This is the new 2024 BMW 5-Series, and it’s a surprisingly critical car for BMW to get right. See, large sedans have a certain traditional clientele and BMW’s recent products have leaned towards, if we’re being charitable, the whimsical. While enormous grilles and split headlamps are all fun and games for Instagram influencers, they’re a bit outlandish for serious, conservative business people high up on the corporate ladder. So, did BMW biff this one? Upon first glance, it doesn’t seem so.
Let’s start with the cabin, where I’m pleased to report that the interior looks fabulous. BMW has taken everything that works in the 7-Series and everything that works in the 3-Series, then mashed them together and painted the 5-er’s cabin with them. Between the huge 14.3-inch infotainment screen, the available illuminated clear trim, and the optional sky-lounge illuminated glass roof, there’s a lot going on but it’s not overwrought like the new E-Class’ cabin. Dare I say, the cabin of the new 5-Series is even tasteful.
That being said, it isn’t perfect. While iDrive 8.5 seems to offer a better top-menu structure, I still don’t like the climate controls being hidden in a sub-menu. Remember when turning on your heated seat was a simple process? It seems like BMW’s infotainment system puts gimmicks above outright usability, although it does feature one hell of a gimmick: Video games.
Yes, a company called AirConsole has put everything from karting to puzzle games on the new 5-Series’ infotainment screen. BMW claims it will launch with 20 different titles, so the gaming integration should offer plenty to do while waiting at a public DC fast charger. It’s one of those features that sounds corny at first but has a real-world use case.
As for styling, this is one of the better-looking BMWs in recent history. The outgoing 5-Series is a significantly more handsome car, but at least the new model’s bogey is aesthetically-challenged. The new Mercedes-Benz E-Class grew notably uglier than the outgoing model, and choosing between Munich’s large luxury sedan and Stuttgart’s large luxury sedan on styling all depends on whether you’d like a better-executed front end or rear end.
The big story on the outside of the new 5-Series is its sheer size. Length is up 3.4 inches to 199.2 inches, width up 1.3 inches to 74.8 inches, and height up 1.4 inches to 59.6 inches. Unusually, most of the length increase comes in the overhands as the wheelbase is only stretched 0.8 inches over the previous model. Believe it or not, the new 5-Series is longer, taller, and very nearly as wide as a standard-wheelbase E65 “Bangle-butt” 7-Series. How’s that for model bloat?
Since the new 5-Series is enormous indeed, some drivers will appreciate the addition of semi-automated parking assistance to the list of standard equipment. Speaking of driver assistance, the new 5-Series can be had with Highway Driving Assist, yet another hands-free Level 2 advanced driver assistance system intended for use on controlled-access roads. A hands-on Level 2 advanced driver assistance system is now standard, an appreciated upgrade over the outgoing car’s low level of standard ADAS.
The middle word in Bayerische Motoren Werke is motor, so let’s dive into powertrains from the top. The i5 M60 xDrive is currently the flagship of the range, a thumping 601-horsepower all-wheel-drive performance EV. BMW claims zero-to-60 mph will flash by in 3.7 seconds, right on pace with the old V8-powered M550i. Granted, the old twin-turbocharged M-lite car will eventually pull ahead, since the i5 M60 xDrive is limited to 143 mph versus the traditional 155 mph.
If you don’t need a ton of speed but still want electrification, the i5 eDrive40 offers a more reasonable 335 horsepower in exchange for a very useful range boost. BMW estimates that the i5 M60 xDrive can only do 256 miles on a charge, but the low-output electric variant takes that up to 295 miles, a 39-mile delta. Regardless of output, both electric 5-Series variants feature an 84.3 net kWh battery pack and a heat pump for cold weather efficiency. An interesting party trick between the two models is using waste heat from the motors to warm the battery pack when necessary, which BMW claims can “significantly reduce the energy required for preheating the battery on the way to a fast charging station.” Smart stuff.
