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

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/e-class/saloon/used-review/n17423">Mercedes-Benz E-Class</a> is the BMW’s most obvious rival. When equipped with the optional air suspension it’s sublimely comfortable, and it has a wonderfully classy interior. However, it’s not quite as quiet or as good to drive, and it’s pricier to buy.

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/a6/saloon/used-review/n894">Audi A6</a>, by contrast, is cheaper than the 5 Series, but it’s also less efficient and comes with less equipment. It still has a classy interior, but on the whole, the BMW is light years ahead.

Then there’s the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/jaguar/xf/saloon/used-review/n17415">Jaguar XF</a>, which is also cheaper to buy than the BMW. It can’t match up to the 5 Series as an all-round package – poor infotainment and a slightly cheap interior see to that – but it is more engaging to drive and worth considering as a slightly more left-field choice.

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If you're interested in finding a used <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/bmw/5-series?used=true&amp;nearlynew=true&amp;postCode=tw1%203sp">5 Series</a>, 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?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

The 5 Series did well in our most recent reliability survey, finishing in third place in the luxury car class with an impressive overall score of 92.6%. Non-engine electrics were the most common problem, followed by engine electrics. Some cars took up to a week to be fixed, however.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/bmw">BMW</a> as a whole, meanwhile, came ninth out of the 31&nbsp;car manufacturers in the survey.

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Saloon

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

Classy, comfortable and efficient, the multi-talented BMW 5 Series is one of the best used luxury cars money can buy

Used BMW 5 Series Saloon 2017-present

Very little. The most economical version in the range is the 520d Efficient Dynamics, with its astonishing official average fuel consumption figure of 62.7mpg, according to the older NEDC tests, and 56.5mpg according to the newer and more realistic WLTP tests. This is for the 520d with the mild hybrid technology.&nbsp;

But the rest of the range is very impressive, too. The standard 520d has consumption figures better those of all its main rivals, while even the more powerful diesels are impressively efficient. Petrol versions, too, rank above their rivals in terms of overall average consumption figures. The plug-in hybrid 530e car has a spectacular overall fuel consumption figure of 128.4mpg, but don’t reckon on getting close to any of these high figures in the real world, but even so, you should achieve very respectable fuel economy compared with rivals.

Knowing how much a 5 Series will cost to tax is tricky. You’ll need to know how much the car cost when it was new, including options, for which you’ll probably have to consult your BMW dealer. If that figure was over £40,000, you’ll have to pay a whopping £475 a year, made up of the basic annual tax charged on all cars and a supplementary luxury car surcharge. This is a flat rate across all new cars that was introduced on 1 April 2017, so the same goes for its rivals; however, because the 5 Series was priced slightly lower than the E-Class, you’re more likely to find one that falls into the lower tax bracket, which will only cost you a comparatively painless £150&nbsp;a year.

Servicing costs are slightly cheaper than <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/mercedes-benz">Mercedes</a>’ but on a par with most other rivals'. However, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/audi">Audi</a> offers some very competitive servicing deals at its dealers on cars over three years old that BMW can’t match. That's worth keeping in mind if you’re planning to keep your car for a long while.

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Classy, comfortable and efficient, the multi-talented BMW 5 Series is one of the best used luxury cars money can buy

The starting price for a used example of this generation of 5 Series is now under&nbsp;£20,000, this for a 2017 or 2018 model with an average to high mileage for the year and a full service history, bought from an independent dealer. Most of them will be 520d versions, as this model is the biggest seller. Spend between £20,000 and £25,000 on 2018 and 2019 cars, or models&nbsp;with a larger engine, or M Sport trim, or from franchised dealers. Reckon on £25,000 to £30,000 for a good 2019 model, with a low mileage and a full history, and £30,000 to £35,000 on 2020 cars.

If you want to find out whether the 5 Series you’re considering buying is well-priced, use our free <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/car-valuation/">What Car? Valuations</a> tool.

<h3>Engines and trims</h3>

Keep it simple. The 520d offers the best blend of performance and fuel economy, while the cheapest SE version offers more than enough equipment and the best ride quality. Happily, the 520d SE is the most common variant, so it’s also the easiest to find. Post-2019 cars feature the mild hybrid tech, and are well worth seeking out.&nbsp;

If you can find one, a car with Variable Damper Control (VDC) is worth having, but don’t buy a 5 Series with too many options fitted or it’ll push you into that higher tax threshold.

Our favourite BMW 5 Series: 520d SE

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Plush ride and the ability to cruise in near-silence </li> <li>Powerful and efficient engine</li> <li>Space for passengers to stretch out in the rear seats</li> <li>Exquisite materials and build quality</li> <li>Endless luxuries on the options list</li> <li>Sensible fuel and tax bills</li></ul>

If you’re in the market for a luxury car, you’ll be after a sumptuous interior, a ride that can soak up the worst of the UK’s pockmarked roads and supreme refinement that allows you to travel at speed in near-silence.

