Insurance Group: 46
MPG: 30.7
CO2: 214
0-62 Mph: 5.0 secs
BHP: 449 BHP
Range: 473 miles
The diesel engine is much more economical and efficient, with lower CO2 emissions, but the petrol engine has so much power that it might just be worth the extra cost.
PROS: An incredibly powerful V8 engine, with loads of speed. The SE trim comes with all that you could want in the cabin of a BMW.
CONS: The handling is a massive let down in the GT and the suspension is not pleasant unless you fork out for the additional dampers, which will make a very expensive car even more so. The diesel engines are far more economical and cleaner.
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 cabin is insulated from the outside noise of the engine, tyre and suspension, although there is a little wind noise at high speeds. The engine is smooth and responsive and the eight speed automatic gearbox provides effortless acceleration through the gears.
The 550i SE has a 407 bhp engine delivering 44 2lb-ft of torque at 1750-4500 rpm and reaches 0-62 mph in 5.5 seconds with a top speed of 155 mph.
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 hatchback offering the elegance and practicality of the BMW badge on top of great performance from the engine.
The iDrive system is much easier to get to grips with than before and all the controls are angled towards the driver, with perhaps the only downside being how many generic looking buttons there are for the stereo. The system also features electronic controls for the seat height and backrest angle, although you still have to slide back and forth using a manual lever.
The 550i SE hatchback comes with leather seats, metallic paint, power steering, stability control, cruise control, climate control, alloy wheels, stereo, MP3 connectivity, rear parking sensors, satellite navigation and Bluetooth as standard.
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 and manual gearboxes have an Optimum gearshift indicators to help drivers know when to change gears.
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 Stability Control inclusive of ABS, 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. The 5 Series also comes with a spring-loaded bonnet, which makes it much kinder to pedestrians in the event of a crash.
In space terms, the 5 Series are practical cars with lots of space in the front, but less than other 5 Series versions in the back. Although BMW claim it is a five-seater, the narrow middle back seat is not ideal as it has to accommodate the large transmission tunnel which runs through the centre of the car. The boot is quite small, with 440 litres of space, which is a lot less than the rest of the 5 Series.
The 5 Series benefits from BMW’s Efficient Dynamics technology, but the 550i engine is too big for the efficiency to have much effect. The 550i SE model costs £56,680 and has a combined economy of 25.2 mpg and CO2 emission rate of 263 g/km - placing it under a high road tax band and make the overall cost of the model extortionate, espeically when considering the need to add dampners and additional features to improve the car's handling.
A BMW is a good car to invest in due to the assured quality and service, but the Gran Turismo currently has worse resale value than the other 5 Series cars and this makes it a less secure investment.
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