The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Stellar engine lineup
- Great tech story
- Posh or performance, your choice
- Big cabin
Dislikes
- Options can get expensive
- Low-flair style
- A wagon would be nice
Buying tip
features & specs
BMW may have reached peak luxury sports sedan with its latest 5-Series lineup.
What kind of vehicle is the 2023 BMW 5-Series? What does it compare to?
The 2023 BMW 5-Series is a mid-size luxury sedan that does battle with the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Audi A6.
Is the 2023 BMW 5-Series a good car?
The BMW 5-Series is one of the most polished sedans on the road today, with good power and impressive handling in any configuration. Overall, this lineup rates 7.0 out of 10 on the TCC scale. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2023 BMW 5-Series?
BMW has dropped its gesture control system from the 5-Series’ options list, but otherwise this lineup largely stands pat.
Offered solely as a four-door sedan, the 5-Series wears styling that was mildly updated for 2021. It’s a conservative traditional sedan—at least in the looks department. The 5-Series eschews BMW’s brash, big-kidney design language seen on other models in favor of crisp, tailored lines outside. Inside, look for a convenient dash with sharp lines and a host of available trim colors to dress things up for an extra cost.
The 5er comes in a bunch of variants. 530i and 530e versions start with a turbo-4 that provides terrific power. The e version offers up to 21 miles of all-electric driving, which should handle most of a typical commute.
The sweet spot here is the 540i with its torquey turbo-6, which features mild-hybrid tech to reduce fuel consumption. M550i versions hustle 523 hp to the wheels, while the M5—a legend in its own time—belts out 617 hp. All-wheel drive is optional on 530i, 530e, and 540i versions. It’s standard on the M550i and M5.
Fuel economy ranges from a high of 29 mpg combined for a rear-drive 530i to just 17 mpg combined in M5 guise.
Even a zero-option 5-Series boasts beautiful ride quality. Other versions get stiffer, but also sharper, culminating in the not-quite-brutal M5 Competition. These are agile, polished sedans that can keep up with genuine sports cars all while hauling four or five passengers in comfort. BMW can be a bit stingy about traditional luxury cues such as leather seats and high-zoot audio, but the 12.3-inch touchscreen boasts top-notch software and wireless smartphone compatibility.
The 5-Series comes with the expected array of crash-avoidance features including automatic emergency braking and blind-spot monitors, though hands-off tech can be a costly option. Crash-test results have been terrific.
How much does the 2023 BMW 5-Series cost?
A base 530i runs $55,795, or $2,300 more with all-wheel drive. The 530e can intrigue for an extra $1,600. Base models come with synthetic leather plus a pair of 12.3-inch screens.
Plan on spending at least $60,000 by the time you’ve added a few options.
Where is the 2023 BMW 5-Series made?
In Germany.
2023 BMW 5-Series Styling
The 2023 BMW 5-Series breaks little styling ground, but it’s an attractive and understated choice.
Is the BMW 5-Series a good-looking car?
BMW likes to push the envelope, but the automaker has (so far) left its 5-Series lineup mostly alone. These sedans follow a conventional three-box profile and are adorned with conservative, angular details. Inside, they’re just as stoic.
We like the look, which should age well. The 5-Series earns a 7 on the TCC scale.
Light tweaks for the 2021 model year carry into 2023, but typical BMW cues remain. You’ll find twin kidney-style grilles up front surrounded by chunky headlights. Plenty of cutouts below push air into the engine bay or around the body for improved aerodynamics.
Inside, look for a pair of 12.3-inch screens—one in the instrument cluster and one in the center of the dash—plus convenient controls. BMW fits more knobs and buttons to the 5’s dash than you’ll find in some competitors, but the look isn’t busy. Warmer brown and tan hues help out, though we wish BMW offered more trim variety like Mercedes-Benz does.
2023 BMW 5-Series Performance
There’s no lackluster engine in the BMW 5-Series lineup, but M versions are a real hoot.
BMW builds a bunch of different 5-Series variants, each with increasingly impressive acceleration paired with sharper handling and a firmer ride. Our 7 out of 10 here applies to 530i and 530e models, which accelerate and handle wonderfully. Other versions would rate at least a point higher, with the M5 tickling a perfect 10.
Is the BMW 5-Series 4WD?
All-wheel drive is optional on 530i, 530e, and 540i sedans. It’s standard with the M550i and M5, though you’ll want to budget for winter tires if you live in a snowy place. M5 models can send 100 percent of power to the rear wheels, should you feel so inclined to drive in a less-than-conservative manner.
How fast is the BMW 5-Series?
There’s not a slouch in this range.
The 530i anchors the lineup with a 248-hp 2.0-liter turbo-4 good for a 5.9-second sprint to 60 mph; all-wheel-drive models are a tick quicker. This base engine is refined and it works brilliantly with one of the best-tuned 8-speed automatic gearboxes in the business.
