BMW 5 SERIES GRAN TURISMO HATCHBACK FULL REVIEW

BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo Hatchback full 9 point review

Performance

4 out of 5 stars

The four engine options are a 3.0-litre diesel (with two power outputs), plus twin-turbocharged petrol engines of either 3.0 litres or 4.4 litres. All drive through an eight-speed automatic transmission, and there's not a bad one among them, so choosing between them depends on the depth of your pockets.
Ride & Handling

2 out of 5 stars

The GT's handling doesn't have the sharpness we've come to expect from BMW. The steering's a little too slow and light, the body leans a little too much through corners, and the car is too easily upset by mid-corner bumps. The ride is more of an issue, though, because it jiggles over the smoothest of surfaces and thuds over potholes. M Sport cars get firmer suspension that’s likely to make the ride even worse, but the optional Adaptive Drive system improves things considerably.
Refinement

2 out of 5 stars

The 3.0-litre diesel engine that most buyers will go for is the epitome of smoothness, and it works beautifully with the eight-speed automatic gearbox. The petrol units are also impressively refined. Unfortunately, there's too much wind noise at speed, and road- and suspension noise are too intrusive for a grand tourer.

Buying & Owning

3 out of 5 stars

The GT is priced at around the same level as the X5, BMW's biggest SUV, but the company is by no means being greedy when you consider the level of luxury in the car. Running costs for the 3.0-litre cars won't be excessive, but the GT is a rather unusual proposition for buyers, so it won't hold its value anywhere near as well as the equivalent 5 Series.
Quality & Reliability

5 out of 5 stars

You can’t fault the way the car is put together or the materials BMW has chosen to trim it with. The GT feels as plush as the 7 Series, but has its own distinctive and appealing style. Equally, the quality of engineering is hard to fault, and BMW has a good reliability record.
Safety & Security

5 out of 5 stars

The GT has none of the knee- or rear side airbags that you find in some high-class cars, but it does come with twin front, side and curtain airbags, as well as electronic brakeforce distribution and stability control. BMW’s security systems are tried and tested, too.

Behind The Wheel

4 out of 5 stars

You have the higher-than-average driving position of a semi-SUV and a seat with a wide range of adjustment, while the standard panoramic glass roof lets in lots of light. Unfortunately, rear visibility is rubbish due to the sloping window with thick blacked-out side portions. BMW’s iDrive control interface is far more intuitive than most rival systems.
Space & Practicality

2 out of 5 stars

You can have a bench or two individual seats in the rear. Either way, they slide and tilt, and offer 7 Series legroom with X5 headroom. Sadly, the middle seat in the five-seater is so narrow that it's next to useless. The boot is disappointingly small, too, and the fact that it can be opened like a boot lid or a tailgate isn't much help. The seats lay at angle when folded.
Equipment

4 out of 5 stars

There are two trims. The SE is equipped to a standard in keeping with a model that straddles the boundary between executive car and limo, but the M Sport adds thousands to the prices, and only styling touches and firmer suspension to the roster.