BMW 5 Series 520i M Sport 5dr Auto

Ten Second Review

Big estate cars have come a long way from their utilitarian roots and the G61-era BMW 5 Series Touring is a good example of just how far. It's the first BMW estate to ever offer a full-electric drivetrain option. And, the brand says, the most versatile station wagon it's ever made. Plus the smartened styling has definite elegance. It may even be sharper than the saloon's.

Background

BMW paints a not unrecognisable picture of the executive estate market before the arrival of its 1991 first generation 5 Series Touring. Before that car, big estates were pared-back workhorses to their sportier and more sophisticated saloon counterparts. After it, they were positioned more equally with equivalent design and driving dynamics. Today, many even see the estate as a more stylish alternative to the straight-laced saloon, with its extra practicality coming as a handy bonus. The G61 model 5 Series Touring is a worthy successor to successful previous generation models and just like most of its predecessors, it has the Audi A6 Avant and Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate to contend with. BMW's latest electrified drivetrains may help here, as will the more versatile luggage space on offer. If all of this can shroud a car that cossets its passengers while still rewarding the driver at the wheel, then quite a contender is in prospect.

Driving Experience

It was brave of BMW to ditch diesel with the saloon version of this model. And even braver to do the same with this estate, given the overwhelming emphasis on black pump sales with previous generation models. Instead, this was the first all-electric BMW estate - though you don't have to have it in that form. There's a base 520i variant, which uses a four cylinder 2.0-litre petrol engine featuring 48V mild hybrid assistance and offering up to 208hp. Alternatively, there are three PHEV models. Starting with the rear-driven 2.0-litre four cylinder 530e sDrive, which has 299hp and uses a larger 19.4kWh battery than its previous generation counterpart, allowing the 530e to go up to 60 miles on battery power. There's also a six cylinder 550e xDrive 4WD model, using a 3.0-litre unit putting out up to 489hp and making 62mph in just 4.4s. The ultimate PHEV 5 Series Touring is the M5 Touring, which has a 4.4-litre V8 with up to 727hp. That only leaves the all-electric i5, which like the saloon is available in two forms: the rear-driven eDrive40 with 340hp (62mph from rest in 6.1s en route 120mph) giving up to 348 miles of range. Or there's the four-wheel drive M60 xDrive, which mates its stablemate's rear motor with an additional one at the front, creating a combined output of 601hp (so 0-62mph in 3.9s en route to 143mph, with up to 314 miles of range). Firm M suspension is the standard ride set-up with the 'M Sport' trim most will want, which suggests a driver-orientated vibe. You can option that up to 'Adaptive Professional' suspension, which gives you adaptive dampers and rear wheel-turning 'Integral Active Steering'. The top set-up is 'Adaptive M Professional' (standard-fit on the M60), which combines rear-wheel steering with active roll stabilisation.

Design and Build

The edgy design of this G61-era model disguises the fact that this is a significantly bigger car than its predecessor. The 5,060mm length is 97mm longer, the 1,900mm width 32mm wider and the 1,515mm height 17mm taller. The styling changes over the saloon start of course from the B-pillar backwards, with different rear doors, an extended glasshouse, a longer roof and an angled tailgate with a pronounced spoiler to aid aerodynamics around the stiffer body structure. At the wheel of course, it's identical to the saloon with a triple-layered dashboard supporting a single 'Curved Display' panel combining a 12.3-inch instrument screen with a 14.9-inch central monitor. The latter runs the latest 8.5-spec version of BMW's media operating system, which means it gains video and gaming functions. As in the '7', a touch-sensitive back-lit 'Interactive Bar' can be specified, this featuring colour-adaptive functionality. As standard, the cabin comes decked out in vegan leather upholstery; and the lower console now has only a small toggle for a gear selector. Two adults can fit very comfortably in the back but three might be difficult because of the surprisingly high centre transmission tunnel. What about the cargo area? Well the 570-litre capacity (50-litres more than the saloon) is the same as that of the previous model, but a 20mm extension in wheelbase length has allowed the designers to make this a more versatile space. It's accessed via a wider tailgate opening and a cubby beneath the boot floor has been added, which can take charging leads, the boot partition net and the cargo blind when they aren't in use. Push forward the 40:20:40-split rear bench and up to 1,700-litres is available; some way off what you'd get from a rival E-Class Estate but ample for most owners.

