BMW 1 Series vs BMW 5 Series

What's the difference?

A brief dalliance with the 1 Series has left me impressed, if wanting to spend more time with it to get a better assessment of the day-to-day liveability of BMW’s entry-level model.

It’s a compelling offering if you’re after a premium small car, and even without the performance of the M135, the 118 is feature-packed.

Keeping pricing competitive should help the 1 Series buck the trend of buyers opting for small SUVs, but ultimately it’s just refreshing to see BMW putting effort into keeping a hatchback relevant (and up-to-date).

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

There’s no getting around the i5 being a rather expensive offering. More than $150,000 to get into an electric sedan that’s not much faster than a hot hatch is a big ask, but there’s plenty to enjoy about the 5 Series.

Things like its heated leather seats shouldn’t be the reason you’re willing to spend so much on a sedan when a $50,000 hybrid SUV will score you the same, instead it’s the fact the 5 Series is a delight to drive and hasn’t lost the feeling of prestige the badge has earned over the last half a century.

In terms of value - if speed isn’t your focus and you’re less of a gadget-type-operator when looking at cars like this - the 520i has the style and comfort you’d need and at $100K less than the M60.

And in terms of large electric sedans, the i5 eDrive40 is cheaper than a Porsche Taycan (by a little) or an Audi e-Tron (by a lot). The Genesis G80 Electrified is the closest cheaper rival, by about $10K, or the less powerful Mercedes EQE is similarly priced at $154,900.

Essentially, if you’re looking at a 5 Series, it might be worth considering if you really need it to be electric, but if so, there aren’t many alternatives in its category for the price.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

The 1 Series has worn many faces over the generations and, like a lot of BMW designs that depart from tradition, this one might need to grow on some people.

That’s not to say there’s not a lot to like about the F70, but as BMW evolves its design language some changes might ruffle feathers - a lack of the iconic ‘angel eye’ headlight style being one.

But there’s still a kidney grille up front, with new design elements, plus those headlights that have a new vertical light signature are now sleeker than before, giving the new 1 a different ‘character’.

But from the rear, there are baby 3 Series Touring vibes, and it’s hard to find anything that might upset purists - there’s even the 'Hoffmeister kink' at the c-pillar. That’s the way the window angles back towards the front at the bottom.

Inside, the 1 Series has some proper sporty elements, even in the 118, that reference the M development that went into it.

There’s M-coloured stitching up over the dash fabric, for example, and illuminated aluminium panels with M-coloured lighting.

The steering wheel, wrapped in leather, is also an M feature, plus sporty seats are even present in the 118.

The interior is an overall cleaner look, in part thanks to the proliferation of features accessible by touchscreen, but BMW is refraining from going full ‘Tesla’ and removing all the buttons from the cabin.

If you’ve watched other members of the BMW family go into a new generation within the last few years - the 3, 4 and 7 Series particularly, you won’t be too surprised by what you see here. Especially with the latter, having seen the petrol variants look roughly the same as the electric ones.

BMW specifically made the petrol 520i and the i5 variants look similar for egalitarian purposes - to not disenfranchise 520i buyers who are still spending a fair chunk of cash but might not be ready to go EV.

That means all three variants score a mix of new and old. The kidney grille remains and isn’t as large as on the M3 or 4 Series, while the bonnet line following it and the ‘character line’ down the car’s side also remain. And yes, the Hoffmeister kink where the C-pillar meets the passenger window’s lower corner is still there.

On that C-pillar though is a ‘5’ stamped into the bodywork, new to this generation, while the front grille as mentioned has a glowing light surround - the brand’s ‘Iconic Glow’ already seen on the 7 Series.

Overall, thanks to being slightly larger in every dimension, the new 5 is starting to look bigger than a 7 Series from a little while ago. And that’s because it is - its body is overall longer than an E65 7 Series from the mid-2000s.

It’s 5060mm long 1900mm wide, 1515mm tall (97mm longer, 32mm wider, and 36mm taller). Its wheelbase is 20mm longer too at 2995mm. 

Yes, a brand like BMW would probably find it hard to do away with buttons for things like drive modes and things like volume controls or car settings.

