BMW 5 Series review
The BMW 5 Series is a brilliant, classy and wonderfully refined luxury saloon, with surprisingly low running costs
RRP £53,110
- New
- Used
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Best price from £48,495
What is What Car? best price?
The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.
Available now from: £48,495
RRP from: £53,110
Available now
From £48,495
Leasing deals
From £692
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
BMW 5 Series
Expected annual mileage 5000 Term months 60 Deposit months 12 Monthly payment £691.74 Initial payment £8,300.88
Step-by-step
Leasing works a bit like a long-term rental. You drive it, but you don’t own it.
- Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
- Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
- Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end
What you get
When you lease with Autotrader you get all of this:
- Full manufacturer’s warranty
- Road tax and roadside assistance included
- Free returns within 30 days*
Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply. Subject to availability and credit status. 18+ T&Cs apply.
In partnership with
£8,546 total upfront (£8,301 initial rental plus £245 processing fee) | 5000 miles | 60 months
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
Power
205 bhp
0-62 mph
7.5 s
Efficiency
48.7 mpg
Figures for 2.0 520i MHT M Sport Pro Steptronic Euro 6 (s/s) 4dr
Executive
Hybrid
Luxury
Jump to:
Introduction
Performance & drive
Interior
Passenger & boot space
Buying & owning
Steve Huntingford
Updated: 12 November 2024
How we test cars
Lionel Messi has won football’s Ballon d'Or a record eight times, but he’s still got nothing on the BMW 5 Series, which has won 27 What Car? Awards over the years – more than any other model.
Part of the reason for the 5 Series' sustained success is that BMW has done a great job of keeping it up to date. The latest version is even available as an electric car – the BMW i5 – which you can read about in our separate review. However, here we’re focusing on the other variants.
New car deals
Best price from £48,495
What is What Car? best price?
The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.
Available now from: £48,495
RRP from: £53,110
Available now
From £48,495
Leasing deals
From £692
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
BMW 5 Series
Expected annual mileage 5000 Term months 60 Deposit months 12 Monthly payment £691.74 Initial payment £8,300.88
Step-by-step
Leasing works a bit like a long-term rental. You drive it, but you don’t own it.
- Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
- Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
- Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end
What you get
When you lease with Autotrader you get all of this:
- Full manufacturer’s warranty
- Road tax and roadside assistance included
- Free returns within 30 days*
Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply. Subject to availability and credit status. 18+ T&Cs apply.
In partnership with
£8,546 total upfront (£8,301 initial rental plus £245 processing fee) | 5000 miles | 60 months
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
The cheapest option is the 520i, which uses a 205bhp 2.0-litre mild-hybrid petrol engine, and there are also two plug-in hybrids: the 530e, which produces 295bhp, and the 550e, with a whopping 482bhp. (Or, for the performance version, see our BMW M5 review.)
BMW 5 Series video review
Rivals include the Audi A6 and Mercedes E-Class so in this review we’ll look at how the latest BMW 5 Series compares with those cars in key areas. We'll cover everything from the way it drives to how practical it is and how much it will cost to run. Read on to find out how we rate it...
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What’s new?
November 2023: Two plug-in hybrids join the range: 295bhp 530 and 482bhp 550e xDrive.
October 2023: First 5 Series deliveries made in the UK.
May 2023: Eighth-generation 5 Series saloon launched. No diesels, one petrol option: 205bhp 520i with mild hybrid tech. Also two electric options: i5 eDrive40 and i5 M60 xDrive.
Verdict
The BMW 5 Series is a better all-rounder than its direct rivals, combining a classy and user-friendly interior with impressive refinement and handling. Just bear in mind that some items of equipment that you’re likely to want are expensive options, and fully electric models (including BMW’s own i5) are cheaper to run as company cars.
Best buy
2.0 520i MHT M Sport Pro Saloon 4dr Petrol Hybrid Steptronic Euro 6 (s/s) (208 ps) review
RRP £56,110
Pros
- Composed handling
- Beautifully finished interior
- Class-leading infotainment
Cons
- Gearbox can be slow
- You’ll want to add some options
- Electric rivals cost less in BIK tax
Best buy
2.0 520i MHT M Sport Pro Saloon 4dr Petrol Hybrid Steptronic Euro 6 (s/s) (208 ps) review
RRP £56,110
Trims available
M Sport Pro
Upgrading from M Sport to M Sport Pro trim brings stylistic changes, such as black exterior highlights, a subtle rear spoiler, an illuminated front grille, red brake callipers and 20in wheels. Whether these things are worth the extra outlay is a matter of personal taste.
