Used 2012 BMW 5 Series Sedan Review & Ratings

The BMW Series 5 Sedan is a large luxury car, which is centered around a comfortable interior, excellent performance and exceptional safety features. Many people consider it to be the little brother to the coveted Series 7, and rightfully so, since their design is similar in most aspects, other than size, of course. It keeps most of the design elements of the 2011 Series 5, even in the face of Europe's new 'pedestrian safety standards'. With an MSRP starting at $42,000 for the base model, this is certainly not one in the price range of everyone, but you can catch a decent lease special on occasion. All that being said, the Series 5 Sedan offers a thoughtful amount of 'bang for your buck' to its purchasers, especially where luxury cars are concerned. The BMW Series 5 Sedan has previously held the distinction of being the best sports sedan on the market, but in the current market, vehicle, such as the Audi A6 3.0T, have narrowed the gap in a big way, thereby increasing the competition.

The Series 5 Sedan is available as a base 528i option or 550i. The 535i is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that offers 240 horsepower and 260 pound feet of torque. It rides so nice that many people do not realize that it is a four-cyclinder. Stepping up to the 535i, you are gifted a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline 6 engine with 300 horsepower and pound-feet of torque. Lastly, if you do venture out, you will find that the 550i is a popular pick in this class. A 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 offers 400 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, but an eight-speed automatic is optional.

The 2012 iteration of BMW's Series 5 makes an improvement upon the standards of comfort set by its 2012 model. It features a more refined interior and exterior design, as well as improved handling, most likely attributed to its all-wheel drive-train. Despite the fact that the 2012 model of this car features less cylinders under the hood than its little brother (2011 model), it certainly has better performance and better represents the 'sports car' billing often given to BMW's cars. The car's new four-cylinder engine is 50 percent smaller than last year, but according to the automaker, it should be more powerful and fuel-efficient than ever before. This year's Series 5 Sedan can reportedly hit speeds of 60 mph from a starting point of zero in only 6.2 seconds, and a gallon of fuel is said to last 23 mpg in the city and a whopping 34mpg on the highway.