2018 BMW 530i Touring review
Traditions cannot exist for tradition’s sake just as changes must not occur merely for change’s sake. It is often a fine line, although in the automotive world it would seem the 2018 BMW 530i Touring is – to borrow from an ex-British PM – not for turning.
The new-generation 5 Series Touring does not offer a hybrid option like its sedan sibling does. Nor does it attempt to place a spin on its traditional wagon shape with all-wheel drive capability, raised ground clearance or plastic body cladding – as Mercedes-Benz has with its E-Class All Terrain, and Audi long has with its A6 Allroad, in each case now the only version of a large wagon each German sells here.
Instead there are a duo of turbocharged four-cylinder, rear-wheel drive model grades, including the diesel 520d Touring and this petrol 530i Touring, priced to kick off bang-on six-figure territory.
So, then, is this big BMW wagon an institution worth preserving, or do the new breed of crossover and SUV models deserve to usurp it?
Vehicle Style: Large wagon
Price: $115,500 (plus on-road costs)
Engine/trans: 185kW/350Nm 2.0 four-cylinder turbo petrol | eight-speed automatic
Fuel Economy Claimed: 6.5 L/100km | Tested: 8.6 L/100km
OVERVIEW
The 520d Touring starts from $99,900 plus on-road costs, or $4700 more than the sedan, and its 2.0-litre turbo-diesel produces 140kW of power and 400Nm of torque, good enough for a 7.8-second 0-100km/h performance claim and combined-cycle fuel consumption of just 4.9 litres per 100 kilometres.
This 530i Touring, however, requires $115,500 plus on-road costs, or $7000 more than the sedan. The 2.0-litre turbo-petrol retains an eight-speed automatic transmission, but it delivers a 185kW reward, and even a drop to 350Nm fails to temper a faster 6.5sec 0-100km/h claim. Fuel usage, though, rises to 6.5L/100km.
A near-$15K surcharge between 520d Touring and 530i Touring buys more than just an engine swap, however. Four-mode adaptive suspension replaces standard dampers, larger 19-inch alloy wheels swap out smaller 18s and the LED headlights gain automatic-adaptive high-beam. Inside there’s front seat heating, a 12.3-inch driver display and 600-watt, 11-speaker Harman Kardon audio all for the first time.
As-tested, the Luxury Line package further features premium Nappa leather trim, ventilated front seats and four-zone climate control air-conditioning all at no extra cost. An alternate same-price M Sport package misses such equipment, but adds an bodykit, sports tailpipe, sports steering wheel and seats.
THE INTERIOR | RATING: 4.5/5
- Standard Equipment: Active cruise control, Nappa leather trim with electrically adjustable heated and ventilated front seats, keyless auto-entry, four-zone climate control air-conditioning, head-up display, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, auto headlights/wipers, adaptive-auto high-beam and electric tailgate.
- Infotainment: 10.25-inch colour touchscreen with iDrive controller, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, wireless phone charging, digital radio, twin USB inputs, ConnectedApps functionality, 4G LTE connectivity, live-traffic satellite navigation, voice control and 600-watt Harman Kardon audio.
- Options Fitted: Twin 10.0-inch rear-seat entertainment screens ($4400), panoramic sunroof ($3100), metallic paint ($2000), leather dashboard and trim ($1800), rear seat heating ($700), and Apple CarPlay ($623).
- Cargo Volume: 570 litres.
The latest-generation 5 Series is basically a yesteryear 7 Series with another name – and that’s only meant in a positive way. It’s an upper-large luxury car masquerading as a mere large one, and everything from the lush seating to the broad dashboard and significant legroom adds to the impression that this is more limo than family car.
BMW’s 4936mm-long sedan stretches out by only 6mm to become the 4942mm-long Touring, while body height is raised by 19mm, from 1479mm to 1498mm. Without a sloping roofline, the wagon also adds another 19mm to rear headroom compared with the sedan, which makes all the difference if you’re 180cm tall instead of 178cm.
Perhaps even more impressive than the standard electric tailgate, or the increase in boot volume from 530 litres to 570L, is the addition of a flip-up glass portion of the tailgate to help load-in smaller items such as shopping or kids’ school bags.
Pragmatism and practicality hasn’t been traded at the altar of style and luxury here, but rather the 5 Series Touring embraces its blend of all such virtues.
This does, however, all come at a price: the petrol four-cylinder, rear-drive 530i Touring costs $7500 more than a diesel six-cylinder, all-wheel drive X5 xDrive30d.
Incredibly, that two-tonne-plus large SUV claims to drink less fuel than the vehicle tested here – more on that in the next section – while offering a larger 650L boot. It’s no wonder so many people shun tradition and change-up to a tall and weighty SUV…
What the 5 Series Touring can best offer, though, is incredible technology that eludes its larger brother.
A surround-view camera can provide a high-resolution bird’s eye view of the vehicle all at a finger’s swipe of a touchscreen. Speed-limit signs are detected and displayed on the high-res head-up display. There’s optional (as part of a $1600 Innovations Package) remote control parking via a colour display key, plus gesture control that works with a mid-air finger-swirl to accept calls, turn up the volume or change tracks.
