2023 BMW 5 Series Plug-in Hybrid

　　

2023 BMW 5 Series Plug-in Hybrid Review

byWill KaufmanSenior Editor and Content Strategist, CarMax

　　Will Kaufman has worked in the automotive industry since 2017. He has written hundreds of car-related articles and reviews over the course of his career. Will is a senior editor and content strategist for CarMax at zzdcar. Will has been featured in the Associated Press and a number of major outlets on the topics of infotainment and vehicle data, vehicle subscription services and autonomous vehicles. Will started his career in online publishing by writing and editing standardized test guides, but he has a lot more fun writing about cars.

　　, rating written byWill KaufmanDirector, 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 2023 BMW 5 Series is a comfortable and, depending on the trim, exceedingly quick midsize luxury sedan with some great driver aids and tech features. We expect a totally redesigned 5 Series will go on sale next year, so this year's model is mostly the same as last year's, barring a few small but (to some people) potentially significant changes. The good news is that wireless phone charging is back as an option after being dropped for 2022 due to supply-chain issues.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below

　　

BMW 5 Series PHEV Insights

Trim:5 Series 530e

　　530e 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo gas/electric plug-in hybrid 8A) (Most Popular) - $56,400 MSRP530e xDrive 4dr Sedan AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo gas/electric plug-in hybrid 8A) - $58,700 MSRP

　　

All Electric Range

　　21 miles

　　EPA Estimated Electric Range

　　The 5 Series will automatically switch to gas when the electric battery is low.Electric cars typically experience 1-2% of range loss per year with slightly faster degradation over the first 50,000 miles as the car settles into its long term state, according to Recurrent's study of 15,000 EVs.

　　Estimated range mapThis map is a visual representation of the possible one-way and round-trips by this vehicle (on a full charge) from the geometric center of Rutland, North Dakota. The depicted ranges are based on the estimated new vehicle range value provided by the EPA, rounded down to miles for one-way and miles for round-trip. Actual range will vary depending on the condition of this vehicle’s battery pack, how you drive, driving conditions and other factors.Map display generated using: © openrouteservice.org by HeiGIT | Map data © Recurrent contributors | Recurrent

　　from 58067

　　

Hybrid Parts Warranty

　　8 yrs or 80,000 milesHybrid batteries are federally mandated to carry at least 8 years or 100,000 miles of warranty coverage from the manufacturer. Batteries that lose capacity more rapidly than expected should be eligible for replacement under warranty. Coverage of additional hybrid components beyond the battery itself will vary by automaker.

　　

Charging at Home

　　3 hours

　　Total Charging Time (240V outlet)

　　

EV Tax Credits & Rebates

　　$400

　　Available Rebates. Restrictions apply.

　　Utility EV Charger Offer

　　$400

　　Restrictions: Otter Tail Power offers EV owners a rebate of up to $400 towards the installation of a Level 2 charging station. To qualify for this rebate, the customer and/or charging station must meet the following requirements: Receive electricity from Otter Tail Power.

　　To learn more, visit Recurrent

　　See All PHEV incentives

　　

Cost to Drive

　　$145/mo

　　5 Series

　　vs

　　$198/mo

　　Car Avg.

　　Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　See All PHEV Insights

　　On to the bad news. We usually don't call out seemingly minor package availability changes, but it's worth noting that the Parking Assistance package is no longer available on the 530i, 530e or 540i — likely another victim of the supply chain. That means no automatic parking, and no automatic low-speed braking while parking manually. But it also means no built-in dash-cam functionality (BMW's Drive Recorder), and it means no 3D surround-view camera system. We love that system. In our initial rating back in 2017, we called the 3D view "the most impressive feature of the 5 Series."

　　The 530i, 530e and 540i still get a rearview camera and front and rear parking sensors as standard equipment. But if you want a forward-facing camera view and the features it enables, you have to jump to the performance-focused M550i trim.

　　That may not seem like much, but even a small change can make a difference when you're spoiled for choice. The midsize luxury sedan segment is packed with awesome choices: There's the luxury masterclass that is the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, the fun and tech-forward Audi A6, the expansive and impeccably designed Volvo S90, and more. Even though there's plenty to like about the 2023 BMW 5 Series, it's gotten a bit lost in a segment the 5 Series used to define. Check out our test team's Expert Rating for all the details.

　　

What's it like to live with?

We drove a 2018 BMW 540i xDrive for almost 20,000 comfortable miles. It quickly became a road-trip favorite, but we still found one or two things to complain about. BMW has updated the 5 Series since, but the 2023 car is of the same generation so many of our observations still apply. Head over to our Recurrent to read more.

　　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.

　　Good

　　7.9

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

8.0/10

　　How does the 5 Series Hybrid drive? The 530e drives a lot like a regular 530i. Our test 530e managed to cover 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds, a good showing for a hefty sedan and about a half-second quicker than the standard 530i.

　　Our test car had upgraded M Sport brakes and performance tires that stopped the car from 60 mph in just 106 feet, an admirable result for a midsize luxury sedan. The steering is nicely weighted, which complements its balanced and communicative handling. The 530e operates smoothly and responsively in any mode since the engine, electric motor and eight-speed automatic transmission all work well together.

　　

Comfort

8.0/10

　　How comfortable is the 5 Series Hybrid? The 5 Series is a genuinely comfortable car, especially with the optional multi-contour front seats that provide massage, ventilation and heat. We are also impressed with the ride quality. It's comfortable and relatively plush yet well damped so the 530e doesn't bob around endlessly on bumpy roads. Our test vehicle had the optional M Sport package with high-performance tires, so a mild amount of road noise crept in, but there was no wind noise and the engine was barely audible when cruising.

　　The climate control system manages cabin temp well in moderate climates but struggled to keep us properly chilled when it was truly hot outside. One oddity of BMW systems is that the fan speed doesn't automatically adjust when you use the automatic setting.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below