BMW 520d Touring M Sport 2018 Review

Hound-from-hell style, Labrador docility

Looks don't come any more menacing than the metallic black finish, 19-inch wheels, low ground clearance and mean-looking daytime running lights of the BMW 520d Touring wagon recently tested. But looks can be deceiving.

Like a well-behaved Rottweiler, the BMW 520d Touring wagon on test was properly domesticated and good with kids. But to be frank about it, with its turbo-diesel four-cylinder, the 520d Touring has the heart of a Jack Russell... clever and willing, but unlikely to tear you asunder.

The dramatic looks owe everything to the optional ($7200) M Sport package – including 19-inch alloys, an aero package and 'satinated' aluminium exterior trim. Inside there's also a leather-bound steering wheel, Anthracite headlining and sports seats in front.

There were plenty of other options on board too: Dynamic Damper Control, metallic paint, Nappa black leather upholstery, Innovations Package, Comfort seats and a panoramic sunroof. Also included were front-seat heating, ambient air, Adaptive LED headlights with High-Beam Assist and the 16-speaker Harman/Kardon audio system. All up, the options raised the price by $22,900.

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Mild-mannered, meagre thirst

Exceptionally quiet on the road, the BMW would cruise comfortably at 100km/h with the engine ticking over at just 1500rpm in eighth gear. Other than a light rustle of wind, only the 35-series Michelins conveyed any significant noise to the cabin – on coarse-chip bitumen. Bumpy sections of road occasionally provoked minor squeaks from the trim and fixtures.

At idle the engine was little more noticeable than the fan of the climate control system. There wasn't even a visual tell-tale when the vehicle was running in its fuel-saving Eco Pro mode, since that mode doesn't display a tachometer reading. Performance from the four-cylinder turbo-diesel was leisurely, however, (even in Sport mode), although quite responsive from a standing start.

Unlike Rottweilers, the 520d is inexpensive to own. The BMW's outstanding fuel economy was no thirstier than a small hatchback; try less than a quarter of a tank of fuel over a week and a fuel consumption figure of 8.3L/100km. That's impressive for a large wagon capable of seating four adults in comfort and accommodating bulkier payloads in the back.

Key to the 520d's frugality was the combination of turbocharged four-cylinder diesel, the idle-stop system, the Eco-Pro driving experience control mode and the associated coasting function. Unfortunately, combining Eco-Pro and idle-stop conflicts with passenger comfort.

While idle-stop restarted the engine with just a very brief, subtle bump each time, it was confused by the driver bringing the car to a soft stop. Ease off the brake pedal as the car approached a give-way sign or traffic lights and the engine would stop and then restart again, despite some brake pedal pressure applied. It takes more than usual finesse to find the right balance.

Across different driving conditions the 520d in its coasting mode 'sailed' along on the flat or gentle descents for over 24km out of the 200+ kilometres travelled.

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Impeccable cornering control

The 520d handled neutrally, with exemplary roadholding and body control. In Sport mode the wagon wouldn't deviate from the 'racing' line with power applied. And the handling was steady as a rock.

As for body control... this was a wagon, right? The BMW stuck to the bitumen with much the same resolve as the Jaguar XF tested around this time last year, but with none of the body roll and propensity for lift-off oversteer. The 520d cornered with a flatter attitude and felt just a bit safer and more secure at the limit.

There was also pleasing tactility through the wheel – signalling which way the wheels were pointing and precisely where they were making contact with the road. This encouraged the driver to place the car accurately on the road and push a little harder. Turn-in was a little slower in either the fuel-saving or comfort modes however.

For ride comfort, the 520d Touring remained composed and comfortable on lumpy bitumen, even in Sport mode (with the optional Dynamic Damper Control). It rode better still in either the Eco-Pro or normal modes.

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Fallible driver-assist tech

The optional speed limit sign recognition struggled with school zones. It would default to the lower speed (40km/h) when in doubt, at least. Better driving slower than being caught out over the limit.

