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BMW 5-Series Saloon (1996-2003) boot space, practicality and safety
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A strong body, ABS and twin airbags (plus sidebags from Sept 1996) means 5-Series is amongst the safest in its class. Euro NCAP initially awarded it a top four-out-of-four star rating, later reduced to four-out-of-five, when the system was changed. All models get an alarm and immobiliser – enough to stop drive-away thieves. Some owners may want to fit a tracking system for peace of mind.
The boot is impressively large and will cope easily with a family’s two-week holiday requirements. If even more practicality is needed then the Touring (estate) version should fit the bill nicely.
Euro NCAP rating
Ratings for this model not available
Equipment and options
Each trim level will have different equipment offerings.
Basic equipment
(0)
Standard Equipment
Optional Equipment
Standard Trim Standard Equipment
(1)
- Driver`s airbag
Standard Trim Optional Equipment
(33)
- ABS
- Air conditioning
- Alarm
- Alloy wheels
- Audio remote
- Body coloured bumpers
- Central locking
- Cloth seat trim
- Cruise control
- Electric driver`s seat
- Electric mirrors
- Electric passenger`s seat
- Electric sunroof
- Front electric windows
- Front fog lights
- Full size spare wheel
- Headlight washers
- Heated mirrors
- Height adjustable drivers seat
- Leather seat trim
- Lumbar support
- Metallic Paint
- Parking sensors
- PAS
- Passenger`s airbag
- Rear electric windows
- Remote locking
- Service indicator
- Side airbags
- Sports seats
- Steering wheel rake adjustment
- Steering wheel reach adjustment
- Traction control
Aegean Blue Edition Standard Equipment
(28)
- ABS
- Air conditioning
- Alarm
- Alloy wheels
- Audio remote
- Body coloured bumpers
- Central locking
- Cloth seat trim
- Cruise control
- Driver`s airbag
- Electric mirrors
- Front electric windows
- Front fog lights
- Full size spare wheel
- Headlight washers
- Heated mirrors
- Height adjustable drivers seat
- Metallic Paint
- Parking sensors
- PAS
- Passenger`s airbag
- Rear electric windows
- Remote locking
- Service indicator
- Side airbags
- Sports seats
- Telephone
- Traction control
Aegean Blue Edition Optional Equipment
(7)
- Electric driver`s seat
- Electric passenger`s seat
- Electric sunroof
- Leather seat trim
- Partial leather seat trim
- Steering wheel rake adjustment
- Steering wheel reach adjustment
Avus Blue Edition Standard Equipment
(23)
- ABS
- Air conditioning
- Alarm
- Alloy wheels
- Audio remote
- Body coloured bumpers
- Central locking
- Cloth seat trim
- Driver`s airbag
- Electric mirrors
- Front fog lights
- Full size spare wheel
- Heated mirrors
- Height adjustable drivers seat
- Metallic Paint
- Parking sensors
- PAS
- Passenger`s airbag
- Remote locking
- Service indicator
- Side airbags
- Sports seats
- Traction control
Avus Blue Edition Optional Equipment
(11)
- Cruise control
- Electric driver`s seat
- Electric passenger`s seat
- Electric sunroof
- Front electric windows
- Headlight washers
- Leather seat trim
- Partial leather seat trim
- Rear electric windows
- Steering wheel rake adjustment
- Steering wheel reach adjustment
Champagne Edition Standard Equipment
(24)
- ABS
- Air conditioning
- Alarm
- Alloy wheels
- Audio remote
- Body coloured bumpers
- Central locking
- Driver`s airbag
- Electric mirrors
- Front fog lights
- Full size spare wheel
- Headlight washers
- Heated mirrors
- Height adjustable drivers seat
- Metallic Paint
- Parking sensors
- PAS
- Passenger`s airbag
- Remote locking
- Service indicator
- Side airbags
- Sports seats
- Telephone
- Traction control
Champagne Edition Optional Equipment
(12)
- Cloth seat trim
- Cruise control
- Electric driver`s seat
- Electric passenger`s seat
- Electric sunroof
- Front electric windows
- Heated seats
- Leather seat trim
- Partial leather seat trim
- Rear electric windows
- Steering wheel rake adjustment
- Steering wheel reach adjustment
ES Standard Equipment
(22)
- ABS
- Air conditioning
- Alarm
- Body coloured bumpers
- Central locking
- Cloth seat trim
- Driver`s airbag
- Electric mirrors
- Front electric windows
- Front fog lights
- Full size spare wheel
- Heated mirrors
- Height adjustable drivers seat
- Metallic Paint
- Parking sensors
- PAS
- Passenger`s airbag
- Rear electric windows
- Remote locking
- Service indicator
- Side airbags
- Traction control
ES Optional Equipment
(3)
- Alloy wheels
- Audio remote
- Cruise control
ES SE Standard Equipment
(25)
- ABS
- Air conditioning
- Alarm
- Alloy wheels
- Audio remote
- Body coloured bumpers
- Central locking
- Cloth seat trim
- Driver`s airbag
- Electric mirrors
- Front electric windows
- Front fog lights
- Full size spare wheel
- Heated mirrors
- Height adjustable drivers seat
- Metallic Paint
- Parking sensors
- PAS
- Passenger`s airbag
- Rear electric windows
- Remote locking
- Service indicator
- Side airbags
- Sports seats
- Traction control
ES SE Optional Equipment
- n/a
M5 Standard Equipment
(31)
- ABS
- Air conditioning
- Alarm
- Alloy wheels
- Audio remote
- Body coloured bumpers
- CD Multichanger
