Used 2014 BMW 5 Series Consumer Reviews

Fatal Flaw in Windshield and Mileage

I have had several BMW's from the M3C to the X5M. The 550ix with sport line package satisfies my need for a nice looking, powerful 4-dr sedan that is less challenging to drive than an M series. There are two fatal flaws for me. 1. Windshield area and angle makes it impossible to get out of too much direct sun. Even with cooling seats and the a/c running, it can be quite uncomfortable in summer. 2. After 5,000 miles, still getting only 14 mpg. Have had problems with variable comfort settings (comfort, normal, sport and sport plus) and battery not holding a charge. The battery issue came up with X5M as well. Ridiculous placement of what is supposed to be an ashtray.

Performance Hybrid Winner

This is my 5th BMW and my second in the 5 series line. I had 2010 535 and loved it. I was going to order an X1 2.8 M-line, but the sales manager mentioned the arrival of new car the day I stopped by see my salesperson. I was not looking for an ActiveHybrid 5 but an outstanding discount on top of the $4500 eco-credit sealed the deal. The car has all the performance of a 535 and added fuel economy. It is early yet but on the same circuit of driving I averaged 24 MPG with my 2010 535 and I am in the low 30s with this one. With 25% better MPG and the eco-credit, the price difference between the regular 535 and hybrid disappears. Check one out if you can. They are difficult to find.

Awesome Car!

I’ve had my 2013 BMW 528i for a little over a year and I love it - best car I've owned. I’ve driven sports cars and luxury sedans and for me this is a great hybrid of “fun to drive” and “creature comfort”. The 4-cyl engine is plenty powerful for city and highway driving and the fuel economy is surprisingly good. It’s a very comfortable car for daily driving and easily accommodates four adults. The interior is quiet, comfortable, luxurious, and attractive. The handling is excellent. I purchased it from a BMW dealer as a CPO vehicle and I haven’t had any reliability issues. Overall, the 528i is an excellent car with a great balance of luxury, comfort, sportiness, and fuel economy

5 1/2 years, almost 80k miles

I am very happy with this car. I've only had two maintenance issues - needing to "retrue" the rims and replacing tie rod assemblies because they had seized and they couldn't align the car. Both probably due to years of Houston potholes . The car is a dream to drive and I still get over 30 mpg on the highway. I did go to Bridgestone driveguard tires on the third set at 60k miles and they have softened the ride. I think it is an improvement.

By far best car so far

Love this car. Its a 2014 535d M sport with several extras. Engine is amazing. Everything is designed right. First car i would label as perfect, and i am critical. Fuel economy is excellent (doing 28.3 mpg in mostly city driving) and with diesel here between midgrade and premium it is nice to spend liitle on fuel every month. The exterior is beautiful. Have the M sprt version in carbon black. Interior also beautiful and i drive now working really well. Navigation display is big showing traffic and will propose alternate routes. I drive button now allows to write destination. Works very good. Dashboard, steering wheel and instrument panel are just beautiful. Heads up display works great and shows nav instructions very clearly. My wife has a 2014 Audi Q7, looks nice outside but is inside nowhere near the 535d. Recommend you drive this car, in specific the diesel, when you are in the market for a luxury sport sedan. Would highly recommend buying one. Everyday this car puts a smile on my face, like driving a new car from the lot daily. Update 2016 - Still happy and excited driving this great car every day! Update 2017 - Car has been trouble free and drives like new. Very happy owner and planning to keep much longer!

Better than I expected

I bought the car 3 years old with 33,000 miles on it. The car now has 59,000 on it. Nothing but a pleasure to drive. Happy with the decision to buy the 5 series. I have only had to pay for scheudled maintenance. The costs are high, but I take the car to the dealer and not a personal mechanic.

six month review

I have owned my 535i for six months and love the car. I have had no issues at all with it and have already put 8,500 miles on the car. I average 27-28 mpg combined and have gotten 35-36 mpg on the highway doing 70mph. I have gotten a lot of compliments on the car it is Deep Sea Blue with Gray interior and W-spoke wheels. My car had a special production run with these wheels and I love these wheels. My only complaint's no spare tire and the cup holder on the manual is useless. I don't plan on putting run flats back on the car too expensive for the staggered wheels. The car is fast, smooth and quiet.

