After a 5 month spell in a 316i SE (2000) the 525i SE was a major change for me and came supplied with a vast amount of pleasant surprises and disappointments.
As I work for a company linked to BMW, I change cars every 9 months or under 10k miles -whichever comes first so I decided to try a 5 and ordered a plain 525i with no options but as the cars are sold on afterwards, we get various options added to help the resale value.So I got a metallic black (Cosmos black) SE with Gray leather, the standard SE alloys and the steptronic auto box. This model also came with the electric sunroof but with it being winter during my 3 months in the car and me not really being big on sunroofs, I never used it.
The car does look nice when clean although i find the 5-series
styling a bit dated now compared to the new 3s - the 'ring' lights are hard to miss in low light conditions.
When I picked up the car from a distribution centre in Oxfordshire with barely 10 miles on the clock, I took it for a 100 mile drive.. driving at the speed limits until I adjusted to the change. Compared to the 316, i felt like i was driving a tank.. it felt huge and I was very aware that I had to keep further away from the kerb than I normally would have. Not that you'd have noticed with the engine and handling making it feel very light and nimble indeed.
The engine is quite special in the 525.. the same one as used in the 325 and is a 2.5i straight six 24v lump producing 192bhp (184bhp in the US due to emissions) and never feels like it'll run out of power.
Later on, I took the car to Aberdeen and back 3 times in 1 week - a total of nearly 3000 miles in that week (a third of my allowed mileage!) and started flexing it, using sports mode and kickdown more and the acceleration is fantastic on paper.. but due to the size, and quietness of the car, it never feels quite as exhilarating as even the little 316i did although the noise of engine is a treat to the ears.
The handling is good.. not too much roll on corners and it dismisses most bumps with ease although the wide tyres can amplify the sound wickedly on noisy road surfaces although on a nice smooth blacktop, you can set the cruise con to 90mph and it'd be quiet enough to hear a pin drop.
The automatic gearbox is a must as I found the manual clutch in the BMWs quite heavy and a pain in heavy traffic.. it does affect performance by a small margin and fuel economy by a bit more but as this is an exective car with luxury leanings, it makes sense to have the auto.. Steptronic is a novelty that soon wears off but sports mode and kickdown modes are great for hearing that raucious engine noise burst to life. I found standard mode a bit oddly behaved at times.. where it was struggling to accelerate under certain gears at mid-revs and times where it applied engine braking on downhills and sometimes it didn't.
Inside, the car has 5 seats although the rear-centre seat is going to be tight on leg space due to the large drive tunnel and although there is a lot more space width-wise.. I was surprised to find (and read) that the rear legroom is almost identical to that in the 3-series! There are plenty of storage spaces inside and the interior surfaces in black, gray, vavona wood and leather are all perfectly finished... only dissapointment were the flimsy-feeling cup holders. The climate system is also fiddly with the ability to set temperatures for each side of the car pointless IMO but air condioning is a godsend when the windows are steamed up ;-)
The steering wheel has volume and fwd/rwd controls for the stereo and the cruise control buttons and is covered in leather. The control-stalks are all in the right places and the steptronic lever (wood and leather) has a heavy solid feel to it. My one main gripe with the whole driving experience was the darned pedals. because the car was designed for left-hand drive markets, the engine design makes the pedal locations a bit odd on right-hand drive models.. the accelerator pedal is right up against the right edge of the car and the brake pedal is virtually joined on to it.. not good for big feet like mine.
I was disappointed that the CD player is not a standard feature and so had to make do with cassette/radio.. as I don't use cassettes, i made do with the radio which i found a bit quirky compared to the one in the previous 3-series with occassional cut outs where I experienced none before (the aerial is integrated into the rear window) and the TA was on and off at the wrong times.
Overall.. the quality of the vehicle is without doubt.. and the drive and handling ability is amazing for a car this size but perhaps a little sedate for my liking.. I do enjoy a more exciting drive and i now have a 320Ci for the next few months and a 325i Sport after that so I can do a realistic comparison.. look out for more reviews coming up.
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BMW 3 Series - Saloon - Rear (RWD) - 6 Speed Manual, 6 Speed Automatic - 1995 cc - Max Speed: 130 mph - 143 bhp - Petrol - Available Trims: M Sport, Sport, SE, ES
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A little bit too short...there are more relevant facts to describe. I'm driving a BMW 525i for more than 11 Years...
look on my comment in ciao -Germany! - Unfortunately in German language...sorry!
Greets sindimindi
sarsons 02.11.2002 02:22
Good op with lots of relevant facts :)
Roland 20.06.2002 19:12
I'd have to agree with the majority of your useful description. I have had real problems iwth the radio...did you come up with any solutions for the terrible FM reception? Thanks
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Advantages: Practical, Comfortable, spacious, easy to drive and very reliable Disadvantages: Expensive servicing with main dealer, average MPGs, little legroom in the back if tall
markymark7270 02.03.2005 (02.03.2005)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of BMW 525i
Advantages: Practical, Comfortable, spacious, easy to drive and very reliable Disadvantages: Expensive servicing with main dealer, average MPGs, little legroom in the back if tall
markymark7270 02.03.2005 (02.03.2005)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of BMW 525i
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