BMW 528i SE Saloon 2010 Pictures 
Better Around Benz
The Mercedes E-class is prestigious, Audi A6 desirable and Jaguar XF very generously equipped but if it’s a sports saloon you’re after the new BMW 5-series will run rings around any other.
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Put it down to the 50:50 weight distribution, its front double wishbone suspension (a first in its class), clean dimensions and the feathery thrust of the engine; whatever you factor in you can bet your new 5-series saloon will be as hot on steering as a palm warbler. With migratory birds in mind, the stamina is also well matched, if not the economy (the top of the range 550i SE saloon has an official combined mpg of 27.2 which we can read as 22mpg if you don’t use the clever gear change advice on your dash). The performance of the flagship model is of course exhilarating; just five seconds on the clock and you’re up to 62mph and the German manufacturer won’t kill your pace until 155mph. You also get the automatic eight-speed transmission as standard – the six other specifications get a re-worked six-speed manual arrangement.
Mind you, the difference of half the price between a 550i SE and an entry level 520d SE (£28,165) is quite a saving. It may not be quite so sensational to rev but the running costs won’t torpedo your cash flow. The mpg figures of its 550i SE brother are more than doubled so you could get up to 56.5mpg on a combined cycle. How did they manage such a triumph? Largely the Auto Start-Stop system but you as the driver also get some responsibility too as all 5-series saloons with manual gearboxes come with an Optimum gearshift indicator which tells you when to change cogs. Your new car will also make use of the engine’s energy when on over-run by recharging the battery.
This more efficient technology is already fitted as standard, the other factory supplied stuff like a leather clad interior, air-con, Bluetooth connectivity and BMW’s own professional radio system all still sounds a bit bare to us. Thank goodness we’ve got functional seating and load space. We won’t complain about 520 litres of capacity in the boot and the extra leg room for back seat passengers. We’ll even say good on BMW for keeping chiropractors in with a job when it comes to the 5-series ride quality. In fact we’d abide the dislodged vertebrae for some of the cool optional stuff.
Then again perhaps BMW are spawning robots for the future and just making us so dumb and incompetent with their wizardry that we get wiped out in an Armageddon. We’ve never had any problem parking before but now all we have to do is press a button on the steering wheel and sensors on the side of the car will find you an appropriate parking spot and even steer you in to it. Your role solely relies on pedal operation (soon that will be done for you too and probably there’ll be cameras to read the days and times on the parking signs). You can even not bother with the wing mirrors and just use the screen on your idrive display; this instead will give you a 360 degree view when pulling out from a space. Both this Four-Wheel Integral Active Steering and the Park Assist function is an optional extra of course, as is the Head-up Display, Multimedia packages and BMW Navigation, Night Vision with pedestrian recognition, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Change Warning and Speed Limit Info. They’ve even done half the job on styling so they can bill you for the privilege. If you want high gloss paint, sports seats and a sports steering wheel as well as Anthracite headlining you’d better be prepared to pay for it.
In our opinion these cosmetics still won’t make the 5-series saloon look as inviting as the Audi A6. Yes obviously in these press photos the 5-series looks gorgeous but in the harsh glare of broad daylight would it still have you pining for it long after its driven past? True enough the 5-series does chunky well, it even has some ripples and laughter lines these days but there’s also a vulgarity lurking beneath; something a bit brash and murky. Many Mercedes-Benz models are to the other extreme; deliberately trying to alienate any riff-raff with their very stayed and corporate ethos and Audi, we believe gets the blend between sophistication and sporty just right.
Get behind the wheel of the new 5-series and we’re sure you’ll be ready to chuck your social rule book out the window though. We wouldn’t mind betting that when Munich’s mid-size saloon pitches up home at our showrooms next March, it will win over a few gentlemen. Where it misses out on a few brush strokes of class, it will no doubt make up for in driving elegance.
For: From a driver’s point of view we’re sure it will be heaven.
Against: All the cool stuff is on the options list and its image still hasn’t knocked us sideways.
Verdict: If you’re going to buy one you have to go the whole hog and pile on those options, however while the car will no doubt hold its value the technology ages fast. That said, you may as well own something you love rather than something you kind of like.
Spec: 528i SE Saloon
Engine: Straight Six
Gears: Manual six-speed
Maximum Horse Power: 258 at 6,600rpm
Maximum Torque: 310Nm from 2,600 – 5,000rpm
0-62mph Acceleration: 6.6 seconds
Top Speed: 155mph (electronically limited)
Combined Fuel Consumption: 36.2mpg
C02 Emissions: 182g/km
CAR MAKE & MODEL
BMW 528i SE Saloon 2010 Pictures
CAR REF NUMBER
24489
CAR COLOUR
Silver
VIEWS: 83
TOTAL VIEWS: 3,227
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