BMW 5-Series Model History

The mid-level sedan in the BMW line-up, the 5 Series receives a diverse appeal from luxury car customers. Based on the E39 platform in 1998, the BMW 5 Series was offered as the 528i model with a 2.8-liter six-cylinder engine and a more powerful 540i variant with a 4.4-liter V-8 engine. The larger 4.4-liter propelled the 1998 BMW 5 Series with 282 horsepower. Both the 1998 BMW 528i and 540i could be equipped with either a manual or an automatic transmission. For the 1999 model year, a BMW 5 Series Wagon was added to the United States line-up.

A 394-horsepower BMW M5 sedan based on the E39 platform was brought stateside in 2000 propelled by a 5.0-liter V-8 engine (the first BMW M5 to receive an eight-cylinder engine). Along with rain-sensing windshield wipers and xenon headlights were found as standard equipment on the 2000 BMW 5 Series sedan. The BMW 5 Series received an entire redesign for 2004 with a strikingly modern exterior shape. A 2004 BMW 545i model featured a 325-horsepower V-8 engine that could be paired with a six-speed manual, six-speed automatic or a six-speed Sequential Manual Gearbox (SMG). For 2006, the BMW 5 Series offered a wagon body style as well as an alternative to rear-wheel drive. An all-wheel drive system was optional with six-cylinder models of the 2006 BMW 5 Series.

In 2008, a BMW 535i model was introduced using a 300-horsepower, twin-turbocharged inline-six engine. The look of the BMW 5 Series was once again altered in 2011 as it now rode on a chassis near identical to the 7 Series. Three powerplants were offered on the 2011 BMW 5 Series and the availability of an eight-speed automatic transmission was new. The 2011 model year added the BMW ActiveHybrid 5 model combining a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six gasoline engine with an electric motor for 335 horsepower. For 2014, the powerplant choices for the BMW 5 Series luxury sedan expand in the United States with a diesel engine option.