2012 F11 BMW 520D Touring M Sport Goes for a Drive - Modern Mondays
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- čas přidán 14. 03. 2020
- The 5th generation BMW 5 Series or F10 (saloon) and F11 (Touring) was a big step up in quality from the E60/E61. Today we take a 2012 520D M Sport for a drive and look at this large premium estate car.
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Finally, somebody reviewing cars of a type and age that people will actually buy with their own money, thanks👍
Couldn't agree more. A relevant review to many of us
Coment of the year!
Indeed 👍
Great video catching the essence of the F10/F11. I recently aquired a 2011 F10 520d M Sport. Looking forward to every short or long drive. Its tight, stable, well planted, quiet and fun. The engine has a surpisingly good punch to it plus incredible fuel economy. And it looks drop dead gorgeous! Thanks again :)
I caught the "hesitation" when you said this gear knob feels great in your hand, and you thought to yourself "Hmmm, should I have said that" 🤔🤔🤔🤔
“Look! I’m indicating now” 😂 Great review! Really appreciate the practical advice on what version of the engine to look out for.
I spied your ‘autocue’ reading notes from the side camera 😉 Great video as always 👏🚗
Furiousdriving is a great alternative to Hubnut. I love both channels because you are both enthusiastic about what you do, and you're both everso slightly eccentric. I'm liking the modern Monday tests, because, after all it's what's around now...
Love the idea of 'Modern Mondays!' Your style of presentation is great and while it is great to review and preserve the older stuff, it is also important to review and look at the current motor industry with the same interest! The new stuff might not be as exciting as older cars but you cannot deny there is some great stuff out there! I recommend a review of a 2010 Passat 2.0 TDI Highline DSG. A super refined 2.0 CR Diesel, Audi-esque interior and a ride comfort and level of refinement that still today is outstanding. Certainly doesn't excite my as an enthusiast but at 250k it still feels new and you cannot deny it is a fantastic car! 😊
Thanks, I think its good to keep an open mind about whats out there and see some of the newer and interesting cars and hopefully people will enjoy seeing something different
Lovely Jubbly, as always a enthusiastic review.
Great review, enjoyed that! 👍👍
The autos have cupholders in front of the gearstick with a slot for the key
Interesting, thanks. I seem to have this routine of BMW 5 - Land Rover - BMW 5 - Land Rover. Come to the conclusion that the current 4.4 V8 Discovery 3 is getting too thirsty, so looking at the F11. Only thing I would say, I had an E61 530i M-Sport and really couldn't fault it - I hadn't liked the E60/61 styling when it was new but thought it aged well, particularly on the LCI, and the N53B30 engine was a joy.
I have been considering a 5 series wagon and this review was very helpful
I own a 2016 520d f11 m sport touring and I have a few tips for any new owners of this car...
OVER SERVICE. don't listen to BMW's long life service, every 2 years or 24,000 miles... If you can, do a full service every year or 10,000 miles, make sure you use quality oil, and the correct oil, don't use any cheap oil..
If you are going to test drive before you buy, make sure you listen to the back end of the engine (after it's warmed up), as this engine can have a big timing chain problem if not well maintained... You'll hear a rattle from the chain... If it doesn't sound like a 2.0L diesel, it's probably the chain....
Get a full service history and make sure it's from a proper garage and not some guy on his front drive that could have used different oil.... I can't stress enough that you use the proper quality oil as in the long run it helps you avoid those big bmw prices to fix things (get an extended warranty if you can afford too... Claims up to £5000 if possible.)
Avoid using ECO mode, it is dogshit and I found it negatively impacts your driving skill due to the sluggishness of the car...
Apart from that... This car and specifically the engine is a reliable piece of kit, as long as it's well maintained..
100% agree with over servicing, these engines, the turbos in particular don’t like tired oil
That Honda Civic comparison made me smile. Good job mate! I drive a 2013 Civic and I agree.
This F11 BMW 520d touring does offer good value. The five door version of the 420d is starting to become affordable too and is gorgeous.
We had a BMW 525 d Touring (E39)
as a family car for 18 years and the heritage from this car is very clear =)
Great car and very good quality apart from 2x turbo issues which is why we had to sell it =S
This is a car that everybody can try and own without blinking !
