Used 2020 BMW 5 Series

While some companies are fine building premium-midsize-luxury sedans, the 2020 BMW 5 Series takes pride in being more than the sum of its parts. The roomy cabin can easily accommodate four adults, and there’s enough high-tech and luxury to satisfy even the most jaded critic.

But it’s the 5 Series’ performance that leaves all rivals wanting. The 5 Series enjoys that perfect balance between ride comfort and handling prowess that gives it an edge over newer designs like the Audi A6 and Lexus GS, although the Mercedes-Benz E-Class can still give the BMW a run for its money. Of course, the ultimate 5 Series is the monster BMW M5, but that’s so good it gets it own review.

After years of 5 Series cars appealing to enthusiasts, the previous generation received some criticism for being too luxurious. The 2020 BMW 5 Series sedan moves the meter a little back toward the athletic, but without sacrificing smoothness. A driver could spend a leisurely day in comfort and serenity. Push it harder, though, and a deep well of ability gradually reveals itself. Selectable driving modes help in this regard; Sport is a good starting point. The 530i’s turbocharged 4-cylinder does a respectable job at the entry level, the plug-in hybrid version has its own virtues, the 540i is muscular, and the M550i xDrive is phenomenally quick.

BMW has sometimes been accused of having rather hard interiors. But the 2020 5 Series cabin is simply gorgeous. The elegant dash design can be covered in synthetic or real leather, offering a number of 2-tone colors including Cognac and Night Blue with contrasting stitching.

Controls are, for the most part, logically arranged and easy to operate, although the rotary and touch-based controls for the 10.25-inch infotainment system take some getting used to (you can also opt for a system that uses gesture control). Rear-seat space is fine for 6-foot adults and the 5 Series’ 18.7-cubic-foot trunk can easily swallow a weekend’s worth of luggage or a couple of golf bags.

All the usual BMW design cues are here, like the double-kidney grille and the Hofmeister kink in the rear-side windows. In common with the larger 7 Series, the new 5 Series has a “hockey-stick” feature along the lower flanks. As a whole, the various shapes and lines work to emphasize the car’s width and length rather than its height. The BMW faithful will be happy, but the styling may not attract any new converts.

INTELLIGENT ALL-WHEEL DRIVE
Be it the entry-level 530i, mid-grade 540i or plug-in hybrid 530e, the 2020 BMW 5 Series sedans can all be equipped with traction-enhancing xDrive all-wheel drive. The xDrive system routes power in a 60/40 split with the majority going to the rear wheels. However, 100 percent of the power can travel to either axle if the complex electronic wheel monitors so desire.

REMOTE CONTROL PARKING
Found a parking spot but it’s just too snug to fully open the doors? No problem. The 2020 BMW 5 Series offers a remote parking system that allows the driver to park or pull the car out of a narrow spot all via buttons on the remote key fob.

The 2020 BMW 5 Series range starts off with the 530i. It has the lowest power output, but everything else is suitably lush for a car costing in excess of $50,000. As well as 18-inch alloy wheels and a moonroof, there are navigation with real-time traffic updates, 16-way power-adjustable front seats (with memory settings on the driver’s side), Comfort Access remote locking and start, power-adjustable steering column, drive-mode selection, LED headlights, rearview camera, parking sensors, Apple CarPlay, and advanced driver aids (blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, forward-collision mitigation with pedestrian detection, and lane-keeping alerts).

Extras run the gamut from sensible to indulgent; all are tempting. A buyer may choose 20-way-adjustable front seats with heating/cooling/massaging functions, all-wheel drive, and a Bowers & Wilkins 1,400-watt/16-speaker setup, which is one of the absolute best automotive audio systems. An Executive package includes soft-closing doors and a power rear sunshade; adaptive cruise control, side-collision avoidance and Traffic Jam Assist (partial self-driving) are in the Driver Assistance Plus bundle; a Dynamic Handling package brings an adaptive suspension, bigger brakes and rear-wheel steering.

The 2020 5 Series comes in rear- or all-wheel drive (RWD, AWD) and offers a variety of propulsion setups. The 530i has a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine making 248 horsepower.

The 530e is a plug-in hybrid whose turbo-4 is augmented by an electric motor, for the same horsepower as the 530i, but slightly more torque. The 530e’s battery can be replenished in less than three hours using a 240-volt charger and has an electric-only range of 16 miles.

The 540i is typical BMW territory — an inline-6 developing 335 horsepower. If the super-heated M5 is too much, there’s the 523-horsepower M550i that comes with all-wheel drive as standard.

Each engine has an auto stop/start, but this function can be disabled. Every version employs an 8-speed automatic transmission.

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 (530i)
248 horsepower @ 5,200-6,500 rpm
258 lb-ft of torque @ 1,450-4,800 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 24/34 mpg (RWD), 23/33 mpg (AWD)

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 + AC synchronous electric motor (530e plug-in hybrid)
248 horsepower (combined)
310 lb-ft of torque (combined)
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 29 mpg (combined, RWD), 28 mpg (combined, AWD), 72 MPGe (RWD), 67 MPGe (AWD)

3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 (540i)
335 horsepower @ 5,500-6,500 rpm
331 lb-ft of torque @ 1,500-5,200 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 21/29 mpg (RWD), 21/29 mpg (AWD)

4.4-liter turbocharged V8 (M550i xDrive)
523 horsepower @ 5,500-6,000 rpm
553 lb-ft of torque @ 1,800-4,600 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 18/25 mpg