2022 BMW 5 Series

　　

2022 BMW 5 Series Review

byMichael CantuCorrespondent

　　Michael Cantu has worked in the automotive industry since 2014. He has written over 800 car-related articles and tested and reviewed over 100 vehicles over the course of his career. Michael is a contributor at zzdcar and has also contributed to MotorTrend, Digital Trends and InsideEVs. Michael was featured on a few InsideEVs YouTube channel videos on the topic of electric vehicles. Michael was a MotorTrend Car of the Year judge for 2019 and was a driver in MotorTrend's World's Greatest Drag Races 7 & 8.

　　, rating written byMichael CantuDirector, Vehicle Testing

　　Jonathan Elfalan has worked in the automotive industry since 2005. As a director of vehicle testing at zzdcar, Jonathan has tested and reviewed thousands of cars and written thousands of car-related articles over the course of his career. Jonathan got his start testing cars for Road & Track magazine as a newly minted mechanical engineer grad from University of California, Irvine, and has also contributed to Motor Trend and the Associated Press. He likes to say he learned to drive a manual transmission in a rear-wheel-drive mid-engine vehicle but often omits it was his family's 1991 Toyota Previa minivan.

　　The BMW 5 Series is essentially the middle child of BMW's sedan lineup. It's great if you're looking for a midsize premium sedan that's smaller than a full-size 7 Series but larger than a compact 3 Series. It's also an alternative to the smaller 4 Series Gran Coupe sedan in case you aren't a fan of its new, bold grille design. The 5 Series offers lots of luxury and comfort and should impress most buyers even if its styling isn't the most dynamic of the class.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2022 BMW 5 Series 530i 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.78 per gallon for premium unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$165/mo  for 5 Series 530i

　　5 Series 530i

　　530i 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) (Most Popular) - $54,200 MSRP530e 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo gas/electric plug-in hybrid 8A) - $55,550 MSRP530i xDrive 4dr Sedan AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) - $56,500 MSRP530e xDrive 4dr Sedan AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo gas/electric plug-in hybrid 8A) - $57,850 MSRP540i 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 8A) - $59,950 MSRP540i xDrive 4dr Sedan AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 8A) - $62,250 MSRPM550i xDrive 4dr Sedan AWD (4.4L 8cyl Turbo 8A) - $76,800 MSRP

　　vs

　　$198/mo

　　Avg. Large Car

　　In the past, the 5 Series was the go-to model for those wanting a top-performing sport sedan, but in recent years the 5 Series has softened up and now focuses more on luxury and tech. As such, the Audi A6, Genesis G80 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class should also be considered because they top the 5 Series in certain categories. For more information, checkout our test team's in-depth evaluation and Expert Rating.

　　

What's it like to live with?

We tested a BMW 540i xDrive during its time in our long-term test fleet. We loved the 540i's powerful and efficient engine and praised its superb transmission. The quiet and comfortable 540i took very few complaints from our staff members. For more information, read our BMW 540i long-term road test wrap-up here.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Great

　　8.1

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

8.0/10

　　How does the 5 Series drive? If the driving experience is truly important to you, then the 5 Series is a sedan to consider. Most of the models are well-rounded performers. In our testing, the four-cylinder 530i managed to cover 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds, a good showing for a base engine. We also tested a 540i xDrive and recorded an impressive sprint of just 4.6 seconds.

　　Our test 530i had ultra-smooth M Sport brakes that stopped the car from 60 mph in just 108 feet, an admirable result for a midsize luxury sedan. The steering is nicely weighted but somewhat numb. Thankfully, the chassis is both balanced and communicative.

　　

Comfort

8.0/10

　　How comfortable is the 5 Series? The 5 Series is a supremely comfortable car, especially with the optional multi-contour front seats. We are also impressed with the ride quality — it's comfortable and relatively plush yet well damped so it doesn't feel floaty. And while there's a mild amount of road noise that creeps in, but there was no wind noise and the engine was barely audible when cruising.

　　Our only issue with the climate system was its capacity to keep us properly chilled. While the dual-temp, dual-fan speed controls offer a lot of variabilities, the fan speed was never quite strong enough to deal with temperature extremes.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below