BMW 5 series and BMW 3 series have the same engine power, the torque is the same for both cars.
Fuel consumption
Fuel consumption (l/100km):
7.6
7.2
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 0.4 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 60 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:
920 km in combined cycle
840 km in combined cycle
1140 km on highway
1050 km on highway
880 km with real consumption
850 km with real consumption
BMW 5 series gets more mileage on one fuel tank.
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:
1.47 m
1.42 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:
520 litres
460 litres
Trunk max capacity: with rear seats folded down
520 litres
no data
BMW 5 series has more luggage capacity. BMW 5 series has 60 litres more trunk space than the BMW 3 series.
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.
