BMW 530i Touring

BMW’s 530i Touring passenger wagon, based on the 5 Series prestige sedan, redefines the phrase “one with the lot”. Syrupy power from a high-tech six-cylinder petrol engine, cushioned ride and razor-sharp handling with grip to spare, and all the latest must-have gadgetry put the 530i Touring in a class of its own.

Forget justifying the BMW’s $114,800 price tag when a Subaru Liberty wagon is only half the ask; just accept that it’s impossible to put a price on the intangibles luxury brands like BMW provide. Incrementally better in every conceivable measure, the 530i Touring is more than a load lugger, it’s an experience.

Comparable in size and power to a Holden Commodore wagon, the BMW is 200mm shorter, but more agile because its wheelbase takes up more of the available underbody real estate. Doesn’t hurt that the 530i weighs just 1590kg, almost 100kg less than the Holden.

The real gem is BMW’s engine. The new-generation magnesium-alloy six-cylinder donk displaces just 3.0lt but belts a hefty 190kW of power to the rear wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. Admittedly it peaks at a heady 6600rpm, but is backed by a bucket of torque which surges hard from just 2500rpm.

It’s a shame the 530i is only tow-rated to 2000kg because this drivetrain could handle more. Our near-two-tonne test rig didn’t stretch the engine, and equally unruffled was the transmission’s silken gearchanges under load — both up and down the ‘box — which reduced the expected lurches and lunges to a near undetectable hiccup. 

Remember our order for “one with the lot”? Here’s why: The BMW 530i Touring pries $114,800 from your wallet, and for that you’ll receive not only one of the world’s
best touring wagons, but also 17in alloy wheels,

rain-sensing windscreen wipers, leather upholstery, electronically-adjustable front seats, iDrive multi-function system, climate control and multi-disc CD changer. Take a breath, we’re still going. Park Distance Control, self-levelling rear suspension to compensate for larger loads, and an automatic opening tailgate with soft close. We’re not going to bother detailing electric windows and mirrors, remote central locking, cruise control, traction control, antilock brakes, stability control and the rest because, well, because that’s taken as given at BMW.

Then there’s the highly configurable cargo bay. It features a flat rear floor and 60/40 split-fold rear seats, liberating a cargo capacity of up to 1650lt. Even with occupants in the rear seats, the Touring load capacity is a burly 500lt, up 18 per cent on the previous generation.

Some features aren’t desirable, like the sports suspension fitted to our test car, which subtracts from the 530i Touring’s usually silken ride for an incremental handling gain which is pointless in today’s world of punitive road safety run by penny pinching politicians. Then there’s BMW’s active steering which is designed for the high speed autobahns of Europe. Its variable ratio steering rack is supposed to make low speed manoeuvring a doddle, while increasing high speed stability (high speed=200kmh-plus). At Australian speeds it’s too reactive, and requires constant vigilance to curb wandering.

The maddening iDrive control system distils all non-essential car controls into one frustrating interface. Think of it like trying to set the GPS, adjust air conditioning or tune the stereo via a computer mouse. In theory it’s bloody brilliant. In reality it’s a friggin’ nightmare. We can only hope it will be more intuitive in future generations.

Don’t let that detract from what is otherwise a really neat piece of kit. BMW’s aced the wagon genre, added a fair wedge of technology and delivered a vehicle that’s more fun to drive than any other wagon on the market. It costs a trailer load of dough, but think of the pleasure you’ll have towing that trailer around.

» Click here for CarPoint's 7 day test review on the BMW 530i Touring

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