BMW 520D M SPORT SALOON
by Tony Yates
Its been a while since I’ve reviewed a BMW, but I’ve been invited to
review the lovely 520d M Sport.
Remember - I’m not here to convince you to buy any of the cars I
drive, I’m merely here to point out the bits that I find interesting and
the parts that I feel are worth taking a look at. If I think something
is just junk, I’ll tell you. Full stop. This is because I literally get asked
all the time, ‘what is the best car to buy’, and I always say ‘Well,
anything that takes your fancy’.
nothing unexpected happened which means Ford has done some serious
work keeping everything in check. There was one niggle though, the EDGE
was fitted with PowerShift, and it does suffer from a small amount of gearbox
lag in normal mode.
If I was you, I would keep it in sports mode pretty much all the time. Apart
from that small niggle, all is good. Don’t forget, the Ford EDGE also has a
great party piece in the form of AWD, meaning you can actually do a bit of
off-road driving if that’s your thing. Although, doing off-road would mean
getting your snakeskin shoes all mucky.
Buying a new car is so simple in today, all you need is a £1 coin and a copy of
the Daily Mail to prove you can afford it. Saying that, a friend of mine bought
a brand new Fiat 500 the other week, where no actual money was involved
at all. Yes, he has to pay a monthly premium but that’s it, and when he takes
it back in 3 years time, he just does the same again. This, of course, begs an
important question – does anyone pay cash for a new car anymore? You mull
that over - while I get on with this months review. Design and Technology
Inside, The EDGE looks great and has a nicely trimmed cabin which is
something I think gives it the EDGE. You can also see that Ford has worked
really hard to get the inside of the EDGE just right. Plus, it’s fitted with some of
the best seats I have ever had the pleasure of sitting in. I could probably come
up with an innuendo for that – but the last time I did that, the editor told me
he got a letter from the local vicar.
Power and Efficiency:
The 520d I had on test was powered by a TwinPower Turbo four-cylinder
diesel engine with190hp (140kW) which produces sharp responsiveness with
the added bonus of 400Nm of torque that easily manages to complete the 0-62
mph sprint in just 7.5 seconds, yet returns a combined 60+ mpg - which you
have to admit is pretty amazing. I am also going to be bold here and say that it
really is a brilliant engine and BMW have done a fantastic job of wringing out
every last bit of horsepower out of this four-cylinder diesel engine. For those
of you that are all about figures, the 520d will max out at146mph. The EDGE will also easily accommodate a large family with ease. We go
camping (in a tent) every year as a family, and I always struggle to fit everything
in. Well not if I had a Ford EDGE. I bet I could fit in all our camping gear,
twice over plus all of my wife’s m