BMW 5 Series Review

• February 2016 5 Series goes on sale in UK
• March 2016 Plug-in hybrid 530e iPerformance and 520d SE EfficientDynamics added to range of engines.

Petrol: 530i, 530e, 540i
Diesel: 520d, 520d ED, 530d

The least powerful 520d diesel engine will be the choice of an overwhelming majority of buyers (around 70%, according to BMW), thanks to its impressive official economy figures – 68.8mpg on the combined cycle and 108g/km – while still managing a 7.5-second 0-62mph time.

An even more efficient version of this engine, the 520d SE EfficientDynamics, has a 72.4mpg fuel consumption figure and CO2 emissions of just 102g/km. All are available with eight-speed Steptronic automatic gearboxes as standard, which are smooth-shifting but also enable driver intervention with paddles behind the steering wheel.

A more powerful 530d diesel knocks almost two seconds off the 0-62mph sprint time, but also lowers fuel economy to 60.1mpg and increases CO2 emissions to 124g/km. The additional power is tangible on the road, with a lot more acceleration at the driver’s disposal.

Both 520d and 530d variants are available with xDrive four-wheel-drive systems that switch power to the wheels with most traction. The addition of xDrive costs around £2,000 and worsens fuel economy: in the 520d, it makes the car marginally slower from a standing start, but quickens the 530d.

On the petrol side, the 530i is powered by a new 2-litre engine. The 0-62mph time is 6.2 seconds.

Until the range-topping M5 performance model arrives at the end of 2017, the quickest car in the 5 Series range is the 540i xDrive, which harnesses its available 340PS to return a 4.8 second 0-62mpg time, while official fuel consumption is 39.2mpg – although that is likely to be considerably lower in real-world use.

The most intriguing version is likely to be the 530e iPerformance plug-in hybrid that goes on sale in March 2017, which has official figures of 141.2mpg and 46g/km. True, those figures are set using a complicated formula in a laboratory, so don’t expect to be able to replicated them in the real world, unless your daily commute is less than the 530e’s electric-only range of 29 miles and you only rarely have to use the petrol engine.

SE, M Sport

BMW has reduced the number of trim levels for this latest 5 Series, so it’s now available in SE and M Sport., plius a lengthy list of additional options that can add thousands of pounds to the cost of the car.

SE models come with standard equipment that includes 17-inch alloy wheels (18-inch on 530 and 540 models), dual-zone air conditioning, ambient interior lighting, Bluetooth, emergency call, the Professional Multimedia Navigation Touch infotainment system, DAB digital radio, leather-upholstered seats, front and rear parking sensors, rain sensors with automatic headlights, multifunction steering wheel, front seats with part-electrical adjustment and LED headlights and rear lights.

For an extra £3,000 (on 320d variants) or £3,300 (for 530 and 540 models), M Sport cars add 18-inch alloys (19-inch for 530 and 540), LED front foglights, aerodynamic bodystyling, M Sport suspension, M Sport brakes (for 530 and 540 variants), leather dashboard and front Sport seats.

Optional extras include a four-zone climate control system and Ambient Air package, which uses ionisation to improve the air quality inside the car (and fragranced), a number of different sound systems (including a 16-speaker Bowers and Wilkins surround sound set-up), a Rear-Seat Experience with 10.2-inch screens and Blu-Ray player, nine different alloy wheel designs and 23 colour variations.

The new 5 Series has only just been launched, so it’s too early to determine how reliable it is. However, the previous generation was 55th overall in the 2016 Driver Power survey, although BMW only came 21st in the list of 32 manufacturers.

BMW has a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty that is very similar to its rivals in the premium market – none of whom has taken the plunge to offer anything on a par with the warranties from Korean manufacturers Hyundai and Kia, which offer five and seven years respectively.

The BMW 5 Series is expected to hold its value well. Experts predict that it will be worth around half of its new price after three years.

However, it's clear that it loses much of that value on the first year, making 2017 cars between £8,000 and £10,000 cheaper than the official new price. This means that prices for the current BMW 5 Series start at around £25,000 or £350 a month on the used market.

It's a considerable saving but it's still a high price for many, so the previous-generation 5 Series is the best option if you're looking to spend less, particularly as it still compares well to modern cars, with efficient engines, relatively recent technology and the same sporty character as the latest model.

You'll find both saloon and Touring (estate) versions of the current 5 Series on sale for less than £30,000, with diesel engines most common in this price range.

The more powerful petrol models tend to be more expensive, starting at around £32,000 or £400 per month, although these are typically well-equipped in M Sport specification.

The hybrid BMW 530e iPerformance isn't exempt from the sharp drop in value during the first year, cutting the cost of these models which benefit from low company car tax, to less than £40,000, or around £550 per month, on the used market.