BMW 5-Series Saloon road tests and consumer car reviews

BMW 5-Series Saloon 525d M-Sport 2006

The car is overall a fantastic family car, plenty of space etc and rear seats do fold down to make the boot even bigger when transporting large items with an average on 36mpg around town and amazing consumption on the motorway. I drove 500 miles on half a tank and not below 75mph and to the comment below mine talkin bout snow, if you drive the car right and carefully you will be fine. I have never been stuck and this is my 4th BMW. Yes, they are twitchy at times but that’s what makes the BMW driving experience, you just need to know how to drive them hold in the DTC button in until handbrake light is on with DTC light in yellow, this turns it completely off and have some fun in the snow. All in they’re a fantastic family car.

BMW 5-Series Saloon 2010

Rubbish car with a BMW badge. Very twitchy in wet and completely useless in icy conditions or snow. Big boot is let down by restricted access, back seats don’t drop so unless you are a family of four giants then its pointless. Fuel economy is good at least at around 50 combined. Have had many problems with intermittent fault warnings and run flat tyres.

BMW 5-Series Saloon 520 SE Auto 2005

A nice drive, good auto gearbox, punchy engine and reasonable 42mpg on average. A little hard ride but compensated for by handling with excellent direct feel steering. Plenty of room for 4-5 people and dent-sized usable boot. A little dodgy in snow so would guess that the 4 wheel drive is better. Would buy another if buying a family saloon of this size and price range.

BMW 5-Series Saloon 2009

Crap. Won’t go anywhere in snow, ice or even frost.

BMW 5-Series Saloon 520d SE 2006

I bought this car used with 129,000 miles when it was 3 years old for £9k. Came with leather upholstery, satnav, comms pack and xenon’s. It’s now just past 200,000 miles and it’s only had a new battery from the dealer. I have serviced it myself every 10k and it is absolutely faultless and quiet; it’s never had a clutch or particle filter. The best car I have ever owned.

BMW 5-Series Saloon 520 DSE AUTO 2010

Supposed to deliver 55mpg!! So far, the best I have got is 42mpg! (The CLK 270 DDI auto I traded in gave me 53 during the last 35k miles of its life). I sold it because Merc could not fix its failing brakes after 7 visits in 6 years. I had a 520d auto from July to November 2010, which i traded in for seat (dis)comfort. The ride is fine and the comfort seat which I traded the car in for worth every penny!

BMW 5-Series Saloon 520d SE 2010

I’ve had my 520d SE Auto Saloon for about 9 months now with one problem needing attention. The car decided to lose power and go into ’emergency power mode’ whilst doing 70mph on a fast A-road, and it was less than 2 weeks old! Long story short, it turns out the fuel tank is a ’saddle’ design and requires fuel to be transferred from one half to the other below 1/4 full. This wasn’t happening, and so effectively I had run out of fuel. Anyway, kept it above half a tank until the nice men from the dealership sorted it out. Never missed a beat since! The drive is excellent! I specced the VDC which is superb, and married to the auto box makes light work of any driving situation. I previously had a 330d touring and whilst the 5 doesn’t have the missile like thrust, it could not be accused of being anywhere near slow. The ride is quiet, relaxed, surefooted and composed. It is limo-like in it’s hushed progress with comfy seats and acres of space. Four people can travel in great comfort. I have done nearly 20,000 miles to date, so spend a lot of time behind the wheel. I can do 200 miles and get out the other end relaxed and calm, irrespective of the traffic - superb! I lease the car so servicing isn’t my problem but fuel wise, I regularly get an average of 45mpg (and I have a heavy right foot). On long motorway journeys, this rises to around 55mpg and means I am getting about 700 miles from a tank. Overall, it is a brilliant car that is easily fast enough, superb to drive, relaxed to travel in and carries four in style. Can’t recommend it enough but would always opt for the VDC if you are a keen driver!

BMW 5-Series Saloon 520d 2010

Keith Crossley from Durham has sent in a review on the BMW 5-Series Saloon.

I have owned the new Flagship 520d since July and covered 8000 miles, 2 weeks ago on Remembrance Sunday I was driving my car in the fast lane of a motorway and the car suddenly lost all power and stopped I was very lucky to avoid a high speed collision from the rear. The car has been in repair for 2 weeks without any update at all from BMW , they have remained very quiet over the reapir, they did say it was the main electronic control unit that had moisture in it but it should have been sealed, I have no idea when the car will be ready? I am appalled at BMW’s attitude and wall of silence. I would not recommend this car, I could have been killed. It would not surprise me if there is a recall on this particular part of the car. The car was supplied by BMW Park Lane and BMW Elvet in Durham are trying to repair it and they have never contacted me in 2 weeks!??? Beware!!!

Responses to this review

My wife had exactly the same problem as you by the sound of it. She was driving alone on the motorway in her brand new 1 series BMW 116i when the car lost all power. It was raining and it was dark, she managed to drift into the hard shoulder more by good luck than management. It was an absolutely terrifying experience for her, it still makes her cringe when she thinks of what may have happened to her. The car ended up back with the main dealer and it took some time for them to diagnose the problem, which turned out to be the ecu unit. The dealer handled the fault very well but on writing to BMW U.K. they just apologised and suggested that any complaint should be taken up with the dealer! We thought this to be very poor customer relations, and we sold the car soon after as my wife had lost confidence in the car - Terry Wright from England

BMW 5-Series Saloon M-Sport 2001

A great car for those who enjoy a good ride. It is not a car for those who do not have deep pockets!! Rear brakes cost £340 and tyres you are looking at £120 plus.