Even though a lot of them are shortcuts to a touchscreen menu, it means not needing to scroll or hunt for important driving-based features and options on the 10.25-inch screen.

Even the climate controls are permanently available on the screen so that there’s minimal distraction.

For most non-essential features, however, BMW’s Operating System 9 is a far cry from the easy-to-use iDrive system of just a few years ago, the media control wheel that fell easily to hand and navigated a simple multimedia system of only a few sub-menus.

Fortunately, the screen and everything in the cabin is within reach of the driver, so there’s no awkward leaning or stretching to do anything mid-drive.

The cabin’s physical space is otherwise nicely laid-out, the phone charger pad is out of the way, cupholders fit most receptacles nicely and the door card can hold two regular water bottles plus other small items.

There’s even a small storage ‘shelf’ under the central vents, and near the wireless charger are two USB-C ports and a 12-volt plug.

The ergonomics of the driving position and steering wheel are well-sorted, and seat adjustment and height feels good for both engaged or relaxed driving positions.

Behind that, the second row could be more spacious, even though I managed to fit my 178cm frame behind my own seating position just fine.

There’s not a lot of room to move or stretch out, so most adults will probably find the back seat suitable for short trips only.

Behind that, there’s 380 litres of boot space, or 1200L with the seats folded down.

A longer wheelbase means more space inside, where the 5 Series also still looks fairly familiar to those who have spent any significant time in a recent model BMW.

BMW has historically been pretty bang-on with ergonomics, and the new-gen 5 does a good job of sticking to that. Comfortable sports seats and quality feel for the materials on touch points mean the 5 Series feels nice to be in, and relatively restrained interior design for a somewhat luxurious car means it looks nice too.

It’s let down only by a couple of things - its multimedia screen and Operating System 8.5 is a little less simple to use now, and requires more touching the screen than previous iDrive systems, rendering the scroll wheel less useful.

The BMW Interaction Bar too is a little tricky to see controls on, as well as lacking physical feedback for using controls. Vent flow controls are digital sliders on the Bar, while vent direction is controlled by an unusual ‘joystick’ style control nearby.

The rear seat is plenty spacious, as you’d expect from a large sedan, with climate controls and ports for charging devices in the rear.

There are three members of the new 5 Series family from launch, with a base 520i starting things off from $114,900 before on-road costs.

It’s the only petrol-powered (with mild-hybrid, we’ll come back to this) variant in the trio, but it does have a fairly extensive list of features as standard. In terms of tech and comfort, most of what comes with the 520i is available further up the range too, with the major differences being drivetrain related.

In the 520i, the interior upholstery is synthetic ‘Veganza’ leather with Alcantara, though optional Merino leather is a $4000 BMW Individual option. The front seats are heated as standard, however, and electrically adjustable with memory settings and lumbar support.

A 12.3-inch instrument display paired with a 14.9-inch multimedia display are standard across the range, running BMW’s Operating System 8.5, while a head-up display, ambient lighting, wireless phone charging tray and BMW’s ‘new’ Interaction Bar are included too - a crystalline-style strip across the dash with touch-sensitive ‘buttons’ like the climate controls.

A panoramic glass roof - unable to be opened - is standard too, while the 520i’s sound system is a Harman Kardon set-up with 12 speakers.

Exterior features are quite similar to the more expensive i5 variants, with Adaptive LED headlights, automatic boot opening, an M design kit with front and rear aprons, side sills, and BMW’s Iconic Glow kidney grille surround.

Optional in the 520i is an ‘Enhancement Package’ which adds a choice of aerodynamic 21- or 20-inch wheels, metallic paint, and a 655-watt 17-speaker Bowers & Wilkins surround sound system for $5400. One test car on the launch we attended was painted in a BMW Individual colour - Tanzanite Blue - which upped the price to $7800.

Moving up the range to the mid-tier i5 eDrive40, which starts from $155,900, adds Merino leather interior, metallic paint, Bowers & Wilkins surround sound and aerodynamic 20-inch wheels standard, but it also includes adaptive suspension and some other EV-related features.

BMW’s ‘Adaptive Suspension Professional’ comes with Integral Active Steering (rear-wheel steering) and is a step up over the M Sport suspension from the 520i, while its aero wheels function as a way to keep the electric car’s range being affected by resistance.

