Bought a used 2010 BMW 520d F10: Likes, dislikes & ownership review

Surprised to report, I've gotten a minimum of 17 km/l with the car sitting happily at 120 to 140 and an occasional spirited overtake.

BHPian Petrolhead1209 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Little did I know I would be posting here at this point. So here goes my first-ever post on Team BHP.

A little bit of background story

In 2017 a 2010 Fiat Linea entered my life as a surprise addition to the garage. My dad brought it home out of the blue without any forewarning. Turns out it was a distress sale, the man was leaving India on very short notice and needed to get rid of it and was offering it for a very very low price. This is when my dad swooped in and got it for a steal. We owned that for just around 2 years which was when construction of our new home was in progress and it wasn't being used much. A buyer came around near the end of 2019 and offered us the same price that we'd paid for it 2 years prior. And boom - she was gone!

At the time we had our Zen - the daily and a 2005 Hyundai Accent - A spare vehicle which was used very occasionally. Now the Hyundai Accent became the Mile Muncher in place of the Linea. Worlds apart but got the job done.

Fast forward to the end of 2022, nearly 3 years later and with no car, Dad felt the itch for a new car. (He has this itch every couple of years ). Me and my younger brother were tasked with finding the next Mile Muncher. Dad gave us a budget and genre of cars to look for. He gave us the category - Sedans, German Sedans, no ordinary German Sedans but the 3 big boys - Audi, Mercedes Benz, BMW. The initial plan was either a 3er, C Class, or A4. The search began. Found some suitable candidates and went for a test drive. And there was the first hiccup. Not enough space. For context my dad and my brother are just shy of 6ft tall, me being 6ft. My mum would've been fine, she's around 5ft 4". Considering that one of us has to be in the back seat, these options simply didn't suffice.

The next was a slight stretch in the budget and new candidates - F10 or an E60 5er, W212 E class, C7 A6(2011-14). This time the hiccup was the budget. The only options available at that price point were the E60 and the W212 4th Gen, E class. Dad said it would suffice, it's just an entry into this segment, and we will swap it out for a newer version down the line. Cool. But my heart was still on the F10 and C7. Nonetheless, Candidates were chosen, and Test drives were taken. Space was more than sufficient.

Narrowed the search down to a 2010 Titanium Silver 520d. Really good condition. Run around 90k at the time. Well maintained and checked the boxes. Decision made. In 2 weeks, we pick up the car with a full cash payment. Dad was in Coorg for a project completion hence the delay.

3 days after this my brother came rushing to me with Mum's phone in his hands with a huge grin on his face "Let's get an F10, there's one for sale somewhat in our budget." I was ecstatic. Called my dad and he said he'll be back in 2 days, let's go see it.

We go to see the vehicle, turns out he was a mutual friend. Trust went up but didn't let our guard down. Got a full comprehensive scan, and checked for everything that was recommended by the folks on the Team-BHP forum for buying a pre-owned car. Everything checked out. The only small issue was it was driven 1 lakh kms, and it was MH registered. Negotiated on the price, got it down a bit and finalized it, with an advance paid. He said his new vehicle was to be delivered in a week or so and he needed the car to get around. We were all bustling with excitement about this acquisition. We didn't tell Mum about this by the way. 10 days later, we got the call. Couldn't contain the excitement when I was in college and dad told me we'll go pick it up today. I rushed home, took a quick shower and we hopped in a cab.

And there she was, our new F10 520d, finished in this beautiful shade of Space Grey Metallic, being washed and cleaned at a Washing Centre.

Gorgeous car, very timeless, I'm in love.

Next came the interiors, being an avid viewer of AMMO NYC, decided to detail the interiors fully. Yes fully, with the seats out of the car. Gave a little love to the wheels with Turtle Wax Wheel cleaner. And a polish on the exterior.