Your cheapest (and smallest) options are the Audi A6, Mercedes E-Class and brilliant BMW 5 Series, the latter of which is so good we voted it our 2017 Car of the Year. Larger options that are definitely worth considering if you plan to travel in the back include the BMW 7 Series, Audi A8 and the Mercedes S-Class, which is beautifully finished inside and not as expensive to run as you might think.

Or if money really is no object at all, the Rolls-Royce Ghost is hard to overlook – especially in extended-wheelbase form. It’s as opulent as cars get.

Luxury

<h3>Bodywork</h3>

The 5 Series is a big car, and while you get parking sensors as standard, you should still check the alloy wheels for kerb grazes. Smaller ones are OK, but anything that looks sizeable or has caused a chunk to be taken out of the wheel might suggest a high-speed impact which could have affected the suspension behind it.

<h3>Electrics</h3>

You’ll also find a great deal of electronic toys inside the 5 Series, so spend some time familiarising yourself with all the buttons’ functions and check that they all do what they’re supposed to.

The BMW 5 Series has long been the answer to the question “What’s the most capable <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/luxury">luxury car</a> around?” for almost every budget. Indeed, this generation of the model was so good that it beat the more affordable competition to become the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/awards/">What Car? Car of the Year </a>when it was launched in 2017.

You’d be right to have high expectations of a used 5 Series, then. So, should you buy one? Well, first you’ll have to work out which version you want – and there are quite a few.

Start with the various engine types. Petrols range from the cheapest 520i right up to the potent 540i, while diesels start with the best-selling 520d and topping out with the lusty 530d. And if you’re after a hybrid, there’s the plug-in 530e iPerformance.

In later cars, from 2019 onwards, the four-cylinder diesels gained mild hybrid technology. Then there’s the M5, a 592bhp super-saloon that promises astonishing pace, both in a straight line and through corners. The M5 is available as a standalone model or in even more hardcore Competition form.

The rest of the model range gives you two equipment options: SE, which comes laden with goodies including heated leather seats, dual-zone climate control and LED headlights, and M Sport, which offers all of the above, plus sportier body styling and larger wheels. You can also get Efficient Dynamics versions of the SE, which bring a suite of efficiency tweaks to the 520d model to make it even more economical.

M Sport versions are the more popular but also the more expensive; if you can root one out, the SE is the nicer car to own, because its softer suspension and smaller alloy wheels give a smoother ride. That said, if you can find one, a 5 Series equipped with the optional adaptive suspension (Variable Damper Control or VDC in <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/bmw">BMW</a> parlance) will offer the smoothest ride of all, although even here you need to watch the wheel size – larger wheel rims result in a niggling shimmy over rougher road surfaces.

Either way, you’ll find the 5 Series an incredibly pleasing car to drive. The 520d&nbsp;is punchy enough for most people; its&nbsp;claimed 0-62mph is&nbsp;just 7.3sec, which is plenty for&nbsp;whisking you up to motorway speeds without any fuss. The four-cylinder 520i and 530i petrols are the least recommendable because they need revving hard to achieve their best.&nbsp;If you want to avoid diesel and desire&nbsp;efficiency, we'd recommend strongly the plug-in hybrid 530e.

Out on the open road, the 5 Series&nbsp;isn’t quite as involving to drive as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/jaguar/xf/saloon/used-review/n17415">Jaguar XF</a>, but its precise steering, well-tamed body lean and beautiful balance make it very satisfying indeed to hustle along a back road. And on the motorway, even the diesel engines settle into a refined background hum, while wind and road noise are equally well suppressed.

The 5 Series is just as impressive inside. It has a beautifully made dashboard that dips toward you, making the interior feel airy and spacious, while all the controls are right where you want them to be. The standard sat-nav screen is enormous, too, which means the whole infotainment system is very clear and easy to use. Granted, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/e-class/saloon/used-review/n17423">Mercedes-Benz E-Class</a> feels a bit more special inside, but you aren’t going to feel short-changed with the 5 Series.

Every model has comfortable seats, both in the front and rear, and plenty of room for the driver and passenger. That said, those sitting in the back will want for leg room a touch. At least the boot is big and well-shaped, although do keep in mind that the hybrid version has less room for luggage due to the electrical gubbins it has beneath its boot floor. It’s also worth looking out for a 5 Series fitted with the split-folding rear seats; they were an optional extra and add a useful spot of extra versatility.

Our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/best-luxury-cars-2020/n17020">favourite luxury saloon</a>&nbsp;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.

If you're interested in finding a used <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/bmw/5-series?used=true&amp;nearlynew=true&amp;postCode=tw1%203sp">5 Series</a>, 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.

Page 1 of 5

Used BMW 5 Series Saloon 2017-present review

Our recommendations

Which used BMW 5 Series saloon should I buy?

Engines and trims