2012 BMW 5 Series Overview Change Vehicle

This 2012 BMW 5 Series review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 5 Series, and includes BMW 5 Series safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

The BMW 5 Series competes in the surprisingly crowded midsize luxury sedan marketplace, where cars usually sell for between $45,000 and $70,000. Key competitors include the Infiniti M, Lexus GS, Audi A6, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

Just one year after a complete redesign, the BMW 5 Series receives several upgrades for the 2012 model year. The entry-level 528i model receives the most attention, getting a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine that can be paired with BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system. The 528i and the more powerful 535i are also equipped with a new Auto Start-Stop function and automatically shuts off the engine when the car comes to a stop in an effort to conserve fuel.

Related to this, every 2012 5 Series has a new Driving Experience Control switch that allows the driver to calibrate the car according to Eco Pro, Comfort, Sport, and Sport + driving modes. In Eco Pro mode, all vehicle systems that can operate at a more efficient level is doing so.

The list of upgrades continues with new BMW ConnectedDrive technologies including a new full-color Head-Up Display and real-time traffic reports, a Comfort Access system that now includes a hands-free trunk-opening feature activated by waving a foot under the rear bumper, and new visual and audible alerts for the optional Night Vision with Pedestrian Detection system.

Finally, BMW adds a standard Active Protection safety feature that automatically closes the windows and sunroof, pre-tensions the seatbelts, and positions the optional Comfort seats for an impact.

When you buy a BMW 5 Series, you’re really choosing a model for its powertrain rather than its equipment level. For 2012, that means you can select between three turbocharged models: the 528i four-cylinder, the 535i six-cylinder, and the 550i eight-cylinder, each available with xDrive all-wheel drive.

They all come with the expected mid-luxury amenities, the notable exception being genuine leather, which is standard only on the 535i and 550i, replacing the 528i’s leatherette seats.

Highlights from the standard features list include dual-zone automatic climate control, 10-way power front seats, a power tilt/telescopic steering wheel, driver memory settings, a power sunroof, BMW Assist telematics with Bluetooth and a Safety Plan, and a 10-speaker stereo with a CD/MP3 player, a USB/iPod connection, and HD Radio. Dark Burl Ash wood trim decorates the interior, and the 528i rolls on 17-inch alloy wheels while the 535i and 550i get specific 18-inch wheel designs.

The 5 Series is also built to battle lousy weather. In addition to the optional xDrive AWD (which is packaged only with an automatic transmission and includes hill descent control), it comes standard with heated side mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, adaptive brake lights that glow brighter the harder you stop, and automatic Xenon adaptive headlights with LED corona rings.

Buyers choosing the 550i will get a few extra amenities. A hard-drive navigation system is standard on this model, along with front and rear parking sensors (Park Distance Control), a reversing camera, a universal programmable remote control, and 18-way Multi-Contour front seats. These features are available on the 528i and 535i in the optional Premium Package and Technology Package.

BMW provides numerous ways to personalize a 5 Series through an extensive options list. Several metallic paint choices are available, as well as a variety of wood and aluminum interior trim panels and, on the 535i and 550i, nicer Nappa leather upholstery.

In addition to Premium and Technology option packages, the 5 Series can be upgraded with soft-close doors; a premium sound system and satellite radio; Comfort Access keyless entry, ignition and power trunk opening; a rear-seat entertainment system; BMW Apps with Smartphone integration technology; and expanded BMW Assist telematics services. Get the Cold Weather Package for heated front and rear seats and a steering wheel, and choose the Luxury Seating Package if you’d like four-zone climate control, active front seats with ventilation, a power rear sunshade, and manual side sunshades.

A long menu of optional technologies is available, with Active Blind Spot Detection, Lane Departure Warning, Top/Side View cameras, a full-color Head-Up Display, and automatic high-beam headlights bundled into the Driver Assistance Package. Additional features include Active Roll Stabilization, Integral Active Steering (not available on xDrive), Parking Assistant, Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go, and Night Vision with Pedestrian Detection.

A Sport Automatic transmission equipped with paddle shifters is available for people who like to drive, and BMW offers two different performance-oriented option packages on each 5 Series model. The standard Sport Package groups Dynamic Damping Control with 18-way Multi-Contour front sport seats and Shadowline exterior trim. The 528i gets 18-inch alloy wheels, while the 535i and 550i are endowed with 19-inch alloys. The M Sport Package takes the Sport Package to the next level with a body kit, Double Spoke wheel designs, an M Sport steering wheel, and exclusive aluminum hexagon interior trim.

Previously, we noted that when you buy a 5 Series, you choose a model mainly for its powertrain and performance, not for its extra equipment. For 2012, selecting the entry-level 528i is less about affordability and more about performance combined with efficiency. That’s because the 528i is equipped with a new turbocharged, direct injected, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine rated to get 22 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway burning premium fuel (xDrive models have not been rated, but are expected to be less fuel efficient).

