I've now had a brand new BMW 520d Touring in my possession for a week, and now I've put a thousand miles on it I can offer some thoughts in comparison to the V60*.
In terms of spec, it's the M-Sport version with professional navigation kit, but not much else. 190bhp, so the same as the Volvo, and an 8-speed automatic gearbox. Building it on the BMW website gives an on-the-road price of £41,300. To get the same level of toys as the V60, the price jumps to a somewhat eye-watering £48,000, roughly £14,000 more than the Volvo. And you don't get keyless go for that or pedestrian / cyclist recognition.
What's it like to drive? Well, actually, not bad. The seats are moderately comfortable, the soundproofing is excellent, and the engine has sufficient grunt but is coupled with the world's laziest gearbox. The gearbox is incredibly smooth - far more so than the V60 which makes me think that there's something wrong with mine.
This is partly down to the "Efficient Dynamics", which has the car shifting into top gear as soon as it can; coasting; and constantly telling you to ease off the gas in anticipation of a downhill segment or a roundabout. Floor it though, and it goes quite quickly. Fuel economy about 50mpg.
The iDrive system has a phenomenally steep learning curve, but doesn't cause my iPod to lock up every few days like the Volvo, and the enormous screen helps with navigation. The maps are really clear, and it uses its built in SIM for traffic updates. The voice is relaxed, friendly, and I feel less inclined to argue with her compared to her Swedish counterpart. The voice recognition is still terrible.
The telephone integration lets you send text messages, which is dodgy, and although you can write with your finger on the iDrive controller you'll struggle, as it's not quite big enough to do a clear letter. One thing I did miss from the Volvo is the ability to use the steering wheel controls to navigate the infotainment.
I also liked the automatic tailgate, but if you use a multi-story car park you'd better lower the height or be prepared for an unpleasant crunching noise.
The good:
* Nice interior
* OK to drive
* iDrive excellent once you get used to it
* Beautifully smooth gearbox
* Auto-hold!
* Turning circle much better than V60 owing to smaller wheels
The bad:
* Seats not perfect
* Top of steering wheel hides top of speedometer
* No option to show digital speed
* It knows the speed limit but won't tell you what it is unless you pay extra
* iDrive powerful but confusing
* The steering wheel creaks and rattles
* The brakes are TERRIBLE.
* The accelerator is hinged and makes your foot ache after a bit (forgot about that from the 120d).
The ugly:
* The price. Jesus wept.
* No active cruise as standard
* Actually, not much as standard
One final thing - if you have the option to spec adaptive cruise control on your next car, you MUST do it. My driving is shocking now and you don't realise how much it helps on the motorway. Ditto blindspot warnings.
Would I buy one? Possibly, if it was about £15k cheaper. But I swore I'd not buy BMW after their head office and dealer network fobbed me off with a £1200 repair when the car was three months out of warranty, full BMW history, and a known fault. That policy still stands.
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BMW 520d Touring - mini review new
BMW 520d Touring - mini review new