2024 BMW 5 Series LWB review, road test - Ultimate Comfort Machine?

Tuhin Guha Updated: July 25, 2024, 10:10 AM IST

So far, a 5 Series has been your go-to luxury car if you want something comfortable but that still has you covered if driving engagement is high on your list of priorities. But with this new generation, BMW seems committed to breaking this mould and chasing after the competition. The new-gen BMW 5 series is now only available as a LWB model for the first time, at least in ICE form. You've already had a brief view of what it is like but we have now spent an extended amount of time driving it to go deeper into what it offers.

2024 BMW 5 Series LWB Styling, dimensions

This long-wheelbase, right-hand-drive combination is specific to India, and out on the road, you will find that the new 5 Series has a good deal more presence. It's notably larger overall being 212mm longer, 32mm wider and 41mm taller. But more effective is the new styling with its sharp, monolithic themes. There's no massive grille here, just some very un-BMW-like lighting with their vertical signatures. But the bronzed highlights and the lit-up grille stand out a good deal.

We also like the angular surfaces that add a modern but minimalist touch to the car. Also, despite the extended rear cabin, the 5 Series LWB doesn't look starkly disproportionate, the raked rear section helps. These 18-inch wheels don't quite fit but flashier 19-inch options are available.

Aside from the slightly overdone bumpers, the rear is quite simple with the slimmer new lighting and a conventional boot that opens up a good deal of space at 500 litres

2024 BMW 5 Series LWB Interiors, space, practicality

You have heard us say often that BMW cabins are some of the better quality ones in their segments. This sense seems to have been taken up a notch with the 5 Series LWB, more apparent now with the flashier design theme. Most surfaces have a thick, soft padding but the crystalline light bar that envelopes the cabin, the textured wood(one of two choices), the satin metal finishes around the vents and the grated speaker covers all have differing textures and temperatures that are uplifting.

This is carried over from the new 7 Series and there seems to be not much to choose in feel between the two. If anything, the flimsy adjustment kobs seem to have been improved from that car here. Some might not like the heavy use of gloss black in the central tunnel but this is well-tempered with the tan leather and crystalline knobs.

The 14.9-inch touchscreen now carries the iDrive 8.5 update which has resulted in a more logical home screen and submenes for the climate and other functions. It is still not the easiest to use on the move but things have improved. The crystal controller and the capacitive help complement this even if they may not be as good as full physical controls. The wireless Android Auto/Apple Carplay function could have been a more seamless integration, however. The 12.3-inch instrument cluster is easily configurable and offers information intuitively. You do get used to the entire interface reasonably well over time.

The powered front seats are especially comfortable with a good degree of adjustment and there's a good deal of practicality within the cabin to complement this. You get two wireless chargers in the front, something we haven't seen before in India and there are a few Type C charge ports to go with this too. The door bins and central storage tunnels are large enough to hold large items.

2024 BMW 5 Series LWB rear seat

But most of you looking at the 530Li will be interested in the rear seat, which BMW says is the largest in its segment. This comes from a 130mm increase in wheelbase, 110mm of which have gone to the rear seat. In practice, you have an excess of leg and knee room. The headroom is good too, the fixed panoramic sunroof doesn't intrude all too much. This, coupled with the large windows and the same level of finish as the front makes for a rich space.

The seats add to this sensation. You don't have powered adjustment but the 31-degree angle makes for a comfortable seating posture. The cushioning is also just right, it's supportive where it needs to be and firm at places for good support. The neck cushions help but a neat touch is that BMW has extended the seatback right to the doors, so you don't have to lean on plastic to catch a nap. It does mean you don't get a split seat but the comfort it adds seems worth the trade-off. Also, as with these limos, the middle passenger isn't too welcome. This space is best used with the large armrest folded down within which you get a wireless charger, a large storage bin and hidden cup holders.

You get some neat amenities here like the four-zone climate control and the extra vents on the doors but a notable miss is that of rear sunblinds. We also would have liked soft-close doors but the device holders with convenient charge sports and on-board wifi may keep you otherwise entertained.

2024 BMW 5 Series LWB Features, Safety

So of the rear-seat misses aside, the BMW 5 Series LWB is well-equipped. You have leatherette upholstery, the 18-speaker Bowers and Wilkins audio set-up, matrix LED lighting, two interior trim options, four-zone climate control, a PM 2.5 air filter and ventilated front seats as highlights.

You get a good deal of ADAS features like adaptive cruise control, lane departure and forward collision avoidance, blind spot monitoring and rear collision avoidance. There's a clear set of 360-degree cameras and the reversing assistant. A remote parking feature via smartphone has also been added.

