BMW 5 Series (E60 2004-2010) Retro Review

Is this the best budget luxury car you can buy for very little money?

History

The BMW 5 Series in its E60 generation was revealed all the way back in 2004 and carried on till 2010 with it coming in estate form as well as M5 form this may be the best looking 5 Series ever designed. Designed under the Chris Bangle era and having the first generation of BMW iDrive which we know, and love could this be a good buy today with this one only costing £2,250.

Exterior – Front

So, as I have said I think that this BMW 5 Series has a timeless design with its smooth edges and its rounded grill with lots of chrome. The headlights also have this rounded look but look sharp and focused with the first iteration of angel eye designs that really make this car stand out. There aren’t many creases on the front, and the lower central air vent is slim and desecrate which suits this car quite well.

Exterior – Side

Round the side it is a bit of the same story. You get only a few creases, but the main elements are still there like the 3-box design and the Hofmeister kink at the back. The wheels look basic but clean looking and aren’t oversized either at 17 inches. On this car we also get soft close doors which is a great feature to have and makes the car feel a lot more expensive than it is. Every part you touch though feels expensive even though this car was made in 2007. It just makes this a much better experience and pushes the gap between the 3 series of this time.

Exterior – Rear

Moving round to the back and again it’s the same story really with not much going on. You get these sleek yet modern looking taillights that have LED technology. You also get the BMW numbering as well as a boot key lock which is rare to see now a days. The bumper is minimalistic, but it does house the reflector and real exhausts.

Car and engine specs and price

So, for the engine range for the E60 5 Series was quite vast. Simply there is 10 petrol versions and 4 diesel versions. Below is a list of all of the engines you could have with the e60 5 Series and what year you could have them in.

Petrol Range

520i	2003 - 2005	2.2l Straight 6	168 bhp
520i	207 - 2010	2.0l Straight 4	154 - 168 bhp
523i	2005 - 2007	2.5l Straight 6	174 bhp
523i	2007 - 2010	2.5l Straight 6	188 bhp
525i	2003 - 2005	2.5l Straight 6	189 bhp
525i	2005 - 2007	2.5l Straight 6	215 bhp
525i	2007 - 2010	2.5l Straight 6	215 bhp
528i	2007 - 2010	3.0l Straight 6	231 bhp
530i	2003 - 2005	3.0l Straight 6	228 bhp
530i	2005 - 2007	3.0l Straight 6	255 bhp
530i	2007 - 2010	3.0l Straight 6	268 bhp
535i	2007 - 2010	3.0l Straight 6	302 bhp
540i	2005 - 2010	4.0l V8	302 bhp
545i	2003 - 2005	4.4l V8	329 bhp
550i	2005 - 2010	4.8l V8	362 bhp
M5	2005 - 2010	5.0l V10	500 bhp

Diesel Range

520d	2005 - 2007	2.0l Straight 4	161 bhp
520d	2007 - 2010	2.0 Straight 4	174 bhp
525d	2004 - 2007	2.5l Straight 6	174 bhp
525d	2007 - 2010	3.0l Straight 6	194 bhp
530d	2003 - 2005	3.0l Straight 6	215 bhp
530d	2005 - 2010	3.0l Straight 6	228 - 232 bhp
535d	2004 - 2007	3.0l Straight 6	268 bhp
535d	2007 - 2010	3.0l Straight 6	282 bhp

Interior – Design

Climbing inside the E60 then and I will admit it does start to feel a bit outdated but in parts is still modern. Take the gear selector for example, it is very similar to todays BMW’s as to is the iDrive Controller. Now talking about the iDrive 1.0 Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear quoted that it was difficult to use and only a teenager could use it. Now I have used it and it is quite fiddly as there is no back button and features are buried in the menus, but it does work, and it does what you need it for. The owner also retrofitted Apple Car Play and Android Auto to this car which is a fairly easy job. The switch gear in this car still feels good after all this time and all of the controls aren’t buried in the iDrive system like the newer BMWs. the steering wheel does look a bit outdated but does the job and is perfect for this era. The seats on this model are the comfort seats which are very comfortable and highly adjustable which is great and the overall fit and finish is really good and could almost feel like a 7 series, really showing the gap between the 3 and 5 series. I also like this cream colour interior. What do you think. Let me know in the comment section below and whilst you are at it don’t forget to like and subscribe. Lets have a look at the rear seats.

Practicality

Climbing in the back of the E60 5 Series and legroom isn’t the best compared to modern cars sitting behind a 6-foot 2 person, but this isn’t surprising as the newest 3 Series is actually bigger than this car. we do get the middle seat that folds down into this big armrest with a lot of storage, and you also get your own rear lights as well as air vents, 12-volt sockets and even an ash tray just to show this cars age. Mind you though the soft close doors give it an extra luxurious feel along with these thick floor mats that are no where near as good as today.

Boot Size

So going round to the boot and you are welcomed with 520 litres of boot space which is ok but not the best as the boot opening isn’t that big but also this specific car doesn’t have folding rear seats which BMW does and unfortunately it was an option so if you need space then either find a car that has this feature or go for the more practical estate version.

Summary

 So, is it worth buying a BMW E60 5 Series then. Well in terms of value for money this is really a good bargin at the moment and with these cars having a great following. It has a great design and a high-end interior that really does not feel 18 years old. Yes, there is a few wear and tear places inside but really you would expect it on any car for this age. Yes, the technology on this car is a bit outdated but like what this one has had there is a retrofit available. there is also the brilliant M5 which has great performance from its 5 litre V10 as well as brilliant handling. These are great drivers’ cars too and easily eat up the miles on the motorway. And really for £2,000 this is one very very good buy.

Exterior 5/5

Interior 4/5

Practicality 3/5

Total 12/15

Model	BMW 5 Series 530d SE
Engine	3.0L 6 Cylinder, 232bhp, Rear Wheel Drive
Transmission	Automatic
Price	£2,250