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BMW 5 Series - Engines, performance & drive

Low-speed fidget aside, the latest BMW 5 Series is a seriously accomplished executive saloon to drive

Engines, performance and drive rating

4.5

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The driving experience is generally where the BMW 5 Series excels, and the latest eighth-generation model sets a new standard in the class with superb refinement and comfort coming on leaps and bounds, too.

The 5 Series handles tidily, even though the 530e plug-in hybrid we’ve tried so far weighs a portly 2,080kg. Its quick steering and well-controlled body movements help disguise this heft well even on twisty B roads, with its suspension (coil springs at the front and air suspension over a multilink arrangement at the rear of plug-in hybrid models) rarely feeling flustered. The brakes feel more than up to hauling the mass of the 5 Series to a stop from high speed, and the transition from its regenerative braking system (which helps to recoup energy for the battery pack under braking) to the mechanical brakes feels almost seamless.

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The only downside of this excellent body control is that you don’t have the soft, wafty ride of a Mercedes E-Class, but you only really feel the negative effects at low speeds around town where there’s a little patter. Once you’ve picked up some speed, this disappears, and the 5 Series becomes a marvellous long-distance cruiser with very little wind or road noise to disturb you.

Model 

Power

0-62mph

Top speed

5 Series 520i M Sport

205bhp

7.5 seconds

143mph

5 Series 530e M Sport

295bhp

6.3 seconds

143mph

5 Series 550e xDrive M Sport

482bhp

4.3 seconds

155mph

Engines, 0-60 acceleration and top speed

Kicking things off is the 520i petrol, which uses a 205bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol to deliver a 0-62mph time of 7.5 seconds, followed by the 295bhp 530e plug-in hybrid that’ll complete the same sprint in 6.3 seconds. The top-of-the-range (at least until the 716bhp BMW M5 arrives) is the 482bhp 550e plug-in hybrid, with a 155mph top speed and a 0-62mph time of a scant 4.3 seconds. 

We have yet to try the 520i and 550e versions, but we’ll update this section when we have. For now, the 530e is likely to be a popular choice with company car drivers. The PHEV system has a slightly sluggish step off the line in its e-mode, so it doesn't feel as effortless as a BMW i5. Once rolling, the 530e is staggeringly refined because of its ability to shuffle around in near-silence at town speeds.

When the engine does engage, there is a slight jolt from the eight-speed auto ‘box - nothing too harsh, but enough to let you know that the system’s full 295bhp and 400Nm is at your disposal. The combined efforts of its 2.0-litre petrol engine and electric motor help this 2,000kg-plus version of the 5 Series gather speed deceptively quickly, with only a distant growl of its engine to let you know it's working hard. In everyday driving, it has more than enough power, so you won’t want for more speed.

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