BMW 5 Series Touring Review 2024

The BMW 5 Series Touring is one of the mainstays of the BMW range as well as the premium estate car sector, alongside key rivals like the Audi A6 Avant, Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate and the Jaguar XF Sportbrake. It sticks to the BMW formula too, with rakish, sporty looks, an emphasis on driving pleasure and lots of tech. It’s also helped by a good engine range, and if you choose wisely it need not cost a fortune to run. Ultimately, it’s not the best in class in terms of practicality, but it is strong in a range of areas which means it has broad appeal. Read on for our full review of the BMW 5 Series Touring. 

If you're after a big premium estate, you've never had it so good. The quality of models from the likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Jaguar and Audi mean there are really no bad choices. Whatever you choose, you're unlikely to be disappointed. In fact there are such fine margins between them, heralding one as the 'best in class' is nigh on impossible.

But this generation of the BMW 5 Series Touring makes a very good case for itself. It's every inch the upmarket estate it presents itself as, with a beautifully finished interior, excellent refinement and a huge load area. It’s not that the last version was a bad car, but the latest generation 5 Series manages to improve in all the key areas.

Longer than before and with a bigger wheelbase, rear space has improved while the boot is a little larger too. The 5 Series Touring is also incredibly refined and the 520d - which is the most common model - is powered by one of the best 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engines around. Diesel may still be off the menu for some buyers, but the combination of performance, economy and low emissions is hard to ignore.

Seriously, this thing is excellent. It's punchy, eager yet quiet and smooth too. It's also economical to run with claimed economy of more 55mpg. There's no need to look at this as the 'poor relation' in the range, if anything it suits the BMW to a tee. Say it quietly, but unless you just feel the need to spend a heap more money, the 520d should be more than capable enough for everyone.

Of course, some will prefer the plug-in hybrid appeal of the 530e model, or the downright rapid pace of the 540i. Both of these models can be had with xDrive all-wheel drive either as standard or an option.

Even if you go for an M Sport model, the 5 Series Touring rides exceptionally well, helped in no small part by the automatic self-levelling rear suspension which comes as standard on all models. Also standard fit is an eight-speed automatic gearbox - you'll no longer find a manual transmission on a 5 Series Touring. You can also tow up to 2000kg depending on which engine you go for.

While the steering may lack the weight of the the previous 5 Series, this generation actually handles better with the reworked suspension giving it an agility that belies its size. It's speciality may be covering motorway miles in comfort, but the 5 Series Touring's forte is to be found in tight corners.

Looking for a second opinion? Check out heycar's review of the BMW 5 Series Touring.

Most people won't struggle for space and thanks to a wide opening tailgate and vertical sides, you can pack plenty in for a day out with the kids. If you do want to drop the seats, they fold 40/20/40 giving you extra flexibility if you want to carry something longer but still need space for someone in the back.

The back seats fold down flat via a button in the boot, although unlike a Land Rover Discovery, you have to manually lift them back up afterwards - but it's little hardship. One very neat feature is the fact you can stow the luggage cover and net away in a dedicated space under the boot floor. Drop all the seats and you've got a huge load space of 1700 litres.

Like the previous 5 Series, this one also features the handy separate opening window in the tailgate, which is really useful if you're parked close up to a wall and need to get something out of the boot.

You get leather as standard and can opt for a higher quality leather too, but even the standard plastics and textures are appealing. It also feels well put together, with a reassuring solidity to the controls and switches. There may be the occasionally element of cheap-feeling plastic, but they are pretty well hidden.

BMW has updated its 12.3-inch multimedia system with better graphics and nicer looking menus, although anyone familiar with the old system will find the new one very similar. It has the same rotary control dial by the gear lever but the main display is now also a touchscreen and even includes gesture control.

That’s of limited use, but the reality is that the i-Drive system has been so well-honed over the years that it is now very intuitive to use. Particularly on the move it is far easier to use the i-Drive controller rather than the touchscreen, while the graphical display and menus are easy to read and to navigate.

Rear seat passengers can also have their own screens if you tick the option for the 10.2-inch touchscreens.

It’s no surprise that the 5 Series Touring is on sale as a new car given its popularity and that the current version was only introduced in 2017. Prices start at £45,955 for the 520i SE, while the 520d SE is just a few pounds more at £46,800. The 530e SE goes from £56,100.

It’s worth noting that SE trim goes all the way up to £59,700 for the 540i xDrive model.

M Sport trim starts at £49,455 for the 520i model rising to £63,200 for the top petrol 540i xDrive, with the diesel model coming in at £50,300. A 530e in this trim will cost you from £59,600.

