The 2011 BMW 5-Series is offered with a choice of two engines, both entirely new designs. The 535i uses a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine with a single turbocharger (it’s easy to get confused here, because BMW calls it a “twinpower turbo,” but it’s just one turbocharger). It puts out 300 horsepower. Reviewers are very impressed with that engine, though a vocal minority says it isn’t as responsive as most BMW powerplants.
The 550i uses a 4.4-liter, turbocharged V8, making 400 horsepower. Many note that it is more powerful and more fuel-efficient than the V8 offered in last year’s 5-Series, but few reviewers have driven this version.
Both engines come mated to either a six-speed manual transmission (the last stick-shift offered in the Luxury Large Car class), or an eight-speed automatic. Reviewers are fond of the automatic, saying it tends to hunt for gears much less than most seven- or eight-speed transmissions. An optional Steptronic sport package adds paddle shifters to the automatic. BMW loyalists should note that the 2011 5-Series uses conventional paddle shifters -- upshift with the right paddle, downshift with the left -- instead of the unusual thumb shifters found on other BMW products.
The EPA has not yet released fuel economy estimates for the 2011 5-Series. BMW estimates that 550i models should get 15/22 mpg with the manual transmission, or 17/25 mpg with the automatic. The company has not published a mileage estimate for the 535i.
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