BMW 525i Test Drive (2003 model)

The Queen Is Dead! Long Live The Queen

Reviewed by Eddie Wren, October 2003

When BMW introduced the first 5-Series model, back in 1972, it is doubtful that even they knew quite what they had invented. Now, in Fall 2003, the fourth generation of this excellent car has reached the end of its production line, quite literally. Whether the new, fifth-generation model will please "Bimmer" fans remains to be seen. There is already much controversy about the styling, but if BMW have indeed produced a better successor to the 5-Series title then any quibbles about body shape will swiftly be forgotten.

We are taking the opportunity to look back at what has proved to be a true driver's car. The one we tested -- a 2003, fourth generation model -- was a 525i.

"Efficiency" is a word that springs readily to mind when one climbs into a BMW. Yes it is smart, and yes it is comfortable, but it is also right there -- "in your face" in the nicest sense of the phrase.

Driving the car was a pleasure, too, but rather than go into great detail we are going to limit ourselves to a few points:

Road holding was superb. Even when taken around right-angle curves at speeds one normally wouldn't contemplate, the car followed a very precise line and body-roll was less than could have been expected
Braking firmly to a standstill from 60mph, to simulate an emergency, showed that the car held perfectly to its line and felt controlled throughout
Road noise on partially broken pavement was slightly obtrusive but bumps and potholes were smoothed out well by the suspension
On uneven, slightly subsided pavement, however, the car tended to wallow -- a bit like a small boat on a lake. To be fair, though, we've had to look very hard to find a bit of road bad enough to use for this purpose on road tests
The biggest aggravation could no doubt have been rectified by a mechanic in just a few minutes. Thoughtful drivers ease off the brake pedal a split second before their vehicle comes to a complete stop, and this smoothes out the stop and prevents the car from jolting as it comes to a standstill. On this particular car it proved impossible to do this; the brakes "snatched" a little, at the last moment, every time.

One feature of the car which I distinctly did not like was the automatic lowering of the right-hand external mirror whenever reverse gear was selected. The problem was not so much that the mirror tilted to give the driver a better view of the ground behind the right-hand back wheel when reversing, it was the fact that it lowered so far. The result was that I could only see the ground and nothing else. The video that comes with new "Bimmers" (or "Beamers" -- choose your cultural preference) stated that this allows a driver to follow a curb, but of course much reversing is done in parking lots and other places where there are no curbs and where people walking behind one's car are a more important risk. In the end, I learned how to stop the mirror lowering itself, simply by changing the L-R mirror selector switch (either way) immediately after I'd selected reverse. I much preferred the full view, with the mirror in its normal position. No doubt some drivers might be happier with the lowered view.

Safety

As safety is the overriding concern at the Drive and Stay Alive website it is pleasing to write that the BMW 5-Series is no slouch in terms of occupant protection.

In the Euro NCAP tests, the 5-Series scored four out of a possible five stars for the frontal and side impact crash rating. In terms of reducing the injury severity for pedestrians who are struck by a 5-Series, however, the current model does not do very well and scores only one out of a possible four stars for its pedestrian impact rating. It will be interesting to see how well the imminent, new fifth-generation model will perform in this respect. Read the full Euro NCAP 5-Series report here.

In "Insurance Institute for Highway Safety" (IIHS) crash testing, in the USA, the 5-Series BMW scored an overall rating of 'Good'. Click here to read the full IIHS report.

As each report covers some partially different aspects of safety, we would suggest that it is important to read and compare both.

The electronic windows in this car have an automatic "stop" function if anything interrupts their movement. Over twenty children have been killed in the USA, and more in other countries, due to electronic windows closing on them while they were playing, unwatched, in a parked car. This is something which the American government could have legislated against many years ago but they have not yet done so. BMW (and many other European imports) have had this function for years and it can prevent one of the most pointless and distressing accidents imaginable.

The tail lights each have a back-up bulb that comes into use if a main bulb fails, and a warning light on the dash tells the driver to fit a new one. In extremis -- in very bad weather for example -- not losing a tail light could make the difference between life and death.

The "little things" are looked after in this car, as well. For example, there was a reflective, red warning triangle stowed away neatly in the trunk -- an essential safety item for breakdowns and crash scenes -- and all drivers should carry at least one (but preferably three) of them. There's also a rechargeable flashlight in the glove box, permanently ready for use -- another nice touch.

Oh, and the "trip computer" (such an inadequate phrase, nowadays) probably has as many functions as the average NASA space ship.

Would I have one of these fourth-generation 5-Series BMWs myself?

Well...yes. But I have to admit to a degree of hesitation. You see, I want to drive one of the fifth-generation models first because I suspect that I'd be smitten!

The fourth-generation 5-Series has gone, so -- if I may paraphrase Shakespeare -- "The queen is dead. Long live the queen." (After all, it's uncouth to apply the male gender to desirable cars!)

For full "tech. spec's" etc., click here

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The BMW 525i used for this review was kindly loaned to 'Drive and Stay Alive' by Towne BMW of Williamsville, Western New York.

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