Wednesday, September 21, 2005
BMW 523i
BMW makes excellent engines. Few other manufacturers produce such a wide range of motors that combine performance, economy, character and reliability.
From the punchy 2.0-litre diesel up to the storming 5.0 V10 in the M5, BMW has an engine to suit any buyer. car rental uk
But there has been the odd runt in the pack. Generally they are at the bottom of each range: the 116i and 318i smack of engines for those desperate to drive a BMW but who don’t have the resources to do it properly. car rental uk
In fact, many of the entry-level four-cylinder petrol BMWs over the years have attracted derisory attention, which might well be why the 5-series Touring range starts with a six-cylinder, in the form of the 523i SE. car rental uk
It has a good pedigree, being hewn from the same lightweight block as the 258bhp 3.0-litre motor, and featuring high-revving Valvetronic technology.
The 523i isn’t actually a 2.3-litre engine. It’s a 2.5-litre unit, the same as in the 525i but with less power. It has 174bhp, while the full-fat 525i has considerably more with 215bhp. But the new 520d will have 167bhp, and that leads to a question which is not easy to answer in the positive for the petrol. Why would you buy a 523i? car rental uk
BMW is about to have all the bases covered at this end of the market. The forthcoming diesel will do the job from a running cost point of view, as well as having a lot more grunt than the 523i, which is useful if a driver uses the Touring for heavy loads.
The 525i will offer the sportier power delivery that some drivers want from a petrol-engined car. So what does the 523i offer?
Less performance, for one. With four up and load on board, the lack of power and torque is noticeable.
Although it has a respectable 0-62mph time of just under nine seconds, it is in the mid- range that it lacks punch. car rental uk
Being a BMW six-cylinder, it makes a brawny noise under acceleration, and is whisper quiet when cruising, but compared with what the bigger petrol offers and what the small diesel will, it doesn’t come up to the mark. Its combined fuel consumption figure of 32.5mpg is also almost identical to the 525i at 31.7mpg, so there is no great advantage there either.
The main one is price: the 523i is £600 cheaper. But it will be £900 more expensive than the 520d.
Everywhere, BMW has a model that has it licked.
Viewed in isolation against other manufacturers’ efforts, the 523i is a decent engine in a good car. But line it up against the other engines in the 5-series range and it looks weedy, with not especially good fuel economy and high-ish emissions.
So it boils down to this: the 523i is a car for drivers who really don’t want a diesel but can’t stretch to the extra money required for a 525i. In this case, the 523i is the Touring for them.
From the punchy 2.0-litre diesel up to the storming 5.0 V10 in the M5, BMW has an engine to suit any buyer. car rental uk
But there has been the odd runt in the pack. Generally they are at the bottom of each range: the 116i and 318i smack of engines for those desperate to drive a BMW but who don’t have the resources to do it properly. car rental uk
In fact, many of the entry-level four-cylinder petrol BMWs over the years have attracted derisory attention, which might well be why the 5-series Touring range starts with a six-cylinder, in the form of the 523i SE. car rental uk
It has a good pedigree, being hewn from the same lightweight block as the 258bhp 3.0-litre motor, and featuring high-revving Valvetronic technology.
The 523i isn’t actually a 2.3-litre engine. It’s a 2.5-litre unit, the same as in the 525i but with less power. It has 174bhp, while the full-fat 525i has considerably more with 215bhp. But the new 520d will have 167bhp, and that leads to a question which is not easy to answer in the positive for the petrol. Why would you buy a 523i? car rental uk
BMW is about to have all the bases covered at this end of the market. The forthcoming diesel will do the job from a running cost point of view, as well as having a lot more grunt than the 523i, which is useful if a driver uses the Touring for heavy loads.
The 525i will offer the sportier power delivery that some drivers want from a petrol-engined car. So what does the 523i offer?
Less performance, for one. With four up and load on board, the lack of power and torque is noticeable.
Although it has a respectable 0-62mph time of just under nine seconds, it is in the mid- range that it lacks punch. car rental uk
Being a BMW six-cylinder, it makes a brawny noise under acceleration, and is whisper quiet when cruising, but compared with what the bigger petrol offers and what the small diesel will, it doesn’t come up to the mark. Its combined fuel consumption figure of 32.5mpg is also almost identical to the 525i at 31.7mpg, so there is no great advantage there either.
The main one is price: the 523i is £600 cheaper. But it will be £900 more expensive than the 520d.
Everywhere, BMW has a model that has it licked.
Viewed in isolation against other manufacturers’ efforts, the 523i is a decent engine in a good car. But line it up against the other engines in the 5-series range and it looks weedy, with not especially good fuel economy and high-ish emissions.
So it boils down to this: the 523i is a car for drivers who really don’t want a diesel but can’t stretch to the extra money required for a 525i. In this case, the 523i is the Touring for them.
# posted by Liz Laurie @ 2:22 PM 
