2013 BMW 528i Touring – Road Test

My favourite BMW has always been the 5 Series – for some reason the designers get it PERFECT every time it’s re-designed. I also think it’s the perfect size of car with the 3-series being a little snug and the 7-series being just a little bit too big – especially when driving around the smaller towns and cities in Europe.

On our last trip to Germany there were three adults, so the 3 Series would never cut it size-wise and with two of us being women… you know the car had to be more than a little accommodating for luggage. I hadn’t driven the newly re-designed in 2011 BMW 5 Series, so this was the perfect opportunity to grab one for our two-week working vacation. Obviously the sedan wasn’t big enough, so I booked a wagon – or Touring.
I love the torque of diesel engines and that’s what I asked for but was disappointed to learn they didn’t have any – just 4-cylinder models. I must be living in Canada too long, because I winced at the thought of a 4-banger on the German Autobahns and hoped they would at least have a V-6. Nope. I was offered a 528i with the choice of a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder or 2.0-litre turbocharged 4… that was it. Well obviously I chose the turbocharged version, somewhat disappointed and wondering if I should re-consider the BMW this time round. That however, would have been a huge mistake.

Other than the 5-series losing 2 cylinders, one of my biggest concerns was the price – it didn’t drop, so why would anyone spend something in the region of $70,000 for a four-cylinder 5 Series!?

BMW have chosen to fit the 528i with a new 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder engine with twin-scroll turbocharger (with direct injection and variable valve control developing 241 hp at 5,000 rpm and 258 lb-ft torque at 1,250 rpm) instead of the previously normally aspirated 3.0-litre inline six with 240 hp at 6,600 rpm and 230 lb-ft at 2,600 rpm. If you really want more oomph then cough up some serious coin and get either the 535i with its turbo-six or the 550i with its twin-turbo V-8.

But hang on a sec…look at the numbers of the 528i again. The old V-6 had 240 hp at 6,600 rpm, while the 2.0 Turbo 4 has 241 hp at 5,000 rpm… and the V-6 had 230 lb-ft torque at 2,600 rpm while the new one has 258 lb-ft @ 1,250 rpm! That’s a whole lot more torque – way lower in the power band… I’m starting to grin now – it may not be a diesel, but it’s gonna be almost as much fun!

The extra torque with the turbo four is noticeable – especially in low-speed city situations and on German roads where the speed limit constantly changes – within 200 metres you can go from 120 km/h to 80 and back up to 130. BMW’s standard Dynamic Driving Control is a driver-selectable vehicle system that varies throttle response, transmission shift points, steering effort, and suspension firmness for maximum fuel economy, maximum comfort or maximum performance depending on your mood. I found myself driving in Comfort Mode most of the time and didn’t really see the need to try out the Sport Mode. But of course I HAD to try it! When we were on some twisty mountain roads I made sure I had both of my hands on the wheel and I told my wife to hit the sport button – WOW! Huge difference. The Sport Mode tightens up the shocks and the steering giving instant response to tiny inputs, and the immediate throttle response and quicker shifts was something I just had not expected – it felt like a completely different car.

Put your foot down, and you’ll be surprised at the performance from the 4-cylinder, which can be attributed to the extra torque from the twin-scroll turbocharger. Other than the occasional roundabout or yield sign, the 528i accelerated as required without having to wait for the turbo to spool up. On the Autobahn I never felt like I needed more power or even a higher top speed. At the moment there is lots of construction all over Germany, so I could only do short bursts of 5-10 kilometres at a time at the top speed anyway. I managed to top out the car at 199 km/h whereupon the gas pedal kicked back at my foot to tell me that was it – you’re going no faster.

To save fuel the 528i has an auto stop-start feature that kills the engine each time the vehicle comes to a stop, and re-starts it as the brake pedal is released. It’s designed to save fuel and reduce emissions – some people have complained about the brief cranking of the engine before it starts and the minor vibration it causes getting tiresome in stop-and-go traffic. It didn’t work all the time, but was OK, and the re-start was instant and without any vibrations – maybe it was because I’d experienced it before and was used to it from our previous visit to Germany. It can be switched off, although I can’t see why anyone would do that.