How doe's the 520D Touring handle twisty back roads in the rain being only RWD? I'd prefer XDrive.
As an American seeing this is like wow. Especially with a manual
Do you get the 520D over there? I dont think you get any manual 5 Series do you?
furiousdriving somehow BMW brought this generation over with a manual on the sedan. But we didn't get the wagon version at all. We did get the e61 touring with a manual tho. But that's pretty much it. After that even the f30/f31 touring version was automatic only for us. And now we don't even get the regular 3 series sedan with a manual
Saturn Designs you gotta try the auto then, it’s the smoothest quickest of its class, I think so anyhow!
Padoir of Ireland 🇮🇪 I have, but I'm just obsessed with manuals! 😂
Saturn Designs I agree with that, I wouldn’t have a sports car or hot hatch in auto, not enough control eh!
My estate Volvo 2011 has a lift up boot floor too! I wish it had the lift up glass too though.
F10/11 design is even today one the best and most timeless and beautiful cars ever made!
In 13:24 we can observe that the rev counter has strange behavior 😅😅.
Great review
Finally. A review with information people want 👍
Another fun morning spent with you, sir! Thanks for shooting my car!
Max Bresnahan lovely car you have Max!
@@mattsbeamer thanks man, I'm very happy with it!
Certainly was, Im just disappointed the drone SD card failed on us so no lovely aerials of it!
Max Bresnahan I’ve always had a big
Soft spot for the 5 series. I’ve never owned one thou. I usually have 1,3 or 7s :)
My father had his first 5 back in 1989/1990. It was an early 535i SE. It was written off in a serious car crash. He was very lucky to be alive.
In the mid 90s he had a 540i touring in oxford green. That sounded amazing.
The last 5 he had a was a rare ac schnitzer e39 M5. I miss that car
I just remember my nephew over here had a f10 550i. It was lovely , but he drove it like an a$$ and blew it up at 35k Km :( take care and enjoy your wonderful car! :)
It's a beautiful car! Have you had any major issues with the car? Seems reliable
Thanks for this great content. Very nice comments while viewing very beautyfull scenes from this great Car in Action. Thank you again.
Do the 2012 5 series cars have DAB as standard?
I enjoyed your review but there do seem to be issues with the F11. Timing chain is still a £1500 engine out job, TU or not - although that will probably then last for another 100k miles or so. If you are keeping the car it will be worth doing. Also, having looked on the net, condensation in the headlights seems to be a major problem. Did this get fixed with later models in in the series? Thanks
I'm glad you have done a video on my car. I thought I'd give my feedback. I have the saloon. You get 2 cup holders if you chose the automatic. Only 1 with the manual as there is not enough space. Its soo annoying! The touch pad idrive system came in 2014. And from 2013 has the updated Idrive system with the satellite view map but no touch pad unfortunately. I would highly recomend the media xl package the vide screen makes the cabin looks that little bit more executive. Overall love my 2013 520d efficient dynamic. Good on fuel, comfortable and plenty of pulling power. Great video keep the good work coming !
Id agree about the media pack, and thats really annoying about the cupholders, very short sighted!
I own a 2013 F11 530d with manual gearbox. Remapped to 320PS. Awesome mid-range acceleration, especially in the 4th gear. The best car I ever owned!!!
I didnt know you could get a 530 with a manual! If If had Id have been shopping for one!
@@furiousdriving 2013 was the final year of production for manual 530d. Discontinued from Sep 2013 with the LCI model.
What's that got to do with the 520d? Nothing.
I got a 2013 525d X Drive Bi Turbo. Really comfy and fun to drive car. A bit on the expensive side when it comes maintenance though. Doesn't seem to go bad that often though.
Just bought last month, cool car beautiful design.
You mentioned the N47T, with fewer timing issues. How can you tell the particular model has that version of engine?
Thanks
Check your VIN-code info.
Those 2 little shelves in the back just fill a space where a 12v cig lighter or usbs would go if it was an option at the time, I think it was or for buttons to press for something. I mean no one in their right mind would use them for storage because if you set off briskly the things will fall out.
My brother has 2016 525d auto m sport... Think it's the 215bhp he gets 49+mpg. Runs constantly on bp ultimate or shell v power. 125000 miles and full bmw service history. 47k new as it had loads of options ticked, he paid 10k....