The eDrive40 also comes with an acoustic protection system to make ‘electric car noises’ to warn pedestrians, as well as BMW’s ‘Iconic Sounds’ for the occupants - basically a system that uses orchestral sounds composed by Hans Zimmer that are affected by acceleration intensity, speed, and drive mode.

It also comes with the standard kit for an electric car, a Mode 2 and Mode 3 charger, cable, and a five-year Chargefox subscription. 

The top-spec i5 M60 xDrive ups the cost to $215,900 and the features list again slightly (as well as being far more powerful).

Its suspension is even more advanced, adding the brand’s Adaptive M Suspension Professional with active anti-roll, plus 21-inch aero wheels as a no-cost option. The M60 also gains an M rear boot lip spoiler.

Inside, BMW’s ‘Crafted Clarity Glass’ controls in the centre console are standard, as is ventilation for the front seats and a four-zone automatic air conditioning system.

The two 1 Series variants have rather different running gear.

The 118 comes with a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine that drives the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT).

It makes 115kW and 230Nm, and BMW says it’ll hit 100km/h in 8.5 seconds.

That’s in comparison to the beefier 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit in the M135, also turbocharged, but driving all four wheels via a similar seven-speed DCT.

It makes 233kW and 400Nm, and it’ll crack 100km/h in 4.9 seconds according to the Bavarian brand.

Despite BMW calling it ‘electrified’, the base 520i is only a mild hybrid so most wouldn’t realise unless they were told.

Its turbocharged 2.0-litre four cylinder puts out a modest 153kW and 330Nm, with power and torque sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

BMW claims it’ll knock over the 0-100km/h sprint in 7.5 seconds, a few seconds too slow to blow anyone’s socks off.

The mid-spec eDrive40 has a little more kick to it, its rear-mounted electric motor capable of 250kW/430Nm and able to cut that time to 6.0 seconds.

It’s fitted with an 84kWh battery to draw its power from, the same as the 442kW/820Nm M60 with its all-wheel drive dual-motor setup.

The M-tuned i5 can hit 100km/h in a claimed 3.8 seconds. Bye bye socks, perhaps.

BMW says the 118 will sip 6.4 litres of recommended 95 RON fuel for every 100km covered, with its 49-litre tank the same as the M135’s.

In that variant, fuel use increases to 7.8L/100km, as does recommended fuel quality to 98 RON.

We didn’t get a chance to test fuel consumption properly on the launch, so keep an eye on a future review for that, but given the relatively high claim even for the 118, we’d expect the 1 Series isn’t the most frugal drinker.

BMW claims the petrol 520i sips 6.7 litres per 100km from its 60-litre fuel tank, though we were unable to independently test any of the claimed figures on the launch day.

The base car has a theoretical range of 896km if it was possible to achieve the claimed fuel consumption figure for the duration of the whole tank - but it isn’t and realistically you could knock about 20-30 per cent off that, depending on how enthusiastically you drive.

In the i5 variants, the same 84kWh battery provides slightly different ranges due to the eDrive40 using 16.56kWh per 100km, and the M60 using 18kWh.

The eDrive40 has a claimed 550km maximum range, while the M60 has a 506km figure thanks to its extra motor and weight.

The launch drive for the 1 Series included some outer-suburban Melbourne traffic, a stint of highway driving down towards the Mornington Peninsula, and a semi-rural road loop for each variant before the return journey.

So, noting that we didn’t quite get the chance to really work out what it might be like to live with the 1 Series day-to-day, first impressions showed good signs.

Both variants still drive much like you’d expect from even a front-drive BMW, let alone the AWD M135, but the chassis and suspension seem like they’d be good counterparts on a daily drive.

In the M135, communication and compliance seemed well-balanced with each other for even some particularly rough surfaces, and after torrential rain there were some potholes that would properly upset most cars that didn’t faze the 1 Series too much.

The 118 seemed to let a little more road noise into the cabin, but that might have been a symptom of different road surfaces.

The steering is accurate, but the feel in both is a little heavier than needed, especially with the thick-rimmed BMW steering wheel that you’ll know about if you’ve driven anything from Munich in recent years.