Of course, EVs aren’t practical for everyone, so BMW’s offering a certain degree of powertrain choice. Although BMW claims a plug-in hybrid is coming, it’s not here yet, so those without access to home or office charging will likely be more interested in a duo of gasoline-powered models. The familiar B48 two-liter four-cylinder engine returns in the 530i and all-wheel-drive 530i xDrive, but it gets a few new twists thanks to what BMW has historically called a technical update. The engine now runs on the Miller cycle for enhanced efficiency, and features an exhaust manifold integrated into the cylinder head like the six-cylinder B58 engine did on the 2020 Toyota Supra. As a result, the 530i puts out a reasonable 255 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque, and is claimed to dash from zero-to-60 in a pleasant 5.9 seconds.
In case four isn’t a party for you, how about six? Arriving fashionably late is a revised version of BMW’s three-liter turbocharged B58 inline-six, and it features electronically-actuated variable valve timing as opposed to the traditional method of hydraulic actuation. BMW claims that this reduces emissions, which likely means it offers greater timing control. The bottom line is that the new 540i xDrive makes 375 horsepower and 384 lb.-ft. of torque, a considerable jump over what the B58 previously made in non-M-lite applications. BMW claims this middle-weight 5-er will scamper from zero-to-60 mph in a quick 4.5 seconds, a very graceful time for something so big with an engine of this nature.
As for handling, early signs point towards this being like other modern BMWs. Every new 5-Series comes with a new variable-ratio steering rack, good for easing the pains of parking without making a car excessively twitchy on the freeway, but not always as user-friendly as a fixed-ratio rack in spirited cornering. Previous BMWs with variable-ratio steering have featured very steep ramp-up between the slower and faster parts of the steering rack, so only putting tire to road will let us know if this 5-Series is any different. Overall steering ratios stand at 15.2:1 for rear-wheel-drive cars and 15.7:1 for all-wheel-drive cars, a good sign to drop two driven wheels and reap the benefits.
Mind you, BMW also claims that the front subframe features “an elastic steering gear mount,” which sounds comfort-oriented in an era where some manufacturers are ditching isolators altogether in search of steering feel. The 5-Series has certainly erred more towards luxury than sport for more than a decade, and the new model should merely cement the legacy that its predecessors built. Mind you, there’s always the chance that new dampers on the electric version will come in handy on bumpy backroads. BMW’s fitted the i5 with stroke-dependent dampers that can ratchet up the damping as they lean further into compression or droop. Neat. Oh, and both four-wheel-steering and active anti-roll bars reappear on the new car as options, for those who wish to use gadgets to fight mass.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the new 5-Series is the level of standard equipment. It should be that all large luxury sedans come well-equipped to start, but in the olden days, German premium automakers would’ve charged your for all the air inside the vehicle if they could. Now though, even the base 530i (that’s a European-market 530e pictured above but you get the idea) comes standard with a moonroof, sport seats, a Harman/Kardon-branded audio system, onboard navigation, a suite of driver assistance nannies, and wireless phone charging. On most other BMWs, you’d have to pay extra for some of those luxuries.
The 2024 BMW 530i $58,895 including a $995 freight charge, representing a $1,900 increase over the outgoing car. However, add a wireless charging pad and Active Driving Assist to the current 530i, and it’s $300 more than the incoming model. All-wheel-drive adds $2,205 on top of that, although I reckon it’s likely worth waiting until November and spending the extra $4,700 over the 530i xDrive for the six-cylinder 540i xDrive. Through the first ten years of life, there seems to be a considerable price delta between four-cylinder and six-cylinder BMWs, so there’s a chance of getting every penny back from the six-cylinder upgrade. As for electric models, the i5 eDrive40 starts at $67,795 including freight, while the high-output i5 M60 xDrive pulls a considerable premium at $85,095. With fair value, a variety of powertrain options, and a surprisingly pleasant interior, the new BMW 5-Series should be a hit once it arrives this October.
(Photo credits: BMW)
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Does anyone know what that weird rectangle is on the front of the M variant?