M Sport
M Sport trim is the cheapest available, and includes 19in alloy wheels, faux-leather upholstery, climate control, adaptive LED headlights, heated front seats and ambient interior lighting. It's our pick of the range, although we would be tempted to add the optional Comfort Plus Pack.
New car deals
Available now
Leasing deals
Performance & drive
What it's like to drive, and how quiet it is
Strengths
- Composed handling
- Precise steering
- Hushed road manners
Weaknesses
- Ride can be fidgety
- Auto gearbox not the slickest
Even in entry-level 520i form, the BMW 5 Series isn’t slow (0-62mph takes 7.5 seconds), but you do have to rev it quite hard if you want to get up to speed in a hurry. In addition, while its standard eight-speed automatic gearbox shifts smoothly and smartly most of the time, if you ask for a sudden burst of pace, it can pause noticeably before changing down with a jolt.
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For a more responsive drive, you’ll want to look at the BMW 530e plug-in hybrid (PHEV). That version is more powerful, and the addition of an electric motor helps fill in any gaps when you want a burst of acceleration, cutting the 0-62mph time to 6.3 seconds. The other 5 Series PHEV – the 550e – is even quicker, cutting two seconds off the sprint time.
Better still, both have good electric-only ranges, with the 550e officially managing 55 miles on a charge, and the 530e capable of 63 miles. That said, the Mercedes E300e trumps both, managing around 70 miles.
BMW car models tend to be at their best when specified with adaptive suspension but even on the standard passive set-up the 520i and 530e handle well. Body movements are more tightly controlled than they are in an Audi A6 or Mercedes E-Class and the precise, well-weighted steering adds to your confidence in corners.
On the downside, you feel some fidget over poorly surfaced roads, especially in the heavier PHEV, but no version of the 5 Series is overly jarring when it hits a larger bump or pothole.
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As for refinement, the engine in the 520i is smooth and quiet enough at a steady cruise, with a pleasingly rorty edge when pushed hard. The same can be said for the 530e, but being a PHEV, at slow speeds it can drive on electricity alone, making for some silent driving around town.
When speeds increase, there’s more wind noise from around the 5 Series' door mirrors than there is in a Mercedes E-Class but it’s still a quiet car.
To read about the most powerful version of the 5 Series, see our BMW M5 review.
"Despite its extra weight over a regular 5 Series, I found the BMW 530e plug-in hybrid surprisingly good to drive. It managed the battery’s heft with ease." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer
Interior
The interior layout, fit and finish
Strengths
- Comfortable driving position
- User-friendly infotainment system
Weaknesses
- Rear visibility is restricted
Every BMW 5 Series has a comfortable and supportive driver’s seat, with electric adjustment for the seat height and backrest angle, plus electrically adjustable lumbar support.
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Forward visibility is good. And while the view behind the car is more restricted, that's not a huge problem due to the standard rear-view camera and all-round parking sensors (a 360-degree bird’s eye view camera is available as an option).
In addition, all versions of the 5 Series come with adaptive LED headlights, which you can leave on high beam because they automatically shape their beam to avoid dazzling other drivers.
A head-up display that projects sat-nav instructions and your speed on to the windscreen is optional. Meanwhile, the standard 12.3in digital driver's display sits side by side with a 14.9in infotainment touchscreen to give the illusion of a big curved display.
As well the touchscreen for controlling functions, the 5 Series also gives you a control dial and shortcut buttons between the front seats. They make it far less distracting to make menu selections and change settings than the systems in the Audi A6 and Mercedes E-Class.
Voice control is included too, while a system that allows you to operate certain functions with gestures is optional – although it doesn’t really improve usability, and feels like a bit of a gimmick that’s not worth the extra outlay.
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On the other hand, you’re certainly not short-changed by the 5 Series' standard of assembly, and it’s a match for the rock-solid Audi A6 in this regard. All the materials you come into contact with look and feel expensive, whereas the Mercedes E-Class is flimsy in places.
A DAB radio and a Harman Kardon stereo come as standard in the 5 series, with a Bowers & Wilkins upgrade available as an option. Wireless phone-charging is also included, along with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring.
