A German I Really Really Like

Advantages: Smooth Engine, Handling, Refinement
Disadvantages: Pricey Parts

...;….. model number E39!! - I just had to put that in!) it’s easy to see that just about every motoring journalist under the sun has huge regard for the car. It crushed the opposition back in 1996 and it was so good, that even now, the model is still good enough to teach offerings from Audi and Mercedes a lesson in dynamics and driver involvement. I have been eyeing up the 5-series now for a number of months and just before Christmas, I found what I thought was the one for me. It was a lovely blue 535i advertised in Autotrader. To cut a long story short, I flew to England to buy the car, discovered it was not clean enough for my liking and ended up going home in a silver 523i SE Steptronic. My car was a late 1998 on an S plate. It had covered a whisker over 100,000 miles but was in showroom condition. The car was advertised at £10...

aaron 06.01.2003 (18.03.2003) · Read review
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Review of BMW 523i

Advantage BMW

Advantages: A good all rounder and relatively cheap to run.
Disadvantages: None.

...Living With It “The 5 Series, one of the most gifted cars to grace tarmac” That comment from a leading car magazine is I confirm, true I purchased a 523SE 2 years ago and have nothing but praise with it’s all round abilities. The quality of fit and finish is better than any other car I have ever owned. There is not a squeak or rattle anywhere, even travelling on rough rural roads. The materials used in the cabin finish are of a very high standard. The whole dash area is driver orientated with the centre console angled slightly towards the driver. All the controls fall easily to hand and everything has a robust feel, the switches for example are solid and work in a defined manner. A nice touch is the Pin Light omitting a warm red glow down onto the centre console at night. The boot is large enough for most...

Shekera 20.10.2001 · Read review
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Review of BMW 523i

Thats my car!

Advantages: Comfort, Luxury
Disadvantages: Room, Performance

...The silver one in the picture - thats mine! Quick review of probably the best driving machine on a Company Car list. The 523 SE is a very comfortable, quality bulit product. Interior layout is excelkent and cabin comfort is high. As with all BMWs, the SE pack is needed to get the extras that help driving - in this case I found the cruise control the best. I drive the manual version; the gearbox is slick and precise and the car is powerful enough that you do not have to row it ever. Engine noise is virtually invisible and it is a lovely smooth ride. Rear seat legroom is very poor though. performance wise, it returned about 32 - 33 mpg on mainly motorway cruising. It is not a quick beast though - say in comparison to a licence eating 328 - although much better than the 520 which is simply not enough engine for the car. If you...

APerfectGentleman 23.08.2000 · Read review
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Review of BMW 523i