It’s a very easy car to drive fast, especially with the combination of 233kW, 400Nm, and all-wheel drive at the M135’s disposal.

The chassis and tyres work quite well together to not only hold a corner at impressive speed, but also keep the car stable so that traction isn’t an issue when launching out.

There’s also the joy of hearing a turbo spool and flutter under load, which is hard to deny as a draw for petrolheads.

For some cars, the list of features is what really separates the variants, but that’s not the case for the 5 Series. As is a bit of a BMW tradition, the drivetrains dictate the different trim levels and prices, and there are three fairly distinct flavours of 5 Series.

Starting at ground level, the 520i might at first seem like a bit of boring vanilla. Except it’s actually quite smooth and light vanilla.

There’s not a lot to write about when it comes to its drivetrain, but the lightness of its engine and petrol tank combo when compared to EV batteries and motors is refreshing, and makes for a quite dynamic rear-drive sedan.

Its 153kW and 330Nm is delivered smoothly enough with the mild hybrid assistance doing a little in helping responsiveness, but without intervening in the gearshifts it doesn’t feel particularly keen.

It lacks the ride comfort of the i5’s adaptive suspension, but it’s able to be driven in a spirited manner that belies its size and even, to some extent its 1725kg kerb weight. Chocolate sprinkles on the vanilla, if you like.

It’s not fast, but it feels nimble compared to its electric siblings and can carry a fair bit more speed through corners, after which there’s room to notice its rear-drive characteristics.

It’s especially noticeable after getting out of the 2130kg eDrive40, though the extra power from its 250kW/430Nm motor makes for some more spirited acceleration and a little more excitement when exiting a corner, especially if you’re aiming to double-check if it really is rear-wheel drive. There’s a little more than choc-topped vanilla going on here.

The steering is, like in the 520i, direct and responsive, though in most cases is probably best set to ‘comfort’ rather than ‘sport’ in its settings. 

The eDrive40 is rather comfortable and capable when barrelling through twisty backroads, and doesn’t feel out of hand for a five-metre-long sedan. It holds its weight well, and telegraphs when you might be approaching the limit quite sensibly.

When considering that, then, it’s impressive how brutally capable the 2305kg M60 is.

Here, we’re looking at a double-choc fudge with extra choc, and maybe some cookie dough in there for good measure. There’s a lot to like, but boy is it heavy.

It’s 580kg (or exactly half a Peugeot 208 GTi) heavier than the 520i, but it feels quick on its feet and its anti-roll seems to do a lot in terms of dynamics, the limiting factor really seems to be its tyres (which can and will squeal quite quickly to let you know when approaching said limit).

While you’ll need to take caution with how much speed you approach a corner with, you’re not going to lack acceleration on the other side, its all-wheel drive being less ‘fun’ but more efficient at getting you away from the bend than in the rear-drive eDrive40.

That adaptive suspension does also translate to a comfortable ride on relatively rough roads - only particularly bad bumps will reveal how much weight and pressure is being placed on each corner of the big sedan.

ANCAP hasn’t crash tested the new 5 Series. The last generation was a five-star car and it would be unusual to see that change with additional safety features - even with stricter testing.

The 5 Series comes with BMW Driving Assistant Professional as standard, with active cruise, lane assist and departure warning, front and rear cross traffic alert, collision prevention and intervention systems - in fact BMW says it has about 40 safety systems including an augmented reality dash display.

Its list of airbags includes front and side airbags for driver and passenger including one between the two occupants, as well as curtain airbags front and rear.

BMW’s got a fairly standard five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

The brand also uses a condition-based servicing system, which uses the multimedia to alert the owner when maintenance is required.

There are servicing packages which remove some of that uncertainty, in the 1 Series’ case a five-year, 80,000km pack costs $2210.

BMW has a fairly industry-standard five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty on its new cars, while its electric car batteries are covered by an eight year/160,000km warranty.

For servicing, BMW offers numerous discounted packs and deals based on your preferences and desire to pay upfront.

For the 5 Series, a five-year/80,000km basic service package is $2400, though the i5 will have different needs and lower servicing costs not yet listed by the brand.