In-depth reviews

BMW 5 Series owner reviews

Name: BMW 5 Series saloon
Brand: BMW

"The BMW 5 Series has reclaimed its place at the top of the executive saloon class"

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by Ben Hodges

16 Sep 2021

Carbuyer Rating

4.6 out of 5

Owners Rating

4.0 out of 5

Buy used for less at Buyacar

67%of people would recommend this car to a friend.

Owner Rating

1reviews
1reviews
1reviews

Common Problems

Electrics (1 cases)

I would recommend this car to a friend

Version

520se

Year of registration

2011

Average annual mileage

10,000 – 14,999

Owned

1 - 2 years

Bought Car

New

Typical MPG

52

Review

Having owned a 2013 Mercedes E-class and 2012 Audi A6 in recent years, I decided to buy a high mileage 135k mile BMW 520d, as the car had just had £1500 spent on a timing chain/service. Being the SE it came with 17" wheels and the ride is sublime on the smaller alloys, handling is sure footed and the brakes have great feel, performance from the 4-cylinder is adequate and 6 speed gearbox superb. The interior fixings and features are of the best quality now to the best part, this is a 1.8-tonne executive car and has never returned less than 47mpg, and at 60mph on a motorway an amazing 67mpg - plus I can cruise all day at higher speeds and it still returns over 50mpg. It is simply the best and most reliable executive car i have owned, the build quality, performance and economy cannot be beaten. The car is serviced regularly at a local independent BMW specialist at a fraction of the cost of the dealer using genuine BMW parts, this car is as cheap to run as a Ford Focus and has far less depreciation, I would only consider an exchange for a 530d for the extra performance and auto gearbox.

Version

520d

Year of registration

2015

Average annual mileage

10,000 – 14,999

Owned

3 - 5 years

Bought Car

Used

Typical MPG

45

Review

This is my third BMW. Loved this car until now. Quiet, comfortable, economical with all the performance I need. But, now it’s just out of warranty, it’s let me down. The iDrive has packed up, it just keeps trying to boot up every two minutes. BMW has just quoted me £1,400 to fit a new iDrive head unit which by the way is on worldwide back order (presumably because of demand) so I don’t know when it will be fixed. So no sat nav, Bluetooth, radio, music, tyre pressure checks, oil level check. I can’t adjust any settings normally done on the iDrive.

I would recommend this car to a friend

Version

530e

Year of registration

2019

Average annual mileage

15,000 – 19,999

Owned

Less than a year

Bought Car

Used

Typical MPG

47

Review

Moved from Audi A6 (2016 black addition 2.0tdi Ultra) which was a beautifully built car. That said the BMW is built just as beautifully, the refinement of the car and driving experience is a pleasure. The 530e (m sport) has all the power you would need day to day and can keep the hot hatches at bay in most cases. I generally use my car day to day on the motorway where it is comfortable, quite and an ease to drive. The only negative I have with the car is the claimed MPG by BMW, it ain’t what it says on the tin ! So if you want a frugal 5 series go for the 520d if you want a powerful yet fairly frugal 5 series go for the 530d. However if you are like me and want the best BIK as a company car driver, reasonable MPG and great performance go for the 530e. I highly recommend this car for its refinement, performance and tech.