The everything answer
The G60 generation's masterstroke is choice without compromise: one design, every powertrain. Mild-hybrid petrol (520i, 208bhp, from ~£52,000), plug-in hybrids (530e/550e), and the electric i5 — eDrive40 (335bhp, from £69,945) to the 601bhp M60 xDrive — all in saloon or the gorgeous Touring estate (i5 Touring £70,045–£111,895 for the M5-adjacent flagship money).
The i5's numbers hold the range's centre: up to 340–343 miles WLTP, a 570-litre Touring boot, and the M60's 3.9-second party trick for those who need it.
The honest assessment
The UK press consensus is stable: the 5 Series delivers the class-best blend of comfort and handling — genuinely both — with cabin quality that took the near-7-Series step and refinement that makes long distance its natural habitat. The costs: the options walk is brutal (base cars need spending to feel special), the i5's paper range trails an EQE's, iDrive's touch-and-haptic drift frustrates the tactile, and the styling — grille included — argues with tradition.
Against the E-Class it's the driver's pick; against the ID.7 the badge-and-chassis premium; against its own Touring... there is no argument, buy the Touring.
The questions buyers actually ask
520i, PHEV or i5? Company car: i5 or 530e by tax bracket. Private high-miler: 520i's simplicity still convinces. The eDrive40 is the range's sweet spot overall.
Saloon or Touring? The Touring costs little more, loses nothing dynamically and gains everything practically. The default answer.
i5 or EQE? The Mercedes wins range on paper; the BMW wins everything you touch and steer. Test both; most don't return the BMW key.
- ~£52,000 to £111,895; saloon and Touring; petrol/PHEV/EV in one range
- i5 eDrive40: 335bhp, ~340 miles — the centre of the range
- Class-best comfort-handling blend; near-7-Series cabin
- Options inflate fast; i5 range trails EQE on paper
- Rivals: Mercedes E-Class/EQE, Audi A6/A6 e-tron, VW ID.7
Key takeaways
- ~£52,000 to £111,895; saloon and Touring; petrol/PHEV/EV in one range
- i5 eDrive40: 335bhp, ~340 miles — the centre of the range
- Class-best comfort-handling blend; near-7-Series cabin
- Options inflate fast; i5 range trails EQE on paper
- Rivals: Mercedes E-Class/EQE, Audi A6/A6 e-tron, VW ID.7
Sources & further reading
- BMW UK price lists
- WLTP figures
- Autocar and Carwow verdicts, 2026
Figures, prices and policy details were current at the last-updated date above. Automotive pricing, incentives and regulations change frequently — verify time-sensitive details with the linked primary sources. Read our editorial policy and fact-checking standards.
