BMW / 5 Series / 525i sedan
Overview
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 dates: December 2003 - June 2005
Previous model
BMW'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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 Road test
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