more about this model
Pros Perfect ride and handling balance, highly communicative steering, quiet highway ride, ample interior space, everyone-friendly front seats, peerless fit and finish.
Cons Overly complicated iDrive interface, hefty price tag, not particularly superior to the cheaper 535i.
"This might be the perfect car," exclaimed one of our road test editors after putting the 2008 BMW 550i through its paces at our test track. "It's the perfect size, looks great, it's fast, it handles. Does everything well." You could throw in supremely comfortable, quiet on the highway, luxuriously appointed and beautifully built. We would never go so far as to declare it "the perfect car" — there are always going to be a few areas of contention — but the BMW 550i would most certainly be among the nominees with Vegas odds in its favor.
However, let's get this out of the way quickly: Our 550i test car was expensive. With $10,545 worth of options, this ultra-5 Series hit the register at a whopping $69,820. And other than the $500 HD Radio (still not sure what the point is), we'd be hard-pressed to remove anything.
So the 550i is expensive, but so are Brioni suits, a night at the Bellagio and a 65-inch plasma television. They're all pricey purchases, but they're usually worth it. Therefore, the question should be: Is this midsize luxury sedan that's oh-so-good in oh-so-many ways too expensive?
Well, it depends on how you look at it. A similarly equipped 750i costs almost $10,000 more than its supposed "lesser" cousin, but the 550i is the all-around better car, giving up little in the way of luxury and interior space while trouncing the 750i in the fun-to-drive department. On the other hand, the twin-turbo 535i offers nearly the same performance as the V8-powered 550i and, when equally equipped, costs about $7,000 less. Hmm, maybe that's a more perfect car.
So the 2008 BMW 550i may be too expensive for some, but as with the Brioni and Bellagio, it's hard not to toss out that old adage, "You get what you pay for." And in this case, you get one of the few nominees for the perfect car.
Performance Despite its 550i designation, the engine underhood is actually a 4.8-liter V8. This strong power plant is good for 360 horsepower and 360 pound-feet of torque, and it's an ideal engine both for blasts away from traffic lights and driving out on the open road. In testing, we recorded an impressively quick 0-60-mph time of 5.1 seconds.
Though the vast majority of 5 Series models are sold with the automatic transmission, our test car was equipped with the standard six-speed manual transmission. It's one of BMW's best, with just-right throws and an easily modulated clutch that's friendly in heavy traffic. Rarely was a downshift to 5th gear needed for highway passing — just leave it in 6th and away you go to very illegal speeds, until the speedometer reminds you that you're on an interstate, not the autobahn.
The rest of the 550's performance resumé is similarly impressive, with superb braking distances (111 feet from 60 mph) and tremendous grip (0.89g on our skid pad) that put it in the same territory as smaller sport sedans or even sport coupes. The same could be said for its handling in general, which is in a league above the other sedans in its class. That would probably be true without the Sport package, but the package's active roll stabilization sets the bar even higher by increasing roll stiffness through corners, improving grip and control. The steering is sublime, with perfect weighting and a near-telepathic feel. This car does exactly what you tell it to do and reports back with equal aplomb. Unlike the steering racks used for the 1 Series and X5, which can be heavy at parking speeds, the 550i's steering is thankfully light.
However, all the superlatives heaped upon the 2008 BMW 550i can essentially be carbon copied over to the cheaper 535i. In our objective instrumented testing, braking distance, skid pad and slalom speed were all equal or pretty darn close between the two cars. From zero to 60 mph, the twin-turbo six-cylinder 535i was only 0.4 second "slower." In our subjective seat-of-the-pants testing, the outcome was more of the same. In other words, unless you have to have that beautiful V8 growl (or a high-numbered 5 Series to show off to your neighbors), it seems the choice is pretty clear regardless of how good the 550i is.
Comfort There's a good chance you're either an NBA forward or a Lollipop Guild representative if you can't find a comfortable driving position with our 550's 20-way power seats. The seat bottom's front and back rise to ridiculous heights, the extending thigh support could probably reach your ankles and the elbowlike two-tier reclining seatback is a design of pure genius. The head restraints even pop out at the sides like first-class airplane seats. Throw in the fact that these seats provide endless hours of comfort and support, and it's easy to nominate the 550i for the perfect seat award, too.
While the rear seat doesn't move about in the same contortionist ways, it, too, provides lots of comfort and support. Headroom in particular is better than what the Mercedes E-Class and Audi A6 offer, while legroom is ample even if that NBA forward's up front.
Considering the 550's sporting intent and resulting 19-inch wheels, ride comfort and road noise are surprisingly well-managed. Although it hardly offers the same serenely supple isolation of a Mercedes E550, the BMW nevertheless quietly swallows road imperfections with a reassuring, well-damped thump. Wind noise is also kept to an absolute minimum — even at 90 mph, the cabin could host a James Lipton interview.