- Cruise control
- Driver`s airbag
- Electric driver`s seat
- Electric mirrors
- Electric passenger`s seat
- Electric sunroof
- Front electric windows
- Front fog lights
- Headlight washers
- Heated mirrors
- Heated seats
- Height adjustable drivers seat
- Leather seat trim
- Metallic Paint
- Partial leather seat trim
- PAS
- Passenger`s airbag
- Rear electric windows
- Remote locking
- Service indicator
- Side airbags
- Sports seats
- Steering wheel rake adjustment
- Traction control
M5 Optional Equipment
- n/a
Midnight Blue Edition Standard Equipment
(25)
- ABS
- Air conditioning
- Alarm
- Alloy wheels
- Body coloured bumpers
- Central locking
- Driver`s airbag
- Electric driver`s seat
- Electric mirrors
- Electric passenger`s seat
- Front fog lights
- Full size spare wheel
- Heated mirrors
- Height adjustable drivers seat
- Leather seat trim
- Metallic Paint
- Parking sensors
- PAS
- Passenger`s airbag
- Remote locking
- Service indicator
- Side airbags
- Sports seats
- Telephone
- Traction control
Midnight Blue Edition Optional Equipment
(11)
- Audio remote
- CD
- CD Multichanger
- Cloth seat trim
- Cruise control
- Electric sunroof
- Front electric windows
- Headlight washers
- Rear electric windows
- Steering wheel rake adjustment
- Steering wheel reach adjustment
Protection Standard Equipment
(27)
- ABS
- Air conditioning
- Alarm
- Alloy wheels
- Body coloured bumpers
- Cruise control
- Driver`s airbag
- Electric driver`s seat
- Electric mirrors
- Electric passenger`s seat
- Front electric windows
- Front fog lights
- Headlight washers
- Heated mirrors
- Height adjustable drivers seat
- Leather seat trim
- Metallic Paint
- PAS
- Passenger`s airbag
- Rear electric windows
- Remote locking
- Service indicator
- Side airbags
- Sports seats
- Steering wheel rake adjustment
- Steering wheel reach adjustment
- Traction control
Protection Optional Equipment
(5)
- Audio remote
- Central locking
- Electric sunroof
- Full size spare wheel
- Parking sensors
SE Standard Equipment
(1)
- Cloth seat trim
SE Optional Equipment
(30)
- ABS
- Air conditioning
- Alarm
- Alloy wheels
- Audio remote
- Body coloured bumpers
- Central locking
- Cruise control
- Driver`s airbag
- Electric mirrors
- Electric sunroof
- Front electric windows
- Front fog lights
- Full size spare wheel
- Headlight washers
- Heated mirrors
- Height adjustable drivers seat
- Leather seat trim
- Metallic Paint
- Parking sensors
- PAS
- Passenger`s airbag
- Rear electric windows
- Remote locking
- Service indicator
- Side airbags
- Sports seats
- Steering wheel rake adjustment
- Steering wheel reach adjustment
- Traction control
Sport Standard Equipment
(21)
- ABS
- Air conditioning
- Alarm
- Alloy wheels
- Audio remote
- Body coloured bumpers
- Cloth seat trim
- Driver`s airbag
- Electric mirrors
- Front electric windows
- Front fog lights
- Heated mirrors
- Height adjustable drivers seat
- PAS
- Passenger`s airbag
- Rear electric windows
- Remote locking
- Service indicator
- Side airbags
- Sports seats
- Traction control
Sport Optional Equipment
(13)
- Central locking
- Cruise control
- Electric driver`s seat
- Electric passenger`s seat
- Electric sunroof
- Full size spare wheel
- Headlight washers
- Leather seat trim
- Metallic Paint
- Parking sensors
- Partial leather seat trim
- Steering wheel rake adjustment
- Steering wheel reach adjustment
Sport Aegean Blue Edition Standard Equipment
(28)
- ABS
- Air conditioning
- Alarm
- Alloy wheels
- Audio remote
- Body coloured bumpers
- Central locking
- Cloth seat trim
- Cruise control
- Driver`s airbag
- Electric mirrors
- Front electric windows
- Front fog lights
- Full size spare wheel
- Headlight washers
- Heated mirrors
- Height adjustable drivers seat
- Metallic Paint
- Parking sensors
- PAS
- Passenger`s airbag
- Rear electric windows
- Remote locking
- Service indicator
- Side airbags
- Sports seats
- Telephone
- Traction control
Sport Aegean Blue Edition Optional Equipment
(7)
- Electric driver`s seat
- Electric passenger`s seat
- Electric sunroof
- Leather seat trim
- Partial leather seat trim
- Steering wheel rake adjustment
- Steering wheel reach adjustment
Sport Avus Blue Edition Standard Equipment
(23)
- ABS
- Air conditioning
- Alarm
- Alloy wheels
- Audio remote
- Body coloured bumpers
- Central locking
- Cloth seat trim
- Driver`s airbag
- Electric mirrors
- Front fog lights
- Full size spare wheel
- Heated mirrors
- Height adjustable drivers seat
- Metallic Paint
- Parking sensors
- PAS
- Passenger`s airbag
- Remote locking
- Service indicator
- Side airbags
- Sports seats
- Traction control
Sport Avus Blue Edition Optional Equipment
(11)
- Cruise control
- Electric driver`s seat
- Electric passenger`s seat
- Electric sunroof
- Front electric windows
- Headlight washers
- Leather seat trim
- Partial leather seat trim
- Rear electric windows
- Steering wheel rake adjustment
- Steering wheel reach adjustment
Dimensions
| Length | 4724mm - 4784mm |
|---|---|
| Width | 1752mm - 1981mm |
| Height | 1435mm - 1437mm |
Review contents
1
Overview
2
Practicality & safety Currently reading
3
Interior, tech & comfort
4
Engines & handling
5
Ownership cost
6