BMW 5 Series Review 2025

Not so long ago, if you were doing well in life and wanted a car to reflect that success, one model range was placed upon an altar of such reverence that it became as close to being the default choice as was possible. Yet consumer preferences of today have rendered it to little more than a left-field — or even old-fashioned — choice in a world of SUVs. We are, of course, talking about the BMW 5 Series Saloon.

Okay, let’s add a little context here because BMW’s 5er wasn’t — and still isn’t — the only plushly accommodating four-door, five-seater available, but generation after generation of them were the best cars of that kind available. As hard as its rivals tried, they never quite topped its combination of being comfortable yet wieldy and expensive without being gauchely ostentatious.

Today’s 5 Series remains a fine car, albeit one with styling that’s forgone effortless elegance for a plainer appearance peppered with tropes that shout aggression at other road users. In fact, at least visually, its long-time rivals in the guises of the Audi A6 and the Mercedes E-Class are now the ones which better fill the void BMW left than BMW does itself.

Outside of the German trio there are few credible alternatives to the 5 Series. Still available is the hybrid-powered Lexus ES although the current range will soon be replaced by an all-new replacement, while Genesis, Jaguar, Maserati and Volvo have all left this corner of the market.

With a wholesale switch to fully electric cars in the offing — regardless of how legislators seek to influence their take-up — car manufacturers are trying all manner of different approaches to encourage consumers into their battery powered models. 

While Audi and Mercedes have gone for wholly different designs for their upmarket EV saloons, the BMW i5 is very much an electrically propelled 5 Series, satisfying the low Benefit-in-Kind taxation cravings of company car drivers from the upper echelons of corporate hierarchy.

By contrast, the combustion-engined versions are now almost exclusively of interest to private buyers who still consider EVs too weird to contemplate or beyond their budgets. While diesel engines suited the needs of previous generations of 5 Series buyers perfectly with their intoxicating blend of sophistication, pace and infrequent visits to filling stations, today’s BMW clientele are likely to be disappointed.

Ignoring the BMW M5 which we’ve reviewed separately, the current petrol-fuelled 5 Series line-up consists of a mild hybrid with two plug-in alternatives vying for the role of fuel efficiency hero. 

Entry-point to the line-up is the BMW 520i, its engine bay home to a 2.0-litre turbocharged unit producing 208PS and 330Nm of torque, with drive sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. It’ll sprint from a standstill to 62mph in 7.5 seconds yet also claims a WLTP Combined cycle average of 45.6-48.7mpg — that’s not too far away from a diesel version from a decade ago.

Next rung up the ladder is the BMW 530e which uses a similar mechanical arrangement together with beefier electrical components for a total output of 299PS and 450Nm, trimming the 0-62mph benchmark down to 6.3 seconds.

Should you wish you can drive the 530e under electric power alone at up to 87mph although doing so won’t maximise the available range of 59.0-64.6 miles, depending on the models. Weighted fuel consumption — which is based upon a full battery from the start of the WLTP test cycle is 353.1-470.8mpg. What you actually achieve will depend on how far you typically drive and how often you recharge the battery.

Excluding the M5’s might, the BMW 550e xDrive sits at the summit of the range. Here the PHEV system’s plumbed into a six-cylinder, 3.0-litre turbocharged unit to produce 313PS and 450Nm, driving all four wheels for a 4.3-second 0-62mph time. That extra performance pegs the electric driving range back to 53.4-57.8 miles and reduces the claimed economy figure to 252.5-353.1mpg.

Recharging either of the PHEV models’ 19kWh battery can only be done using an AC-type connection, such as a three-pin plug or a domestic wallbox. BMW only quotes a recharge time using an 11kW connection whereas most UK homes are limited to a 7kW output — our estimate is a flat to full recharge will take under four hours.

Each of those three core power options is available in a choice of sportily themed M Sport and M Sport Pro, with no SE version for those who favoured a more traditional style. Given that most buyers of the previous BMW 5 Series opted for M Sport anyway, perhaps it’s a moot point.

As you’d hope for a car measuring 5060mm from nose to tail, there’s decent space inside for five adults, although it would inevitably be comfier still with four people on board. Boot space is 520 litres regardless of whether you choose a PHEV-equipped model or not.

Reflecting the firm’s contemporary interior style and hardware themes, the BMW 5 Series’s dashboard is constructed of generally high-end materials with a dual-screen curved display sat on top. On the left is the multimedia touchscreen which can still be operated by the iDrive rotary controller conveniently mounted on the centre console.

Not that the iDrive will save your 5er’s cabin from being smeared with greasy fingerprints as gloss-finish trims are applied to seemingly every interior surface. Almost as infuriating is BMW’s switch to using a touch-sensitive method to operate the dual-zone climate control system rather than physical buttons and knobs.

At least the high level of standard equipment goes some way to alleviate that pain, with all 5 Series models coming with adaptive LED headlights, keyless entry, a Harman/Kardon surround sound audio system, a wireless smartphone charging pad, heated front sports seats and multi-coloured ambient interior lighting.

Available to order since summer 2023, prices for the BMW 5 Series currently start at £52,285 for the 520i M Sport, with the least expensive plug-in hybrid model, the 530e M Sport, costing £59,655. At the top of the range the BMW 550e xDrive M Sport Pro will set you back £79,805.

Keep this page bookmarked for our comprehensively detailed full BMW 5 Series Saloon review in the coming weeks.