Function In addition to its spacious cabin, the 550i boasts a large trunk capable of holding at least two golf bags and a decent-size suitcase. Plus, with its gaping-wide opening, no finagling is needed to make the trunk swallow those golf bags — just lift over and lower in. Interior storage is limited, however, with the center console in particular compromised by a strange bin within a bin.
The sizable backseat and large door openings make fitting a child seat a relatively easy proposition. With a rear-facing child seat, the front seats need to be pushed fairly far forward, but their 20-way adjustment at least gives the front occupants a better chance of attaining a comfortable position without touching the child seat.
Like all 5 Series cars, the 2008 BMW 550i comes with the iDrive electronics interface system that controls myriad vehicle functions, from simple radio presets to the navigation system and in-depth climate settings. BMW has streamlined this design since its introduction several years ago and added six dash-mounted preset buttons; however, iDrive is still needlessly complicated. For instance, going from a satellite radio preset to an FM preset takes two upward mouse pushes, two mouse turns, two downward mouse pulls and then a few additional turns. You get used to it, but people get used to cleaning bathrooms, too. If the 550 has an Achilles' heel, iDrive is most definitely it. (Half-way through model year 2009, BMW added a revised iDrive control knob with dedicated menu buttons, which improved access to its functionality).
Design/Fit and Finish Fit and finish is a big reason why the BMW 550i's price can almost be justified. Materials quality is surpassed only by what you'll find in Audi's cars, and everything is put together beautifully. While iDrive may be a pain to use, it frees the dash from copious amounts of buttons to create a clean-looking design.
Our 550i came with the Sport package's aerodynamic package that includes a revised rear bumper and an M5-like front airdam that nicely complements the 5 Series' dramatic headlights. With accompanying lower-side sills and double-spoke wheels, this is the snazziest-looking regular 5 Series you can buy.
Who should consider this vehicle Although some may buy this car because it's the highest number available on the 5 Series, that's a shortsighted way to go about it. The 2008 BMW 550i's mix of superior back-road driving dynamics, autobahn-blazing long-distance comfort and ample interior space make it the right choice for someone looking for a quintessential luxury sport sedan.
Others To Consider:
Audi A6 4.2 Quattro, BMW 535i, Infiniti M45, Mercedes-Benz E550
The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.
Used 2008 BMW 5 Series listings and inventory:
Shop Edmunds' used car, SUV, and truck listings of over 6 million pre-owned vehicles to find a cheap used and certified pre-owned (CPO) 2008 BMW 5 Seriess for sale near Ashburn VA. There are currently 556 used and CPO 2008 5 Seriess listed for sale in your area, with list prices as low as 4,000 and mileage as low as 0. Simply research the type of used car, SUV, or truck you're interested in and then select a vehicle from our massive database to find cheap pre-owned vehicles for sale near you. Once you have identified a used vehicle you're interested in, check the Carfax and Autocheck vehicle history reports, read dealer reviews, and find out what other owners paid for the used 2008 BMW 5 Series. Then select Edmunds' special offers, perks, deals, and incentives to contact the dealer of your choice and save up to 289 on a used or CPO 2008 5 Series available from one of 2,630 dealerships in your area.
What's a good price on a used 2008 BMW 5 Series ?
Save up to $288.8 on one of 41 used 2008 BMW 5 Seriess for sale at dealerships within 25 miles of Ashburn, Virginia with prices as low as $4990 as of Apr 25, 2018, based on data from 18 dealers and 22 consumer-driven dealer ratings ranging from 4.8 to 5 out of 5 stars.
Price comparisons for used 2008 BMW 5 Series trim styles:
The used 2008 BMW 5 Series 535xi is priced around $8665 with average odometer reading of 65242 miles.
The used 2008 BMW 5 Series 528i is priced around $9872 with average odometer reading of 94419 miles.
The used 2008 BMW 5 Series 550i is priced around $9720 with average odometer reading of 111187 miles.
The used 2008 BMW 5 Series 528xi is priced around $7389 with average odometer reading of 142116 miles.
The used 2008 BMW 5 Series 535i is priced around $9662 with average odometer reading of 107853 miles.
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What options are available on the 2008 BMW 5 Series?
