2008 BMW 5-Series - Performance Review

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Shopping for a 2008 BMW 5-Series? MSRP: $44,600 - $83,900

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The 2008 BMW 5-Series Sports Wagon is a joy to drive, largely thanks to its turbocharged engine and available manual gearbox.

The 2008 BMW 5-Series Sports Wagon model gets BMW's stellar 300-horsepower, 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine and xDrive all-wheel-drive system as its only powertrain, resulting in its nomenclature, 535xiT. With its twin-turbo inline-six, this 2008 BMW is, in fact, "the most powerful wagon BMW has ever offered in the U.S.," according to Car and Driver. Kelley Blue Book compares it to the 5-Series sedan and says it offers "virtually lag-free response [with] zero-to-60-mph sprints just a couple ticks slower than the V8" sedan, at a fuel cost that is "very close to the base engine's." Car and Driver calls the six-cylinder “excellent” and feels the twin-turbo six “renders the V-8 obsolete.”

There's a choice of six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmissions; the automatic comes with paddle shifters that may be of use in high-performance driving or on mountain roads. The optional Steptronic six-speed automatic available for the 2008 BMW 5-Series has four different modes, according to the Washington Post: "'Drive,' for shifting in the manner of a regular automatic transmission; 'Sport,' for more spirited, semiautomatic shifting; 'Steptronic,' for manual shifting without a clutch; 'paddle drive,' for manual shifting via 'paddle shifters' on the steering wheel." Kelley Blue Book "especially liked the sport version" with its speedy shifts, and Autoblog "never found the need to use the manual mode because the automatic is so smooth."

Fuel economy for this BMW 2008 is better than average, according to ConsumerGuide, which reports EPA estimates of 17 mpg city and 27 mpg highway; the test drivers at the Washington Post find that the 2008 BMW they tested averaged 25 mpg overall.

The Sports Wagon has excellent handling and braking, along with a firm but absorbent ride and impressive standards of refinement inside the cabin. Although with all-wheel drive--requisite in the 2008 BMW 5-Series Sports Wagon--the steering feel isn't quite up to the standards of the rear-wheel-drive (sedan) model.

Edmunds reports that this BMW wagon "is by far the most satisfying to drive," with "exceptional ride and handling dynamics...that can handle aggressive driving maneuvers on winding back roads as well as it dispatches weekday commutes on crumbling expressways." This is not surprising to the reviewers at Kelley Blue Book, who report that in the BMW 2008, "response, feel and feedback from all the systems -- steering, suspension, brakes -- are exceptional as expected." ConsumerGuide asserts that "the 5-Series' ride/handling combination is among the world's best.” The Washington Post concludes that the wagon offers a "smooth ride, great handling and comfortable for all of the folks I hauled."