WHAT I LIKE

• The buttery-smooth, insanely refined 2.0 diesel engine from BMW. The engine can barely be heard on startup it gets a little vocal under heavy acceleration. This paired with the ZF-8 gearbox is insane!! I've driven DSGs and those are the fastest. ZF-8 is good even at low speeds with no jerking at all. Throw it in manual mode and the shifts are crisp and rapid.
• Amazing suspension: Took all of the irregularities on the Indian roads like a champ.
• Performance: The 185hp/380 nm comes to its league on the highways. Coming from a Fiat Linea and a 2004 Camry, my dad says this is rapid for the size. City driving is very easy, power is always on tap.
• Very spacious with a huge boot at 520 litres, extremely practical.
• Unlike every other Indian, Dad was not very concerned about the age-old question 'Kitna deti hai?" Since it's only for longer drives. Surprised to report I've gotten a minimum of 17 km/l with the car sitting happily at 120 to 140 and an occasional spirited overtake. Get around 13-14 in the cities with the AC on full blast

EXTERIOR

• The front is pretty iconic, F10 and the F90 pre-lci have to be my favourite body styles of all time in the 5er lineup. The long hood with strong masculine creases, with the luxury line bumper is sophisticated and understated. Bi-xenons on the outer projectors with the iconic angel eyes. Light output is fine, does the job. Fog Lamps are HID, done by the previous owner.
• The side profile is nothing short of spectacular. Strong body line running from the front fenders and meeting with the sculpted tail lamps. Sitting on 17" alloys from the luxury line variant. Looks good. It's currently on Tubeless Tyres, with a puncture repair kit and a compressor in the boot.
• The rear is instantly recognisable from a distance, the dual tips are a nice touch. Subtle crease connecting the 2 reflectors on the bumper.
• All things considered, it's a beautiful car with a very understated, elegant look about it.

INTERIORS

Centre console

• The centre console has a well-cushioned armrest that opens like a clamshell of sorts. Iconic BMW. Next comes the Electronically operated Parking Brake with the gear lever just ahead of it. Easy to use and requires some amount of getting used to.
• To the left of the gear lever on the passenger side is the iDrive controller, again has a small learning curve but is excellent once you get used to it. Fun Fact - This is borrowed out of the F01 7 series.
• To the right of the gear lever is the TCS button and the toggle for parking sensors at any given point in time. Comes on automatically when the car is put into reverse.
• 2 cup holders under a retractable wood panel. Also has a slot for the key to sit in.

HVAC system

• Pretty straightforward to use. Dual zone controls have a sync option which puts the driver in control of the passenger side. Haven't had to use the heating system, Air Conditioning is sufficient and cools the car down in a relatively short period.

Infotainment system and Speakers.

• The system itself is very straightforward. Has Bluetooth, AUX, USB, and CD options. Is the job for me?
• Also neat trick, you can set the numbers to do specific actions. I've set mine to jump directly to the settings, Bluetooth connection, trip computer, vehicle status etc. Shows you what it's assigned to when you hover over the numbers.
• Provision for Profiles is given. Again I have 2 profiles assigned. Memory seats are bound to specific profiles.
• Vehicle Status shows the engine oil level, Low Tire Pressure Warning and if the Brake Pads need changing.
• Speakers are good for me. I'm not an extreme audiophile but do appreciate the difference in the quality when compared to other vehicles. 1 speaker and 1 tweeter in each of the front door cards, 1 speaker in the centre of the dashboard, 2 speakers behind the headrests of the rear passenger seats. 2 subs under the front seats. A good output to say the least.

Glove Box

• The decently sized glovebox has one of the 2 fuse boxes of the car behind a door. Fully lined with felt so no rattling.

Door cards: Lined with leather. Bins are lined with felt. Kind of small for the sheer size of the Doors.

