BMW 5 Series - Engines, performance & drive

The driving experience is generally where the BMW 5 Series excels, and the latest eighth-generation model sets a new standard in the class with superb refinement and comfort coming on leaps and bounds, too.

The 5 Series handles tidily, even though the 530e plug-in hybrid we’ve tried so far weighs a portly 2,080kg. Its quick steering and well-controlled body movements help disguise this heft well even on twisty B roads, with its suspension (coil springs at the front and air suspension over a multilink arrangement at the rear of plug-in hybrid models) rarely feeling flustered. The brakes feel more than up to hauling the mass of the 5 Series to a stop from high speed, and the transition from its regenerative braking system (which helps to recoup energy for the battery pack under braking) to the mechanical brakes feels almost seamless.

The only downside of this excellent body control is that you don’t have the soft, wafty ride of a Mercedes E-Class, but you only really feel the negative effects at low speeds around town where there’s a little patter. Once you’ve picked up some speed, this disappears, and the 5 Series becomes a marvellous long-distance cruiser with very little wind or road noise to disturb you.

Engines, 0-60 acceleration and top speed

Kicking things off is the 520i petrol, which uses a 205bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol to deliver a 0-62mph time of 7.5 seconds, followed by the 295bhp 530e plug-in hybrid that’ll complete the same sprint in 6.3 seconds. The top-of-the-range (at least until the 716bhp BMW M5 arrives) is the 482bhp 550e plug-in hybrid, with a 155mph top speed and a 0-62mph time of a scant 4.3 seconds. 

We have yet to try the 520i and 550e versions, but we’ll update this section when we have. For now, the 530e is likely to be a popular choice with company car drivers. The PHEV system has a slightly sluggish step off the line in its e-mode, so it doesn't feel as effortless as a BMW i5. Once rolling, the 530e is staggeringly refined because of its ability to shuffle around in near-silence at town speeds.

When the engine does engage, there is a slight jolt from the eight-speed auto ‘box - nothing too harsh, but enough to let you know that the system’s full 295bhp and 400Nm is at your disposal. The combined efforts of its 2.0-litre petrol engine and electric motor help this 2,000kg-plus version of the 5 Series gather speed deceptively quickly, with only a distant growl of its engine to let you know it's working hard. In everyday driving, it has more than enough power, so you won’t want for more speed.