Test drive BMW 5 series E39 2000 - 2003 sedan

The aroma of respectability

You almost decided which car you need. And they even postponed the money for its acquisition. But the shadow of doubt still remains, what if it is not quite that? Those who are ready to go to the dealer tomorrow are dedicated to our new section. So, we will get together with thoughts before buying a BMW-530i.
Who you are?
How do the surrounding BMW owner perceive? Of course, he is a wealthy person - a prosperous businessman or high -level manager. The character successfully combines reasonable conservatism and a tendency to non -standard decisions. Sports, assertive, probably is successful in women and knows a lot about cars. Adherents of the Bavarian brand are rarely cheated on her, only transplanting over time to more prestigious and powerful models. You have already outgrown the stringent compact threek, but still do not want to relax in the back seat of the seven? Well, and the pleasure of driving, and comfort will provide the five of the BMW.
The price of the issue
The current 5th BMW series appeared for a long time-in the fall of 1995. At the end of last year, she underwent a slight restyling, almost not affecting her appearance. The most significant change is the new M -54 engine in two versions of 2.5 or 3.0 liters. It is these motors at the Autotor enterprise in Kaliningrad that 525i and 530i models are equipped with. The assembly quality of these machines is now even higher than the German, which was recognized by the concern experts. But the price, thanks to a modest tablet under the hood, was made in Russia, decreased by as many as 20 percent.
The most affordable BMW-525i (2.5 l, 192 hp) in a very rich configuration of comfort, which includes a leather interior, six airbags, audio and climatic systems, all kinds of electric drives, stability and thrust control systems, will cost in $ 35,000. Automatic five -speed gearbox will increase the account by $ 1700. The suite will add xenon headlights, parking sensors, rain sensor, headlight washer, flight comprehensive compartment, six -discs for six discs, the interior finish with valuable passengers for rear passengers and some other useful trifles, and also in the price tag - also $ 4600.
Prices for BMW-530i (3.0 liters, 232 hp) start at $ 43,000. Here comfort already means washer headlines, the rain sensor, the control of the audio system, and the decoration of the salon with wood. Lux is more expensive than $ 6,000 and besides what was offered for the 525i model will delight you with two -layer side and rear windows, a transparent hatch, automatic darling of the inner mirror, a leather steering wheel, the same as on the M5 model, and even with electrohydraulic, instead of a conventional hydraulic hydraulic , amplifier. Thus, the most expensive three -liter five with a gun will cost about $ 51,000 - it was she who visited our test.
A small nuance - for some dealers you can still find five or two ago fifs with wool 523i (an earlier version of the 2.5 l, 170 hp) and 528i. The prices of them look quite attractive, for example, the completely new BMW-523i 1999 is sold for only $ 32,000. However, such a machine with the beginning of operation is rapidly losing price and in a year or two will cost exactly the same as its peers who did not wait for their own The owners are so long. So a relatively small savings when buying will result in much greater loss during subsequent sale - unless you are going to ride on the same car until retirement.
German-made cars due to customs duties are much more expensive: BMW-540i (4.4 liters, 286 hp) costs $ 69,000-twice as much as 525th! The purchase of BMW -M5 (4.9 liters, 400 hp) for $ 97,000 cannot be evaluated by ordinary standards of expediency - it is either sports itching or all -consuming passion.
 
It is easiest to identify the new five by ring LEDs located around the headlights

The backlight is turned on automatically, it is worth pushing the mirror curtain
       
 
Electric adjustments control panel

Piplor button in the armrest of the front seat
       
 
The basis of passive safety is a strong body frame

Car safety systems

 
 
BMW-530i
common data
 
Body
5-seater sedan
 
Equipped mass, kg
1675
 
Complete mass, kg
2275
 
Maximum speed, km/h
244
 
Acceleration time 0100 km/h, with
7.6
 
Fuel consumption, l/100 km
7.9/15.5
 
Fuel supply, l
70 (AI-95/98)
 
Engine
 
Location
The front is longing
 
Design
 
6-cylinder, in order, in order
with two upper distributions,
with distributed injection
 
