Error parsing XSLT file: \xslt\FacebookOpenGraph.xslt Our Fleet Test Drive Review: BMW 520d Touring - 9th report
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Our Fleet Test Drive Review: BMW 520d Touring - 9th report

Date: 30 March 2010   |   Author: Tristan Young

Clean me
Category: Executive
P11D price: £34,790
Key rival: Audi A6

We've gone on at length about how good the M-sport styling kit - larger wheels, deeper bumpers, side skirts - looks on our long-term BMW 5-series, but the other thing that makes it look the part is the optional Carbon Black paintwork.

It costs a fairly average (for metallic paint) £640, and when clean it has an almost blue twinkle to it. But here's the rub (as anyone who's owned a black car will tell you): they're hell to keep clean.

You can wash the car on Sunday afternoon, but by the time the dew (or rather the frost) has evaporated on Monday morning, the residue left by that moisture has taken off the shine.

So when the people at Turtle Wax asked if we wanted to try their new cleaning kit just for black cars we leapt at the chance.

Costing £25, you get a set of cloths, polishes and waxes to keep your car shining for longer. It also helps remove the tiny scratches that show-up on black cars more than others.

Our decidedly unscientific test found it to be great, but you did have to put a lot of effort in. However, the pay off was the car did seem to shine for longer in the winter grime than it does following my usual simple wash.

BMW 520d Touring M-sport
Business Edition 5dr auto
Mileage8109
Claimed combined consumption48.7mpg
Our average consumption38.3mpg
P11D price£34,790
Model price range£31,090-£67,905
CO2 (tax)154g/km (21%)
BIK 20/40% per month£121/£243
Service intervalvariable
Insurancegroup 16
Warranty3yrs/unlimited
Boot space (min/max)500/1650 litres
Engine size/power1995cc/177PS
Top speed/0-62mph139mph/8.6secs
Why we’re running itTo see if 520d Business
Edition can match rivals
PositiveExcellent efficiency,
great to drive, classy
NegativeShort life brake pads,
ride

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