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- BMW 5 Series 520i SE
- datco's review
Have a picture of BMW 5 Series 520i SE?, please send it to us.
Picture courtesy of Jeff D.
| Performance | 7.2/10   |
|---|---|
| Practicality | 7.5/10 |
| Reliability | 7.4/10 |
| Value for Money | 6.7/10 |
| Reviewer Rating | 7.9/10 |
| Overall Rating | 8.1/10 |
By datco
on 14th Feb 2006
| Year Manufactured | 2003 |
|---|---|
| Length of ownership | 2.5 years |
| Doors | 4 |
| Performance | 8/10 |
| Practicality | 6/10 |
| Reliability | 3/10 |
| Value for money | 5/10 |
| Overall value | 7/10 |
 datco's recommendation | |
Lovely tight ride, silent cruiser, sporty box, great dealer back up
Major reliability issues
Got this new - pre-face lift 520i model. BMW were keen to offload it before the new model came in. It was a leased car (thank god!) as all repair costs and issues were borne by BMW.
Broke down 3 times in first 18 months - engine overheating after 6k miles - faulty thermostat, 3 cylinders blew after 18k miles, and engine management light came on after 29k miles - BMW were never specific about what was wrong, but took the car away on a truck for 2 weeks!
Also very heavy on tires - 2 full sets in less than 3 years and 50k miles!
Having said all the above the faults with the car have been dealt with promptly and quibble free by BMW who also supplied a hire car while fixing it.
Always been a big BMW fan up until now - but would think twice next time...
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