2008 BMW 5-Series - Safety Review

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

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TheCarConnection.com finds that the 2008 BMW 5-Series is far below the company's usual safety standards.

When the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tested a 5-Series, it earned a three-star rating in frontal protection for the driver--the lowest mark typically awarded--but five stars in the other dynamic tests. The bad news didn't end there; the insurance-industry-supported Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found the 5-Series sedan to be just "marginal" in side protection and "acceptable" for the sedan and wagon in the seat-based rear-impact test.

However, there's an enviable list of standard safety features in the 2008 BMW 5-Series Sports Wagon, including front side airbags, tubular head-protecting airbags for front and rear outboard occupants, and electronic stability control.

Rear side airbags are optional. According to Edmunds, if you order the optional rear-seat side impact air bags, you "must specifically request that your dealer activate the bags" because of safety and liability issues.

There also are some active and passive safety equipment on this 2008 BMW worth noting: "Lane Departure Warning system provides an immediate but discreet notification when the car crosses into another lane without turn signals...[while the] body structure [is] engineered for excellent occupant protection in full and offset frontal impacts, side impacts and rear impacts," writes Autoblog.

This 2008 BMW suffers from some visibility issues, according to ConsumerGuide: "visibility is only average over the shoulder and to the rear."