Item: Used BMW 5 Series Touring 2017-present
Rating: 5
Author: What Car? Team

There are many rivals to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/bmw">BMW</a> 5 Series Touring, but few manage to blend its depth of talents quite so well.

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/e-class/estate/used-review/n915">Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate</a> gets close, mind you, and thanks to steeper depreciation, it works out to be slightly cheaper to buy. It may not be quite as accommodating in the rear for tall passengers, but its boot is massive and you can&nbsp;even add extra fold-up seats in there, turning this posh estate into a genuine seven-seater.

If you want a slick-looking estate with a well-finished interior, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/a6/saloon/used-review/n894 ">Audi A6 Avant</a>&nbsp;is a fine choice. It’s been around a while, so there are loads of them available, from a sensible 2.0-litre diesel&nbsp;all the way up to the rampant RS6 Performance model with its 596bhp 4.0 V8 petrol engine.

There’s also the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volvo/v90/estate/used-review/n841">Volvo V90</a>, which looks great both inside and out and comes with bags of safety technology that not only helps to prevent accidents&nbsp;but also keeps you safe if they do happen.

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If you're interested in finding a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/bmw/5-series?used=true&amp;nearlynew=true&amp;postCode=tw1%203sp">used 5 Series</a>&nbsp;Touring, or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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What is it like?

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Advice for buyers

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Alternatives

<h3>Crankshaft sensor</h3>

A problem with the crankshaft sensor of some examples built from 17&nbsp;May&nbsp;to&nbsp;26&nbsp;June 2018 could lead to the engine going into an emergency reduced power mode, limiting&nbsp;performance. A BMW dealer will be able to confirm if your 5&nbsp;Series&nbsp;is affected by this and arrange to have the sensor replaced if necessary.

<h3>EGR cooler</h3>

There have been a few recalls for leaking EGR coolers that apply to various BMW models, but for the 5&nbsp;Series it affects those built between 2 February&nbsp;and 4 May&nbsp;2017. With cars from such a broad timescale involved, it's worth contacting your dealer for further information; you'll need to have the vehicle inspected if it is suspected to be one of those affected.

<h3>Crankcase bearing bushing</h3>

This recall affects some 5&nbsp;Series models made from 27 July&nbsp;2018&nbsp;and 15&nbsp;May&nbsp;2019, and concerns&nbsp;a crankcase bearing bushing that might not have been pressed into the engine&nbsp;correctly. This may sound like a minor issue, but cars that are involved will actually need to have a new engine fitted, so speak to a BMW dealer for further information.

<h3>Brake switch</h3>

A&nbsp;number of 5 Series manufactured from 19-20 May 2017 could have an issue with the brake switch that could leave the brake lights on permanently, even when you're not trying to slow down. Find out from a dealer if your car is affected by this because it'll need to have a new brake pedal assembly fitted if it is.

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/bmw">BMW</a>&nbsp;has been clawing its way up the brand tables this year and managed to achieve&nbsp;a very credible 9th place out of the 31 car brands included in our latest Reliability Survey.&nbsp;We've also seen an improvement in the regular&nbsp;5 Series since it came&nbsp;third overall in the luxury car category.

If you would like to see the full reliability list, head to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2018-what-car-reliability-survey/n17811">What Car? Reliability Survey</a> pages for more information.

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Estate

Munich-based BMW is most famous for its sports saloons, in particular the 3 Series and 5 Series. However, it actually builds almost every type of car imaginable: everything from two-seat convertibles to seven-seat MPVs.

The cheapest model in the BMW range is the 1 Series hatchback, which is a rival to the Audi A3, Mercedes-Benz A-Class and Volkswagen Golf. Meanwhile, at the other extreme is the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car, which costs more than £100,000.

BMW was also quick to capitalise on the rise of the SUV and now has six in its range: the X1, X2, X3, X4, X5 and X6.

All of this makes it one of the big three German prestige brands, along with Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

5 SERIES

Big, practical and refined, the BMW 5 Series Touring is one of the finest luxury estate cars

Used BMW 5 Series Touring 2017-present

<h3 dir="ltr">MPG</h3>

The most sensible choice is the 520d, with its&nbsp;official (NEDC) fuel economy figure of 60.1mpg. The other diesel models are still impressive, at 54.3mpg for the 525d and 52.3mpg for the 530d (although this drops to 49.5mpg if you choose one with four-wheel drive).

