BMW 5 Series saloon - Reliability & safety
It should come as no surprise to hear the BMW 5 Series is brimming with the latest safety technology – although many systems are optional
The BMW 5 Series was awarded five stars in Euro NCAP crash-testing and it offers a wide range of sophisticated safety features. As it was launched so recently, a reliability score is difficult to award, although some reassurance can be taken in the good showing of the previous 5 Series in our annual Driver Power customer satisfaction surveys.
BMW 5 Series reliability
BMW as a brand came 21st out of 29 manufacturers in our 2021 Driver Power survey, just ahead of German rivals Audi (23rd), but lagging behind premium rivals like Mercedes (13th), Lexus (10th), Jaguar (7th) and Porsche in the top spot. Irrespective, BMW finished six places higher than in 2020, and fared better for reliability with only 19.2% of owners reporting an issue with their cars in the first year.
The 5 Series itself fared rather better, coming 49th out of the top 75 cars sold in the UK. Still, a satisfaction score of 85.5% from owners told us they were generally happy with their cars, praising the ride quality, technology and infotainment. Although fuel economy was deemed to be reasonable, and other running costs such as servicing tax and insurance were judged to be expensive by owners.
Safety
When the 5 Series underwent crash safety testing by independent experts Euro NCAP, it was awarded a five-star rating, with an excellent adult occupant safety score of 91%. An 85% score was given for the way child occupants were protected. The organisation was also impressed by the effectiveness of the car’s autonomous emergency braking system.
This is part of a £900 Driving Assistant pack, which also includes a lane-departure warning system and rear cross-traffic alert; this mitigates the likelihood of a collision during reversing manoeuvres. Spending a further £1,300 or so turns this kit into the Driving Assistant Plus, which adds features like adaptive cruise control for a semi-autonomous driving experience.
A serious amount of safety technology is available optionally, which is particularly desirable if you spend a lot of time behind the wheel. Driving Assistant Professional adds camera and radar-based driver assistance that can help the driver stay in their lane and at the correct speed, while looking out for any potential danger. One interesting new feature is BMW Drive Recorder, which uses the car's numerous cameras to record video clips if the vehicle is involved in a collision.
