BMW 530d 2006 Review

BMW 530d launch review

What we liked
>> Diesel engine torque
>> Great chassis balance
>> Fuel economy

Not so much
>> Interior shortfalls
>> Doesn't sound great
>> Lumpy ride courtesy of run-flat tyres

It wasn't that long ago the concept of a diesel-powered BMW passenger car for sale Down Under was about as alien as ET. But times they're a changing rapidly.

BMW's been dabbling in compression ignition in Australia with the X5 cross-over all-wheel drive wagon for some years. Nowadays, the 3.0d accounts for 60 per cent of all local X5 sales.

But that's just a tease really. In Europe, just like any other serious manufacturer, BMW offers a wide variety of turbodiesel engines. In Germany, they account for 42 per cent of all the marque's sales. While worldwide the figure slips to 25 per cent, it's still impressive considering the USA is a BMW diesel-free zone.

Europeans are big on diesel because it's long been supported by tax benefits and government fiscal inducements. In the UK for instance, company car taxes are linked to the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2), which is a greenhouse gas. Diesel engines actually produce less CO2 than the petrol engines so the rush to diesel by fleets has been dramatic.

Yes, diesel engines are dirtier than petrols in other ways, producing more acid rain-producing particulates. But cleanliness standards are improving and many engines already meet the tough Euro IV standard that becomes mandatory on January 1, 2006 in Europe (we are only up to Euro III here).

In Australia, there is no official encouragement for the average private buyer to go turbodiesel apart from the fact they usually offer significantly better fuel consumption than their petrol equivalents and their high-torque low-rev characteristics tend to make driving a more relaxed experience.

But even then there's usually a recommended retail pricing impost to be paid because turbodiesel engines are more expensive to manufacture, not only because they have more componentry (ie: turbos and intercoolers) but also because they have to be built tougher to withstand the more violent combustion process. Tougher equals weightier, unless you use materials like aluminium, which in turn means more cost.

Despite all that, the interest in turbodiesel technology in Australia is growing. To the end of October 2005 around 5000 TDI passenger cars had been sold, compared to just 1884 in the same period of 2004. Much of that can be attributed to the arrival of the excellent VW Golf V, in which the two turbodiesel models now account for 50 per cent of all Aussie sales.

And more choice is on the way as Australia's diesel fuel climbs in quality again from January 1 2006, reducing sulphur content to 50 parts per million (from 500ppm). At the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney last October around a dozen new turbodiesel models were unveiled from European and Asian marques alike.

Among them was the 530d, the first turbodiesel BMW passenger car ever to be sold in Australia (BMW also showed an X3 cross-over with the same 3.0-litre engine in Sydney, and the addition of two new petrol V8 models to the 5 Series MY06 range in the form of the 540i and 550i). Consider 530d a toe in the water exercise, but one that is forecast to still account for 15 per cent of all 5 Series sales in 2006 -- about 250 units.

First thing to realise is the 530d does not have the same engine as the X5 3.0d. Although still an inline six (naturally!) with double overhead camshafts and four-valves per-cylinder, this is a later generation design with aluminium crankcase that reduces weight 25kg over the front wheels, employs the latest multi-nozzle piezo direct injection technology, new pistons, electronically controlled exhaust gas recirculation and an uprated variable geometry turbocharger with intercooling.

These changes result in 10kW increase in power over the X5 engine to 160kW, but torque stays at a sizeable 480Nm, albeit delivered from 1750rpm, 250rpm lower in the rev range.

So an improvement over the old engine, but what about the real competition? By that we don't mean the recently updated Mercedes-Benz E280 CDI, or the Audi A6 3.0 TDI quattro. No, the hardest argument for the 530d to overcome lies within the bounds of BMW showrooms in the shape of the brilliant petrol-engined 530i.

It's a brutally tough comparison because the 530i's R6 petrol engine is one of the all-time greats. But the 530d isn't shying away from the fight so let's see how they stack up:

Price: The 530d is $2000 more expensive at $113,500 (the 530i has gone up by $2700 for 2006). Equipment levels are exactly the same for both models, including an update including the latest DSC+ stability/traction control system, as well as Bluetooth mobile phone preparation and a 10-speaker Hi Fi system.

Power: The 530i, with the assistance of variable valve lift and camshaft control, produces 190kW at 6600rpm, while the 530d's 160kW kicks in at 4000rpm.

Torque: A clear and expected win to the turbodiesel, which produces 480Nm from 1750-2750rpm, compared to the 530i's 300Nm at 2500rpm.

0-100km/h: The rev-head 530i is 0.5 sec faster at 6.7sec. Its electronically governed 250km/h top speed is 8km/h up on the 530d.

Fuel consumption: The 530d's official result is 7.5lt/100km, whereas the 530i claims 9.2lt/100km.

So if you're reading that as a clear win for the 530d in the real world and the 530i when you find yourself on a winding mountain road gives yourself a pat on the back.

The 530d is in its comfort zone almost everywhere, except when it is being revved hard, then it runs out of puff at about 4400rpm. That's a point on the tacho that the 530i is only just getting going. (Ed: it should be remembered that disel and petrol versions are geared significantly differently.)

The 530d lacks the revs and the glorious noise the petrol engine makes, but it lacks nothing for good old fashioned bottom end and mid-range grunt. Combine that with an excellent six-speed ZF automatic transmission -- albeit fundamentally the same one you can get in a $40,000 Falcon -- and you have a sublimely smooth experience.

There is a little diesel rattle at idle but at higher in the range it doesn't sound either particularly diesel - or exciting.

When accelerating there is just a brief eddy in the forward rush as turbo boost catches up with the right foot. But that's only momentary and progress can be tremendously quick, but in a more languid way than the petrol six.

With 100km/h coming up at just 1650rpm in top gear some people may never quite enjoy it if they have been brought up on BMW's more frenetic petrol engines. But no-one should have any trouble adapting to the way the 530d handles and steers.

This is thoroughbred BMW at its best, humiliating what are meant to be challenging corners with its grip, poise and superb damping. The Active Steering is excellent too, but only after you nearly drive off the road at the first tight turn applying too much lock.

The let down for the chassis are the 17-inch run-flat tyres. Great on grip, good on communication, but the stiff sidewalls don't help ride compliance or quietness in the cabin on Australia's coarse road surfaces. Nor does the $4000 optional M Sports package with its toughened up suspension and lower profile rubber improve matters. The standard suspension tune is more than good enough for us.

Other bugbears are standard 5 Series issues. The exterior look is love it or hate it stuff, while the cabin's lack of storage is a victory for form over function. Just as concerning is the struggle to hit the quality targets expected of a $113,500 car.The biggest irritants are those cupholders that rasp out of the dash noisily, the right-hand one blocking access to the air-conditioning controls. It's lucky that BMW does such a good job of building dynamic motor cars because stuff like that would give you the irrits in anything more mundane.

But the 530d is good enough and involving enough to definitely satisfy all but the most hardened rev-head. It's most certainly a different experience from what you would normally expect from a BMW. But alien? Hardly.