Available BMW 5 Series 2008 Submodel Types: Sedan, Hybrid, Diesel, M550i xDrive, Wagon
Available BMW 5 Series 2008 Trims: 528i xDrive, 535i xDrive, 530i xDrive, 540i xDrive, 530i, 550i xDrive, 530e xDrive iPerformance, 530xi, 525i, 540i, 528i, 535xi, 535d xDrive, 528xi, 535i, M550i xDrive, 530e iPerformance, 550i, 545i, 525xi, 540d xDrive
Exterior Colors: Dark Graphite Metallic, Imperial Blue Metallic, Glacier Silver Metallic, Carbon Black Metallic, Mineral White Metallic, Bluestone Metallic, Jet Black, Callisto Grey Metallic, Mediterranean Blue Metallic, Monaco Blue Metallic, Cashmere Silver Metallic, Titanium Gray Metallic, Jatoba Brown Metallic, Orient Blue Metallic, Alpine White, Amethyst Gray Metallic, Dark Graphite Metallic II, Deep Green Metallic, Space Gray Metallic, Aspen Silver Metallic, Atlas Cedar Metallic, Azurite Black Metallic, Deep Sea Blue Metallic, Platinum Gray Metallic, Champagne Quartz Metallic, Mojave Metallic, Oxford Green Metallic, Pyrite Brown Metallic, Silver Gray Metallic, Tasman Green Metallic, Barbera Red Metallic, Black Sapphire Metallic, Electric Red, Frozen Bronze Metallic, Mineral Grey Metallic, Mystic Blue Metallic, Platinum Bronze Metallic, Titanium Silver Metallic
Interior Colors: Black Dakota leather, Black Dakota w/Contrast Stitching/Piping leather, Black Nappa premium leather, Cinnamon Brown Dakota leather, Cognac Dakota w/Contrast Stitching/Piping leather, Black SensaTec leatherette, Canberra Beige/Black Dakota w/Contrast Stitching/Piping leather, Venetian Beige Dakota leather, Black Nappa w/Contrast Stitching/Piping premium leather, Black leatherette, Black premium leather, Beige leatherette, Cinnamon Brown leather, Black Dakota w/Blue Contrast Stitching/Piping leather, Mocha Nappa w/Black premium leather, Black, Amaro Brown Extended Merino premium leather, Ivory White Nappa w/Black premium leather, Ivory White Dakota w/Contrast Stitching/Piping leather, Venetian Beige leather, Canberra Beige/Black SensaTec leatherette, Everest Gray Dakota leather, Gray, Mocha Nappa w/Contrast Stitching/Piping premium leather, Night Blue Dakota w/Contrast Stitching/Piping leather, Oyster/Black leather, Beige, Black leather, Everest Gray leather, Ivory White Nappa w/Contrast Stitching/Piping premium leather, Natural Brown premium leather, Beige premium leather, Gray premium leather, Oyster and Black Nappa premium leather, Venetian Beige/Black Dakota leather, Black Dakota w/Exclusive Stitching leather, Venetian Beige/Black SensaTec leatherette, Auburn premium leather, Cream Beige premium leather, Ivory White Dakota w/Contrast Stitching/Piping and Dark Coffee Dashboard leather, Ivory White w/Oyster Nappa premium leather, Mocha w/Black Nappa premium leather, Oyster and Black Dakota leather, Sand, Smoke White/Black Full Merino premium leather, Venetian Beige SensaTec leatherette, Veneto Beige leatherette
Popular Features: USB Inputs, Fold Flat Rear Seats, Back-up camera, Power Liftgate/Trunk, Pre-collision safety system, Heads up display, Keyless Entry/Start, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Monitoring, 360-degree camera, Apple Carplay/Android Auto, Alarm, Audio and cruise controls on steering wheel, Auto Climate Control, Automatic Emergency Braking, Aux Audio Inputs, Bluetooth, Multi-Zone Climate Control, Post-collision safety system, Power Driver Seat, Rear Bench Seats, Stability Control, Sunroof/Moonroof, Tire Pressure Warning, Trip Computer, Mobile Internet, Adaptive Cruise Control, Upgraded Headlights, AWD/4WD, Cooled Seats, Electronic Folding Mirrors, Leather Seats, Parking sensors, Heated seats, Navigation, Upgraded Stereo
Engine/Mechanics: 4, 6, 8 cylinders
Transmission: AUTOMATIC, AUTOMATED_MANUAL, MANUAL
Fuel Types: premium unleaded (recommended), premium unleaded (required), diesel, regular unleaded
Drivetrains: rear wheel drive, all wheel drive
Used 2008 BMW 5 Series Overview
The used 2008 BMW 5 Series is offered in the following submodels: Wagon, Sedan. Available styles include 528i 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 6M), 535i 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 6M), and 535xi 4dr Sedan AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 6M). Pre-owned 5 Series models are available with a 0-liter gas engine, with output up to 0 hp, depending on engine type. The used 2008 5 Series comes with rear wheel drive or all wheel drive. Available transmissions include: 6-speed manual.
