Believe it or not, we’re into the seventh generation of BMW 5 Series. Halfway through it, in fact, for the car you see here is the mid-life update of the ‘G30’ Five. It’s BMW’s oldest nameplate and in 2022, it turns 50 years old. Let’s hope we’ll all be allowed out clubbing by then to celebrate.
On the surface, this one’s facelift-by-numbers – new, squarer lights, a longer kidney grille (though not new 4 Series long, thank the lord), a smattering of new colour and trim options and more hybridisation than ever. But there’s stuff you mightn’t have expected, too, not least the addition of an M550i at the top of the range for us right-hand-drive folk. Very, very good news.
And the G30 was hardly in desperate need of a refresh as it was. It’s perhaps the best-rounded 5 Series since the legendary E39 generation, combining E-Class-rivalling luxury with BMW’s usual driving nous. That its range is dramatically expanding just as the Jaguar XF’s is thinning down says a lot about this car’s dominance. Think ‘biggish posh saloon’, you probably think 5 Series. They’ve sold 600,000 of these G30s in a smidge over three years. Yikes.
Have time to win it ?
You still have time to win it ?
Enter to check the raffle deadline now, and discover how easy you could win it :
In that time the 5 Series has become almost the default choice for those looking for a smaller luxury car, helped by the fact that it’s consistently been the best of its kind. For proof, look at how successful it’s been in our Car of the Year awards over the years.
Part of the reason for this sustained success is that BMW has done a great job of keeping the 5 Series up to date. The current version has already received a comprehensive mid-life facelift that saw the introduction of LED headlights as standard, a larger front grille, a more aggressive bodykit and a smattering of extra standard equipment throughout the range.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
Smooth, powerful, and efficient, both the four-cylinder in the 530i and the six-cylinder in the 540i motivate this big sedan with authority. For 2021, the 540i’s powertrain gains a little extra boost, care of a 48-volt hybrid system, which we have not yet tested. Each pairs with an eight-speed automatic transmission that shifts intuitively and quickly, making the most of the available power. The 540i’s six-cylinder is silky smooth and potent, and it makes delightful noises. Apart from the top-dog M5, which we review separately, the M550i is the athlete of the lineup, with a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 under its hood. In our testing, the M550i sprinted through our acceleration runs quicker than the Audi S6 and Mercedes-AMG E53, hitting 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds. All 5-series models are competent handlers, but they lack the kind of driving verve we expect from BMW. Steering feedback is light, and the ride—even in the performance-oriented M550i—appears to be tuned more for comfort than pure driving pleasure.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
The EPA estimates the four-cylinder 530i will earn up to 25 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway. The six-cylinder 540i is rated at up to 25 mpg city and 32 highway. The more powerful V-8 M550i lowers those to 17 mpg city and 25 highway. All three of the models we tested overachieved in our real-world testing; the 530e delivered 34 mpg while the 540i and M550i did 31 mpg and 28 mpg, respectively.
- Expert’s Rating :
WHAT ABOUT WINNING A BMW 5 SERIES DIESEL ENGINE INSTEAD OF BUYING IT ?
