The 2024 BMW 5-Series Remixes A Classic With In-Car Video Games And Available EV Models

This is the new 2024 BMW 5-Series, and it’s a surprisingly critical car for BMW to get right. See, large sedans have a certain traditional clientele and BMW’s recent products have leaned towards, if we’re being charitable, the whimsical. While enormous grilles and split headlamps are all fun and games for Instagram influencers, they’re a bit outlandish for serious, conservative business people high up on the corporate ladder. So, did BMW biff this one? Upon first glance, it doesn’t seem so.

Let’s start with the cabin, where I’m pleased to report that the interior looks fabulous. BMW has taken everything that works in the 7-Series and everything that works in the 3-Series, then mashed them together and painted the 5-er’s cabin with them. Between the huge 14.3-inch infotainment screen, the available illuminated clear trim, and the optional sky-lounge illuminated glass roof, there’s a lot going on but it’s not overwrought like the new E-Class’ cabin. Dare I say, the cabin of the new 5-Series is even tasteful.

That being said, it isn’t perfect. While iDrive 8.5 seems to offer a better top-menu structure, I still don’t like the climate controls being hidden in a sub-menu. Remember when turning on your heated seat was a simple process? It seems like BMW’s infotainment system puts gimmicks above outright usability, although it does feature one hell of a gimmick: Video games.

Yes, a company called AirConsole has put everything from karting to puzzle games on the new 5-Series’ infotainment screen. BMW claims it will launch with 20 different titles, so the gaming integration should offer plenty to do while waiting at a public DC fast charger. It’s one of those features that sounds corny at first but has a real-world use case.

As for styling, this is one of the better-looking BMWs in recent history. The outgoing 5-Series is a significantly more handsome car, but at least the new model’s bogey is aesthetically-challenged. The new Mercedes-Benz E-Class grew notably uglier than the outgoing model, and choosing between Munich’s large luxury sedan and Stuttgart’s large luxury sedan on styling all depends on whether you’d like a better-executed front end or rear end.

The big story on the outside of the new 5-Series is its sheer size. Length is up 3.4 inches to 199.2 inches, width up 1.3 inches to 74.8 inches, and height up 1.4 inches to 59.6 inches. Unusually, most of the length increase comes in the overhands as the wheelbase is only stretched 0.8 inches over the previous model. Believe it or not, the new 5-Series is longer, taller, and very nearly as wide as a standard-wheelbase E65 “Bangle-butt” 7-Series. How’s that for model bloat?

Since the new 5-Series is enormous indeed, some drivers will appreciate the addition of semi-automated parking assistance to the list of standard equipment. Speaking of driver assistance, the new 5-Series can be had with Highway Driving Assist, yet another hands-free Level 2 advanced driver assistance system intended for use on controlled-access roads. A hands-on Level 2 advanced driver assistance system is now standard, an appreciated upgrade over the outgoing car’s low level of standard ADAS.

The middle word in Bayerische Motoren Werke is motor, so let’s dive into powertrains from the top. The i5 M60 xDrive is currently the flagship of the range, a thumping 601-horsepower all-wheel-drive performance EV. BMW claims zero-to-60 mph will flash by in 3.7 seconds, right on pace with the old V8-powered M550i. Granted, the old twin-turbocharged M-lite car will eventually pull ahead, since the i5 M60 xDrive is limited to 143 mph versus the traditional 155 mph.

If you don’t need a ton of speed but still want electrification, the i5 eDrive40 offers a more reasonable 335 horsepower in exchange for a very useful range boost. BMW estimates that the i5 M60 xDrive can only do 256 miles on a charge, but the low-output electric variant takes that up to 295 miles, a 39-mile delta. Regardless of output, both electric 5-Series variants feature an 84.3 net kWh battery pack and a heat pump for cold weather efficiency. An interesting party trick between the two models is using waste heat from the motors to warm the battery pack when necessary, which BMW claims can “significantly reduce the energy required for preheating the battery on the way to a fast charging station.” Smart stuff.