The number of valves per cylinder
4 at an angle 39.5O
 
Diam. cylinder x Piston stroke, mm
89.6/84.0
 
Working volume, SMZ
2979
 
Compression ratio
10.2
 
Power, L.S. (kW) at rpm
232 at 5900
 
Torque, kgsm (nm) at rpm
30.6 at 3500
 
Chassis
 
Transmission
rear -wheel drive
 
Transmission
5-speed automatic
 
Transporting numbers
I 3.67; II 2.00; III 1.41; IV 1.00; V 0.74; h. X. 4.10
 
Suspension
 
independent with the reptile stabilizer,
collected on subframes
 
front

Type McEzerson
 
behind
Mollycent
 
Steering
rack with an amplifier of a variable performance
 
Brakes
disk ventilated with hydraulic power and absorber
 
The size of the tires
225/55 R16 Dunlop Sport 2000e
 
 
We’ll get to know each other better
From the point of view of design - BMW, perhaps one of the most conservative brands. No revolutions, only a leisurely verified evolution - the silhouette of a solid car is minimally subject to fashion trends. At the same time, four round headlights and traditional nostrils do not allow to confuse BMW with another machine. In the evening stream of eyes, it unmistakably grabs the modernized five thanks to the original overall lights - ring LEDs located around the headlights. However, it is better to see once than to read seven times, and therefore we will move on to things more practical.
Having opened the door, you involuntarily pay attention to the seals - there are three of them here, so the opening, and with it, the trousers and floors of the coat always remain clean, which is especially relevant for the rear passengers, which when planting polish the wheel arch with their ... phalda. Aerodynamic noise cannot break through the triple barrier, even at speeds for 200 km/h.
Two -layer side and rear windows help to provide silence in the cabin - not a triplex, which sometimes occurs, namely two glasses, rubbed around the perimeter, with an air gap inside. Such a double -glazed window also excellent heat insulator - does not freeze in a cold and retains coolness in the heat. The only drawback is that the lowered glass is trembling noticeably when closing the door, creating a feeling of incompleteness, sharply dissonating with a general impression of the machine.
 

The sewage salon looks like an expensive suit - an elegant cut, the aroma of respectability. A closer look allows you to evaluate both the quality of the material and the thoroughness of manufacture. Not only the eye is resting here, but also the body, and any dimensions: for the convenience of planting, the steering wheel pushes forward and upwards, getting rid of even the Sumo fighter, and pushing the chair backwards, a person with a tall of 180 cm, to the joy of basketball players and photodets, Generally loses contact with pedals. However, not everything is so simple in the life of the long -legged ones - the left knee from time to time clings to a large, low -located steering wheel adjustment handle, which from this is frightening in his hands and begins to move somewhere.
Without listing many electrical adjustments of the front seats, let's say it is easier - they form an environment (in the most literal sense) environment of your desire. Moreover, they do this quite reasonably, say, the height of the belt attachment is automatically adjusted when the longitudinal adjustment of the chair is changed. Electronics can remember three options for settings, including external mirrors, and restore them at the request of the driver or recognizing it by an individual key even at the time of remote unlocking of the doors.
By the way, did you not happen at the most inopportune moment to find that the battery sat in the signaling key fob? In BMW, you are guaranteed from this - a miniature device recharges the battery -key a conquest when it is in the ignition lock.
At the central display of the dashboard, when the ignition is turned on, messages of the automatic diagnostic system about malfunctions and the deadlines of the upcoming service are displayed. In addition, you can cause information about the temperature of the outdoor air, the average fuel consumption, a possible run on its balance and medium speed. On the central console is another multifunctional display that helps to control the calendar, clock, audio system, and on -board computer.
In the top five, it will be pleasant to ride a music lover-the BMV-Business audio system with eight speakers has an excellent sound, and the CD chamber in the trunk for six CDs will provide complete musical autonomy on the signs between large cities, where the FM band is filled only with rustling. But the avid smoker is waiting for some disappointment - the ashtray between the front seats is so small that the cigarette butt will contain four from strength.
 
