BMW 530i (2024) Review

As a device for covering four hundred miles, the current 5 Series is close to perfect. The body is stiff, the adaptive suspension isolates without floating, wind and road noise are exceptionally well suppressed, and the mild hybrid 2.0 turbo four is quiet enough that you stop noticing it is only a four. Rear space finally matches the exterior size. The cabin materials are excellent and the ambient lighting theatre works. The interface does not. Climate control, drive modes and most vehicle settings now live inside a curved display, the haptic steering wheel buttons are fiddly, and BMW has taken to putting promotional messages on the home screen of a car costing sixty thousand dollars.

The exterior is a matter of taste and a lot of taste says no. Financially it is the worst car in this file. Large executive sedans lose value faster than anything except large luxury sedans, and a three year old example trades for close to half its list price. Out of warranty repairs are expensive and unavoidable. As a used buy at year four, it is enormous value. As a purchase, it is a lease.