We got (more) power. BMW's 5 Series, the company's popular midsize luxury sedan, gets a new engine for 2013 with a small bump in horsepower as well as improved gas mileage. The 5 Series is comprised of the 528i, the 535i and the 550i, each of which is available with rear-wheel drive or BMW's xDrive 4-wheel-drive system. The 528i still has the 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine introduced last year, now making 260 hp and 240 lb-ft of torque; the 535i uses the same 3.0-liter turbocharged 6-cylinder with 300 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque. A new engine, last seen in the 7 Series and the 6 Series Grand Coupe, now makes its way down to the 550i; it’s a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 making 445 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque, up 45 and 30 respectively (this engine also appears in the 550 GT).
Even with more ponies, the 528i still leaves the entire series at the back of the pack in terms of hp, but at 24 mpg city/34 hwy, it's clearly a leader when it comes to gas mileage.
New for the 5 Series this year is an optional customizable electronic dashboard. This black 10.25-inch display panel features Comfort, Eco Pro and Sport modes. These can be tweaked even further to allow drivers to have access to their favorite gauges and color combinations and display in both analog and digital configurations.
Since the redesign in 2010, the sporty sedan has maintained its swept front and small rear, keeping it more in line with BMW history than its previous iteration. Inside, the clean German interior wins points for its efficiency and comfort.
More luxury than sport, the 5 Series provides a comfortable ride even at its lowest level of trim; the 4-cylinder turbo delivers sufficient power for most. But those willing to shell out the extra bucks won’t be disappointed with the new power under the hood.
A clever gimmick usually associated with hybrids – the auto start/stop feature – has been added to the 5 Series. Fortunately, it has a disable function for such situations as stop-and-go traffic, but this feature is proving itself to be efficient with gas engines and will surely expand across the industry.
Although the 5 Series is BMW’s second most popular car (behind the 3 Series), it accounts for half the automaker’s profits. That’s because its sporty executive clientele likes its 5 Series cars fully loaded. With its new bump in horsepower, the 5 Series now gives them a bit more get-up-and-go as well.