Acura
Alfa Romeo
Aston Martin
Audi
Bentley
BMW
Buick
Cadillac
Chevrolet
Chrysler
Dodge
Ferrari
FIAT
Ford
Genesis
GMC
Honda
Hyundai
INFINITI
Jaguar
Jeep
Kia
Lamborghini
Land Rover
Lexus
Lincoln
Lotus
Lucid
Maserati
Mazda
McLaren
Mercedes-Benz
MINI
Mitsubishi
Nissan
Polestar
Porsche
RAM
Rivian
Rolls-Royce
Subaru
Tesla
Toyota
VinFast
Volkswagen
Volvo
Convertible
Coupe
Crossover
Hatchback
Sedan
SUV
Truck
Van/Minivan
Wagon
Fisker
HUMMER
Isuzu
Mercury
Oldsmobile
Plymouth
Pontiac
Saab
Saturn
Scion
Suzuki
smart
Electric
Hybrid
The 2019 BMW 5-Series is a German luxury sedan that, in many ways, defines the type. It's available in a variety of styles, allowing the 5-Series to meet whatever need buyers have. While the various layers of trims and design styles can be confusing to navigate, the end result is that the 5-Series can be configured exactly the way you like it, as long as your wallet allows it.
What's New for 2019
There are no major updates for 2019, except for some price increases and shuffling of the option packages.
Choosing Your BMW 5-Series
Finding the right BMW 5-Series for you requires what sort of engine best suits your needs. Trims are separated by engine choice.
The 530i is the base level trim, powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 248 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. This engine returns a combined EPA fuel economy rating of 27 miles per gallon, a number that's solid for a mid-size sedan. The next trim level up is the 540i, which is powered by a 3.0-liter turbocharged straight-six that's good for 335 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque and 24 mpg combined. Those in need of real power can upgrade to the M550i, which provides the driver with 456 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque via a 4.4-liter V8 engine while getting 19 mpg combined. This power is enough to get the M550i to 60 mph in less than four seconds.
For those who look for something a little more eco-friendly, BMW has the 530e plug-in hybrid. It still has the same 2.0-liter turbo from the 530i, but it adds an electric motor that gives a total offering of 248 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque, a greatly enhanced fuel economy rating of 72 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent), and a 27-mile electric-only range. Those looking for a more efficient 5-Series with extra power are given the 540d, which features a 3.0-liter straight-six turbodiesel engine that provides 265 hp and a healthy 465 lb-ft of torque, with the added benefit of a combined mpg rating of 30 mpg.
The 5-Series comes standard with an eight-speed automatic transmission, as is rear wheel drive on most models. The xDrive all-wheel-drive system is optional across the entire line for an extra $2,300 option, except on the M550i and 540d, where it's standard.
Other options and packages are vast and can get out of hand if you're not paying attention, but the good news is there's little variation across the trim levels. This allows you to buy a 530i with most of the nifty luxury and tech features you want without being forced to spend the extra money on a larger engine if that's not what you're looking for. Keeping that in mind, it's advised that interested buyers spend time exploring all the options available on the online "Build and Price" configurator to find what they want.
The first choice to be made for most trims is which of three design packages you want. The base package is the Sport Line Design that offers a somewhat sporty character, without sacrificing much luxury. The next is the Luxury Design, which provides some chrome accents and leather trimmed upholstery, costing $1,450 on the 530i and 530e, but it's offered for free on the 540i and 540d. For an extra $3,600 on top of the Luxury Design package on all trims except for the M550i (where it comes standard), BMW offers the M Sport Design that adds in a leather dashboard and interior and exterior appearance update.
The next level of choice beyond the design level are the three feature tiers. The $1,400 Convenience Tier includes heated front seats, satellite radio with a one-year subscription, keyless entry, and a power trunk lid. Moving up to the $3,350 Premium Tier adds parking assistance, a head-up display, enhanced Bluetooth and USB inputs, hand gesture control, a surround-view camera, WiFi, and wireless charging to the features added by the Convenience Tier. The $5,200 Executive Tier will give you soft-close doors, rear sun shades, a digital instrument cluster, and adaptive LED headlights with automatic high beams along with everything in the previous packages. Models equipped with the M-Sport Design package comes with the Convenience Tier as standard.
