BMW 5 Series Touring estate (2010-2017) - Engines, drive & performance

The BMW 5 Series Touring is the benchmark for how a large estate car should drive. However, there is a slight caveat – it doesn’t have adaptive dampers as standard, and without them the ride quality simply isn’t as good as it should be. The adjustable dampers also make the handling much better. Still, factor in the Touring’s great overall refinement and the super-smooth eight-speed automatic gearbox, and you’ve got a great car.

BMW 5 Series Touring diesel engines

There are diesel engines to suit almost every taste in the 5 Series Touring. At the bottom of the range is the 2.0-litre diesel in the 518d Touring. Punchy it isn’t, but you can’t sniff at average fuel economy of 60.1mpg. Actually, you can sniff at it if you’ve just bought a 520d Touring, because it’ll do even more miles to the gallon (64.1 to be exact) and emits the same 122g/km of CO2.

BMW’s six-cylinder 3.0-litre diesel engine in the 535d is a slightly uncouth companion these days, but there’s no disputing its sheer punch. It’ll whisk the big estate to 62mph from rest in just 5.4 seconds and average 49.6mpg.

Petrol engines

The petrol range starts with the 242bhp 528i Touring, which is claimed to return an average of 44.1mpg and emit 149g/km of CO2. It’s a decent option for diesel-phobes. Of course, there’s always the 302bhp 3.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine in the 535i Touring. Work this car hard and it’ll hit 62mph from a standstill in 5.8 seconds. Just be careful you don’t get caught at low revs in a high gear though, because the engine won’t respond quite as enthusiastically as you might like.

Despite the addition of a large boot, the 5 Series Touring is as good to drive as the saloon. It’s very accomplished in standard form, but you have to pay for extras – such as Adaptive Drive – to enjoy the very best handling. Even the entry-level engines are strong, with the 520d mixing speed and fuel economy well. The larger six-cylinder engines add performance, but unless you plan to tow heavy loads or enjoy driving quickly, the smaller engines are adequate.

The 520d Touring is fast enough to do 0-62mph in eight seconds and has a top speed of 140mph, and there isn’t really much need for more punch on UK roads. Nonetheless, if you want more power, the 525d and 530d are very fast, while the 535d is as close as you can get to a diesel version of the supercar-baiting M5 performance model. All of the 3.0-litre petrols are quick and smooth, although obviously not as cheap to run as the diesels.