The 530e uses the same turbo-4, but tosses in a small electric motor and a 12.0-kwh battery pack that offers up a total output of 288 hp. It’s not that much punchier in real-world use, though the hybrid setup does little to sap this sedan’s personality.
Hardly suffering from middle-child syndrome, the 540i swaps in a 335-hp 3.0-liter turbo-6 with mild-hybrid tech to save a little fuel even with its 4.6-second 0-60 mph sprint. This sweet powertrain works so brilliantly that the M550i may not be worth the stretch for some shoppers.
Then again, we can’t blame you for wanting BMW’s boosted 4.4-liter V-8, which belts out 523 hp and nudges the 0-60 mph sprint to just 3.6 seconds. The M5 stands all alone, with as much as 617 hp with the optional Competition Package, but it’s about more than just EV-quick acceleration.
All cars handle with verve thanks to hefty steering with decent feel and a suspension that gobbles up little bumps without ever feeling isolated. Sportier suspension options make their way into the lineup with more power, but a 530i/e or 540i errs on the side of comfort over outright sportiness.
That’s where the M550i steps in with its adaptive dampers, that help take the edge off of upsized wheels wearing sticky rubber. The M5’s optional Competition Package can be downright stiff, but it helps these 4,000-pound-plus sedans keep up (and maybe pass) lighter sports cars on track.
2023 BMW 5-Series Comfort & Quality
The 5-Series may be BMW’s middle child, but its cabin offers adult-sized comfort.
BMW fits a big, plush cabin to the 5-Series. These sedans easily accommodate four passengers in comfort, have nice materials, and even offer up decent trunk space. They’re an 8 on the TCC scale.
The front seats come with a wide range of power adjustment. Even more customization is bundled in the optional Luxury Seating Package, while massagers are also available. There’s not a bad seat in this house, unless the bolstered thrones in the M5 prove too tight.
The rear seat serves up 36.5 inches of legroom, but feels more spacious in practice. The bench has good padding and support, plus optional heating, though three abreast may be wishful thinking. Rear seatbacks that fold 40/20/40 expand the 14.0 cubic-foot trunk. One caveat: 530e models have just 10 cubic feet of trunk space.
Materials are in line with prices, aside from BMW’s stinginess with leather seats. The standard synthetic leather is almost convincing enough.
2023 BMW 5-Series Safety
The 2023 BMW 5-Series has performed admirably in crash tests.
How safe is the BMW 5-Series?
The BMW 5-Series has performed well in crash tests performed so far, and it offers impressive driver assistance tech. We rate the lineup at 8 out of 10 thanks to a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS, standard automatic emergency braking, and a system that can take over the controls in congested highway commuting.
All models come with automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitors, rear automatic braking, and automatic high-beam headlights.
For $1,700, BMW’s Driving Assistance Professional includes active lane control, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, and the ability to handle steering inputs on its own in heavier traffic. A surround-view camera system is also optional.
2023 BMW 5-Series Features
The 2023 BMW 5-Series is beautifully appointed, but option packages have tricky pricing.
BMW packs a ton of tech in the 2023 5-Series. Starting at $55,795, the 530i includes LED exterior lighting, a sunroof, power-adjustable seats, a 12.3-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, a digital instrument cluster, and crash-avoidance tech.
That standard fare can be augmented by tons of options, too. We rate the 2023 5-Series lineup at 9 thanks to base equipment, a huge lineup with lots of customization potential, a terrific infotainment system, and a 4-year/50,000-mile warranty with a 3-year/36,000-mile maintenance package included.
Which BMW 5-Series should I buy?
The 530i is good enough for most tastes, though by the time you’ve added leather seats, heated front seats, a head-up display, Harman Kardon audio, and a full suite of crash-avoidance tech, BMW will want $61,000. That’s nearly 540i pricing, though you’ll still have to pay extra for all those goodies.
How much is a fully loaded BMW 5-Series?
The M550i runs about $81,000, while the full-on M5 costs north of $108,000. Add swanky paint and upholstery, the Competition Package, massaging seats, upgraded audio, and a few more bits, and BMW will demand $131,000 or so.
2023 BMW 5-Series Fuel Economy
Most versions of the 2023 BMW 5-Series offer good fuel economy.
Is the BMW 5-Series good on gas?
Stick with 4- or 6-cylinder power and you’ll find the 2023 BMW 5-Series to be a somewhat frugal choice.
A rear-drive 530i checks in at 25 mpg city, 33 highway, 28 combined, which is good for a big sedan. 540i versions have a lot more power but also a mild-hybrid system to help keep consumption to a nearly identical 27 mpg. AWD dents combined figures by 1 mpg.
The 530e might make the most sense, depending on how you plan to use your 5-Series. It offers an estimated 21 miles of range on a full charge, and around 26 mpg thereafter. If you commute 21 miles a day, the 530e could pay for its $1,600 upcharge over the 530i.
The M550i is a guzzler at 20 mpg combined, while the M5 has a 17-mpg drinking problem.
