BMW 5 Series Car Reviews

There are 3 body styles to choose from, the saloon, touring and gran tourismo. The touring model is an estate, whilst the gran tourismo is a crossover between a coupe and estate. The saloon is also available with efficient dynamics and as a hybrid, which will improve its efficiency. There is also an M5, the offering from BMW’s Motorsport division, featuring a performance tuned engine and body kit.

The 5 Series is a premium vehicle, and the price is a reflection of those luxuries. It is a costly car to buy, however the efficient dynamics systems can deliver excellent economy for a car of this size, with the 2.0 litre diesel model proving to be the most fuel efficient. The seats adjust and support where needed, and provide a comfortable driving position, making it perfect as a long distance cruiser.

Space is plentiful, with easily enough room for 4 adults, and 5 if the person sitting in the middle doesn’t mind putting a leg either side of the transmission that runs through the centre of the car. The boot is huge too, with plenty of room for luggage.

Background

Introduced in 1972, the 5 Series is now in its second generation. Its name originated as it was the fifth of the ‘new series’ of BMWs, following the 700, the ‘New Class’, the ‘New Six’ and the CS. It was built to compete with the Mercedes-Benz W114 and received a number of facelifts and special editions during its 9 year production run.

 It was replaced in 1982 by the E12, the second generation of the 5 Series, and displayed a number of stylistic improvements, including revised headlights and backlights, thicker bumper etc. The M5, launched in 1984 was the fastest production saloon in the world at the time.

The third generation entered the market in 1988, before it was replaced in 1996. It featured a more streamlined body than previous generations, taking styling ideas from the 7-Series of 1986. The 1996 model 5 Series’ were the fourth generation, drawing heavily from the style and technology of the 7 Series, as the previous generation had, with a number of upgraded engine options available.

The fifth generation 5 Series, introduced in 2003, was different to any other BMW previously made. Whilst its predecessors had stylistic influence from previous 7 Series, this 5 Series was completely redesigned. It was much larger, and more rounded than the quite boxy predecessors, and became the bestselling in the series, as it offered much of the space of larger more expensive luxury vehicles.

The sixth generation available from 2010 is a more tradition BMW design, with the removal of the ‘Bangle Butt’, which was named after its designer, and caused so much controversy.  There was also the introduction of a new body shape, the Gran Tourismo, which offers the combination of the extra space provided by an estate and the sleek body shape of a coupe.

Summary

The 5 Series is an excellent executive car with top performance and everyday usability. It has the speed to match top sports cars, with the space for 4 to travel in comfort. It may be an expensive car to buy, but the amount of kit it comes with, as well as the performance it offers, may justify the high price.