Of course, EVs aren’t practical for everyone, so BMW’s offering a certain degree of powertrain choice. Although BMW claims a plug-in hybrid is coming, it’s not here yet, so those without access to home or office charging will likely be more interested in a duo of gasoline-powered models. The familiar B48 two-liter four-cylinder engine returns in the 530i and all-wheel-drive 530i xDrive, but it gets a few new twists thanks to what BMW has historically called a technical update. The engine now runs on the Miller cycle for enhanced efficiency, and features an exhaust manifold integrated into the cylinder head like the six-cylinder B58 engine did on the 2020 Toyota Supra. As a result, the 530i puts out a reasonable 255 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque, and is claimed to dash from zero-to-60 in a pleasant 5.9 seconds.

In case four isn’t a party for you, how about six? Arriving fashionably late is a revised version of BMW’s three-liter turbocharged B58 inline-six, and it features electronically-actuated variable valve timing as opposed to the traditional method of hydraulic actuation. BMW claims that this reduces emissions, which likely means it offers greater timing control. The bottom line is that the new 540i xDrive makes 375 horsepower and 384 lb.-ft. of torque, a considerable jump over what the B58 previously made in non-M-lite applications. BMW claims this middle-weight 5-er will scamper from zero-to-60 mph in a quick 4.5 seconds, a very graceful time for something so big with an engine of this nature.

As for handling, early signs point towards this being like other modern BMWs. Every new 5-Series comes with a new variable-ratio steering rack, good for easing the pains of parking without making a car excessively twitchy on the freeway, but not always as user-friendly as a fixed-ratio rack in spirited cornering. Previous BMWs with variable-ratio steering have featured very steep ramp-up between the slower and faster parts of the steering rack, so only putting tire to road will let us know if this 5-Series is any different. Overall steering ratios stand at 15.2:1 for rear-wheel-drive cars and 15.7:1 for all-wheel-drive cars, a good sign to drop two driven wheels and reap the benefits.

Mind you, BMW also claims that the front subframe features “an elastic steering gear mount,” which sounds comfort-oriented in an era where some manufacturers are ditching isolators altogether in search of steering feel. The 5-Series has certainly erred more towards luxury than sport for more than a decade, and the new model should merely cement the legacy that its predecessors built. Mind you, there’s always the chance that new dampers on the electric version will come in handy on bumpy backroads. BMW’s fitted the i5 with stroke-dependent dampers that can ratchet up the damping as they lean further into compression or droop. Neat. Oh, and both four-wheel-steering and active anti-roll bars reappear on the new car as options, for those who wish to use gadgets to fight mass.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the new 5-Series is the level of standard equipment. It should be that all large luxury sedans come well-equipped to start, but in the olden days, German premium automakers would’ve charged your for all the air inside the vehicle if they could. Now though, even the base 530i (that’s a European-market 530e pictured above but you get the idea) comes standard with a moonroof, sport seats, a Harman/Kardon-branded audio system, onboard navigation, a suite of driver assistance nannies, and wireless phone charging. On most other BMWs, you’d have to pay extra for some of those luxuries.

The 2024 BMW 530i $58,895 including a $995 freight charge, representing a $1,900 increase over the outgoing car. However, add a wireless charging pad and Active Driving Assist to the current 530i, and it’s $300 more than the incoming model. All-wheel-drive adds $2,205 on top of that, although I reckon it’s likely worth waiting until November and spending the extra $4,700 over the 530i xDrive for the six-cylinder 540i xDrive. Through the first ten years of life, there seems to be a considerable price delta between four-cylinder and six-cylinder BMWs, so there’s a chance of getting every penny back from the six-cylinder upgrade. As for electric models, the i5 eDrive40 starts at $67,795 including freight, while the high-output i5 M60 xDrive pulls a considerable premium at $85,095. With fair value, a variety of powertrain options, and a surprisingly pleasant interior, the new BMW 5-Series should be a hit once it arrives this October.

(Photo credits: BMW)

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