BMW 535d Touring

The boot of an estate car isn’t a comfortable place to work, but I’m not just here to type words into a laptop. I’m staging a sit-in protest.

You see, after a year and 29,000 miles, time’s up for our BMW 535d Touring, and I am genuinely gutted. It’s been one of the most impressive long-termers Auto Express has ever had – and that’s not just my opinion, as a flick through the logbook reveals.

“Outstanding”, “coped with everything I asked” and “what a brilliant car” are just some of the comments that fill the pages.

There’s been plenty to write about. As you can see from all the pictures here, life with the 5-Series hasn’t been dull.

It’s been to the Continent three times, camping twice, taken me on numerous mountain biking excursions and helped several people move house. However, it hasn’t performed flawlessly. Last summer, the Servotronic speed-sensitive power-steering packed up, and more recently the central locking failed, ensuring that the alarm sounded each time a door was opened.

Both problems were dealt with efficiently and repaired under warranty. But we hadn’t expected anything to go wrong with our premium German machine, and were disappointed when it did.

At least the original Goodyear tyres still aren’t worn out, and the only damage sustained was a couple of minor scrapes on the back bumper. Both were taken care of brilliantly by Shine! professional valeters.

I have other criticisms of the 535d, though. The lack of cabin stowage and ungainly dash design were daily bugbears, while I never felt completely at ease with the firm ride, often wishing I’d opted for the smaller-wheeled, softer-sprung SE version instead of the better-looking M Sport.

Our car also came fitted with a few cutting-edge options. The £1,365 Night Vision system displays illuminated images of the road ahead on the dash-mounted screen, but it’s a waste of time, as they are too blurred and grainy to be of any real use.

The £910 Head-up Display was another matter altogether. It works superbly, providing plenty of clear information on the windscreen without your eyes having to leave the road.

Despite a few setbacks, life with the 535d was exceptionally good. The twin-turbo 3.0-litre diesel is no longer the most refined around, but its blend of Porsche pace with city car economy has to be experienced to be believed. For an economy test in Issue 989 we did 47.2mpg, and I regularly managed more than 600 miles between fill-ups, while it blasted from 0-60mph in 5.8 seconds.

But it’s the 535d’s sheer versatility that will remain with me. It really was great fun to drive when the mood took me, yet could turn its hand effortlessly to load-lugging and family duties with equal aplomb. I certainly formed a deep bond with our BMW – it will take a lot to dislodge me!