Overview & Reviews

It's no exaggeration to say that the BMW 5 Series sets the standard for premium sport sedans. Introduced for the 1972 model year, the midsize 5 Series has long offered a near-perfect blend of performance, luxury and interior room. It's also highly regarded for its refined styling and innovative technology features.

Most BMW 5 Series models you'll come across will be rear-wheel-drive sedans, though you'll stumble upon the occasional 5 Series wagon on the used car market. In addition, all-wheel drive has been optional for some time, and many used sedans in colder climes will be so equipped. Traditionally, the 5 Series has featured an inline six-cylinder gasoline engine, but BMW has also offered V8 engines, turbocharged four-cylinders and even diesel-powered options. When people ask us to recommend luxury cars, the BMW 5 Series is invariably high on the list, new or used.

User Reviews:

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  Worst Car Ive Ever Owned - 2009 BMW 5-Series
  By John Brennan - November 17 - 4:23 pm

  At 58,000 miles this BMW began failing on nearly every other drive. Even when I was selling it, it broke down on two consecutive test drives. The repairs were nearly $3,000.00 just for those two repairs. Its a fun enough car when its running correctly but, given the performance of far more economical cars, I would never consider another BMW. I also have to comment on the tires: if you think this AWD car is going to perform in snow, youll be disappointed. Theres not enough tread depth in the low profile tires. Youll need dedicated snow tires if you drive in snow regularly. All in all, it was a bad experience. The car is overpriced. The dealership service department tries to gouge you (politely, of course) and the car is completely unreliable. I would never consider another one.

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  unreliable POS - 2007 BMW 5-Series
  By terry - November 8 - 5:19 pm

  if you want an unreliable car this is for you. Timing chain snaps at 97k. Six months later stranded again cause the steering lock mechanism failed. Gotta tow that pos again. Ive only been stranded twice in the last 17 years. Both times BMW, Im going back to Japanese reliability and will never buy or recommend BMW.

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  Complete Disappointment - RFT Tires are nightmare - 2011 BMW 5-Series
  By Jason C. - October 28 - 6:07 pm

  I purchased this Car in May, it is now October and Im returning the car to the dealer and taking the loss on the taxes and extended warranty I paid for to trade it in for a different car. Almost $10,000 down the drain plus whatever amount that car has devalued from use. First of all, let me just confirm the complaints about the tires I see from other reviewers. They are a total nightmare! I have the receipts for 14 tires that I have replaced in the last 5 months. I bought 4 brand new tires at almost $500 bucks each after my first two flats. 1 had a bubble and subsequently popped within 24 hours of having it installed. I had it replaced with a new tire using the road hazard warranty and within a week, the two front tires blew out again. At that point I was driving scared and being extremely careful not to hit any bumps. Ive owned 2 door coupes with 19" wheels and thin tires and never had this problem. I even tried getting tires with a bigger sidewall to see if the extra cushioning would help and it only made things worse. The Car started to have an issue with the transfer case. According to the dealership the car has to use the specific tire measurements that come with the car or the transfer case gets confused when doling out power to the wheels. So basically I had no choice but to keep replacing the crappy run flat tires that costs $500. Ludicrous, I am trading in the car because the money I will lose from purchasing the extended warranty , does not add up to the cost of constantly replacing these tires. Other issues I had in my short time with the car are: The windshield fluid stopped working and pump had to be replaced. iDrive controller completely stopped working so the entire infotainment system was uncontrollable. Driver seat kept causing a warning that it could not be calibrated. Radio kept having a strange feedback noise at high volumes. All of these problems are minor issues that could easily be fixed by the very attentive and pleasant BMW staff at the service center. They were great and very pleasurable to work with. However it takes a month just to get an appointment at any BMW dealer in the New York area and some dealerships dont offer loaners unless you purchased the car from them. When I went to the Service Center I was shocked, They had over a 500 Cars on the lot for repairs. Ive never seen anything like it. I previously had an infiniti and never had to wait for a service appointment or worry about getting a loaner. Not to mention the Inifiniti facilities are infinitely (no pun intended) better than anything Ive seen from BMW. To say that Im disappointed is an understatement. Im trading the Car in and trying out an Audi A7 or a Benz CLS. Hoping that other German Car brands dont turn out to be all hype.

