BMW Faqs

The Touring looks like a BMW sedan with a cargo area that is tastefully attached where the trunk used to be. Which is good, because 5-Series BMWs look good to start with, and this expansion into a wagon was nicely carried out.  For 1995, the 525i Touring was given a slightly modified, more kidney-shaped grille, rocker panel strips and panels under the bumpers in body color.

Behind that distinctive grille is a 2.5-liter, DOHC in-line 6-cylinder engine with variable valve timing.  This powerplant produces 189 hp at 5900 rpm and 184 pound-feet of torque at 4200 rpm. Other engine features include electronic fuel injection and electronic engine managment.

A 4-speed automatic transmission with economy, sport and manual shift modes is standard. In the economy mode, transmission shifts are made at lower engine speeds to conserve fuel. In the sport mode, the shifts are made at higher rpm for better performance. In the manual mode, the driver can shift the transmission from gear-to-gear manually for performance driving, or to better suit conditions, such as starting in deep snow.

BMW’s sports sedans have a justified reputation for impressive handling characteristics, made possible by race-developed suspension systems. The slightly more pedestrian station wagon has not been shorted in that category.

It rides on the same 4-wheel independent suspension used in the 5-Series sedans. In technical terms, the front suspension is of the double-pivot, strut-type, while the rear is BMW’s patented Track Link system. More important to know than the nomenclature is the fact that the front and rear systems work together quite nicely.

Four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock brakes are standard, as is power-assisted steering that varies effort depending on engine speed: more assist at low speed for easy maneuvering, less assist at highway speeds for better control. Cast alloy wheels and wide 225/60R-15 radials are also standard.

On the safety side, the Touring offers dual airbags, front and rear computer-designed crush zones that dissipate crash energy as they collapse, and side-guard door beams.  Other popular standard features include intermittent wipers, heated outside mirrors and heated driver’s door lock, central locking, built-in tracks for an optional roof rack and metallic paint.

Settle in while we run through a portion of the list: Walnut trim, velour carpeting, time-delay courtesy lights with actuation from the driver’s exterior door handle, map lights, tinted glass, power windows with key-off operation, one-touch lowering of all windows and one-touch lowering of driver’s window only, two-stage rear defroster, microfiltered ventilation, air conditioning with left/right separate controls, AM/FM stereo with cassette player, illuminated vanity mirrors, rechargeable flashlight in the glove box, and a cargo cover.

As would be expected, the Touring has the edge in quality and luxury over its lower-priced competitors. Only the more-expensive Mercedes-Benz is its equal.  To repeat, the 525i Touring is a sports sedan with a huge trunk, and it rides and drives like the vehicle it is at heart. If you don’t ever look in the rear-view mirror, you simply won’t know you’re piloting a wagon and not a car.

The additional cargo area adds a not-insubstantial 199 lb. to the 3560-lb. curb weight of the sedan. But at no time, even in hard cornering not a typical wagon situation does that extra weight make the Touring feel top or tail-heavy.

The 6-cylinder engine the result of years of refinement by BMW is smooth and quiet. It doesn’t, however, give the Touring much zip in the acceleration department. Full-throttle starts are at first leisurely, then a bit more brisk as engine speed builds.