BMW 5 Series hybrid - Reliability & safety

The BMW 5 Series is still very new but BMW builds safe and sturdy cars

Carbuyer Rating

4.1 out of 5

Owners Rating
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Reliability & safety Rating

4.0 out of 5

BMW has always enjoyed a ‘premium’ image, but while its cars look and feel the part, they can be prone to occasional niggles. Fortunately, the brand’s overall customer satisfaction rating is generally good and the 530e and 545e xDrive should be safe, trouble-free cars to own.

BMW 530e and 545e xDrive reliability

The BMW 5 Series came a respectable 49th out of the top 75 cars in the 2021 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey. Reliability scored well, even if an above-average number of owners (20.8%) reported a problem in the first year of ownership. Running costs came in for some criticism but owners loved the engines available to 5 Series buyers.

Safety

Safety certainly isn’t a worry, with the BMW 5 Series bagging the full five stars in Euro NCAP crash-testing. Scores of 91% for adult occupant protection, 85% for child occupant safety and 81% in the pedestrian category are all impressive. An optional Driving Assistant pack adds technology including a lane-departure warning system and alerts for nearby traffic as you reverse out of a parking space. This can even be upgraded to Driving Assistant Plus, with active cruise control and autonomous emergency braking, although it’s a shame BMW can’t offer more of this advanced technology as standard.

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