It's not an overstatement to say that the BMW 5 Series sets the standard for premium sport sedans and, in recent years, wagons, too. Introduced in the United States for 1972, the midsize 5 Series has long offered a near-perfect blend of performance, luxury and interior room.
Most BMW 5 Series cars you'll come across new or used are rear-wheel drive; however, the current-generation lineup includes all-wheel-drive variants. Most 5s also have an inline six-cylinder engine, though BMW has offered V8 versions since 1994. Model names are numeric, with the first number identifying the car as a 5 Series and the last two historically, but not always, denoting engine size. Today's BMW 528i, for instance, has a 3.0-liter inline-6. The final "i" originally distinguished 5 Series cars with fuel injection; these days, it only has significance in Europe where diesel models (that carry a "d") are also offered.