The BMW E60 (5 Series) had the difficult task of succeeding the famous E39. The E39 was the benchmark in the E-segment and was produced until 2003. In 2003, the E60/61 had to take over as the 5th generation of the 5 Series and hold its own against the Mercedes E-Class and the Audi A6, not an easy task. 

The design of the E60 

The E60 is nothing like its predecessor. The lines and the lights/grill are completely different. This resulted in two camps; one camp thought the model was hideous and did not fit in with BMW's model line, while the other camp thought the design was beautiful. It was immediately clear that BMW had chosen a different path and that the other models would have a similar design, which later became visible in the BMW 1-series. 

Although the design has been accepted by most BMW enthusiasts, in my opinion, this large mid-range car does require large rims of at least 17 inches (larger than 18-inch rims do not benefit the driving characteristics) and the M-package gives the car just that little bit more body.

The technology of the E60    

Compared to the E39, which was still fairly mechanical, the E60 was packed with electronics. This put this 5-series ahead of its competitors. Below is a list of these ingenious electronics: 

• iDrive (the first BMW to be equipped with this system) 
• Head-up display
• Active cruise control 
• Active steering 
• Adaptive headlights
• Dynamic Stability Control
• Night Vision
• Voice control

They are all beautiful pieces of technology, but they are also very sensitive to malfunctions, of course. These electronics can cause problems in older cars, which we will discuss later in this article. 

The engines of the E60

BMW is known for offering a huge range of engines with each model. The E60 is no exception. At the time of its introduction, only 6-cylinders were available, and among the petrol variants the entry-level version was a 520i. This engine had a 2171 cc capacity, 4 valves per cylinder and delivered 170 hp. Its top speed was well over 200 km/h, and acceleration from 0-100 km/h was achieved in 9 seconds. After the facelift in 2007, the 520i was delivered with a 4 cylinder. This engine had 163 hp and almost the same performance as the six-cylinder, but the six-cylinder had a better power output and was quieter. The consumption of the four-cylinder is much better. In addition to several types of six-cylinders, the E60 was also supplied with two eight-cylinders and in the legendary M5 there was even a V10 with more than 500 bhp. 

For the diesels, the same story applies to a certain extent; when they were first introduced, they were only available with six-cylinder diesels, and in 2003, the M57TUD30 (530d) was used. This delicious diesel produced 215 hp and had no less than 500 Nm of torque. In addition, this big diesel was fairly economical with diesel, making it a perfect mile-eater. From 2005, the 5-Series was also available with a four-cylinder diesel. This two-litre diesel produces 163 hp and, in combination with a manual gearbox, is extremely economical. Unfortunately, every car above 140 km/hr uses a lot more fuel. 

Driving characteristics of the E60

As expected, an E60 drives sublime when properly maintained. The suspension communicates well and you can steer the car precisely. When it's dry and you have a-brand tyres, the 5 series is like a railway train. When it's wet and you decide to switch off electronic aids, the E60 can surprise you, especially when you're not used to driving a rear wheel drive car. 

The maintenance point we will come to next is also important for the driving characteristics. Because an E60 has such a refined chassis, you'll immediately notice any defects. Imitation parts and C-brand tyres are also a bad idea, because they can ruin the essentially excellent driving characteristics. 

Common problems with the E60 

You probably already knew that the E60 is not faultless, so the most common problems are described below: 

• Fuel related problems, there may be problems in the fuel pump. This can be noticed by reduced power and high consumption. This problem occurs especially in pre-facelift models. 
• Suspension arm rubbers can be worn out, causing play, which is communicated by the chassis through a "thump thump" sound.
• An automatic can cause problems if it is not maintained. 
• With diesels, the well-known swirl flaps can break off. These are often removed as a preventive measure.
• The 520d can get problems with the turbo at a later age. The 525d and 530d have virtually no problems with this (if driven normally and the turbo is allowed to cool down after a long drive, so the car is not immediately turned off). 
• The E60 is susceptible to poor alignment, which can make the car feel strange. You can also see this in the unevenly worn tyres. 
• A faulty iDrive can be costly to replace
• A panoramic roof can start leaking as it gets older
• In particular, the faster models such as the 535d and, of course, the M5, have complex technology and are therefore more susceptible to faulty maintenance. 

E60/E61 buying advice  

Of course, there are a lot of clichés when it comes to buying a used car. For example, filled service books, not too many owners, no ones and twos on the number plate, etc. 

In the case of an E60, the clichés are true - if this large mid-sized car is not serviced in time, you can end up with a lot of backlogs. The electronics in particular can sometimes cause problems. For this you really need to go to a specialist, because standard read-outs often do not get deep enough into the system. Buying an E60 with warning lights on is therefore not advisable. Especially since dealers understand that a car without malfunctions sells better and they have probably already tried to solve the problem. In addition, the maintenance history is important, and then invoices are preferable to filled-in maintenance booklets (which anyone can fill in).

Finally, it may or may not be sensible to insist on a 3-month guarantee. In many cases, any defects will become apparent within a few weeks. Yet this will be a challenge, because garage owners also know that an E60 can cause high unforeseen costs.