2021 BMW 5-series

Overview

If quiet luxury and handsome styling are high on your new-car priorities list, the 2021 BMW 5-series sedan could very well be the answer. Its spacious and plush cabin is a pleasant place to spend your commute, and BMW offers a host of powertrain options to suit your needs, be they fuel efficiency or roaring V-8 performance. A facelift for 2021 brings sharper exterior styling that gives the 5-series an even more upscale appearance, and several tech upgrades should keep it in the fight against key rivals such as the Audi A6, the Genesis G80, and the Mercedes-Benz E-class.

What's New for 2021?

Along with its visual freshening for the 2021 model year, the 5-series boasts a new 48-volt hybrid powertrain, a larger 12.3-inch infotainment system, and upgraded driver-assistance features.

Pricing and Which One to Buy

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

Smooth, powerful, and efficient, both the four-cylinder in the 530i and the six-cylinder in the 540i motivate this big sedan with authority. For 2021, the 540i's powertrain gains a little extra boost, care of a 48-volt hybrid system. Each pairs with an eight-speed automatic transmission that shifts intuitively and quickly, making the most of the available power. The 540i's six-cylinder is silky smooth and potent, and it makes delightful noises. Apart from the top-dog M5, which we review separately, the M550i is the athlete of the lineup, with a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 under its hood. In our testing, the M550i sprinted through our acceleration runs quicker than the Audi S6 and Mercedes-AMG E53, hitting 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds. All 5-series models are competent handlers, but they lack the kind of driving verve we expect from BMW. Steering feedback is light, and the ride—even in the performance-oriented M550i—appears to be tuned more for comfort than pure driving pleasure.

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Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

The EPA estimates the four-cylinder 530i will earn up to 25 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway. The six-cylinder 540i is rated at up to 25 mpg city and 32 highway. The more powerful V-8 M550i lowers those to 17 mpg city and 25 highway. All three of the models we tested overachieved in our real-world testing; the 530e delivered 34 mpg while the 540i and M550i did 31 mpg and 28 mpg, respectively. For more information about the 5-series's fuel economy, visit the EPA's website.

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

Rich appointments and good design make the cockpit of the 5-series a civilized space. It's a noticeable upgrade compared with the somewhat drab cabin of its predecessor. It's also spacious for rear-seat passengers and features an impressive amount of technology. We've experienced the optional 20-way multi-contour front seats, which adjust in every way imaginable and provide hourslong comfort. The standard seats might not be as indulgent, but you can still adjust them in 16 ways. The BMW's large trunk space is on par with what its competitors offer, fitting six carry-on suitcases back there. That said, the cabin is lacking in cubbies and storage compartments. To accommodate the battery pack, the plug-in-hybrid 530e has four less cubic feet of trunk space than nonhybrid models and swallow two fewer carry-on suitcases, but at least it retains its folding rear seats, unlike many other hybrids.

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Infotainment and Connectivity

A large 12.3-inch high-resolution central display comes standard on every 5-series. You can control it by using BMW's iDrive rotary knob, tapping the screen, or saying various voice commands. Additionally, if you shell out for BMW's Gesture Control option, you can control the system with hand gestures, but we found this to be more gimmicky than useful. All 5-series models come with a digital gauge display that can be configured to show a variety of information to the driver. Navigation, a USB port, Bluetooth audio, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability are included in the tech suite, but you have to pay extra for SiriusXM satellite radio.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

Plenty of driver-assistance features are standard and additional tech is optional, including a navigation-based semi-autonomous driving mode that can even plan for upcoming lane changes based on GPS data. For more information about the 5-series's crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:

• Standard automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection
• Standard blind-spot monitoring with rear-cross-traffic alert
• Available adaptive cruise control with a semi-autonomous driving mode

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

BMW's warranty and complimentary scheduled maintenance are about average for the segment but fall short of what's offered on the Jaguar XF.

• Limited warranty covers four years or 50,000 miles
• Powertrain warranty covers four years or 50,000 miles
• Complimentary scheduled maintenance is covered for three years or 36,000 miles

More Features and Specs