"While the 5 Series' standard Harman Kardon stereo is really good, I'd argue that the optional Bowers and Wilkins system is one of the best out there, giving your music more depth. It’s quite expensive though." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer
Passenger & boot space
How it copes with people and clutter
Strengths
- Spacious for four
- Boot isn’t compromised on hybrid models
Weaknesses
- Not very comfortable for a central rear passenger
There’s loads of leg and head room in the front of the BMW 5 Series, even with the optional panoramic glass roof fitted. Meanwhile, storage includes a pair of cupholders, a cubby beneath the central armrest and large door bins.
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Rear space is comparable with key rivals, meaning two six-footers will be comfortable, but a central rear passenger gets a narrower seat and has to straddle a hump in the floor.
The 5 Series gives you 520 litres of boot space (a bit more than the all-electric BMW i5, which has 490 litres). That’s slightly down on the 540-litre capacity of a non-PHEV Mercedes E-Class but more than the Mercedes E300e (370 litres).
Like the E-Class, the 5 Series has rear seats that split and fold in a versatile 40/20/40 configuration. The Audi A6 and Jaguar XF have the same set-up. For even greater practicality, consider the estate version – the BMW 5 Series Touring – which can take 570 litres of luggage below its load cover and has all the same engines.
"I find it impressive that BMW has managed to keep the 5 Series plug-in hybrid’s boot the same size as the mild hybrid – something that can’t be said for the Mercedes E-Class." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer
Buying & owning
Everyday costs, plus how reliable and safe it is
Strengths
- Cheaper to buy than a Mercedes E-Class
- 530e makes sense as a company car
Weaknesses
- Electric cars cost less in BIK tax
- Some kit that should be standard costs extra
The BMW 5 Series looks quite pricey compared with the Audi A6 and Jaguar XF but it’s significantly cheaper than the Mercedes E-Class on a like-for-like basis. Better still, the 5 Series is predicted to depreciate slightly slower than that rival (and all the others, for that matter), helping to keep PCP finance rates down.
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The 530e PHEV treads the middle ground when you consider company car tax bills, costing more than the Mercedes E300e (the E-Class's longer electric range gives it a lower BIK tax rating) and lots less than an Audi A6 PHEV.
Ways to buy
Cash from £48,495 Own the car outright. No monthly payments.
Lease from £692pm Drive a new car every few years. Lower upfront costs.
£8,301 initial payment , 60 month contract , 5000 miles p/a . Subject to status and conditions.
Available Now from £48,495 Choose a car from stock. Drive away today!
It’s worth noting that if the fully electric BMW i5 is on the list of company cars you’re allowed to choose from (and it might not be due to its high lease price) it will cost less to run than any PHEV – as will other electric cars and electric SUVs.
M Sport trim is the cheapest available for the 5 Series, and includes 19in alloy wheels, faux-leather upholstery, climate control, adaptive LED headlights, heated front seats and ambient interior lighting.
Upgrading to M Sport Pro brings black exterior highlights, a subtle rear spoiler, an illuminated front grille, red brake callipers, Alcantara across the interior and 20in wheels.
Unless M Sport Pro's styling really appeals, we'd recommend you instead spend your money on the Comfort Plus Pack, which includes keyless entry, a powered boot lid, a heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats and four-zone climate control.
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In the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey, BMW finished eighth out of the 31 manufacturers included – above Audi, Jaguar and Mercedes, but a fair way below Lexus, which came second.
The three-year unlimited-mileage warranty BMW gives you is also inferior to the Lexus equivalent, which lasts 10 years or 100,000 miles if you get your car serviced at a Lexus dealer.
In terms of safety, the 5 Series scored the full five stars out of five when it was assessed by Euro NCAP. Its best score was 89%, for Adult Occupant protection. All versions come with a host of electronic driver aids, including blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking (AEB) and rear cross-traffic alert as part of the standard-fit Driving Assistant Pack.
"I think it’s a bit of a shame that most of the BMW 5 Series’ options are sorted into packs, because it means you can’t get things like the brilliant head-up display without paying lots for a pack." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer
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BMW 5 Series owner reviews
Sort by: Most Recent Star rating
Solomon
Bmw 5 Series hybrid
Likes: Value, Reliability, Servicing, Running costs
Apr 29, 2026 7:43 PM
Reliable and roomy. The ride is a little too firm. Economy quite good for so large a car. More physical buttons would keep attention on the road more and so be safer. Silly computer interference for some aspects.
Anonymous
Bmw 5 Series 2.0 hybrid
Likes: Value, Reliability, Servicing, Running costs
Mar 15, 2026 9:24 AM
Colour is black, difficult to keep clean but looks very nice when it is. Better consumption than expected as nearly the same as BMW 5 series diesel I had before. Air vents do not appear to give out as much air as previous model. When needed heated seats and steering wheel heat up very quickly. Rear camera gets dirty very easily so view can be blurred.