The iDrive6 infotainment system gels with the – disappointingly optional – Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring and premium Harman Kardon audio system rather well, although the likes of Tesla and Volvo are now eclipsing it for simplicity.
Meanwhile the back seat is lush and generous, being deep enough to give the perception that there isn’t expansive legroom. But that certainly isn’t the case, and with B-pillar-mounted air vents, centre console mounted air vents, separate climate control zones, and soft-touch door trims with side blinds, this really is lush Touring.
The square loading area is also nicely trimmed, and features a 12-volt power outlet, while the 40:20:40 split-fold backrest folds at a single electric-release touch. Price excepted, though, it’s high-fives all-round for this 5 Series Touring.
ON THE ROAD | RATING: 3.5/5
- Engine: 185kW/350Nm 2.0 four-cylinder turbo petrol
- Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, RWD
- Suspension: Independent front and rear
- Brake: Ventilated front and rear disc brakes
- Steering: Electrically assisted mechanical steering
The other aspect the 530i Touring changes compared with a 530i sedan is kerb mass and balance. The large rump adds 100kg – it now tips the scales at 1640kg – while weight distribution moves from 51:49 to 47:53 front-to-rear.
BMW’s wagon certainly likes to put its back into it, to paraphrase the 1999 tune by American rapper Ice Cube, with frankly gorgeous handling that segues impeccably between a light front and smoothly controlled power from the rear on exit to a corner.
This 530i Touring also arrived with standard 40-aspect, 19-inch tyres that proved in every possible way emphatically superior to the optional 30-aspect, 20-inch rubber previously tested in a 530i sedan. Gone is the jarring over sharp edges that then causes the body to blubber about, because here the multi-mode suspension just gets to feel plush in Comfort, and increasingly more disciplined in Adaptive and Sport.
Dynamic caveats are now few. The steering can sometimes turn heavy when parking quickly, and sometimes the adaptive suspension can run out of travel in any mode, performing a ‘slam dunk’ into its rear bump stops after traversing speed humps.
Some questions must also still be raised over the suitability of a 350Nm 2.0-litre turbo in a $100K-plus vehicle. That capacity and torque figure mirrors that of a one-third-of-the-price Volkswagen Golf GTI, which also has less weight to boot (ahem).
The engine itself is superbly smooth-spinning and sweet in isolation, and the eight-speed automatic works near-perfectly to keep it on the ball. Whether using the tipshifter in manual mode, or the steering wheel-mounted paddleshifters, the auto also permits very late and truly aggressive downchanges when entering a bend.
In short, it’s a driver’s drivetrain, working with a rear-drive chassis and enjoyably quick and accurate steering that always helps this BMW feel light and delicate on its tyres, rather than heavy and lumpy like all SUV models do.
Sometimes, though, there is no escaping the fact that the lovely engine just has nothing more to give, and ultimately it just feels like a sub-$100K drivetrain. The flipside is that on the freeway this large and luxurious 1600kg-plus wagon returned 7.4 litres per 100 kilometres, only rising to 8.6L/100km after around-town running.
SAFETY
ANCAP rating: 5-Stars – the BMW 5 Series scored 34.8 out of 38 possible points when tested by Euro NCAP in 2017.
Safety Features: 10 airbags, ABS and ESC, forward collision alert with autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot and lane-departure warnings with lane-keep assistance, active speed limit information, front and rear parking sensors with front and rear cross-traffic alert, and surround-view camera.
WARRANTY AND SERVICING
Warranty: Three years/unlimited kilometres.
Servicing: BMW’s Condition Based Servicing (CBS) includes a duo of capped-price packages over five years or 80,000km, with Basic ($1640) or Plus ($4600) coverage.
RIVALS TO CONSIDER
An A6 Allroad offers the best (diesel six-cylinder) drivetrain for the price, but it is old and soon replaced, while the gorgeous XF Sportbrake can be had with a diesel V6 as well – but it is expensive. The E-Class All Terrain’s diesel four-cylinder is even less impressive, but it’s otherwise competitive, while the V90 ducks in at under $100K in diesel form only – though at least it’s twin turbocharged for great performance.
TMR VERDICT | OVERALL RATING: 4.0/5
At the right price the 530i Touring could comfortably add another star to its score here. And we do mean comfortably, because with high-level technology, a beautifully trimmed cabin, lush seating and massive boot, it is a touring vehicle par excellence.
The engine situation is a difficult one. On the one hand a relatively light 2.0-litre turbo up front endows this BMW with energetic handling that belies its dimensions.
However, at this price range, families are ultimately looking at six cylinders, diesel engines, all-wheel drive traction and even larger SUV bodies with ever more capacious boot volume and quite often seven-seat cabins.
For five people, and especially for a driver in terms of dynamic enjoyment, this large wagon is in every way better than an equivalent large SUV. But traditions really are difficult to hold onto when change offers so many additional on-paper tempters.