530i
The 530i is the cheapest way of getting into a 5-Series, starting at $54,395 (all prices include the $995 destination fee) with rear-wheel drive and $56,695 with all-wheel drive. As mentioned earlier, the 530i is equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, and is available with all three design packages and convenience tiers.
Additional packages include the Driver Assistance Package ($1,700) which gives the 530i adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, and forward collision warning, and the Dynamic Handling Package ($1,950) that adds four-wheel steering, upgraded brakes, and an adaptive suspension. There's also the $1,050 Lighting Package, the $1,700 Luxury Seating Package, and $700 Parking Assistance Package.
Leatherette is the seat offering for the base models, but many options of leather are available for upgrades, provided you have the coin. There are a large number of standalone options available, and many of the options that are wrapped up in Tier levels and packages can be had a la carte.
540i
Those looking for speed, but without sacrificing creature comforts or a more luxurious style would do well with the 540i. The 540i starts at $59,945 with rear-wheel drive and $62,245 with xDrive and receives a 3.0-liter turbocharged straight-six, an engine for which BMW is well known. This engine gives the 540i the ability to sprint to 60 mph in a respectable 4.7 seconds for AWD models. The 540i gets access to the same Design packages as the 530i, but the Luxury is offered for free at this level. Tier packages are the same as well.
The additional option packages are largely the same as the 530i with the exception of the Dynamic Handling Package, which costs $3,500 and adds active roll stabilization. Standalone options also remain largely the same with a few additions, like the leather dashboard, ceramic controls, multi-contour seats, and rear-seat entertainment. Unlike the 530i, the 540i gets leather upholstery standard.
530e iPerformance
The 530e iPerformance has a starting price of $54,395 (same as the 530i) or $56,695 with all-wheel drive, and offers a unique plug in hybrid drivetrain that pairs an electric motor with a detuned version of the 2.0-liter turbo engine from the 530i. Beyond some unique blue trim on the exterior to help people recognize that you're saving the planet, the 530e is almost exactly the same as the 530i.
The 530e receives the essentially the same trims and options as the 530i, although some features are missing in the Tiers. The Convenience Tier is missing heated seats and the Premium Tier only adds the head-up display and gesture control. All packages and standalone options remain largely the same as those in the 530e.
540d
Diesels are a popular efficiency option over on the continent, so we welcome BMW's offering of the 540d. The 2019 540d starts at $63,745. The straight-six 3.0-liter turbodiesel and standard all-wheel drive is a great bargain compared to the gas engine, and it forces no sacrifices to be made with the same available design styles, tiers, packages, and options as the standard 540i.
M550i
If you have the need for speed but can't justify spending six figures on an M5, you'll be happy to know that BMW makes the M550i. The M550i starts at $75,445, and it comes standard with all-wheel drive and a 4.4-liter V8 with a couple of turbos. This engine gives you beaucoup speed and laughs at the idea of saving gas.
Unlike the rest of the 5-Series lineup, the M550i forgoes the designs and tiers in favor of a more conventional configuration style and more standard features than the rest of the lineup, including adaptive headlights, premium sound, and a rear spoiler. Instead of choosing a particular design style, all M550i models get a sporty aggressive styling that suits the powerplant under the hood well.
The M550i has access to the same option packages as the rest of the 5-Series lineup, but adds the Premium Package ($1,950) and the Executive Package ($1,100). The Premium Package adds the features from the Premium Tier from the other 5-Series models, while the Executive Package adds just soft-close doors, a digital instrument cluster, and rear sunshades. The standalone option list is almost the same as every other 5-Series trim.
The 2019 BMW 5-Series can be had in so many different configurations. If you're looking for a bargain, the 540d is an underrated choice. The torque-y and fuel-efficient diesel engine feels faster at lower speeds and saves you money and time with less fuel stops.