I am surprised with all that equipment, a rear view camera is not included. My 2011 MG6 had a rear view camera
Dose the parcel shelf automatically lower as well as raise? It’s my biggest gripe with my e91 that it raises itself but dosent lower meaning you forget and go to drive and can’t see out the back.
Yes parcel shelf on F11 is automatically operated both raising and lowering
My big issue with the f10-11 is there was not sapphire black option!, just carbon black which I personally hate.
I‘m super interested in buying one of these. They seem to be the perfect fit. Do you guys have any suggestions for km? Does it make sense to buy one thats already over 150.000?
They seem to be OK, just change the belts and chains and oil service more often than BMW say
"your in different time zone to the driver" hahaha good one!"
I'm thinking to buy one of these. How can recognise if the car I'm looking at has upgraded timing chain system?
You need to start it cold and have some1 or you close to the bonnet to see any shakiness and weird noise. They are quite tractor like at idle so its hard to spot but you can. Also ask for receipt of any work done to it and if it has 50k miles on it theres a good chance you will have to do one 1-2 yourself and its about 2k job.
Great review Matt on a car I'm not sure I would own.
I hope you will get even better car :)
I reviewed a 2013 F10 530d SE on my channel just under a year ago. It was also a manual and had the larger central screen. I found the pedals very offset, and the pairing with the electronic handbrake to be an absolute pain, so much so that I would definitely go for the automatic. Mind you, the manuals are incredibly rare anyway, as 95 per cent of F10/F11s are automatics. The centre console is also massive, and seems to just cramp the driver's left leg as opposed to offering much in the way of storage space, as you say. The 530d was ludicrously fast, so the one you drove would probably suffice for most people. The beige leather interior on the one I drove was very good, though, and the seats were beautiful. I did like it, but it is a bit big for me and I do worry about the running costs, although reliability does sound good. It is a pretty decent car and they do drive very nicely if you can live with the offset pedal layout in the manuals.
Yes, the 520 is more than enough for most, especially with a remap it takes it to 525D times. Im not sure if the 530 has the same transmission tunnel, but youre right, it is very large
@@furiousdriving, absolutely, the 530d was a car which had to be driven with extreme care not to exceed the speed limit. The transmission tunnel is probably the same, although the one cup holder situation given how large it is in both cars is a bit disappointing!
I know what it feels like to be confused with an unmarked plodmobile, had a blue P 6 3500 for a while, constantly had people in front slowing to just below the limit on 2 lane A roads. Later bought an ex MP white one to which I added the jam stripe, did not go down well with the local plods, tried explaining it made the car more visible in poor light conditions did not wash with them. Nor saying it also covered the damaged paint where the original stripes were removed before putting up for auction.
hahaha
That bad boy from Bavaria looked a decent sort of car. A mysterious pair of hands too holding your notes! Nice slot these modern cars on a Monday.
Owner in helping me with my lines!
I bought a 2011 525 touring a few months ago. There are a few niggles to be addressed, but in general its nice. To be honest I'm not sure its a better car than the Ford S Max I had before it, some aspects of each car were better than others. Interesting points about the reliability of the E60/E61, I wasn't aware of this and would have bought one if the 'right' car had turned up, so its quite reassuring.
The 8 speed automatic is absolutely fantastic! I've got it in my F30 320d and it changes gear seamlessly. The current 5 series comes with an automatic transmission as standard. Its cleaner on exhaust emissions and more economical.
But I cant get excited about any car with an auto, Ive had a trips to amazing driving roads ruined by what should be good ones, even DSG
Nice review although I don't agree about the manual box, BMW don't generally do a nice manual but the 8 speed auto is quick and so smooth you don't feel the change and more reliable than the manual.
Are you sure about that? BMW were well known for great manual boxes
"How" do you check to find out if the car is a m47 " T" ???
I wish this was a facelift version with m sport paddle shifts
Thanks so much for this review! Finally a review that talks about reliability and things that are actually important when buying a used car. I'm really interested in the 520D but was afraid with all the talk about timing chains etc, but this review reassured me about it actually not being that unreliable!:)
The 530d n57 have timing chain issues too !
