BMW 5 series and BMW 3 series have the same engine power, the torque is the same for both cars. BMW 5 series reaches 100 km/h speed 0.1 seconds later.
Fuel consumption
Fuel consumption (l/100km):
7.9
6.9
Real fuel consumption:
7.9 l/100km
7.1 l/100km
The BMW 3 series is a better choice when it comes to fuel economy. By specification BMW 5 series consumes 1 litres more fuel per 100 km than the BMW 3 series, which means that if you drive 15,000 km in a year, the BMW 5 series could require 150 litres more fuel. By comparing actual fuel consumption based on user reports, BMW 5 series consumes 0.8 litres more fuel per 100 km than the BMW 3 series.
Fuel tank capacity:
70 litres
61 litres
Full fuel tank distance:
880 km in combined cycle
880 km in combined cycle
1110 km on highway
1080 km on highway
880 km with real consumption
850 km with real consumption
Drive type
Wheel drive type:
All wheel drive (AWD, 4x4)
4x4 - AWD (all-wheel-drive)
Engines
Average engine lifespan:
480'000 km
420'000 km
Engine resource depends largely on regular maintenance and the quality of the oils and fuels used, but under equal conditions the average life of a BMW 5 series engine could be longer.
Engine production duration:
12 years
12 years
Engine spread:
Installed on at least 4 other car models, including BMW 3 sērija, BMW X5, BMW X3, BMW X6
Installed on at least 6 other car models, including BMW 5 sērija, BMW X5, BMW 7 sērija, BMW X3, BMW X6
In general, the longer and for more car models an engine is produced, the better its serviceability and availability of spare parts. BMW 3 series might be a better choice in this respect.
Dimensions
Length:
4.84 m
4.52 m
Width:
1.85 m
1.82 m
Height:
1.49 m
1.44 m
BMW 5 series is larger. BMW 5 series is 32 cm longer than the BMW 3 series, 3 cm wider, while the height of BMW 5 series is 5 cm higher.
Trunk capacity:
500 litres
460 litres
Trunk max capacity: with rear seats folded down
1650 litres
1385 litres
BMW 5 series has more luggage capacity. BMW 5 series has 40 litres more trunk space than the BMW 3 series. The maximum boot capacity (with all rear seats folded down) is larger in BMW 5 series (by 265 litres).
BMW 3 series has slightly fewer faults. Deffect rate in annual technical inspection is similar for both cars, it's slightly higher for BMW 5 series, so BMW 3 series quality could be a bit better.
