2012 BMW 5 Series 520d M Sport 2.0 diesel from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Nice, but not a car to keep long term

Faults:

Turbo.

Oil sensor issues.

Noisy timing chain needs checked.

General Comments:

Can't fault the performance and comfort of the 520d M Sport. It is a fine executive car even after ten years, feels modern as anything. Very comfortable and fun to drive.

Manual box is fun to use though the car suits an automatic.

Leather interior is very nice.

Great looking car, but expensive to buy and keep. Buy a nice one, have your fun with it, then sell it before it becomes a money pit!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 16th February, 2023

1st Apr 2023, 12:41

European cars use components made by various large european car parts companies. The quality of these components varies from very good to short lasting. You may find a Lemforder ball joint will last the life time of the car (while an Asian ball joint will need replaced by 100k miles), while the bushings on the control arms will get too soft and the shock absorbers too stiff by 80k miles on an European car. Generally speaking, many components on European cars need replaced by 80-100k miles : suspension parts, cabin fan blowers (poor products by Behr Hella) window regulators, various engine sensors and so on. Steering racks also tend to fail at some point (usually made by ZF). Some Bosch ignition coils are very long lasting, others fail prematurely.

2012 BMW 5 Series 528i xDrive 2.0L turbo gasoline from North America

Summary:

Great looking and comfortable, but too many expensive maintenance issues

Faults:

The turbo waste gate failed and the entire turbo needed to be replaced.

Engine oil level sensors failed.

The timing chain guides went requiring servicing.

A CV boot failed.

Tire pressure sensor monitors are more sensitive than the Hallmark Channel... the slightest outside temperature change means alerts.

It just threw an airbag system failure light.

General Comments:

The car is really handsome, handles incredibly well and is comfortable. It gets excellent gas mileage, too. But the quality is very disappointing. The major mechanical failures should not be happening on a car of this caliber and with such low miles. Our Mercedes was a superior vehicle in just about every way. Probably will never own another BMW.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 6th October, 2022

12th Nov 2022, 12:30

Unfortunately most BMWs have become fragile and extremely technically complex. I wouldn't dare owning one past 100K miles. Too much to go wrong on these cars.

2nd Apr 2023, 15:59

An honest review (quite a rare thing). You purchased it at 80k miles and that's about the time when European cars such as Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Volvo and VW start draining your pockets. In fact, even sooner. The issues with the engine are definitely to be expected on European vehicles. The way Germans design these engines is just too complex, not to mention things like plastic timing chain guides and fragile tensioner. Yet many people will say "never had a problem", but we need to understand the culture of owning a 'luxury' brand - many owners simply don't admit the actual expenses.

2012 BMW 5 Series 535 ix 3.0L I6 turbo from North America

Summary:

A nice car, but the Mercedes is better by far

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong (yet).

General Comments:

I purchased the Rolls as a classic (see my review - 1991 Silver Spur II). Unfortunately it was totally unreliable and when it developed a problem that I could not fix, I unloaded it on my local Chevy dealer for this BMW.

The car is everything you would expect from BMW. Comfortable bucket seats up front, slightly cramped cushy back seat. Super fast acceleration. Great handling and braking. Very good visibility, the backup camera is great, etc. It's a Beemer.

Now the not so good.

It came with Goodyear Eagle run-flats. The car is all-wheel drive and had poor traction with these tires and no traction in snowy/icy conditions. Quickly replaced with Bridgestone Driveguards and that solved the traction problem (this was not a BMW problem, just poor tires).

This car supposedly has more interior space than our 2012 Mercedes-Benz E350. While the car is comfortable to drive, there is less rear seat room than the M-B. The M-B sun visor is larger than the BMW's and telescopes, the Beemer's does not, and doe not cover the whole door window when turned.

Backup camera: It has lines that show where the car is headed. It also has alarms when the car is too close to an object front and rear. So when you park and the front is close to something, the alarm does not go off, only when in reverse does it alarm because there is something close in front.

Navigation: Works great for actual addresses. But when I selected a destination, Steamtown in Scranton, PA., it abandoned me about a mile from where I wanted to go.

When I slow down for a red light, and then don't have to stop, sometimes when I touch the gas, it surges, snapping my neck. Very touchy turbo.

Paddle shifters only available on 550 model.

Not a bad car, not a great car either.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 16th October, 2018