Probably a radar
Wow, she’s gained heft, hasn’t she? You can tell instantly that this has been made taller because of the inclusion of batteries. Svelt sedans are becoming more and more rare now.
Ugh – I was hoping they would make the new 5-series more of a driver’s car – I miss the E39 and E46 I used to have. And the last 5-series was already getting too big – they should have kept it about the same size. Recently I was at the BMW Ultimate Test Drive event and the only car that began to put a smile on my face was the 330e (of course they did not have most of the cars that interested me…). But then I got into the 2011 G37x that I inherited from my mother for the ride home and had an instant smile – I do not understand how BMW has strayed so far…
Ah, the flaring nostrils of DOOM…
Not mentioned in the article, from the BMW press release:
No mention of indicating: BMW understands their customer base and has turned a fact into a feature.
By pure coincidence, this very relevant quote from Douglas Adams popped up on LinkedIn today:
That exterior is as bloated as the new E Klasse, and that’s no easy feat with modern MBs.
Anyway, they’re offering mild hybrid diesels for it (not in the States I assume judging by its absence from the article), which should be quite nice and incredibly efficient
I don’t know why they got rid of the halo headlights. They were almost as recognizable as the kidney grill and they look better than the new leds
GIVE ME WAGON OR GIVE ME DEATH
There’s something just wrong about the D-pillar to trunk transition on this car. At any rate I kept thinking hey I should look at a 5 series for my next car. This new one will remove it from my list as its nowhere near as good looking as the outgoing car.
A front end that’s not 137% grille? I didn’t think BMW was capable of making those anymore.
Wow, this thing is 15 in longer than my 2021 3-series
Also 14″ longer than my ’94 5-series.
Every generation, the 3 becomes as big as the outgoing 5, the 5 becomes as big as the 7, and the 7 becomes as big as a house.
Are we not going to talk about how the hood has that style line down the middle that makes it look like giant a*s crack? Yikes.
Sadly I see the shifter has been removed like the LCI X7 & new 7 series and replaced with a toggle switch. What am I going to rest my right wrist on now ?!?!? Ultimate driving machine without a shifter BAH, BMW again ignoring purist clientele.
They have been for years. All we do is bitch and wait to buy things secondhand. Luxury buyers actually talk with their wallets.
It’s us second hand buyers that create resale value, thus reducing lease payments for the first timers, or putting more money in their pockets for the next new buy they do.
Also, it the kids driving clapped out versions of 10 year old luxury cars that create stigma for owners of those same models, so those owners will want to trade in for something newer. No narcissistic exec wants to look like they deliver pizzas for a living.
The circle of consumerism!
I went with my old man to look at the 2024 X5 last night. I drove a 24 XDrive40i and interacted with a ton of new cars so I feel fairly qualified to comment on current BMWs (slash when has not being qualified ever stopped me before! I’m not trapped in here with you people, you’re trapped here with ME!)
Here’s the good:
1). All of the hullabaloo over iDrive 8 is ridiculous. I too thought it would be hell and I’m still team buttons, nobs, and switches but it was so easy to use my 60 something technophobic dad had 0 issues. The climate controls are always on the screen. It’s fine
Also…the big, curved display is gorgeous, as are all the interior accoutrements. The newer BMW interior really are on another level.
2). I’m still on team B58 after driving one. It’s a great motor. Smooth, sonorous, powerful, and shockingly good on gas.
3). The mild hybrid tech is cool. It makes the start stop system seamless and gives you a little boost down low while also saving you gas. It’s cool shit!
4). This may sound like sacrilege and I am as on “team fun car colors” as anyone here but if you want something more subtle BMW has some of the best options in the game. Brooklyn Gray Metallic is way better than any of the other primer grays I’ve seen, Carbon Black Metallic is closer to a dark metallic navy in the light, and Tanzanite Blue rips as well.
And now for the not so good:
1). I thought car journos were overblowing how bad BMW steering has gotten but they’re not. There’s absolutely no feel or feedback and even in the sportier modes it just gets a bit heavier. It’s absolutely numb…and quite frankly none of the more recent German luxury cars I’ve driven offer jack shit in this regard.