Solid Performer

I'm a long time BMW user........on my 8th vehicle. I have had good ones and not so good ones in the past, but one thing has always been true. They get better and better with every new generation. My 2014 535i now has 50K miles on it and it has been perfect. No issues or problems at all. Runs smooth and strong every time I start the engine and is frankly, just flat out fun to drive. I'm old school with a Manual Transmission and it is the smoothest clutch and shifting I have ever experienced. ZF just makes it right. IDrive is very simple and functions well. Standard sound system is quite good and navigation is simple, fast and accurate. Bluetooth is easy to use as well (use it mostly for Books on IPhone) and all Phone functions. Not big on all the bells and whistles so I only get one option.....the M Sport Package. It makes the car perform at an even higher level and adds a look that is very attractive (get compliments all the time). This is the sport sedan that defines the category.....want to put a smile on your face every day you drive..........this is the car for you.

THE FLEXIBLE/UNIVERSAL JOINT SEIZURE

While driving less than 30mph, My 2013 BMW 550i xDrive, Sedan, experienced the following CATASTROPHIC FAILURES: The front driveshaft broke and ruptured a hole in the engine's upper oil pan. The flexible joint or universal joint seized and broke the front part of the front driveshaft. Then the vehicle had metal in the engine oil and that has damaged the engine and the turbochargers. These failures are manufacturing defects (rusted flexible joint) because the car was never in an accident, there is no puncture damage to the undercarriage and the car has been to all its scheduled maintenance at the dealership. My BMW purchased brand new, just completed its 100K maintenance review on July 11, 2018 – and no significant rusting was notice or in need of repair for the Flexible Joint. The vehicle is going to need a new engine, new turbochargers, and a new front driveshaft. The repair estimates are: $15000.00

Oil Gasket leak at 54000 miles

Took my car in for an oil change at 54000 miles and was told I needed a $1500 gasket replacement. I asked how a gasket would go on a car that is only 4 years old and was told it happens. BMW said I was out of warranty. If you purchase this car be prepared for expensive repairs with low mileage.

First impressions - 500 miles driven - wonderful so far

Was looking for a smooth highway ride with nice handling. This car came closer to my desires than Lexus, MB and Audi. Very quiet and handles well on winding roads. Soaks up road imperfections. Will come back later with updates. Edmunds projected price was right on target. Everyone comments on how quiet it is inside and how well laid out the interior is. Back seat is more roomy than I expected.

Great car!

Just bought a CPO 3-year old 535i xDrive 4 days ago. It's so much fun to drive! I'm 6'3" and I am very comfortable in the driver's seat; the electrically adjustable seats and steering wheel can accommodate just about anyone. It's got two settings: Sport mode and Comfort mode; I've been driving mostly in Comfort mode. The computer smooths out the whole ride experience. If you switch to Sport mode it's like you're in an M3. Very spunky, tight and...well...sporty. My only complaint is the Navigation system. The computer often can't understand what I'm saying and will try to send me somewhere 1500 miles away like Idaho. My smartphone's navigation is easier to use, so i just use that. Overall, a very nice ride. Go test drive it! You'll like it.

Piece of cheap junk

I bought a 2013 CPO 528XI and I also got the 100K warranty. Lucky I did. The first thing I noticed was the door panels and console covering coloring coming off. The tan interior on the door panels and console was turning. At first I thought it was dirt. But when I started “cleaning” it I realized it was actually the tan coloring coming off. Brake rotors have to be replaced every 25,000 of highway driving. Next BMW had to replace the transaxle. Then the turbo charger and all lines had to be replaced. It uses a quart of oil every 6,000 miles. BMW says that is normal. After turbo replaced, my gas mileage has gone down by 4 MPG. I’m 66 years of age and I have had many cars in my life time. But in all honestly, I can actually say this is the worse car I have ever owned. And I have owned, everything from Mercedes to VWs to Corvettes to Chevy trucks. The car is made of cheap materials. Finallly sold the piece of junk BMW and bought a Mercedes E Class. Very happy. What a difference. Love the Mercedes.