Now, before you get cranky about a tiny little four-cylinder engine in a sizable luxury sedan, consider that the 528i is making 260 pound-feet of torque between 1,250 and 4,800 rpm, and 240 horsepower from 5,000 to 6,000 rpm. This type of power curve is typically thrilling, and since BMW is claiming that the new 528i reaches 60 mph in about 6.2 seconds – nearly half a second faster than last year’s 528i with a 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine – we’re mighty impressed. Plus, the 528i is the lightest 5 Series model, is equipped with the best weight distribution, comes standard with an automatic transmission.

Of course, the 535i is faster and includes a six-speed manual gearbox, which makes it the enthusiast’s choice. A turbocharged, direct-injected 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine makes 300 horsepower at 5,800 rpm, but what you care about is the 300 lb-ft of torque spread across the rev range from 1,300 to 5,000 rpm. Fuel economy ranges from a low of 19 mpg in the city with the standard manual transmission and 30 mpg on the highway with the optional eight-speed automatic. Acceleration to 60 mph takes 5.7 seconds, with xDrive models slightly quicker at 5.6 seconds.

A twin-turbocharged, direct-injected 4.4-liter V8 engine is installed in the BMW 550i. Torque swells to 450 lb-ft between 1,750 and 4,500 rpm, and 400 horses peak from 5,000 to 6,400 rpm, giving the 550i prodigious power at almost any speed. A six-speed manual transmission is standard and an eight speed automatic transmission is optional, and acceleration to 60 mph takes as little as 4.7 seconds for the model equipped with xDrive and the automatic. While performance is impressive, there is a price to be paid in exchange, and that premium is exacted at the pump. The 550i is expected to get as little as 15 mpg in the city and musters no better than 23 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA.

The 2012 BMW 5 Series is equipped with a common standard safety package of airbags, traction and stability control, and antilock brakes. A BMW Assist Safety Plan is also included, and features four years of free service including Automatic Crash Notification. The standard Active Protection safety feature closes the windows and the sunroof, pre-tensions the seatbelts, and positions the seats for an impact, and the 5 Series features adaptive brake lights that illuminate brighter the harder the driver is braking.

Beyond this, the BMW’s braking system deserves extra consideration. The four-wheel vented-disc setup is fortified with cornering brake control, dynamic brake control, brake standby, brake drying, automatic hold, and brake fade compensation. And if the 5 Series is equipped with Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go and Frontal Collision Warning, the system features brake standby preparation and can ultimately take automatic braking action if a collision is deemed to be unavoidable and the driver is taking no action.

Additional safety technologies include Active Blind Spot Warning and Lane Departure Warning systems, a Night Vision with Pedestrian Detection system, and a Top View/Side View camera and parking system that helps the driver to maneuver in close quarters and gain a 180-degree forward view when exiting blind driveways or alley ways.

In the event that a collision does occur, the 2012 5 Series has proven itself to be very crashworthy. Last year, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave it a Top Safety Pick rating*, which is expected to carry forward to 2012 whenever the IIHS gets around to it. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives the 2012 5 Series an overall rating of 5 Stars. It doesn’t get better than that.

Reliability predictions from J.D. Power and Associates are also favorable. The market research firm expected that the 2011 5 Series would provide slightly better than average dependability over time. Consumer Reports is not making predictions as this review is written.

If you’re still wary, the standard warranty cover won’t assuage concerns about purchasing such a technologically advanced automobile. The 5 Series is protected by a four-year/50,000-mile warranty that includes free scheduled service and roadside assistance for four years and an unlimited number of miles. After that, you’re on your own.

* The IIHS Top Safety Pick rating pertains only to 528i and 535i models without xDrive.

The 2012 BMW 5 Series is built on the same platform as the BMW 7 Series, but with tidier dimensions. They also share an assembly line in Dingolfing, Germany.

Through EfficientDynamics technology, BMW aims to improve fuel economy by combining Brake Energy Regeneration and electric steering with aluminum construction for the hood, doors, front fenders, and suspension. New for 2012, Eco Pro calibrates the 5 Series’ throttle, transmission, and other vehicle systems to operate at their most efficient levels.

Fuel economy improvements don’t automatically translate to a duller drive. Eco Pro is an opt-in setting, and BMW reminds us that the 5 Series is the only car in its class that’s still available with a traditional manual transmission.

Integral Active Steering is optional on the 5 Series, and electronically varies the steering ratio to reduce steering input requirements at low speeds for easier parking, U-turns, and sharp corners. The system also provides 2.5-degrees of rear wheel steering to tighten the turning radius at low speeds and stabilize the car at high speeds.

BMW uses trans-reflective dashboard displays, which means that sunlight actually brightens the displays rather than washes them out.

If there’s an area that BMW can improve, it’s trunk space. The 5 Series can carry just 14 cubic-feet of junk in its trunk.

This year, the BMW 5 Series features an all-turbo lineup, and we’re thrilled because turbocharged cars are more fun to drive and less affected by altitude. The 528i’s new engine makes the car far more appealing than last year, improving power, performance and fuel economy all at once. Expanded availability of xDrive AWD is also good news, and the 5 Series continues to be a stylish and safe choice in the mid-luxury sedan class. Vehix recommends this car.

By Christian Wardlaw