High pressure washers for headlights

On the rear rack is a lighting plafon, a navigator lamp and an inflatable airbag
       
 
 
In the left position, the automatic transmission selector goes into manual control mode
      
  
Governing bodies

1. Folding external mirrors with electric heating.
2. The handle of control of the steering wheel electroregulations.
3. Switch of light of the headlights. 4. Management of the audio system.
5. Control of the cruise control system. 6. The circuit breaker of the fog headlights. 7. Under the folding panel - the cassette receiver of the tape recorder. 8. Central castle.
9. The selector of the adaptive automatic gearbox.
10. The leather steering wheel, the same as on the M5 model, has a characteristic tricolor emblem in the lower part. 11. In the hub of the steering wheel - the front pillow. 12. A platform for fixing the left leg. 13. The control panel with memory for three adjustments (steering wheel+seat+mirrors). 14. The windows control panel and adjustments of external mirrors.
15. Multifunctional display. 16. The control panel of the audio system. 17. Climate installation with separate regulation of the left and right parts of the cabin. 18. Disconnecting parking sensors. 19. Turning off the system of dynamic stability control (DSC). 20. Management of the rear window curtain. 21. Permanent cup holders. 22. Heated the left and right seats.
 
Safety
The alarm, the remote control, unlocking only the driver's door, the immobilizer, if necessary, will help to fight the attackers. With the beginning of movement, at a speed of 30 km/h, all doors are blocked and then unlocked either at once with a button on the central tunnel, or each with its own handle. Such oversight is sometimes annoying, but nothing can be done - this is the most effective remedy against an attack somewhere on a traffic light.
As for various road collisions, in this case, the BMW-530i has an anti-lock system (ABS) and automatic control of the traction control (ASC+T), dynamic stability control (DSC) and dynamic braking control (DBC). Actually, they are not quite accurate to call them systems, rather, these are various operating modes of the unified active security system. Well, everything is clear with the ABS, the track control will reduce the engine speed and even slow down the masking wheel, the stabilization system will avoid drilling and loss of control in the straight line and in the bend, and the intelligent DBC in the latter case will also slow down the internal wheels, forcing the machine to take it if She does not obey the steering wheel on slippery coating.
Suppose you still managed to outwit all this smart electronics and attach about the pillar - do not despair, the chances of getting out of the troubles with losses only financial are still quite large. The guarantee of this is a strong safety frame with deformable energy -absorbing zones in front and back, anti -shut -off bars in the doors, inertial safety belts with pyrotechnic tensioners and limiters of effort, ten inflatable airbags. And in order to facilitate the task of the one who comes to your aid, the automation will helply unlock the doors, turn on the light in the cabin and the alarm.
 
For better loading the drive wheels, the battery is placed in the niche of the trunk behind the right wheel

When transporting a child in a special chair in the front seat, it is necessary to turn off the airbag
       
 
The diameter of the turnup, measured along the axis of the external wheel trace, is 11.2 m
     
Car - to drive
Most of the buyers of solid cars, who safely survived the driver’s excitement, intelligently choose an automatic gearbox - you do not need to constantly pull the lever, and a powerful motor will cope with any hydrotransformer. Just such is our 530th. What is curious, in some thoughtfulness of his machine gun, you begin to find some pleasure over time! Say, it is a head start from a leopard shoulder, and we will not fuss - we will start as if slowly, with a sense of self -esteem and a complete awareness of our superiority - and still overtake the entire car herd.
However, the five -speed adaptive gearbox of the five is smart enough and, feeling that you want to squeeze all the juices out of the car, begins to help actively in this. Moreover - in some turn that is held, as they say, on the verge of a foul, it will not switch in order not to violate the thin balance of power and not provoke a skid with a sharp change in the thrust. If you still want to make a lever on your own, there is a system of manual consistent switching the stepbrush - he moved the selector to the left and with short shocks forward or backwards to click on your programs. Somewhere, he sounded - the machine itself will switch to one gear up if the tachometer arrow rested on the red sector, or disconnect the transmission when stopping at the intersection. For the especially forgetful, the functions of the shifters/interlock will be useful, which do not allow the selector to translate to the running position without pressing the brake pedal, or remove the key from the ignition lock without turning on the parking.
Five with a couple of passengers weighs almost two tons and flies through a high -speed line, like a main caliber shell, without reacting to gusts of wind and individual coating defects. And so that the careless movement of the hands does not send the car to the ditch, the electro -hydraulic steering wheel power power steering is almost turned off from work - the resisting steering wheel seems to say to the driver: did you think what you were doing? But at low speeds, the amplifier is puffed up in full - to maneuver with sharp (only 2.7 turns from the stop to the stop!) And a light wheel is a pleasure.
When reversing moves about one and a half meters before the obstacle, the intermittent signal of the parking sensors begins to give. With the approach of the obstacle, the signal quickens and at a distance of a quarter meter becomes continuous. The front sensors work in 0.6 m, but they can be turned off if you are confident in yourself in a dense traffic stream or in a close parking lot. However, which is inconvenient and sometimes even dangerous - the buttons of disconnecting parking sensors and the track control, the inclusion of heating the seats and control of the anti -linen curtain are exactly the same, are located nearby and differ only in iconograms.
But what is vital - brakes are very effective. With 80 km/h, the braking distance was less than 24 m with permissible 41 m, and the overload during slowing was even more G - acceleration of free fall, so that the driver literally hangs on belts. Xenon headlights are good, but the control of lighting technology with two handles located on both sides of the dashboard does not seem optimal. By the way, about lighting - there are three chandeliers in the cabin, and even four lamps of the navigator.
 