Petrol models aren’t quite so economical, but at least the 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines in the 520i and 530i are reasonable, with official figures of 46.3mpg and 45.5mpg. The four-wheel drive 540i xDrive is rather thirsty,&nbsp;at 35.7mpg.

In later post-facelift cars, and under the more realistic WLTP tests, the 520i averages 42.2mpg, the 540i 35.8mpg, the 530e 176.6mpg, the 520d 54.3mpg and the 530d 47.9mpg. The plug-in hybrid 530e's figure looks hugely impressive, but it's unlikely you'd see those sorts of figures in everyday use, unless it fitted into your lifestyle extremely well.&nbsp;

<h3 dir="ltr">Car tax (VED)</h3>

You’ll need to be mindful of the original retail price of the car, because most 5 Series Touring would have cost more than £40,000 when new, therefore breaching the luxury car tax bracket. This means you'll&nbsp;have to pay the standard flat rate fee, plus&nbsp;an additional&nbsp;surcharge&nbsp;until the car is more than six years old. Current costs are £150 a year for the road tax and £325 a year for the luxury tax. To find out more about the current <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/car-tax-changes-in-2019-%E2%80%93-what-do-i-need-to-know/n1153">road tax costs, click here</a>.

<h3 dir="ltr">Servicing costs</h3>

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/bmw">BMW</a>'s servicing is marginally cheaper than Mercedes’s&nbsp;and generally on a par with other rivals'. However, your car's previous owner might have bought a service pack when the car was new; this covers all the routine maintenance of the car for the first three years or 36,000 miles. You can check BMW’s website to see if your 5 Series Touring is covered by one of these.

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Big, practical and refined, the BMW 5 Series Touring is one of the finest luxury estate cars

Prices start at £18,500 for a 2017 520d SE model with higher than average mileage.&nbsp;Increase your spend to £19,000 to £21,000 or more for a car with below average mileage from 2018 or 2019, while £22,000 to £25,000 should find you a nice post-facelift 2019&nbsp;example. Spend upwards of that on a 2020 model.&nbsp;

Check the value of a used BMW 5 Series with <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/car-valuation/">What Car? Valuations</a>

<h3 dir="ltr">Engine</h3>

Unless you need a petrol engine because you only do short commutes, you're better off choosing the refined 520d for its blend of usable power and fine fuel economy. There are loads of examples on the used market, too.

<h3 dir="ltr">Specification</h3>

SE gets you all the equipment you need, including climate control, cruise control, sat-nav, front and rear parking sensors and bright LED headlights. M Sport adds plenty of sporty styling touches, but its sports suspension is too hard. If you must have an M Sport, though, make sure you find a car fitted with adaptive dampers, because Comfort mode on these transforms the ride. Alas not many cars were fitted with this option, but if you can find one it'll be worth it.&nbsp;

Our favourite 5 Series Touring: 520d SE

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Huge boot and excellent practicality</li> <li>Plenty of interior space so you can carry passengers as well as luggage </li> <li>Strong engines to pull a heavily laden car</li> <li>Comfortable ride, especially on the motorway</li> <li>Low running costs for company car drivers</li></ul>

If you’re after bags of space but you don’t want to commit to the van-like dimensions and styling of an MPV, there are some great estate cars on offer that should do the job.

Tricks to look out for include an electric tailgate&nbsp;that opens automatically when you wave your foot under the rear bumper; this is&nbsp;particularly handy if you’re trying to load in a heavy or&nbsp;bulky item. You should also look for handles in the side of the boot itself that can drop down the rear seats; these are much more convenient than having to walk around the side of the car to do it.

There are some terrific estates at most price ranges. The humble Skoda Fabia Estate offers cavernous space for not much cash at all, for example.

Further up the price range, another of our perennial favourites is the Skoda Superb Estate;&nbsp;it’s great to drive and as practical as most people should ever need. Meanwhile, for serious mile-munching ability and a premium, well-finished interior, it’s hard to look beyond the BMW 5 Series Touring.

Given that the Touring is an estate, check the condition of its boot carpet for evidence of stains from past load-lugging duties. You should also cast your eyes upwards to the roof lining, too, because some owners might like to load their car up to the roof or put dogs in there. &nbsp;

As with the saloon, the 5 Series Touring could have some pretty large alloy wheels, so check them for signs of kerb damage. Front and rear parking sensors are standard, but you should still look around for any sign&nbsp;of poor paint repairs.