Did you get one?thinking to get one with 150k mileage as they should be sound at 200k+
@@maciej_zieba Hi, actually didn't. Ended up buying a 2014 Volvo V60 instead haha. Lovely car that I still own, but was close buying a F11. I'm sure it's fine as long as the maintenance is done and not missed oil changes.
@@maciej_zieba The timing chain problems and risk of other costly repais is what had me hesitating but from what I've heard the ones from 2012 and up are supossed to be fine.
@@KarlstadDrums thank you for replies sorry for late ones. I think I might pass too haha, Skoda 2014+ 2.0tdi looks like a safer option for me and insurance a lot better in early 20s me.
I knew a taxi driver with the previous gen car. It broke a lot. Saggy rear suspension , a turbo, and a complete engine rebuild at around £5,000! Ouch. I think that may be the answer to that question. The very questionable reliability has put me off most BM's for many years now. Shame as they do drive very nicely for a while. Excellent vid, thanks.
The previous gen was terrible! It did a lot of damage to their reputation by trying to save a bit of money
furiousdriving Is the e61 that bad though? I have a 550 with 100.000 miles. Had some pretty serious issues with the engine but not the rest of the car. And the engine isn’t exclusive to the e61... Live in Sweden, daily driver that has always been parken on the street. 2 kids. Still look like new, even inside. I do prefer the design to this, has more personality. And a bit less luxury, in a positive way, in its driving characteristics.
It's definitely got a presence on the road ,great car ! I agree with the electronic handbrake you always feel as though it's not going to hold the car ! Great review !👍
You're a great presenter. Nice video!
What in the world is going on at 13:24 with the revcounter jumping up and down erratically?
It’s a Timelapse so just different moments at different speeds etc
A huge MX-5
Please do a test drive on a SLK R171
I have an E61 530d auto, it goes remarkably well for a big car but always wish I could have had the manual. Unfortunately not many exist.
They are a rare beast, 525 was more common but you'd want the 530
Any chance of a review of a 2011/14 Ford Mondeo Titanium X Sport estate?
I'm really interested in buying one but finding a review is really difficult, they are also really hard to track down.
Ill keep an eye out for one! If I see one Ill grab it
@@furiousdriving Thank you.
Good hunting trying to locate one.
Was u driving a green bmw on the seven mile lane last Thursday
Good spot - yes, thats coming this week or next!
We've had Fll 520d touring for 2 years.... rear air suspension bags go once a year it seems.
ouch!
Expensive to change? :(
I do love going over the medway from halling to Peter's village lol
Its a nice bit of road they've made there, shame other people are on it!
The povo spec small screen is terrible, the big screen is a must
A true BMW fan!
Lovely ! I am surprised you have winter tyres on it must reduce MPG?-
It’s becoming far more common to have a set for the winter months in the U.K.,saves your nice allots from the salt and you won’t get stuck-I have winter wheels on my daily as well. Mpg drops very slightly but if it snows you’re mot going anywhere without them on a RWD car!
furiousdriving yes true , the RWD is lovely but has it drawbacks I notice a lot of used BMW that are imported into here are destroyed from salt from UK
@@furiousdriving I will make you eat your hat mate, I can drive RWD on normal tyres in snow mo issues just slow like everyone else and make better progress than a fwd car! I had a 328i e36 and we drove that all though the snow back last time we had bad snow i can't remember the year exactly.
Nobody like me I found that my e36 323i coupe was great on the snow. It never got stuck. My e30s were still ok, just need to be calm :)
Now I moved to russia I run an f20 116i and in the winter I use snow tires (with the studs) those tyres are amazing, and if you want the rear end to let loose, it’s easy to do :)
Bought this car (10 year old) off the back of this review. Cheers!
Some CZcams channels report high maintenance costs with the complicated engines and plastic parts of recent BMWs. Can anyone comment on running costs of the F11 compared to the classic E39?
As E39s are getting older now the running costs are starting to rise as things wear out or perish, so ;probably not much different over low miles and worse for the older car on big annual miles, however the E39 is more DIY friendly so you could save that way
Also the quality on info and the lack of pathetic "product endorsement etc" is refreshing
6:16 - you buy an auto F1X and put it in the key slot near the cup holders.
Wagonmafia.....except nothing less...GANG this is a real review
Sadly on the current generation G30 sedan and G31 touring, the 520d is no longer available with the manual gearbox. It was dropped in 2018, the same year Mercedes dropped the manual from the lower spec E class diesels.
