2010 Top Gear Awards: BMW 520d Touring named “Family Car of the Year”

The 2011 BMW 520d Touring has just been named Family Car of the Year by Top Gear. The 520d has a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder common rail turbo diesel engine under the hood which delivers 184 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque — plus an excellent ratio of power consumption. CO2 emissions are only 135 grams per kilometer. Aside from these inherent characteristics, this 5 Series vehicle is also very affordable compared to other models in the fleet. It also has enough room to carry 5 passengers. Due to these characteristics, the 520d Touring has been sold out until early 2011. The 2010 Top Gear Awards reviewed vehicles nominated in the category and ultimately, chose this 5 Series as the winner. Here is an excerpt of what they had to say about the vehicle:

“Pity the competition. The new 5 Touring is one of the most sorted all-round cars available today. In fact, if you can stump up the not-insignificant £30k asking price for this entry-level 520d – there’s a 530d, too, plus the 525i and 530i petrols, but the smallest diesel is the one everyone will buy – it could be all the car you’ll ever need.

Its Big Numbers, as we’ve come to expect from BMW, are lightly stupefying. With 184bhp and 280lb ft of torque, the 520d will spin to 62mph in 8.3 seconds but, with the help of the standard stop-start tech, return 55mpg and 137g/km of CO2. In a car this size, that’s astonishing.

On the road, the engine is as excellent as its figures suggest. This is one of the smoothest, most tractable small diesels out there, with an unfeasibly wide powerband and much shove throughout the rev range. OK, occasionally you’ll miss the kidney-jabbing acceleration of the straight sixes, but for a real-world combination of economy and pace, look no further.”

Source: Top Gear