Our Cars: BMW 5 Series Touring - November

BMW 5 Series Touring 520d M Sport

Week ending November 11
Mileage 16,442
Driven this week: 143 miles

I borrowed the BMW to get me to the launch of a brand new version of the 5 Series. The new 520d Efficient Dynamics uses the same engine as our car, but thanks to longer gearing and a few other fuel-saving tricks it manages to improve efficiency by around 5%.

Yes, it costs £405 more than the standard 520d, but if you’re a business user it’s a no-brainer to spend the extra because you’ll save a fortune more in company car tax. Even if you’re a private buyer, you’ll easily make back that cost in fuel and road tax savings.

Better still, the longer gearing doesn’t overly compromise the way the 5 Series drives. Does that make our car pretty redundant, then? Well, no, because at present the new Efficient Dynamics version is only available as a saloon, so our standard 520d is still the best estate version of the 5 Series.
Will.Nightingale@whatcar.com