The Cars the New BMW 5 Series Must Beat

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class may have invented the modern midsize luxury sedan, but it was BMW that injected excitement into the segment with the launch of the E34 range in the late 1980s. Regardless of whether you could only afford the entry-level model or indulged in the glorious M5, the 5 Series quickly became the midsize luxury sedan you chose if you wanted an unbeatable combination of driver appeal and technology. It became the segment benchmark.

Fast-forward almost 30 years, and the game has changed. The current E-Class reveals how Mercedes-Benz has splurged on technology and sharpened its approach to chassis tuning. And with its new XF sedan, Jaguar is finally realizing the potential of a brand steeped in style and performance. These are the two cars that pose the biggest threat to the seventh-generation BMW 5 Series range when it arrives in U.S. dealerships in February.

Audi A6? The current car is at the end of its model life. An all-new A6, built on VW Group’s MLB architecture, is due to appear late 2017. The good news is the new A6 reportedly won’t get the same staid styling treatment as the new A4, instead leaning heavily on the design cues previewed by the stunning Prologue concept unveiled at the 2014 L.A. show. But can the FWD-biased MLB architecture deliver the dynamic finesse expected of the rear-drive 5 Series?

Lexus GS? It’s competent in many ways but doesn’t shine in any way. And then every time you park it, you have to look at it. Cadillac CTS? It’s perhaps the underdog in the segment; it’s a fundamentally sound car, though one that still needs some finessing around the margins. The reality is the new 5 Series won’t be troubled by either of these two.

So that leaves the Mercedes-Benz and the Jaguar. In terms of overall size the new 5 Series neatly splits the difference between the two, being 0.7 inch shorter than the Jaguar and 0.5 inch longer than the E-Class. Crucially, though, the BMW’s wheelbase is longer: 117.1 inches versus 116.5 inches for the XF and 115.7 inches for the Mercedes. In theory, then, the new 5 Series should offer the roomiest interior, especially in the rear seat.

The new 5 Series will be available with two engines when it launches in the U.S. The entry-level 530i is powered by a 2.0-liter inline-four that develops 248 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. The 540i has a 3.0-liter inline-six that develops 335 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque. Both engines are turbocharged, both drive through an eight-speed automatic transmission, and both neatly align with powertrains in the volume-selling rivals from Stuttgart and Coventry.

The Mercedes-Benz E300’s 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four develops 241 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque, and the 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 that powers the most popular XF, the 35t, has 340 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque. The Benz has a nine-speed automatic transmission, the Jaguar an eight-speed. BMW claims the 530i will accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 6.2 seconds, with the 540i taking just 5.0 seconds. That compares with 0–60-mph acceleration times of 6.5 seconds and 4.9 seconds we’ve recorded in our own testing of an E300 and XF 35t.

Where things will get interesting, however, is how deftly BMW splits the difference between the E-Class and the XF in terms of driver aids and driver appeal. Mercedes’ midsize sedan is a technological tour de force boasting effortless, near-autonomous driving capability. The more elegantly styled and proportioned XF has superb steering, lovely chassis balance, impressive grip, and a measured ride. It is the dynamic benchmark in the segment.

There’s no question the new BMW 5 Series will take the fight to the Mercedes-Benz E-Class when it comes to technology and build quality. It will come standard with a stereo camera that will work with optional radar and ultrasound sensors to facilitate a level of autonomous driving capability that should match that of the E300. Its infotainment system will include a high-resolution 10.25-inch screen, and will be able to be operated via the iDrive controller, voice command, or the gesture control that debuted in the 7 Series.

But will the new 5 Series be able to match the impressively accomplished XF on the road in terms of sheer driver appeal? On BMW’s recent form, we’re not so sure. In so resolutely taking aim at Mercedes—making its cars a little softer, more comfortable, more conservative—BMW may have handed an insurgent Jaguar an opportunity to do what the E34 did to the midsize luxury car establishment all those years ago. Only this time, BMW is part of the establishment.

We’ll find out when we drive the all-new BMW 5 Series in Portugal in a few weeks’ time.

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