BMW

10 February 2012

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BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo 530d road test report

530d

Back in the old days, before carmakers started devoting their energies to creating new niches to tempt buyers into spending their cash, you had a simple choice: if you wanted a family car, you either bought a saloon or an estate, if you wanted a bit more space. The 4x4 muddied the waters slightly, but the choice was still confined to three body styles. But now there’s the crossover, a style of car that is intended to be all things to all people. Its popularity has led to BMW launching the 5 Series Gran Turismo, which combines the features of an estate, SUV, coupe and saloon.

A front-facing image of the BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo 530d

Image number 2 of the BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo 530d

Image number 3 of the BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo 530d

Image number 4 of the BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo 530d

Performance

The Gran Turismo’s best-selling engine option in the UK by far will be the sole diesel, the 530d (there are two petrol options, a 535i and 550i), which was the version we tested. The 2,993cc six-cylinder diesel produces 241bhp at 4,000rpm and 398lb-ft of torque at 1,750rpm, so there’s plenty of grunt to propel what is a big car (despite being a 5 Series variant, it’s actually based on a 7 Series platform). Mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox that swaps cogs quickly and imperceptibly, the engine always has plenty of power, the low-down torque enabling the driver to keep it pushing on sedately. However, with a 0-62mph time of 6.9 seconds, the GT can do quick, too: it can accelerate effortlessly when called upon for overtaking duties and is certainly no slouch from a standing start, especially considering it weighs in at over two tonnes. And in addition to its performance, it’s an incredibly quiet and refined unit, humming relatively gently at cruising speeds and only getting slightly raucous-sounding when the revs are dialled in.

Ride & Handling

BMW says that the Gran Turismo is a combination of the 7 Series, 5 Series Touring and X5 SUV, a mish-mash that seems to have affected the quality of the driving dynamics. Indeed, the GT is most un-BMW-like in its handling: the steering doesn’t have anything like the usual feel and precision we’ve come to expect from the marque’s cars and it rolls a fair bit in the bends. True, there’s plenty of grip and there’s an unexpected agility to the car, but as a driver you’re too disconnected to feel sufficiently confident to push it too far. The ride quality is also surprisingly poor for a car with the 7 Series’ suspension: it’s firmer than you’d expect and has a tendency to feel unsteady when faced with speed bumps and potholes, which is unsettling for the car’s occupants. The optional 20-inch wheel fitted to our car didn’t help, either – stick with the standard 18-inchers would be our advice, even if they don’t look quite as good. There is an optional Adaptive Drive package that adjusts the dampers, but is wasn’t fitted to our car so we weren’t able to test whether it improves the ride.

Build Quality & Reliability

The 5 Series GT benefits from its close association with the 7 Series, as it looks and feels a solid, well-built premium car. Everything about it is beautifully finished, with the best materials used throughout the luxurious cabin (leather seats are standard). It’s also superbly engineered, with a solid feel to every aspect of the car, from the exterior to the switchgear in the cabin. BMW also has a pretty good record for reliability, doing well in customer satisfaction surveys. For example, in the most recent JD Power survey, BMW has been placed ninth in the league table of (29) car manufacturers. Its models also do well, with the 5 and 3 Series both appearing in the top 20 cars.

Safety & Security

The 5 Series Gran Turismo hasn’t been crash tested by Euro NCAP and – because it will only sell in relatively small numbers – we don’t expect it to be. However, we have no safety concerns, as there’s all the kit you’d expect to find on a premium car, such as six airbags; anti-whiplash head restraints; Isofix child seat anchors; and a Dynamic Stability Control package that includes the likes of anti-lock brakes, automatic stability control, cornering brake control, dynamic traction control and electronic brakeforce distribution. A useful option (£300) is the side-view cameras that first appeared on the 7 Series: positioned at either side of the car’s (longish) nose, they allow the driver to see further along the adjoining road at a T-junction, especially if there are parked cars nearby. The model also comes with three years’ free use of BMW’s ConnectedDrive service that includes BMW Assist, which can automatically dial the emergency services in the event of an accident (when airbags are deployed, the car automatically transmits data to the emergency services showing the exact position of the car). For security, there’s an alarm system with remote control and engine immobiliser.

Space & Practicality

Ownership & Value

The 5 Series Gran Turismo is a BMW, so you know that it’s not going to be cheap to buy: an initial purchase price of £42,225 is pretty costly, but when you also add the £9,030-worth of optional extras fitted to our test car (none of which were particularly outlandish), things start to get really expensive. It’s a big car so, despite BMW’s EfficientDynamics package of energy-saving measures, the official fuel consumption on the combined cycle is still 43.5mpg. For something of its size, that’s not a bad figure, but in real-world driving a figure in the mid-thirties is more likely, so expect regular trips to the black pump at the fuel station. CO2 missions of 173g/km are again pretty impressive for a car of its size and weight, but it still means that owners will be shelling out £180 a year in vehicle excise duty. Residual values, however, should hold up fairly well, as the rarity and quality of the car will attract second-hand buyers: expect the car to retain around 41% of its value after three years and 60,000 miles.

Submitted: 10/05/2010 11:51:38

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