2). Obviously I cant pass judgment on this car but the X5s we took out rode pretty rough. Don’t get me wrong-we’re not talking overly harsh or punishing or anything, but a $70,000ish luxury SUV I expected a much more plush experience.
3). Which leads me to my wrap up point…based on everything I’ve experienced and read it seems like BMW is caught in an awkward place with a lot or their products where they’re trying to be both luxury oriented and sporty but in the process they’ve kind of lost the plot with both. Based on the couple I’ve driven they’re not really soft enough to be considered truly luxurious but they’re too disconnected to feel truly sporty.
Anyway, I dig the look of this. I dislike the buck toothed nonsense as much as anyone but I feel like the BMW hate is getting a bit silly at this point. This is pretty inoffensive to my eyes, and I’ve never understood all the hate for the current 2 series. I think sometimes our enthusiast groupthink gets the best of us. I’ll definitely consider a 540i in a few years.
But iDrive 8 is short lived, it was so buggy its being phased out and replaced with ID 8.5, while iDrive 9 which is completely different (new OS and hardware) starts to arrive this summer. 3 major versions in a year is troubling.
You may be right…I’m just speaking from my own experience of interacting with it after shunning it on paper. I might have a different opinion if it was super buggy but the hour or so I spent with it was problem free. Intuitive even.
Good review. We have the 2021 330e, and I’ve really grown to like iDrive 7, but the amount of customization is overwhelming when you first get the car. After you get everything set up and customized to your profile, it’s very straightforward to use. I love the interior just prior to the iDrive 8 screens, but I’m still a button person and the iDrive 7 screens just seemed like the right size to me.
I’m really impressed overall with the integration of the PHEV system. I really struggle with knowing when the engine is on or when it’s off. The transitions are unnoticeable if you aren’t under heavy acceleration. The regen braking seems a bit better integrated than my Volt was. I don’t notice any issues with the steering, but I have mine set to sport in all modes, not comfort.
The weight difference of 440 pounds between the 330i and 330e is noticeable in the handling, but in a vacuum, the 330e is still a very fun car to drive, even in all electric mode using just the 107hp electric motor.
I haven’t driven a BMW pure EV yet, but I expect they will be quite fun.
BMW does have some great colors. I do love the Tanzanite Blue. Our 330 is in Portimao Blue, which I also love when it’s clean, but wow does it show dirt and pollen.
We don’t need games on the infotainment for charging sessions. We need charging stations to be at places people will want to get out of their vehicle. Whether that is restaurants, parks, shopping centers, or museums (or any number of other things), we should be making EV charging stops make sense, not making cars into gaming consoles.
Agreed! As a non-gamer, I feel this would make charging a reason to play games. I would rather charging be less intrusive in my life.
AirConsole: Where Nintendo eShop shovelware gets a second lease on life.
It looks like a Honda Accord had a baby with the guy outside the Worcester Dunks who will fight anyone that speaks ill of Brad Marchand. Could be worse. Let’s go B’s!
My first thought was that it looks like a Honda had a baby with a Hyundai. All those random cut lines
Yeah, it’s like they replaced Chris Bangle with the team from Mobile Suit Gundam. Did the EU outlaw smooth? It’s like a young designer crumbled up a piece of paper and the powers that be went “This is the future!”.
Man, if you remove all of the shitty looking glossy black plastic bits off the exterior and it’s rather decent looking. Still has nothing on the M5 CS though…
Meh, it’s average I guess.
Looks like another V8 bites the dust?
Sad.
Doubt it. They just updated the 4.4 liter twin turbo V8 majorly for the new X7. I imagine it’s going to wind up in the M lite version of the new 5 series.
Yeah. It’s fine. Not ugly, but not beautiful either.
You know, it wouldn’t take much to make this handsome. The front bumper is chaos but smooth it out a bit, take out the weird black… Whatever that is and maybe reshape the kidneys and you could have something okay, plus the rest of the car is actually pretty okay.
It has a front bumper?