2021 BMW 5 Series Trims Comparison

The 540i gets a turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder (335 hp, 331 lb-ft). At the top of the range is the M550i with its turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 (523 hp, 553 lb-ft). BMW's all-wheel drive, called xDrive, is an option on the 530i, the 530e and the 540i. It's standard on the M550i. An eight-speed automatic is standard across the board. The ultra high-performance M5 is reviewed separately.

530i/530e
Come nicely equipped with:

• 18-inch wheels
• Adaptive LED headlights
• Digital gauge cluster display
• 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen
• Navigation
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility
• Sunroof
• Power-adjustable front seats
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel

The 5 Series also comes with:

• Blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert (warns you if a vehicle is in your blind spot during a lane change or while reversing)
• Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)
• Lane departure warning (alerts you if the vehicle begins to drift out of its lane)

540i
Other than the six-cylinder engine noted above, the 540i is similarly equipped to the 530i and 530e models.

Multiple packages are available for the four- and six-cylinder models. Highlights include:

Parking Assistance

• Automated parking system (steers into a parking spot with little or no driver intervention)
• Drive recording software
• 360-degree camera system (gives you a top-down view of the 5 Series and its surroundings for tight parking situations)
• Parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible in front of or behind the vehicle when parking)

Driving Assistance Plus

• Adaptive cruise control (adjusts speed to maintain a constant distance between the vehicle and the car in front)
• Side avoidance (takes evasive action to avoid a collision when another vehicle drifts into your lane)
• Front cross-traffic alert (warns you if a vehicle ahead of you is about to cross your vehicle's path at a blind intersection)
• Lane keeping system (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane)

Luxury Seating

• Front ventilated seats
• Multi-contour front seats

M Sport

• Choice of 19- or 20-inch wheels
• Sport steering
• Sport suspension (not available on the 530e)
• Sport steering wheel
• Sporty exterior trim

Premium package

• Remote start
• Power trunklid
• Heated front and rear seats
• Head-up display
• Upgraded Harman Kardon audio system
• Wireless device charging pad

M550i
Upgrades performance and luxury with:

• Sporty exterior styling
• Electronically controlled rear differential (for sportier performance)
• Adaptive sport suspension
• High-performance brakes
• 19-inch wheels
• Rear spoiler
• Sport steering wheel
• Leather seating surfaces
• Upgraded audio system

Dynamic Handling
Specific to the M550i, this optional package adds:

• High-performance adaptive suspension
• Active steering
• Active roll stabilization