Insurance Group: 41
MPG: 40.4
CO2: 164
0-62 Mph: 6.2 secs
BHP: 245 BHP
Range: 622 miles
The 5 Series does vastly benefit from additions to the suspension but this is at a cost. The M Sport comes with firm, sporty suspension, which some drivers find uncomfortable, although it can be changed to the usual variety. The saloon is a practical car with loads of space on offer and great running costs, even if you stick with the petrol engine over the diesel.
PROS: A powerful engine with decent efficiency and low CO2 emissions. The saloon offers great practicality with strong performance credentials.
CONS: The Sport suspension is quite firm and a little uncomfortable, plus extras have to be added to get the most out of the car, which can be costly. The diesel engines are much more efficient.
The 528i M Sport has a 245 bhp engine delivering 25 8lb-ft of torque at 1250-4800 rpm and reaches 0-62 mph in 6.2 seconds with a top speed of 155 mph. The cabin is insulated from the outside noise of the engine, tyre and suspension, although there is a little wind noise at high speeds. The gears are responsive and make acceleration effortless.
As you would expect from a BMW, the drive of the 5 Series is smooth, powerful and refined, although it does require a lot of extras to reach its potential.
The suspension on the 5 Series is not as supportive as you might expect, but there is a rather expensive option to add Variable Damper Control to the four-cylinder models and Adaptive Drive to the six-cylinder models, which is worth the money for the difference it makes in the performance and handling.
The BMW cabin is arguably one of the best available and the 5 Series is made with high-quality materials and beautifully finished. This is a complete executive saloon offering the elegance and practicality of the BMW badge on top of great performance from the engine.
The M Sport saloon comes with leather seats, power steering, stability control, cruise control, climate control, alloy wheels, stereo, MP3 connectivity, rear parking sensors and Bluetooth as standard, with optional extras including satellite navigation for £1,580. The backseat entertainment option includes satellite navigation.
The M Sport is distinguished from the SE by its lower ride height, aerodynamic body kit and larger rims.
BMW are manufacturers that have a great track record when it comes to reliability, so that shouldn’t be too much of a concern.
Safety is top rate, too with standard equipment including a minimum of six airbags, dynamic break control and dynamic traction control. An optional extra is the Active Security Package (with lane change and lane departure-warning systems), with an alarm, deadlocks and locking wheelnuts as standard to protect the car from theft. The 5 Series also comes with a spring-loaded bonnet, which makes it much kinder to pedestrians in the case of a crash.
5 Series are practical cars with loads of space in the front and back. Although BMW claim it is a five-seater, the middle back seat is not ideal as it has to accommodate the large transmission tunnel which runs through the centre of the car and this means only children can really make use of this seat. The boot is sizeable too, offering 520 litres of space with all the seats in place.
The ‘Efficient Dynamics’ technology that keeps the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions low includes an automatic stop-start system, brake energy regeneration, tyres with less rolling resistance, along with improved aerodynamics.
The 5 Series benefits from BMW’s Efficient Dynamics technology, which makes it a great business car option with decent running costs and low CO2 emissions. The 528i M Sport model costs £36,910 and has a combined economy of 39.8 mpg and CO2 emission rate of 165 g/km.
The M Sport offers the same equipment as the SE trim, but comes with sporty suspension and bodywork. For the powerful performance of the engine, the running costs are superbly low and the value for mone of the car is not too bad, although the diesel engines are still superior in drive and efficiency.
There is always the downside to the 5 Series that it requires a few expensive extras (i.e. the suspension modifications), which completely alter the performance of the car and are worth buying, but do add to the price.
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