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  Good luck if you have to TOW or Service it. - 2013 BMW 5-Series
  By greenwichct1 - March 6 - 12:26 pm

  I drove over a rock and had to have the car towed to the BMW in Port Chester, NY. It took visits from 3 tow trucks to finally get one that would crawl underneath the car to put it in neutral when off. The guy told me he would never do that if I had broken down on the highway. BMW assist was clueless. Car needed a muffler which took 10 days for BMW service Port Chester to get it from Germany. Then they decided it needed another muffler part which was backordered 2 months! In all it would be 2.5 months to fix a muffler! They couldnt care less about the inconvenience to me.

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  Overvalued lemon - 2011 BMW 5-Series
  By ragril - September 9 - 11:58 am

  Ive owned this car for almost two years. My first and last BMW. How much I regret this purchase. The ride is rough, noisy and irregular. This car has a problem. There is something wrong with the ride. It shudders and vibrates badly. Yet, the dealer has been useless. They find all sort of excuses in order to dismiss my concerns. It is supposed to be normal!!! When my beloved Honda Pilot 2006 rides smoother and straighter than my $60,000 2011 BMW, you can tell this junk is worth nothing. So much for the ultimate driving... scam!

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  Big bucks German bad transmission cheap parts - 2006 BMW 5-Series
  By wilczewm - November 23 - 1:12 pm

  Bought new. Minor problems while under warrantee. Since then, replaced rear wheel bearing at 40K. Transmission slam from second to first like getting hit from behind. BMW engineers created a computer work around for this common problem but will not fix this default and you must pay dealer whether it works or not. Many people being talked into replacing transmission for $5k. Cheap dash components like cup holders and ashtray flimsy, had to replace both two times. For the price paid, quality is severely lacking. Would not recommend buying a used one. Local dealer repair shop is horrible. Had vehicle 9 days on two occasions without fixing. BMW regional tech changed battery 2hrs.

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  Please read this if you are even considering buying a 535 - 2011 BMW 5-Series
  By geomed - May 1 - 12:49 am

  This is our 7th BMW over a 28 year time span. It is our LAST BMW. The car shifts very poorly from a rolling stop and just poorly from a dead stop. When I contacted BMW of NA they were very defensive and did NOTHING. This car was over $ 60,000.00 and should shift without hesitation. Let the Buyer Beware this is a car I would not buy again and it is the last car I will buy from BMW.

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  Money pit - 2002 BMW 5-Series
  By happyharps - January 20 - 12:30 pm

  This car is really fun to drive, when it will drive. It has been a money pit. We have had many electrical problems. We have had the dealership repair it, just to have more electrical problems. The interior design is poor as far as convinience goes (lack of a good drink holder), tiny seats in the back, not a lot of space on passenger side for legs and knees, etc. It has great pick up, the transmission is smooth, you can drive 120 mph and feel like your going 65mph. This car really is fun to drive, but it has so many machanical and electrical problems. Wish I hadnt purchased this car.

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  No BMW USA Service Support - 2011 BMW 5-Series
  By blunt1 - September 14 - 9:55 am

  While my salesman was one of the most knowledgeable salesman I have ever encountered, I was reassured that this very expensive investment would receive any service and support it needed. I drove the car off of the lot with a warning message regarding the electrical system. Two trips back to the dealer I finally get a new battery. Second trip back I explained that the road noise and pulling to the right was excessive. Their response was, "well its just the sports suspension", and nothing we can do. Third trip was concern about a quart of oil added every 7,000 miles. Nothing they can do. Now I need $2200 in tires, and the car leaks. No support for this lemon of a car.

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  3 engine breakdowns already - 2010 BMW 5-Series
  By 2010lemon - May 3 - 9:22 pm

  Fuel pump replaced twice. Once before recall, once after. Car lost power in two life threatening situations with children in car. Most recent engine issue has put me in a compact rental car for two weeks.... while car continues to confuse technicians.