Intelligent High-Beam Assist – another optional feature – provoked one oncoming driver to flashing his or her lights at a distance of around a hundred metres. The system did blank out the high-beams to save the retinas of other drivers, although it was slow adjusting to confusing situations, such as two cars close together, approaching in a bend on a hilly stretch of road.

As we've learned with other high-end cars on Australian country roads, the 520d's lane keeping assistant rarely interpreted the line markings correctly. Only once did it steer back to the left when allowed to drift across the centre line. Finally, the 520d’s AEB was triggered by overhanging branches while reversing down the driveway at home. Disabling that system beats the hell out of pruning shrubs, trees and rose bushes.

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Roomy, elegant and practical

Inside the 520d, the driver's seat – with 'Comfort', 'Sports' and heating options – provided excellent comfort and adjustability, and the relationship to pedals and wheel was great. Ergonomics are commendable, although a little trial and error was required to find the buttons (in the end of the indicator stalk) for scrolling through and resetting trip computer data, and enabling the high-beam assist.

There was plenty of room for adults in the back, along with adjustable vents to keep the kids cool. The 520d Touring also came with roll-up shades for the rear windows.

When space is too tight to open the whole tailgate the window in the tailgate can open separately for loading goods in the back. As the rear window lifted, the cargo blind would also lift out of the way. It's very clever design. Naturally, the power-operated tailgate could also be raised in one piece.

The boot was generous without a spare wheel under the boot floor, and rails were present for anchoring down larger items. A finger-pull lever on the left side of the boot, near the tailgate, lowered the larger section of the 60:40 split-folding rear seat. To lower the smaller seat on the right a lever on the shoulder of the seat itself flips it forward. The rear seat didn't fold completely flat, and the squab of the larger section is heavy to lift by hand.

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High-tech readouts

Red ambient lighting, quilted leather upholstery and M badges on the scuff plates let occupants know this car is something special. Both the instruments and the infotainment system were easy on the eye too, with the conventional view featuring blue backlighting.

Located on the right of the binnacle, the energy meter (in Eco-Pro mode) conveyed when the car was coasting, how much the range was extended, how much energy was scavenged from braking and how much fuel the engine was consuming under load. It's fairly easy to read, considering the amount of information displayed. In Normal and Sport modes the format is conventional tacho-and-speedo.

Likewise, the infotainment screen was simple to use, either by flicking through the tiles on screen with a handy digit, or by manipulating the iDrive single-point controller.

An inductive charging tray in the centre console, in a lidded compartment below the centre fascia, also incorporated a USB port. The charging facility was convenient for doing away with a cable, and the smartphone wouldn't slide around unrestrained, but it was moderately difficult to retrieve a larger smartphone. And charging seemed slower than it would be with a cable.

But all credit to the 520d for simultaneously charging the phone inductively, wirelessly running CarPlay/Android Auto phone connectivity AND channelling music from a USB stick.

Gesture control was fitted as part of the Innovations Pack option. Used to set the audio volume it lacked the finer degree of adjustment available through both the conventional knob on the dash and the buttons on the right spoke of the steering wheel.

Disabling the passenger-side mirror when reversing had me referring to the owner's manual. BMW can't provide the view I want with that mirror dipped. Jaguar can. So I prefer to disable the function in the BMW and back the car with a longer view to the left rear. Rather than disabling it through Vehicle settings, it's done by toggling the mirror selection switch near the grab handle on the door card, making that operation faster and easier than expected.

The 520d proved itself an interesting vehicle to review. Despite the multitude of options, the core vehicle is undeniably a great all-rounder. Buyers should carefully weigh up their options, however...

2018 BMW 520d Touring M Sport pricing and specifications:
Price: $115,890 (as tested, plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder
Output: 140kW/400Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 4.9L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 130g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star (ANCAP, 2017, 520d sedan)