And that’s why I’ll never own a G30 or G31, they’ve lost a potential future customer with that decision
Stupid launch control, all they care about is 0 - 60 times.
@@furiousdriving to be fair the autos in the German cars (BMW for me is great) so a manual just creates a chore while driving but they should still have the option! Especially on the more sporty offerings.
James shugg saloon
The auto had two cup holders in front of the stock. This manual car has drink holder in an awkward looking place where an arm should be😀
Why did you choose a merc over this
A few reasons, my W123 build quality really impressed me and opened my eyes to Mercs, but mainly the W204 has a rock solid reliability record and my E61 left a bad taste behind, I like the angular looks of the Merc more, however I was looking for both and would have been happy with either, but was able to find the C250 in the spec and condition I wanted first
And don't forget the Jaguar XF. That's another luxury car worth considering, if you wan't to somewhat break the mould.
I hear the 530d should make for better or very similar fuel economy as it's more powerful to get the car moving with less effort so you may see similar results on longer rides.
I see the logic, but I think unless you are very disciplined you end up booting it everywhere and the MPG suffers!
@@furiousdriving same can be said for the 520d. Depends how one drives them!
My mother's 2011 520d Estate was scrpped last month, timing chain had snapped and other suspension issues kept coming back, we were quoted £3000 minimum to fix it, but it had done over 200k so would never have been worth it, I liked our E39 530d much better!
Unlucky with it snapping, I dont know if youre supposed to change them ever? Ido think the E39 was the best BMW they ever
I remember the BMW diesel of the time (N47) was plagued with that problem. Funny considering how reliable the predecessor engine was (M47)
@@furiousdriving BMW insist that they are for the life of the car owners with snap chains may disagree
@@Banom7a BMW did fix the N47 eventually, after that it's a great engine.
Wow how long did it take to make that video? All the cameras all the editing? I was watching the video thinking you ve done this before and why is max on your number plate? It was only only at the end when I realised it wasn't your car and you had the merc. Lol it seemed pretty obvious you was smitten with it and would like it
Because it's my car 😊
@@eltontothemax nice car I have a 530 se 11 plate but wanted an m sport. But mines auto and big screen 😜
@@peteramberley9952 nice car bud, I didn't want an auto but each to their own!
@@eltontothemax manuals are more of a drivers car. I had a 525 in a manual and loved it too pieces but I drive a lot in traffic so auto is a must now. But love the straight 6
Thanks, and too long for the number of views its had so far ;-)
This was almost the car I bought instead of the Merc, there are lots of similarities, but now I know the C Class has better cup holders!
It is in fact the 6th generation 5 series, e12,e28,e34,e39,e60,f10/11.
Damn, counted twice with the owner, how did we miss one!
This channel really about to bit 100k by the end of the year, well deserved too.
That would be incredible if it did!
furiousdriving I love your videos! I was just thinking to myself how Hoovies Garage, Doug Demuro and Saab Kyle took CZcams by storm. But now there’s a British man doing it and while making everyone more aware of British car culture, your videos are extremely enjoyable to watch not only because you’re not overly pretentious but because you can really tell you enjoy your cars! Keep going, your videos are more informative than all those channels combined!☝🏼
About the E60/61 BMW’s, Chris Bangle might be very good at many things, it’s just that designing cars isn’t one of them.
Holy cow! I missed the 20k celebration. Well past that now.
I missed it too! The numbers were creeping and I had special review in mind then they shot up and Id not done it! Ill save it for 25K!
Nice one Matt, have you ever considered taking 10mg of Valium before you start filming? :D
That was 20
@@furiousdriving Jeez, better make it 40 then :D
It is the new E39 .And will be amazing value in 3 years time . £5k will easily buy a nice example
It might be comfortable and well built but somehow I like the Ignis from previous review more :D. I am weird.
I totally get that, the Ignis is like a pet you want to take home!
520d M Sport? I don't mind the choice of the base engine - still fast enough for me. But I think it's simply wrong to combine this with anything suggesting "sportiness"...
Youd be surprised how rapid it feels, there isnt really a slow option - just levels of quick!
@@furiousdriving I'm sure of that. But I'd rather have a "sleeper" than a car trying to look faster than it is...
