BMW 5 Series: 2018 Motor Trend Car of the Year Contender

We Like: Autobahn stability; V-8 engine; hybrid integration

We Don’t Like: Numb handling and response

Those were the golden years, back when BMW’s E39 edition of the 5 Series stormed our shores. But today’s rendition seems to be a softer interpretation as BMW attempts to move away from sport and toward luxury.

Part of that has to do with the 5 Series’ roots, sharing its platform with the 7 Series luxobarge. And although its design is a return to the “same sausage, different size” language of the past, the thrill of those old Bimmers is lacking.

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Nearly every judge was stunned by the lack of feedback from the steering wheel and suspension. “There is an anodyne feel about the car that permeates all of these 5 Series entries,” Frank Markus said. “They have slowly drained the viscera from the driving experience.”

That said, the 5 Series is an autobahn rock star, clipping along at triple-digit velocities around the oval. Ed Loh described it as “an executive cruiser.” And he’s right, especially in the case of the M550i’s stonking 456-hp 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8, which is still pulling hard at 120 per.

Inside, you’re surrounded by more hard leather than a Munich bondage club. Although the iDrive infotainment system is more intuitive, many functions are still buried under layers of menus.

And although every car here underwent our panic-stop braking tests, only the M550i’s binders were torched—with a couple judges overcooking subsequent corner entries as a result.

Sure, this is a fine car for many luxury buyers. Just consider us those jaded fans who remember our favorite band’s old stuff as their best.

	2018 BMW 530e iPerformance	2017 BMW 530i	2017 BMW 540i	2018 BMW M550i xDrive
BASE PRICE	$53,395	$52,195	$57,445	$74,395
PRICE AS TESTED	$67,460	$72,135	$81,910	$87,985
VEHICLE LAYOUT	Front-engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan	Front-engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan	Front-engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan	Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan
ENGINE	2.0L/180-hp/255-lb-ft turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4 plus 111-hp/184-lb-ft electric motor, 248-hp/310-lb-ft combined	2.0L/248-hp/258-lb-ft turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4	3.0L/335-hp/332-lb-ft turbo DOHC 24-valve I-6	4.4L/456-hp/480-lb-ft twin-turbo DOHC 32-valve V-8
TRANSMISSION	8-speed automatic	8-speed automatic	8-speed automatic	8-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)	4,344 lb (48/52%)	3,906 lb (51/49%)	4,080 lb (52/48%)	4,422 lb (54/46%)
WHEELBASE	117.1 in	117.1 in	117.1 in	117.1 in
LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT	194.6 x 73.5 x 58.4 in	194.6 x 73.5 x 58.2 in	194.6 x 73.5 x 58.2 in	195.4 x 73.5 x 57.8 in
0-60 MPH	6.0 sec	6.2 sec	4.9 sec	3.8 sec
QUARTER MILE	14.4 sec @ 97.5 mph	14.7 sec @ 95.1 mph	13.5 sec @ 106.2 mph	12.3 sec @ 114.7 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH	124 ft	116 ft	117 ft	106 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION	0.85 g (avg)	0.86 g (avg)	0.86 g (avg)	0.92 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT	26.6 sec @ 0.67 g (avg)	26.3 sec @ 0.68 g (avg)	25.7 sec @ 0.73 g (avg)	24.9 sec @ 0.77 g (avg)
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON	27/31/28 mpg	24/34/27 mpg	20/30/24 mpg	16/25/19 mpg
ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY	125/109 kW-hrs/100 miles	140/99 kW-hrs/100 miles	169/112 kW-hrs/100 miles	211/135 kW-hrs/100 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB	0.68 lb/mile	0.70 lb/mile	0.82 lb/mile	1.02 lb/mile

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