Almost perfect parabola suggests that the brakes, without overheating, provide a stable high deceleration of 10.210.4 m/s2 at any speed. It is limited only by the adhesive properties of tires

The average fuel consumption of BMW-530i during the test was 13.9 liters per 100 km
    
 
Dashboard

1. Fuel level indicator. 2. A speedometer.
3. The indicator of instant fuel consumption.
4. Tachometer. 5. The indicator of the temperature of the coolant. 6. The button for calling the testimony of the automatic diagnostic system. 7. The indicator of the position of the machine gun and on the transmission. 8. The indicator of the outdoor air temperature. 9. The operation lamp ASC+T and DSC stability control systems.
10. The indicator of the average fuel consumption.
11. Counters of general and daily run.
12. The upcoming maintenance indicator. 13. Control and preventive icons.
  
Compenser of suitcases
The trunk of the five large, long and easily accumulated no -blank 392 liters of polystyrene blocks, although it was short of 460 liters of certain according to the German methodology - small, you see, foreign liters of Russian marching. The back back does not fold, which is understandable - a person who has spent such money on the car can afford to hire a truck for household transport. And for long attributes of a healthy lifestyle - skis, clubs and fishing rods - you can order a car with a hatch and even a cover in the back. The trunk lock is equipped with a servo drive, the lid on the parallelogram mechanism drives far and upward, which makes the absence of a safety plastic casing on a protruding metal castle less relevant. From the inside, a folding plastic pallet is attached to the lid, in which a surprisingly rich set of tools is placed. Under the floor - a full -sized spare wheel, and the depth of the niche allows you to place the tire with a width of as much as 255 mm. In the niche behind the right rear wheel placed the battery - for the best scoop.
Children in the car
Like all modern cars, the rear doors of the five are equipped with a children's lock, excluding the possibility of opening them from the inside. The right front airbag is also easily turned off in case of transporting a child in front in a special armchair. If you are not satisfied with removable children's seats, you can order a car with one or two built -in in a transformable rear sofa. They are intended for children aged 3.5 to 12 years (15-36 kg). For babies from 1.5 to 3.5 years (9-18 kg), a special back and a supporting table should be purchased from the BMW dealer.
Far from civilization
By definition, a high -speed car should drive on good roads. Due to the chronic deficiency of those supplied to Russia and manufactured in Kaliningrad, cars set a package for bad roads, among other things, increasing the road clearance from 120 mm to 140 mm. However, with full load, they rarely drive, so 155 mm for the car only with the driver should be recognized as sufficiently sufficient.
Good aerodynamics - and even the bottom is carefully ironed and covered with shields - allows you to harness only a small part of the herd of 232 horses at reasonable speeds that graze under the hood, so it is quite possible to meet 10 liters per 100 km on the highway. By the way, instant fuel consumption can be controlled by a switch flow meter under a tachometer. Our five for one and a half thousand not the most economical test kilometers showed 13.9 l/100 km. The new M-54 engine sells its best qualities on 98th gasoline-naturally, unhealthy, since the neutralizer is installed in the exhaust system. Changes in the dynamics during the transition to the permitted 95th, by and large, can only fix the exact measuring equipment. Suppose the 91st - but only as a temporary decision.
Operation, service
The BMW warranty in Russia is one year general (without mileage restrictions) and six years from through corrosion of the body. The term of the next service is determined by the on -board computer based on the many parameters, including mileage, the amount of engine starts, and use of operation. The maximum calculation interval is 25 thousand km; In the conditions of a metropolis, according to experts, it is reduced to 20-23, and in the most temperamental drivers - and up to 15 thousand. The cost of service together with consumables is from $ 190 for a simple replacement of oil and filters to $ 260-330 for an expanded inspection alternating with it. Prices for spare parts, the vast majority of which are in the regional warehouse in Moscow, are by no means sky -high for a car of this class. The conditional operational basket (three filters, front pads, lower ball support and four norm-hours of work) costs $ 553, emergency package (bumper, hood, wing, headlight and 20 hours of work) will cost $ 3036. The BMW dealer network covers 16 cities and consists of 20 companies.
 
