdly when there are some complex lane changes. It tries to stick to an imaginary lane and I have had to be extra vigilant to keep the steering wheel in check. In city, I change the mode to Distance Control from Assisted Drive.

Most of the time, I am in the Eco pro mode and yeah, that would tell a lot about me. The sport mode, for me in the 520i, is spectacular! The accelerator becomes really sensitive and the car just waits to prance. If 520i can deliver this kind of feeling, I can only imagine what the higher models will do! My son loves the mode, but I avoid it as much as possible.

As this car is a M-Sport model, it comes with M-Sport suspension. It feels sportier round the corners and I have not found any difference on regular rides. The car really feels super stable.

Amongst the petrol variants, the BMW 520i has a 2 litre engine which churns out 181hp & 290 Nm of torque. Its the lowest engine of the 5 series and the 530i is the better pick. The 530i also has a 2 litre engine, but it churns out 252hp & 350 Nm of torque. But since the 520i fitted my needs pretty well (and was the one that was available in my budget), I was fine with the lower specs. In India, I believe as of now only the 530i is available.

PS: Just for more information, BMW offers five petrol 5 series models:
1) 520i (2L Inline 4, 181 hp & 290 Nm Torque)
2) 530i (2L Inline 4, 252 hp & 350 Nm Torque)
3) 540i (3L Inline 6, 340 hp & 450 Nm Torque)
4) M550i (4.4L V8, 523 hp & 750 Nm Torque. Only available in Sedan configuration), and
5) The mighty M5 (4.4L V8, 625 hp & 750 Nm Torque. Only available in Sedan configuration)

Last edited by _raVan_ : 27th November 2022 at 06:03.
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Old 14th November 2022, 15:22   #10
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re: My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review

Some more details from the car



BMW Profiles:
BMW allows you to "Log in" into your car using your BMW profile. You can add multiple users to your car and every user can customize the setup as per his/her requirement. This includes the seat memory settings and I believe the screen layouts. All settings are backed up into the BMW cloud. Also, you can link your profile to an individual key.


My BMW App:
Every manufacturer has started to provide an app for their car. BMW also has one called the MyBMW app. It gives you all the required information in the app itself. As of now, BMW only allows the car to be linked with only 1 profile. My wife's account does not accept our car in her profile. However, I have read that in the 07/2022 update, it can be done. I am yet to receive the update.
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-screenshot_20221121_155055_my-bmw.jpg

My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-screenshot_20221121_154022_my-bmw.jpg

My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-screenshot_20221127_003640_my-bmw.jpg

My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-screenshot_20221121_154059_my-bmw.jpg

OTA Updates:
The iDrive 7 can receive OTA updates.
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221117_165150.jpg

Wifi Hotspot in the car:
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221117_165230.jpg

Electronic rear folding seats:
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221117_092621.jpg


Tail gate window opens for quick access into the boot:
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221116_181411.jpg

Tail gate can be opened and closed automatically from the inside:
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221117_164240.jpg

You can decide how high the tail gate should open
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221117_165259.jpg

Number of M logos used on the car to show its an M-Sport model:
1) Side panel x2
2) Door sills x4
3) Steering
4) On the virtual cockpit
5) On every single wheel x4
6) In the OEM door projectors x4 (Ok, this was done by me )

Feels like BMW is trying to say "Yaar, tumse asli M gaadi toh ho nahi payega. Yeh le M logos! Khush reh!" So, if anyone asks which variant is it, I will show them each and every logo.

Last edited by _raVan_ : 27th November 2022 at 06:05.
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Old 15th November 2022, 19:14   #11
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re: My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review

Accessories for the car:



BMW OEM Door projectors:
This is something that I loved and had it done the first thing as soon as I got the car. They are very bright and looks extremely nice at night. There are a lot of cheap knockoffs available in the market, but they are not as crisp and bright as the OEM ones. The OEM projectors comes with two inter swappable glasses. There are more logos available, but they need to be bought separately.

One with BMW logo:
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221008_204935.jpg

... and the other with the M logo:
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221030_192028.jpg

BMW MSport and Leather keyfob:
I wanted something to cover up the plain looking key. Hence got these which separates the keys for me and my wifey. BMW allows you to link a key to your own profile.
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221112_215937.jpg

Cargo net:
This is something that I had to buy as there was no luggage hooks in the boot
My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review-20221119_145751.jpg

Last edited by _raVan_ : 21st November 2022 at 19:31.
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Old 21st November 2022, 20:04   #12
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re: My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review

All said and done, I really love my car and I cant stop talking about it. Its a great feeling to just sit inside and drive it around. Especially at night. It really feels plush, premium and comfortable. This is my first ever experience in a car in the E segment and it has left me impressed. My family has got so irritated with me speaking about the car all the time, that they have started ignoring me now

I really keep looking for any opportunity to drive it. And, it does bring a huge smile to my face.

Every. Single. Time.

Last edited by _raVan_ : 21st November 2022 at 22:44.
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Old 27th November 2022, 07:29   #13
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Re: My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!
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Old 27th November 2022, 09:56   #14
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Re: My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by _raVan_ View Post
I really keep looking for any opportunity to drive it. And, it does bring a huge smile to my face.
Every. Single. Time.
Congratulations, what a beautiful car! In immortal Sam's words, "paisa vasool".

Excellent buy, wish they had the 3 & 5 Touring in India too. I believe the olden days when the station wagon / estate format was a huge flop has long passed. Today, with super-powerful engines and a more cohesive design for such estates, they arguably look even more glamorous than the sedan format. Had I had an option to buy the G20 330i Touring at a reasonable price, I would have gone for it with eyes closed.

By the way, consider a remap someday. If I understand correctly, the engine is the same B48 as the 530i.

Last edited by itwasntme : 27th November 2022 at 10:03.
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Old 28th November 2022, 12:37   #15
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Re: My BMW 520i G31 LCI Touring | One Man's Dream | Ownership Review

Congratulations on the new car, is beautiful!

And nice meeting a fellow resident here
I very recently bought a 3 series in the Netherlands.
I personally feel the 3 and 5 series remain among the last few traditionally balanced designs BWM has always been known for, with the new lineups getting their new aggressive and in your face looks.

Quote:
Originally Posted by _raVan_ View Post
The Find
Comfort access aides the keyless entry and exit
.
Not to sound too alarmist, but please do invest in some cheap storage box for storing keys (ones that can block RFID signals). There has been a spate of incidents were cars where broken into and steering wheels stolen and BMWs with its sport steering is a prime target. Most of the cases, they seem to be using a known exploit in key less entry systems known a relay theft.

https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/car...t-protect-keys

BMW has introduced a sleeping key system sometime back which stops keys from transmitting when it not in motion, but it’s not fool proof and you can never be too safe

Quote:
Originally Posted by _raVan_ View Post
The Find
However, I got the chance to relocate to Netherlands and got exposed to the world of European cars
.
There has been a bunch of activity from the Netherlands in teams bhp lately. I’m new here and hopefully we will have a team-bhp meet up soon
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