The 2024 BMW 5 Series sport sedan returns with a fresh look, larger size, more powerful engines, and a full complement of in-car and driver safety tech. The new generation of the brand's just-right "Goldilocks" sedan falls between the full-size BMW 7 Series luxury shuttle and the compact 3 Series.
For 2024, the 5 Series grows larger in every direction —3 inches longer and nearly 1.5 inches taller and wider — but you probably won't notice it inside the cabin. Headroom and legroom remain nearly the same, although there's a bit more room for arms and elbows, particularly for rear-seat passengers. That's a good thing, though. The 5 Series doesn't need to grow. Instead, BMW polished around the margins. Designers skirted the polarizing bucktoothed grille fronting recently redesigned BMWs such as the M3, X5, X7, and the iX electric model. A more traditional, if wider, kidney grille announces the 5 Series, and it's even available with illumination.
New four- and six-cylinder engines yield more power and likely better fuel economy. We won't know until the Environmental Protection Agency releases its estimates, but we'd expect the base 5 Series to return around 30 mpg in combined city and highway driving, and 35-36 mpg on the highway — nice numbers for a 255-horsepower midsize sedan. For now, the 5 Series is only available in base 530i form; the six-cylinder-powered 540i arrives later this year. BMW hasn't announced an M-Series or plug-in hybrid version yet, but we'd expect to see replacements for those outgoing options next year. A new fully electric BMW i5 is also available and reviewed separately.
BMW always endows new-generation models with a few conversation starters, and the 5 Series is no different. An automatic lane-change feature nested within the optional Highway Assistant self-driving system allows drivers to change lanes simply by looking at a side mirror (the car has a camera to follow a driver's eyesight). There's also a new gaming platform integrated into the infotainment software so passengers can play games on the 14.9-inch touchscreen when the car is stationary. It's geared more toward the electric i5 as a way to help pass time during recharging stops, for example, but it's also available for the regular 5 Series.
We haven't yet driven the new 5 Series and don't know if it has recovered any of the athleticism of earlier generations. Recent 5 Series models have exchanged once-premier handling and steering performance for enhanced comfort and luxury (i.e., weight). But BMW found ways to infuse its latest 7 Series, a big car without much sporting pretense, with more agility than before, so perhaps the 5 Series has received similar treatment.
The new 5 Series should remain a benchmark luxury midsize sedan, but it's not without competition. Its primary rival, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, is also redesigned for 2024, presenting buyers with a tough choice. The Audi A6 and Jaguar XF offer their own approaches to midsize luxury, although both are showing their age. The Scandinavian cool of the also-aging Volvo S90 is another compelling alternative, as are the U.S.-made Cadillac CT5 and CT5-V Blackwing Edition. The latter puts out a ridiculous 668 hp from a supercharged V8 and gets refreshed styling for 2024.
