Road TestCar reviews - BMW - 5 Series - 525i sedanBMW modelsOverviewEntry level version of BMW's striking new 5 Series still packs a punch15 Oct 2004 BMW’s new 5 Series shows how seriously the company took criticism of the previous model’s lack of interior spaciousness - it’s now bigger inside than an E-class Mercedes. The designers also took the E-class benchmark and moved it upwards by giving the 5 Series arguably the best ride/handling compromise seen in any luxury car. Compared with the 530i, the smaller engined 525i loses a portion of power and torque, but little else. And it’s even more aggressively priced - against some cars that would love to believe they are real competitors. Model release date: 1 December 2003 to 1 June 2005 All car reviewsAlfa Romeo Abarth Alpine Alpina Audi Aston Martin BMW Bentley Chevrolet Chery Citroen Chrysler Dodge Cupra Ferrari DS Ford Fiat FPV Foton GWM Great Wall Holden Haval HSV Honda Hyundai Hummer Isuzu Infiniti Jeep Jaguar Lamborghini Kia LDV Land Rover Lotus Lexus Maserati Mahindra McLaren Mazda Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-AMG Mini MG Nissan Mitsubishi Peugeot Opel Proton Porsche Renault Ram Rover Rolls-Royce Skoda Saab SsangYong Smart Suzuki Subaru Toyota Tesla Volvo Volkswagen Previous modelBMW's logical model naming convention took a turn for the worse with the previous 5 Series base model, which was called the 523i despite being powered by a 125kW/245Nm 2.5-litre six-cylinder. Launched in April 1996, the E39 523i sedan received a more powerful 141kW/245Nm version of the 2.5 in December 2000, when it was properly renamed the 525i as part of a midlife facelift that also featured new headlights and bumpers. The E39 525i was available in Executive ($84,800) and Sport ($88,200) guises when last sold in October 2003. The 2.5 engine is carried over into the new E60 525i, launched in December 2003. |
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