Car dimensions, mm
 
Salon dimensions, mm
 
We liked
 
The dimming of the inner rear -view mirror automatically decreases when the rear transmission is turned on

For better noise and thermal insulation, the side and rear windows are made by two-layer with an air gap

The Russian package includes 20 mm spacers between the body and front racks of McEferson

  
A deep niche allows you to place not only a standard spare wheel with a dimension of 225/55 R16, but also a wider 255 mm

The shelf on the lid of the trunk contains a surprisingly rich set of tools

Patch at the base of the right front chair

As well as:
Large road clearance, high degree of active and passive safety, excellent sound insulation, rich equipment, magnificent brakes, very large interservice mileage, excellent dynamics
 
 
We didn't like it

The buttons of disconnecting the stabilization and heating system of seats on the central console is easy to confuse

The steering position fixer can be hooked with a knee

Small ashtray

Measure the experts of the magazine limousine
Weather
Temperature + 15s
Pressure, mm Hg. Art. 740
Humidity, % 70
Coating dry asphalt concrete
Weight characteristics
Equipped mass, kg 1657
Load
on the front axle, kg 857 (52%)
on the rear axle, kg 800 (48%)
Dynamic qualities
(partial load - 2 people + 25 kg)
Acceleration, C:
040 km/h 2.46
060 km/h 4.0
080 km/h 6.32
0100 km/h 8.72
0120 km/h 12,12
0140 km/h 16.2
0160 km/h 21.54
0400 m 16.3 (142 km/h)
01000 m 29.6 (181 km/h)
Maximum speed, km/h 225
A speedometer error 4 km/h
Elasticity, p
60-100 km/h (IV) 7.93
kikdown 5.26
80-120 km/h (V) 15.50
kikdown 6.53
Running, m
12050 km/h 1570
500 km/h 568
Braking with 100 km/h
Braking distance, m 37.7
Slow down, m/s2 10.23
Braking with 80 km/h
Braking distance, m 23.8
Slow down, m/s2 10.36
 
Prices for spare parts and that, USD
Then $ 190
Inspection I/II $ 260/330
Oil filter $ 11
Air filter $ 19
Fuel filter $ 91
Front brake pads (with wear sensor) $ 141
Rear brake pads $ 76
Ball support is upper (with a lever) $ 77
Ball support Lower (with lever) $ 103
Generator belt $ 38
Air conditioning belt $ 22
Front shock absorber $ 215
Rear shock absorber $ 249
Steering rack $ 1039
Front bumper (with a lining) $ 494
Bamper rear (with a lining) $ 448
Hood 425
Front wing $ 215
Front door $ 429
Rear door $ 429
Trunk cover $ 364
Windshield $ 321
Farah assembly $ 162
Rear lamp $ 156
The cost of a norm-hour of work (locksmiths) $ 47
electro-, body, painting $ 52
Operational basket $ 553
Aquatic basket $ 3036
 
  
We decided:
If it is true that cars reflect the inner essence of their owners, then the owner of the BMW-530i can be calm for his impeccable reputation and respectability nothing threatens.
Yuri Nechetov, photo Alexander Sadovnikov
 

Source: Magazine "Limousine" [04/01]