Driving impressions, 0 to 100 kmph time

While this generation continues with the same basic architecture from earlier, notable changes have been made elsewhere. Powering this 530Li is an updated 2.0-litre turbo petrol that makes 258PS and 400 Nm, now with a 48v mild hybrid system. The eight-speed ZF gearbox has also been updated. The focus of these changes has been to improve driveability and efficiency says BMW.

Start driving the new 5 Series and the first thing you'll notice is how refined it is. The gets off from a standstill nearly silently with the 48V system and in the the calmer modes, the engine is hardly audible. So it's immediately a serene, calming experience. Even though the car has grown quite big now, it's still manageable in traffic. As with most BMWs, the seating position is just right and it's very easy to get comfortable although you do seem to sit a touch higher than the earlier car.

The 13PS and 25 Nm that the mild hybrid system adds make its presence felt quite convincingly. There's none of that slight delay or lethargy that you sometimes find in turbo petrol engines which was true for the older 5 series as well. At slow speeds or even when you are just driving calmly at higher speeds, there is a seamless, smooth experience that just goes with the whole comfort theme of this car.

There is a good deal of performance. Like most BMW, the performance on the road feels a bit more than what the numbers suggest. So in any situation, you always have more than enough performance. This is, by any stretch of the imagination, a fairly quick car.

In our real-world tests, even in the wet, we managed to handily beat BMW's claimed 0 to 100 kmph time of 6.5s, managing the sprint in 6.2s. Our in-gear acceleration time also suggests that this performance is very much present in real-life driving situations. The Sport Boost mode is more effective now as well, drawing power from the mild-hybrid system. The BMW, despite its greater mass, also brakes confidently and the mild-hybrid system only slightly gets in the way of the feel you have from the brake pedal.

The 5 Series is also quite efficient for the performance that's on offer. We got over nearly 17 kmpl on the highway and over 11 kmpl in city driving in our real-world mileage tests.

But there's still some of that BMW playfulness in this motor. Switch to the sport mode and everything sort of becomes a bit more urgent, a bit more energetic. To start with, you have a quite synthesized but still somehow convincing engine note. The motor now stays in the more potent reaches of the powerband, so power is easily still to access. Combined with it being energetic to rev to the redline, you find yourself in something with a touch of sportiness that's somewhat surprising, as ironic as it may sound in the context of a 5 Series.

The changes that have been made to the gearbox also work. From what we remember of the earlier 5 Series, the gearbox feels a bit more alert. It now takes less time to respond to throttle inputs even in the more conservative efficient and default modes while in the sport mode, with heavy throttle inputs, shifts are less jerky and don't interrupt the flow of torque as much. So with the more responsive engine, it does create a largely more cohesive experience. But we do wish the start-stop system was less aggressive in heavy traffic. It cuts off too often and disrupts the otherwise peaceful experience.

Watch our video review of the BMW 5 Series LWB below

For some of you, this sharp performance may not be as quite so high on your list of must-haves as how generally comfortable the car is. In that regard, BMW has again found a good balance. You don't have much low-lying, low-speed firmness. Even over rough surfaces, the BMW continues to feel plush. Bigger potholes are handles with a pliant edge that makes you feel like this car could take a bit of beating. Those not-very nice-looking 18-inch wheels probably help with that. Yes, ground clearance is not the greatest, especially over some larger speed breakers.

Given the long wheelbase and wider track, the 5 Series feels quite confident in highway driving. At higher speeds, it feels solid and you know you can keep doing high speeds, even when the weather isn't the best.

But of course, this has come at some cost, which is due to the way this car handles. No, the more enthusiastically inclined among you will not like to hear it but this car does not drive like quite like how you might want a 5 Series to. So on a typically good driving road, you will notice that there is a bit more dive and roll and can't carry quite as many speed corners as you could in the earlier car.

You have to be a bit more measured with the throttle you put in. But keep things smooth and you can still get somewhat close to the balanced feel you expect from a BMW. But it's just not as sharp or as engaging as it was earlier.

2024 BMW 5 Series LWB price, verdict

Think of this 5 series as you did earlier, and you will come away disappointed. But BMW has done what it needed to chase numbers, and in that regard, the 5 Seroes hits the spot. It has the presence, cabin feel and comfort you want from a car where you will be chauffeured over long distances, despite some of the misses in the rear seat. The drivetrain is especially competent in any situation and few European cars match its ride comfort. But the price is what seals the deal, at Rs 72.90 lakh, the 530Li makes for great value.