Sunshades: Decently sized with a vanity mirror, has automatic lights

Sunroof Control unit and sunroof

Ambient lights

SEATING AND COMFORT

• The seat you want to be in - the driver's seat. Well bolstered, mine has the optional lumbar support allowing for even more adjustment. You can get a good driving position very easily. Comes with 2 memory slots. No.1 for my dad and No.2 for me.
• A good view out with ample size for the ORVMs. IRVM also does the job quite well. All the mirrors are auto-dimming. The hood is a tad bit longer for shorter folks.
• Looking straight at you is an analogue digital cluster with the speed on the left and the rpm on the right. Small digital part on the bottom for the odo, time and other details. Shows you how much longer until the next service is neat!!
• Indicators and high/low beams on the left stalk. Feels nice and premium, and has a button on the end to cycle through the various data displayed on the instrument cluster. Stalk is easy to use, do not know why the running joke of BMW drivers not using turn signals due to the difficulty.
• Right stalk for wipers, has a button to toggle for the automatic wipers.
• The door card has controls for the power windows, memory seats and the ORVM adjustment. Beautiful wood trim all across the dash. Soft touch materials everywhere.
• The steering is nice and thick especially when compared to the W212. Has your usual media controls and cruise controls. Also has a voice command system - very finicky and needs specific prompts.
• Passenger seats are identical to the driver's seat, except for the memory seats.
• Rear seats - I would say the 520d is best suited for 4 individuals. Haven't been in the backseats yet. But from my brother's perspective - they are very comfortable but could use a bit more of legroom for stretching out a bit more but not cramped by any means. But considering the sheer size of the vehicle, I expected quite a bit more. Mother is very happy with the space back there. Door cards have manual sunshades. Even one for the quarter glass!! Neat touch. The rear sunblind is automatic and operated by the driver. Central armrest with cup holders. Rear AC vents are also present. A huge centre tunnel gives a sense of seclusion in the rear seat when 2 are seated. A folding headrest for the third passenger, best suited for children. Manageable by adults for short runs.
• Suspension is nice and supple, albeit the Ground Clearance is not the best, needs some snaking over certain speed breakers. Eats up road imperfections with no hesitation.

PRACTICALITY

Insane Boot Space. 520 litres. More than enough for us. Kind of a boat to drive around on Bangalore roads at first but it's easily manoeuvrable.

DRIVING DYNAMICS - MY FAVOURITE SEGMENT

• Mine is powered by the in-line 4 2.0 diesel engine from BMW, producing 185hp and 380 nm of torque. It's found on a variety of BMWs. In city situations, the engine is very manageable with power on tap anytime. The gearbox is smooth and not noticeable. Feels like a petrol car at the lower end.
• On the highway, this is a different animal altogether. With a slightly heavy foot, it reaches 3 digits in no time and is quite happy sitting there.
• Throw it in the manual/sport mode and you have all 185 horses at your disposal with the tiptronic system if you'd like. My favourite time to use this is when there's work going on on the highway, and there's a speedbreaker.
• Slow down, take the speed breaker and start creeping forward at around 20 km/h. Once I see a clear line in the fast lane, push the gear lever into sport/manual and the GB instantly drops a gear and sits at 2.5k rpm, and a firm push on the pedal shoves you in the back of the seat. The rear squats down, and the hood rises ever so slightly. The engine is now vocal and pulling the nearly 5 metre long, 1.7 tonne Bavarian Machine to 3 digits in 6 seconds. The gearshifts are straight-up violent for a Luxury Sedan of this calibre. The pull is relentless and soon I end up doing insane speeds without realising it. Needless to say, the enthusiast within me is very satisfied with how this drives.
• Did take it on a drive in the hills, very agile for the size, steering is very direct and puts you where you want to be. Turn off TCS and floor it in a corner, you'll feel that rear end step out a bit and with a little counter steer the tyres do their work and grip up, propelling you out of the corner. The torque that this engine provides is excellent for winding roads. Is very planted for what it is and is not skittish by any means.
• Safe to say, I think I'm very happy with this car. The only thing I would like instead of this is the M Sport trim instead of the Luxury Line purely for the looks, that front bumper is something I love along with the other small touches that the M Sport has.

Thanks for reading!!

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