BMW 5 series 1995 vs BMW 3 series 1998
| Gearbox: | Manual | Manual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine: | 2.5 Petrol | 2.5 Petrol | |
| Camshaft drive: | Timing chain | Timing chain | |
Performance | |||
| Power: | 170 HP | 170 HP | |
| Torque: | 245 NM | 245 NM | |
| Acceleration 0-100 km/h: | 8.5 seconds | 8 seconds | |
| 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 0.5 seconds later. | |||
Fuel consumption | |||
| Fuel consumption (l/100km): | 9.4 | 9.0 | |
| Real fuel consumption: | 9.6 l/100km | 9.3 l/100km | |
| 
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 0.3 litres more fuel per 100 km than the BMW 3 series.  | |||
| Fuel tank capacity: | 70 litres | 63 litres | |
| Full fuel tank distance: | 740 km in combined cycle | 700 km in combined cycle | |
| 970 km on highway | 920 km on highway | ||
| 720 km with real consumption | 670 km with real consumption | ||
| BMW 5 series gets more mileage on one fuel tank. | |||
| Read the article "Fuel Efficiency: How to Reduce Fuel Consumption" to learn more about fuel economy. | |||
Engines | |||
| Average engine lifespan: | 420'000 km | 420'000 km | |
| Engine resource depends largely on regular maintenance and the quality of the oils and fuels used. | |||
| Engine production duration: | 7 years | 7 years | |
Dimensions | |||
| Length: | 4.78 m | 4.47 m | |
| Width: | 1.80 m | 1.74 m | |
| Height: | 1.44 m | 1.42 m | |
| 
BMW 5 series is larger. BMW 5 series is 31 cm longer than the BMW 3 series, 6 cm wider, while the height of BMW 5 series is 2 cm higher.  | |||
| Trunk capacity: | 460 litres | 440 litres | |
| BMW 5 series has 20 litres more trunk space than the BMW 3 series. | |||
| Turning diameter: | 11 meters | 10 meters | |
| The turning circle of the BMW 5 series is 1 metres more than that of the BMW 3 series, which means BMW 5 series can be harder to manoeuvre in tight streets and parking spaces. | |||
| Gross weight (kg): | 1`985 | 1`870 | |
| Safety: | no data | ||
| Quality: | below average  | below average  | |
| BMW 5 series has fewer problems. According to annual technical inspection data BMW 3 series has serious deffects in 10 percent more cases than BMW 5 series, so BMW 5 series quality is probably slightly better  | |||
| Average price (€): | 4800 | 2200 | |
| Rating in user reviews: | 8.0/10 | 7.5/10 | |
| Pros and Cons: | 
BMW 5 sērija has    
    
  | 
BMW 3 sērija has    
    
  | |
