BMW 5 Series

Wikipedia (opens in a new tab) describes the 5 Series as an executive car sold by BMW since 1972, the successor to the New Class sedans and currently in its eighth generation, available as a sedan and, since 1991, as a wagon called Touring. It sits between the smaller 3 Series and the 7 Series and competes with the Audi A6, Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Lexus ES. Bimmer Mag (opens in a new tab) says it provides a sportier feel than the Lexus ES and a more engaging drive than the Audi A6, with lane departure warning, collision avoidance and adaptive cruise control as standard on the 2023 model.

Wikipedia lists the generations as E12 (1972), E28 (1981), E34 (1988), E39 (1995), E60 and E61 (2003), F10, F11, F07 and F18 (2010), G30, G31 and G38 (2017) and the current eighth generation, the G60. The years on this site fall in three of those: the F10 through 2016, the G30 from 2017 to 2023, and the G60 from 2024. CarGurus (opens in a new tab) says the G30 is understated in many ways, with uncharacteristically subdued looks for a modern BMW, selling in smaller numbers than its predecessors as buyers took to SUVs, and that it has a much better reliability record than the F10. It notes the 5 Series Gran Turismo was still on sale in 2017 and dropped after that year, and that BMW's parking assistance was dropped in 2023, the last year of the G30.

Engine Patrol (opens in a new tab) ranks the best 5 Series years as 2021, 2020, 2019, 2015 and 2007, and the worst as 2008, 2012, 2013, 2011, 2006 and 2004. It says 2021 was the first year of the G30 facelift, and that 2015 was the year the F10's N20 engine got updated timing chain guides that significantly reduced reported engine problems. On the other side, 2011 was the first U.S. model year of the F10, and the 2011 550i's turbocharged N63 V8 had many reported problems, including turbo failures, oil consumption and fuel injector issues, until it was updated in later builds of the 2014 model year. CarGurus says the 2019 to 2023 G30 models are the most reliable of the newer ones, and that the F10 is a generally better choice than the earlier generation, though neither is the most reliable.

The practical rule is to buy the G30 (2019 to 2023) for reliability and to check any F10 for its engine: the N63 V8 and early N20 timing chain guides are the known issues. Not every reliability tracker agrees, and most do not cover every year, so pair a pre-purchase inspection with a VIN recall check at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The midsize car comparison lists the 5 Series beside its rivals.

The 2026 5 Series comes in four versions on Kelley Blue Book's base prices: the 530i at $61,950, the 530i xDrive at $64,250, the 540i xDrive at $69,150 and the plug-in 550e xDrive at $76,950. The EPA rates the range at 25 to 31 mpg combined and $2,500 to $3,100 a year in fuel, with a two-liter four-cylinder, a three-liter six-cylinder and the plug-in hybrid, all with mild-hybrid or plug-in assistance, in rear-drive and all-wheel-drive forms.