Pros:
- High-quality luxury touches inside and out.
- Excellent powertrain options to choose from.
- Good trunk and storage for such a sporty sedan.
Cons:
- Optional upgrades can get quite expensive quickly.
- Conservative exterior styling hides the sportiness quotient.
- Interior styling is starting to show its age.
Would we buy one? Definitely!
Vehicle Type: Four-door midsize luxury sedan with seating for 5.
Price Range: Start pricing is $54,895 MSRP going to $77,645 MSRP, before options. All pricing includes the $995 destination charge.
Powertrain: There are three powertrains.
A 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that generates 248 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque.
A 3.0 twin-turbo V6 that generates 335 horsepower and 331 lb-ft of torque.
And a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine making 523 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque.
Rear-wheel-drive is standard with an 8-speed automatic transmission as the drivetrain.
All-wheel-drive is available.
Competitors: Audi A6, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Lexus GS, Volvo S90, Genesis G80, Acura RLX, Lincoln MKZ.
Overall Score: 9/10
Safety Features: 9/10
BMW beefed up its safety features for the 5 Series models in 2020. Now all trims come standard with driver assistance advanced safety features like lane keep assist and lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, front collision warning and emergency braking, blind-spot assistance, night vision sensors, adaptive cruise control, and an array of airbags.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not rated the 2020 BMW 5 Series in crash tests at the time of this writing, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) designated the 5 Series in most tests as 'Good' and awarded the BMW their 'Top Safety Pick' designation.
Value: 8/10
The 2020 BMW 5 series sedan is relatively affordable as far as luxury cars go, but it can get pricey.
There are five trim levels for the 2020 BMW 5 series sedan: 530i Sedan, 530i xDrive Sedan, 540i Sedan, 540i xDrive Sedan, and the M550i xDrive Sedan. An electric plug-in hybrid variant, the BMW 530e is available as well.
The base BMW 530i Sedan starts at $54,895 MSRP with the 530i xDrive Sedan starting at $57,195 MSRP. The next trim level, the BMW 540i Sedan starts at $60,445 MSRP with the 540i xDrive Sedan starting at $62,745 MSRP. The top-tiered m550i xDrive Sedan starts at $77,645 MSRP. All prices include the destination charge and are before options.
Less expensive rivals like the Lincoln MKZ offer many similar features, though not quite as fancy as the 5 Series, for a more affordable price. If the price was not a concern and we were looking for a luxury car, we would get the M550i xDrive with the Executive Package.
Tech Features: 8/10
Infotainment is fair in the BMW 5 Series, and it does satisfyingly hit on several consumer demands for modern industry-standard conveniences like Bluetooth connectivity and Apple CarPlay. Android Auto is missing, however.
For 2020 the 5 Series gets enhanced features standard that includes a Live Cockpit instrument cluster and the iDrive 7.0 infotainment system with gesture control. The 10.25-inch display can be used via voice, touchscreen, or gestures. A navigation system, climate control, powered moonroof, keyless entry, and a 12-speaker audio system are also included with base trims. An improved Harman Kardon 16 speaker audio system comes standard with the 550i.
Extras like a head-up display and expanded rear-seat multimedia entertainment are available.
The 530i and 540i come with BMW TeleServices, a useful feature that sends maintenance information and statistical reports to your dealership to assist in scheduling upcoming vehicle services.
An 5 Series rival, the Audi A6, may be considered if a more intuitive infotainment system is important to you.
Practicality: 7/10
The 5 Series has 18.7 cubic feet of cargo space in the trunk, making it more accommodating than the Mercedes C-Class that offers less space.
Front seats and rear seats are easy to enter and exit. Seating is comfortable, and soft-touch material lines the cabin adding to the plush feel. Surprisingly, even with the increase in the 2020 model year's length, the rear-seat legroom feels a little tight. The headroom is generous in the rear seats and front seats, though, despite the swooped roof design.
The M550i xDrive comes with 20-way power-adjustable front seats that are temperature controlled that we found to be very efficient at customizing lumbar and leg support.
Styling & Design: 8/10
The 2020 BMW 5 Series body style did not see too many dramatic visual changes; instead, it falls back on a more reserved midsize sedan look with performance tucked away under the hood. Panel gapping is seamless and smooth and everything functions smoothly, as is expected for a luxury sedan with the BMW name.
The 550i xDrive is available with 20-inch wheels instead of the standard 18-inch alloys. Shadowline exterior stylings that include a unique M spoiler and leather upholstery adorn the 550i too. All trim levels receive a moonroof standard.
The 5 Series increased in size for 2020, increasing length, aiding legroom a bit. The M550i xDrive has a hefty curb weight of 4,456 lbs. making it fairly heavy for the segment.
Driving Experience: 8/10
The BMW 5 Series could be called a high-performance sports sedan given the level of commitment BMW shows for improving drivability and performance of the 5 Series. However, it still retains a more luxurious and studious demeanor despite its power-laden engine options.
The standard 2.0-liter four-cylinder puts out a decent amount of horsepower and can hold its own among rivals like the Lincoln MKZ who share similar powertrains. The other two engines are more remarkable, especially the 523-horsepower V8 in the M550i xDrive. It easily crunches 0-60 mph in under four seconds, with time to spare, working through the eight-speed automatic seamlessly. The M Sport Differential on the M550i distributes torque well, helping the M550i attack corners gracefully.
Overall, the 5 Series offers a good range of powertrain options, coupled with a slick and responsive eight-speed automatic transmission, to meet several different demographic demands for performance and daily use practicality.
Fuel Efficiency: 9/10
Though it may not be the segment leader, the fuel economy for the 5 Series is very efficient thanks to the refined powertrains and 8-speed automatic transmission. Consumers who want the most gas mileage will likely look to the V6 or four-cylinder powertrains offered.
For the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with the RWD equipped, EPA estimates are 25/33/28 MPG city/hwy/combined.
The same powertrain on the 530i xDrive with the AWD gets 24/31/27 MPG city/hwy/combined.
The 540i with the 3.0-liter six-cylinder RWD gets 22/30/25 MPG city/hwy/combined according to EPA estimates losing one highway mile when equipped with AWD.
EPA estimates put the 4.4-liter V8 at 18/25/20 MPG city/hwy/combined.
The 530e xDrive plug-in hybrid coupled with a gas and electric motor gets 69 MPGe.