The equipment levels of most&nbsp;BMWs is generous these days, and every 5 Series has&nbsp;plenty of toys&nbsp;as standard, so push every button to make sure they all still work&nbsp;properly.

There’s a question that’s often asked of us here at What Car? – which&nbsp;one used car would you recommend that fulfils all needs?

Well, of course, that very much depends on your individual needs, but although in each category and each price point we could name many good contenders, somehow our thoughts always come back to this BMW 5 Series Touring. You see it takes all that's wonderful about the hugely impressive <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/5-series/saloon/used-review/n991">5 Series saloon</a> and adds in a healthy and desirable dose of extra practicality.&nbsp;

Hugely impressive? There's&nbsp;the superb refinement, generous amounts of high-tech kit, economical engines, excellent driving manners and the classy image, so this Touring version really could be&nbsp;'all the car you’ll ever need'.&nbsp;The BMW 5 Series Touring can also be found with the added attraction&nbsp;of four-wheel drive (xDrive) on most models, too, so is even as versatile as some of the more modern 4x4s.

Not that it has it all its own way even in this class. Being a premium estate car, the 5 Series Touring has to compete with some very accomplished rivals, such as the stylish <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volvo/v90/estate/used-review/n841">Volvo V90</a>, gargantuan <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/e-class/estate/used-review/n915">Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate</a> and classy <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/a6/saloon/used-review/n894">Audi A6 Avant</a>.&nbsp;

There were initially three petrol and three diesel engines to choose from; the petrols range from a sprightly 182bhp 2.0-litre&nbsp;four-cylinder (badged 520i) to a lusty 335bhp 3.0-litre&nbsp;six-cylinder (540i), and the diesel lineup&nbsp;includes&nbsp;2.0-litre four-cylinder units with 187bhp and 228bhp, plus a 261bhp 3.0-litre six-cylinder.

In later cars, from 2019 onwards, the engines gained mild hybrid technology, or MHT.&nbsp;The range eventually settled on the 520i MHT, the 540i xDrive MHT, 530e hybrid xDrive, 520d xDrive MHT and the 530d xDrive MHT.

Equipment levels compared with BMWs of old are&nbsp;actually very generous, and&nbsp;you'd never call the standard SE version 'entry-level'. Every 5 Series has 17in alloy wheels, leather trim, cruise control, LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors, dual-zone climate, and a 10.2in infotainment system with DAB radio and sat-nav. M Sport has bigger 18in alloys, firmer suspension and sportier exterior and interior touches.

While the 5 Series Touring shares the same rear-wheel-drive chassis as the&nbsp;5 Series saloon, its additional weight means it isn’t as sharp to drive. The steering is surprisingly vague off-centre, and the car doesn’t find as much front-end grip as some of its rivals. However, if you’re after comfort, the 5 Series excels. In examples fitted with adaptive dampers, the ride is particularly good at isolating you from the very worst expansion joints and road scars. The interior is also supremely well isolated from wind and road noise, and the engine’s hum fades away into the background at speed.

If you’re buying an estate you'll want to know how much stuff you can carry, and&nbsp;the 5 Series Touring has one of the biggest boots in its class. The standard 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats and absence&nbsp;of a loading lip mean&nbsp;even oddly shaped items are a doddle to fit. The luggage area is nice and wide, so a buggy should go in there sideways.

All passengers should find the 5 Series Touring to be most accommodating. There’s plenty of adjustment up front for the driver and front passenger, while those in the rear get plenty of head and leg room. The middle seat passenger in the rear will have to clamber over a tall central tunnel, but three adults across the bench is a possibility, even if there will be some rubbing of shoulders. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The 5 Series Touring was treated to a comprehensive facelift in the latter half of 2020 that gave it LED headlights as standard (with super bright adaptive LED headlights as an option), a larger, more imposing grille, a more aggressive body kit and a smattering of extra standard equipment throughout the range.&nbsp;&nbsp;

If you're interested in finding a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/bmw/5-series?used=true&amp;nearlynew=true&amp;postCode=tw1%203sp">used 5 Series</a>&nbsp;Touring, or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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Used BMW 5 Series Touring 2017-present review

Our recommendations

Which used BMW 5 Series estate should I buy?

Engine