If I had enough money to get one of these running, my greatest fear would be the diesel engine suffering a runaway. Definitely a part of the car I'd keep my eyes on.. other than that, great review - thank you! :)
Fortunately that doesnt seem to happen any more, the electronics monitor the rpm and fuel supply so closely its more likely to shut the car off than let it over run these days
I've had the same car for the past 3 years, and put 100k miles on it, a great car but can be costly to maintain (cost me £2500 for new rear air suspension and compressor, amongst other things) Auto is a must by the way.
Not sure why furiousdriving has an issue with the electronic brake! It does the job and its a small neat button to operate - rather than a big clumsy handle.
How odd this BMW has turn signal controls! Must be aftermarket 😏
Skoda superb if u want a estate it's un matched
My Peugeot 405s&406s had 70 L tank's.
Don't know why anyone would have an SUV instead of that. Estate cars look great.
Will not save you much getting 2nd hand compare with leasing.
If you talk about 2nd hand estate, I would go for Toyota Avensis or Honda Civic Touring. These will cost similar money 2nd hand without the 2nd hand ownership frills of a Bummer.
ECU under the boot floor? really? What were they thinking?!
Absolutely - the reliability of these is patchy to put it mildly.
These are very good used buys now as they are worlds apart from the last generation! Alot of people dont like the lease option as you never own it and are always paying, if you keep a car 5 years and finance the used buy for 3 you have 2 years free of payments. In my case I do 25-30,000 miles a year and leasing gets very, very expensive as they dont like you to do more than 8-10k a year for the resale which makes leasing possible
2012 car on a 2002 plate?
Private plate, hence 'Max' on the end
If I move back to England I would hope to have a f11, as my f20 in russia is way too small for being a dad of a baby. Lol
We don’t get tourings in russia :( only the gt models.
I didn’t know that, I’d have thought the tourings would’ve been popular there! Ideal family car-this was one, you can still see the indents from the 2 child seats!
furiousdriving it’s crazy isn’t it. I do see the odd touring, but it must be especially ordered. I see more Lamborghinis than tourings lol.
Apparently they see estates as work horses, and they don’t like blending the two images together, or so I was told.
Also Russia hasn’t got the new f40 1 series yet. Which has surprised me, as the previous generations were popular, and being fwd it will be ideal for the russian snow. :)
Dumb gopniks
"You could live in here if you wanted to"
Has Mrs FD had enough of you rebuilding V8s instead of doing the cleaning again?
It’s a threat I constantly live under!
If you want loads of rear legroom, sit in a superb..
.
I didnt know idubbz was doing car reviews
After the horrid E60's BMW just got everything right again and even better than the E39's just a standard F10 or F11 520d is all anybody needs
Nice BMW.
I'd rather have an E28 though.
E28 is lovely but for regular long distances or high mileage this would be more practical
Reviewers are always banging on about cup holders! Does anyone actually use them???
Yes, I work from the car and take travel cups from home every day.if I’m alone illl take 2 so I don’t have to stop or with a colleague a flask to refill
Used it a couple of times, but wouldn't really miss it much. There is usually somewhere in most cars that will hold a cup if you really need on odd occasion, like in mine which has a storage box in the centre console that just so happens to hold a cup pretty well.
@@furiousdriving I am in my van most of the day and it never crosses my mind to drink while I am in there. I asked a couple of reps about it recently and they both said they never use them either. Maybe I should buy a Furious driving mug and then I might!!!!🤔
For those of us who realise that drinking plenty of fluids is important, then yes. I used to do 50k a year, always had drink in holders.
@MAXrider man the e46 coupe I drive is the worst car for Drive-through It has ZERO cup holders and no where to put anything I still love my old girl though
I preferred these to its predecessor...👍
Surely, for value for money and luxury (depending on spec!) how about a Skoda Superb? I know it's a Skoda, but you know what some of them are like so won't let the badge decide the fate of an otherwise very capable car. Always liked BMWs for their drive, but all the reliability puts me off the brand. I've owned BMW products, everything's plastic, things are not engineered to be easy to be worked on and parts are expensive.
They are incredible value, and huge, with some really good tech but theres something about a Merc or BMW that makes them feel a bit special in comparison. They used to be very good, bt bad but now are good again!