BMW 5-Series Saloon 520d se auto 2006

Bought my 5 about a year ago after running a 3 Series. A great drive, loads of room for a family of four. The only thing I have had problems with are what I thought was a slow puncture (something to do with runflats)? The car has done 52000 miles and the trackrod end bushes had shot it! Done under warranty. Is this something to watch out for? But overall for a large car, what a drive!

BMW 5-Series Saloon 525m Sport 2009

Having saved hard for almost 3 years I finally got my Sport 525d. The effortless acceleration was great and the near silent 2.5 diesel engine a dream. I like the excellent fuel returns combined with a good turn of speed. If you have a budget of approx £15-19k then why buy an Insignia/Mondeo when you can have a slice of Bavarian excellence?

BMW 5-Series Saloon 520i 1996

Best car I have ever had, I hope I will never have to part with it.

BMW 5-Series Saloon 1996

Best car I have ever had, simply the best, better than all the rest, excluding Tina Turner.

BMW 5-Series Saloon 2005

Mine is the 535d Supercar performance well nearly!! Economy, will cruise at 70 mph showing around 40 mpg. Impressive performance when towing makes white van man sweat to get past. Great service from local BMW dealer. Don’t believe the rubbish written about the e drive, it is great, it has plenty of discrete information features to keep you happy from its on board computer. Fantastic Hi Fi and telephone system. Just buy one you will not be disappointed.

BMW 5-Series Saloon 535 d m sport 2005

Well what can I say? 40 to gallon, 0 to 60 in 5.6 secs with super chip power.

BMW 5-Series Saloon 520d 2008

Superb car in every way. The best fuel consumption I got was over 60mpg although that was at 50mph on a motorway. Very quiet and effortless to drive.

BMW 5-Series Saloon 535i 2007

A lovely car. Luxurious, very fast, the 535i is also very sexy.

BMW 5-Series Saloon 530d Sport 2007

Superb car, luxury cruiser - fast, economical - 38 mpg. No faults whatsoever after 7000 miles, due first service shortly so has cost nothing apart from fuel since purchased new in December 2007. Only problem have kerbed a couple of wheels because of low profile tyres - fixed by Chipsaway. Had 535d estate previously but new 530d feels just as powerful. Highly recommended.

Responses to this review

"Kerbed the wheels because of low profile tyres" - yeah right, like the tyres were steering at the time, more incompetent driving - oops parking - cluttering the roads. If you can’t park it, dont drive it, please - Vince Carter from Oxfordshire

BMW 5-Series Saloon 520D. 2006

Mine is a company car, and have done 81,000 miles. If you want effortless pace and economy, you can’t go wrong. People like myself who spend very long hours in a car, know that in a car like this you can drive for 4 hours to a meeting and get out feeling almost as refeshed as when you got in. I like the styling, but inside the cabin does not feel that special although it is perfectly adequate. Previously I had a Mercedes E class 2.2D automatic, and I would give that 5 stars also. Have not driven the new A6. Would buy a Ford Mondeo ( I also have a Ford Galaxy) in a minute if it could get its high speed refinement sorted, as it is great to drive. In conclusion, there are many great cars in this class, but you will not regret choosng the BMW 520D if you are a high mileage user.

BMW 5-Series Saloon 530D SE Auto 2006

After two years and 40,000 miles I still love the car and will buy another. Drive from Costa Brava to Kent this year saw 48 mpg overall with cruise set at 95 mph most of the time so an easy days drive of 800 miles. Range at that speed is shown as 700 miles per tank so nearly made it without a refill! You need to specify sports seats as the standard ones don’t hold you well. Xenon lights are easy to adjust for continental driving and worth the money. I think the 3.0 diesel is the best engine but I would as this in the one I bought.

BMW 5-Series Saloon 530D SE Auto 2006

Just got back from Costa Brava, left 7 am back in Kent 800 miles later at 8:30 pm local time (big jam around Paris). Cruised at 90-95 with 47 mpg o/a. Shower + something to eat and down the pub for the rest of the evening. Possibly the world’s best long distance cruiser.

BMW 5-Series Saloon 525d M Sport 2008

Great power from the Efficient Dynamics engine. The added bonus is that it also provides great economy sometimes returning almost 45 miles to the gallon! Reliability and quality are both excellent and this is the car to choose if you want to drive in luxury and be economic at the same time.

Responses to this review

I’m so pleased at your review, I have just ordered myself one from Williams Rochdale. Can’t wait now. Thank you - Alan Greer from Cheshire

BMW 5-Series Saloon 5.0 V10 M5 5dr 2007

This is the only car really worth driving. The whole thing is beautifully designed and built and the driving experience is like nothing else. This is the serious car lovers car because there are no cons, only pros - it simply is perfect.

BMW 5-Series Saloon 520d 2007

This is a luxurious and stylish car and great to drive. Fantastic fuel consumption for its size, I am averaging 40 plus on normal use and 49/50 on motorway driving. There is plenty of space inside and all in all it is a very comfortable, especially for a tall person such as myself. There is also very little or no road noise and you sometimes have to double check the diesel engine is running as you cannot hear it . A very impressive car all round and I am very very impressed with it .

BMW 5-Series Saloon 523i se 2000

My BMW is a wonderful car to drive it is fully loaded with all the gadgets and the engine has plenty of torque and power when its needed, all bmw’s are a top class motor to drive and to own.

BMW 5-Series Saloon

This is a luxurious and stylish car that is good to drive. There is plenty of space inside and all in all it is a very impressive executive model.

BMW 5-Series Saloon BMW 5 Series 525d SE

I’ve had this car now for 2 months and am impressed with the fuel consumption together with the overall handling. Opted for the luxury package on the interior and a couple of other extras, think it’s definitely worth it for such an investment. Very pleased so far.