Martin
Bmw 5 Series 3.0 hybrid
Likes: Value, Reliability, Servicing, Running costs
Feb 26, 2026 4:15 PM
Exceptional long distance car, huge performance , economical in electric mode, very comfortable
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If you're interested in finding a BMW 5 Series, or any of the other executive cars mentioned here, head over to our Cars available now pages to find new cars listed for sale at great prices.
BMW 5 Series specifications
Best buy
2.0 520i MHT M Sport Pro Saloon 4dr Petrol Hybrid Steptronic Euro 6 (s/s) (208 ps) review
RRP £56,110
RRP price range
£53,110 - £79,830
MPG range across all versions
48.7 - 134.5
Available fuel types (which is best for you? )
Petrol Hybrid, Petrol Plug-in Hybrid
Available colours
Number of engines (see all)
2
Number of trims (see all)
2
Warranty
3 years
Company car tax at 20% (min/max)
£1,190 - £3,552
Company car tax at 40% (min/max)
£2,380 - £7,103
FAQs
How much does a BMW 5 Series cost?
Even the cheapest version of the 5 Series costs more than £50,000. However, sizeable discounts are already available through our free New Car Deals service.
Is the BMW 5 Series a luxury car?
We class the 5 Series as an executive car because it’s slightly smaller and more affordable than a full-blown luxury car like the BMW 7 Series. That said, it’s still pretty luxurious by most standards.
What competes with the BMW 5 Series?
The fiercest competition for the 5 series comes from the Mercedes E-Class, although that's more expensive. Other key rivals include the Audi A6 and Jaguar XF.
Is the BMW 5 Series discontinued?
No. In fact the latest 5 Series is the best yet, gaining two plug-in hybrid variants and an electric car version badged the BMW i5.
New car deals
Best price from £48,495
What is What Car? best price?
The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.
Available now from: £48,495
RRP from: £53,110
Available now
From £48,495
Leasing deals
From £692
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
BMW 5 Series
Expected annual mileage 5000 Term months 60 Deposit months 12 Monthly payment £691.74 Initial payment £8,300.88
Step-by-step
Leasing works a bit like a long-term rental. You drive it, but you don’t own it.
- Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
- Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
- Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end
What you get
When you lease with Autotrader you get all of this:
- Full manufacturer’s warranty
- Road tax and roadside assistance included
- Free returns within 30 days*
Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply. Subject to availability and credit status. 18+ T&Cs apply.
In partnership with
£8,546 total upfront (£8,301 initial rental plus £245 processing fee) | 5000 miles | 60 months
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
BMW 5 Seriess available to buy
In partnership with
BMW 5 Series
2.0 520i MHT M Sport Steptronic Euro 6 (s/s) 4dr
RRP £54,520
£47,995
BMW 5 Series
2.0 520i MHT M Sport Steptronic Euro 6 (s/s) 4dr
RRP £55,480
£49,990
BMW 5 Series
2.0 520i MHT M Sport Pro Steptronic Euro 6 (s/s) 4dr
RRP £57,480
£51,995
BMW 5 Series Saloon
2.0 520i MHT M Sport Pro Steptronic Euro 6 (s/s) 4dr
RRP £63,180
£53,936
BMW 5 Series
2.0 520i MHT M Sport Pro Steptronic Euro 6 (s/s) 4dr
RRP £59,480
£54,266
BMW 5 Series Saloon
2.0 520i MHT M Sport Pro Steptronic Euro 6 (s/s) 4dr
RRP £61,480
£54,850
BMW 5 Series Saloon
2.0 520i MHT M Sport Pro Steptronic Euro 6 (s/s) 4dr
RRP £61,480
£54,950
BMW 5 Series Saloon
2.0 520i MHT M Sport Pro Steptronic Euro 6 (s/s) 4dr
RRP £61,180
£54,990
BMW 5 Series
2.0 520i MHT M Sport Pro Steptronic Euro 6 (s/s) 4dr
RRP £59,180
£55,700
See all available cars
About the writer
Name: Steve Huntingford
Title: Editor
Follow Steve Huntingford on
Steve Huntingford is a motoring journalist with more than 20 years’ experience, and has been editor of What Car? since 2016.
This means Steve oversees all of What Car?'s editorial output, both online and in print.
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