Interior
The 528i’s cabin is roomy and attractive with the optional Dakota leather, power tilt/telescopic leather-wrapped heated steering wheel, 3-zone automatic climate control, phenomenal Hi Fi sound system with 12 speakers, and Bluetooth voice-activated phone with audio streaming and text to speech capability.

The test car had the optional 18-way Comfort Seats that were softer than I’d expected, but very good. They come with multiple power adjustments, including an independently tilting upper backrest, extendable thigh support, lumbar adjuster (didn’t come out far enough for my liking), seat tilt, backrest recline, and power head restraints as well as adjustable torso bolsters, that really made our long distant trips a pleasure. Three-stage heaters are standard in front, and the rear outboard seats were heated and very comfortable according to our rear passenger.

Since we don’t speak or read German, a Navigation system is imperative for us when visiting Germany and so far we’ve never been disappointed with the ones included in any of our vehicles. The 528i unit is by far the best I’ve experienced anywhere. It comes with a 10.3 inch wide-screen that is very easy to see at a glance. The system is very accurate, but on one occasion it sent us onto collector’s lane when it “re-calculated” our trip due to traffic. Unfortunately for us we wound up stopped in a jam for 25 minutes while the road we were supposed to be on just kept moving along fine..we ended up joining that same road 30 minutes/2 kms later!! Also of note – the auto start/stop feature didn’t work at this point which makes it largely redundant, because this is the time when we needed it the most and we wasted a lot fuel. I can only surmise that it didn’t shut off because we were on the Autobahn (an on ramp) and that’s some type of safety feature, but 25 minutes of wasted fuel!

The Heads-Up Display is FANTASTIC and is positioned directly in front of the driver. It projects the most important driving information, such as directions from the navigation system, directly into the driver’s field of vision. It even had the speed limit there, so you never have to actually look down at the speedometer! It’s extremely accurate too – we went through construction zones that had only just gone up that day and the display projected the new lower speed limit.

Storage space in the cabin is very limited mainly because the centre console bin is high and shallow, leaving only the minuscule glove box, a small covered bin near the driver’s door, door pockets and map pockets on the back of the front seats. One thing I liked was the rear shade that powers up/down whenever you opened the rear hatch and a nice bonus was the rear window that opens separately from the tailgate.

To warn you of possible unseen dangers, the 528i comes standard with parking sensors that are essential for parking in the tight underground or city streets of Europe and includes Lane Departure Warning, Active Blind Spot Detection, Surround View Camera (front, side, and rear and above views displayed in the centre screen), and a High Beam Assistant that automatically drops the high beams for oncoming traffic.

The Conclusion
I loved the BMW 528i Touring – it was perfect for our trip and I’m so glad I didn’t change to another car. I’ve never been disappointed with the 5 Series and that’s still true today – the X5 on the other hand….

+ PLUSES:
Doors synch closed if you don’t close it hard enough – which oddly happened all the time.
Navigation System – the best I’ve used to date
Heads Up Display is light-years ahead of anything else I’ve used in the past
– MINUSES:
Didn’t miss V-6, but around town the torque from diesel was missed
Transmission shift lever – I’m not a big fan of it, gimme a regular one or a dial anytime
Storage is a big problem, but doesn’t have to be

Immediate Competition:
Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Volvo V-70

By The Numbers…
Please visit your local dealer for the latest prices and incentives.
For more information visit: www.BMW.ca

Powertrain:                  2.0 L DI-Twin-Turbo I-4 engine; 8-speed automatic transmission; RWD
Horsepower:               241 @ 5,000 rpm
Torque lb-ft:               258 @ 1,250 rpm
0-100 kph:                   6.5 seconds

Fuel Consumption:
City: 9.0 L/100 kms // Highway: 5.5 L/100 kms // Combined: 6.8 L/100 kms

Pricing for the 2013 BMW 528i [Not available in Canada]
Base Price: €50,150 (incl Tax@19% and Delivery) (528i xDrive – €52,750)
As Tested: N/A
Destination & Delivery: Included

Ever wondered what the Europeans are paying for a BMW? Have a look at this from the U.K.