If a new 5 Series Touring is a bit out of budget, the good news is that there are plenty of used examples on the market; it’s one of BMW’s most popular models and regular sales means lots of used examples to choose from.

At the newer end of the scale there are plenty of examples that are still only wearing their delivery mileage. A search of the classified ads turned up a three-year old 520d M Sport with average miles for £29,000.

The 520d offers a claimed 55.4mpg combined, which should mean that 40mpg-plus is attainable with ease. The 430e plug-in hybrid offers a combined economy of up to 188.3mpg, but this means maximising that EV driving range maximum of 57 miles.

Of the petrol options, the 520i declares an official combined figure of 42.2mpg. Finally the most powerful 540i claims 35.8mpg combined, so you may have to face the horror of regularly getting under 30mpg.

Insurance costs are less avoidable, as you’re paying significant money for a desirable brand. Depending on which trim and engine you choose, you're looking at paying a premium based on anything from Group 30 for a 520i SE to Group 50 for the all-singing 540i M Sport xDrive.

It's further aided by the fact the body of this 5 Series Touring is not only stiffer than before but around 100kg lighter. That hefty weight loss has other advantages - namely fuel economy and handling. True, the steering no longer has the nice weight it did before, but that's the only real criticism here.

Because, while the 5 Series Touring weighs less than before, at around 1800kg it's not exactly a lightweight - this is still a big car. Yet get it onto a nice quiet country lane and you'll see where your money goes. It's agile and surprisingly lithe through corners, with huge reserves of grip and impressive traction. Go for an xDrive model and it feels even more reassuring when accelerating away from a slow corner.

Yet the 5 Series Touring manages to blend this with that excellent ride quality, and it feels incredibly stable at high speeds. This is, after all, a car designed for the Autobahn.

The 2.0-litre diesel is a great fit for the 5 Series Touring, with plenty of in-gear pace and low down pulling power, meaning you'll rarely be wanting for performance. It's quiet too (from in the cabin at least) and works well with the eight-speed automatic which is now standard on all 5 Series Touring models.

But diesel needn't be the default here. Indeed, if you're not covering long distances or do lots of shorter journeys, a petrol will be a far better bet - and will work out cheaper to buy. Plus you'll have no issues with DPFs.

The 520i is, according to BMW, a 'new-generation' four-cylinder petrol engine. Like its predecessor it produces 184PS but has more torque with 290Nm.

The 540i is set to be a rare bird in the UK due to its cost, consumption and, if you want to go blisteringly fast in a 5 Series, you'd choose the M5. So, this leaves the 530e plug-in hybrid as the other option and it's a good one as it has a generous EV driving range of up to 57 miles. It's also plenty quick, covering 0-62mph in 6.1 seconds and it feels more than brisk and refined enough to cut the mustard on your bratwurst.

Euro NCAP tested the 5 Series in 2017 and it achieved the full five stars. It achieved a very impressive 91 per cent for adult protection, and 85 per cent for child protection. It also scored well for pedestrian mitigation at 81 per cent, although the safety assist score of 59 per cent is less impressive.

You can add the Lane Departure Warning as part of the Driving Assistant package that comes with cross-traffic warning, rear collision prevention, lane change warning, and speed limit information. You could also upgrade this to Driving Assistant Profesional for even greater safety.

All 5 Series have twin front, side and curtain airbags, and Isofix child seat mounts fitted to the outer rear seats. BMW also includes autonomous emergency braking and a deployable bonnet that pops up to create a bigger cushion for a pedestrian if the come into contact with the car.

As you would expect for a large estate car, the BMW 5 Series Touring is a capable towing machine. All versions can manage 750kg unbraked, while the braked capacity varies between 1800kg and 2000kg depending on the engine and transmission. xDrive models do not have any additional towing capacity but do offer improved traction in difficult conditions.

Even if you’ve decided the Touring is the car for you, you still need to make some crucial decisions. With a sensible head on, the SE offer all you'll ever need from a car.

The SE comes on 17-inch alloy wheels, has roof rails and a powered tailgate, as well as the Touring's trademark rear screen that opens separately from the rest of the hatch. INside, there's leather upholstery, the 12.3-inch infotainment and dash screens, part-electric front seat adjustment, and cruise and climate controls.

The M Sport upgrades with its sporty body kit and 19-inch alloy wheels. This model also comes with sports suspension as standard, though this can be swapped back to the softer SE set-up as a no-cost option and we' recommend this course of action. The M Sport also has front seats with a more hugging shape and a sports steering wheel.