Who would buy this car? For starters, it has to be someone with money; add a few options and it can easily cost over £40,000. And someone smart enough to realise that this is an alternative to the M5. Really this should be considered by any prospective M5 buyer. It’s not as fast outright, but in the real world there is little to choose between them in terms of speed. And it’s more enjoyable, with that massive amount of torque from the twin turbo diesel. BMW have done a good job wringing a high output from a diesel engine. Headline figures are easy to achieve buy bolting on a bigger turbo, but that creates allot of lag to the detriment of driving enjoyment. Lexus has fallen into that trap with the 170bhp IS220d and VW with the old 150bhp TDI Golf (it was better to drive the 130bhp version). If you want the big turbo for headline grabbing BHP, you need also to stick a small turbo in there as BMW have done. The smaller turbo starts working sooner to great effect. Just prod the throttle and ride the wave. Yeeehaa.
You won’t get very far on a gallon though. The D suffix doesn’t imply good fuel consumption; expect the high teens. Either that or you’re a saint who can resist the beautiful mistress called torque.
What about the rest of the car? Its once controversial looks are now easy on the eye. It’s still not as beautiful as the previous 5 series was, but probably more interesting. It’s roomy without being huge externally. The car is well made with nice-touch materials.
The ride is disappointing. BMW have been using run-flat tyres which are widely criticised for their harsh ride. Add large diameter wheels and be prepared for some spine battering.
In isolation the car has tidy and entertaining handling but if driven side by side with the petrol 530i, the weight of the engine can be felt in corners. The 535D is not alone, 540i and 640i cars exhibit the same engine-pushing characteristics Of course you can use the 535D’s torque to easily quell the understeer by slightly prodding the throttle and drifting the rear.
Overall, this is a fantastic car. If I had the money, I would be tempted. However, the performance hybrid Lexus GS450h is out soon and I might be tempted in that direction.
Update
The Lexus GS450h hybrid isn't really a patch on the BMW 535d. The BMW twin-turbo Diesel engine is one of great engines of our time. It leaves the hybrid Lexus floundering in its wake. The BMW is a much better engineering solution to the same question; high performance executive car with low fuel consumption. It's probably the weight of the battery pack with greatly disadvantages the Lexus.
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Amistad Opinion
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