Market and Model

At the time of our review in Autumn 2024, prices started from around £53,000 for the base 520i version. You're looking at around £62,000 for the 530e Plug-in Hybrid, which is only offered in 'M Sport' or 'M Sport Pro' levels of trim. The entry-level version of the electric model, the i5 eDrive40, comes with both those two trim levels, but also adds a lesser base 'Sport Edition' trim option - though the asking price for that is still around £70,000, with an i5 eDrive40 'M Sport' costing well over £76,000 as we tested this car. For the twin motor AWD i5 M6 xDrive Touring, you'll need around £100,000. Or £112,500 for the M5 Touring. Overall, the Touring asking prices represent a premium of £2,250 over the equivalent 5 Series saloon. Even the standard spec comes with quite a lot. And the 'M Sport' trim level you'll probably want includes 18-inch alloy wheels, power-folding mirrors and Adaptive LED headlights with high beam assist. Inside, there's a Harmon Kardon audio system, heated front sports seats, a wireless smartphone charging tray, ambient lighting and automatic air conditioning. If you stretch to 'M Sport Pro' level, you get an illuminated front grille, meaner looking 'Shadowline' headlights, a rear spoiler, larger wheels with red-painted brake calipers and, inside, an upgraded audio system and M Sport seat belts. Most customers will want to add in one of the available optional packs. The 'Comfort Pack' gives you a heated steering wheel and keyless entry. The 'Comfort Pack Plus' includes 4-zone air conditioning, heated rear seats and ventilated front seats. The 'Tech Pack' includes BMW's 'Parking Assist Plus' system that automatically steers you into spaces, plus gesture control and an interior camera. The 'Tech Pack Plus' adds the brand's 'Parking Assistant Pro' set-up that remembers parking spaces, and the pack also includes BMW's suite of 'Driving Assistant Pro' driver assist features.

Cost of Ownership

The 530e sDrive petrol Plug-in Hybrid uses a 19.4kWh battery, giving an EV range of 52-60 miles. We gave you the all-electric i5 eDrive40 Touring model's driving range figure in our driving section - up to 348 miles (13 miles less than the saloon). Or up to 314 miles for the M60 xDrive version (6 miles less than the saloon). These figures come via an extremely slim high-voltage battery located low down in the vehicle floor and providing 81.2kWh of usable energy (quite a lot smaller than the 101.7kWh battery used in the larger i7). The heat pump technology used in the integrated heating and cooling system for the cabin and drive system helps boost efficiency, as does the adaptive or individually adjustable recuperation feature. The high-voltage battery is heated using a dedicated 5.5 kW electric flow heater. The Combined Charging Unit in the i5 eDrive40 Touring allows AC charging at a rate of up to 11kW, while DC power can be taken on board at a rate of up to 205kW. This allows for a 10-80% charge within 30 minutes. The 'BMW Charging' package comes as standard on the i5, which gives owners attractive kilowatt hour tariffs for AC and DC charging throughout the UK and Europe. The high-power charging network run by the BMW Group's joint venture IONITY also forms part of the BMW Charging network. Almost 16,000 charging points are included in the UK and Ireland, while the monthly fee for BMW Charging and IONITY is waived for the first 12 months for all retail customers.

Summary

Why would you choose the estate version of an executive car over the saloon? A few years back, you'd have wanted the additional boot space and would have been willing to make some compromises to get it. Today, cars like this G61-era BMW 5 Series Touring combine the technology and driving experience of the saloon version with real additional versatility and sharp looks that many will actually find preferable. Whichever way you look at it, the latest 5-Series 5-door has an array of capabilities that few cars of any description can match. True, it's a pity that to really create 'the ultimate driving machine', you've to spend so much on the options list. But even in standard guise, this is a hugely accomplished car, if one requiring familiarity and plenty of mileage over varying roads before its true qualities really begin to shine through.