Really disappointing experience

This is my fourth BMW. I had good experience with older BMWs. This car's auto start/stop function is abrupt. The entertainment system is highly unreliable. After a few month's use, the USB port to Ipod failed to function. Then the email to car system failed to receive messages sent to the car. The bluetooth connectivity is problematic. Phone calls will be received but the sound does not go through the speaker system. When you reported that to the dealership, they claim BMW has problem with keeping up the software updates for iPhones. They cannot fix them. The headlight controller unit failed but the dealership failed to fix it during warranty period. The seat belt's buckle hits the hard plastic of the B beam and creates a rattling noise when driving. It seems that BMW has a hard time get their software working properly in their entertainment system.

First Beemer

Picked up a 2014 550i last week, and I absolutely love it. It's powerful, super smooth and very pleasing to the eye. I opted to replace the run flat tires with a conventional set and tote a tire fix kit though. I enjoyed the way it felt with the run flats even though their more rigid and don't seem to absorb shock as well as conventional tires but after the new tires it's absolutely incredible, you can feel a distinctive difference in the ride, handling and braking. I pretty much love everything about this car and if you already own one I don't even have to talk about the seat, if you don't, you gotta check out the seat. I can't wait to take it on a road trip.

Sophisticated, Yet Sporty!

I purchased the 2013 BMW 528i xdDrive Sedan in 2017. The vehicle is classy, comfortable, yet sophisticated and sporty. I consistently received compliments on how modern the vehicle looked even though it was over 5 years old. In the six years that I had this vehicle, I did not encounter any major issues or maintenance requirements other than oil changes and battery replacement. However, I wasn't aware until recently of the timing change/oil valve issues these vehicles develop after the 70,0000 mark. Sure enough, the car started running rough after I hit this mileage threshold (89,000). The money it would've cost for repairs wasn't worth it, so I finally traded her in. Overall a great car, just be sure to consistently keep up with oil changes (especially oil pressure monitoring) and maintenance.

Good looking and performing BMW 550

Overall, this is a great looking and performing car. This particular model must be connected to a trickle charger because the electrical system is designed to have a greater than usual amperage draw on the battery while the vehicle is parked. It has a smart monitoring system so that it shuts off components to preserve the ability for the vehicle to restart and reduce the need for a jump start. Some owners have reported an excessive oil consumption which was a subject of a class action lawsuit that was settled in -2017-2018. in general, I really like the car. Also, it is very expensive to repair, parts and labor out of warranty at the dealer.

Gasket oil leak problem

Consumer beware. Car runs & drives great. However, around 60k miles the valve cover gasket began to leak. This is a $1500 repair. Just discovered this is a common problem with this car. This should never happen on a car with 60k miles!

2013 535xi M-Style still a blast to drive

Nearing 78k miles and the handling and sound of the twin turbo are great. Beware the need to replace the valve cover and oil filter gaskets- surprisingly expensive repairs. Sports seats very comfortable and the 19 inch tires fill out the wheel wells nicely on this model. Miss the gas mileage of my 2012 528xi as this one is disappointing at 19 MPG overall. But still a sharp and good handling car.

The Ultimate Driving Machine

When I set out to buy my 2014 BMW 528i I had no idea how good of a car it was. After 125,000 miles of driving the Ultimate Driving Machine I can honestly say it’s a car that is better than any car I’ve ever owned.

Why All the Complaints?

I just took delivery of my new 2013 528xi and don't understand why there are so many negative comments about this car. I traded a 2009 BMW 328xi Coupe for the 528. We loved the Coupe but decided it was time to go larger. The 4 cylinder 528 is at least as quick as the straight 6 in the Coupe - I haven't hammered the 528 as it is still breaking in but it's very quick. No, it doesn't sound as nice as the 6 but I don't care - the 528 is amazinly quiet. The Start / Stop feature is interesting and is not intrusive. There is none of the "shuddering" others have complained about. It is actually kind of cool...

Great performance with great fuel economy

I love this car. Smooth quiet diesel has tons of torque to get the car moving when you need it and it so smooth it accelerates without drama or noise. I was not particularly interested in a diesel, but when I felt the performance to be had with 38mpg I was sold. My first BMW and I purchased warranties to guard against expensive repairs, but the car has been excellent in all regards. Very handsome, and comfortable. Heads up display is great and the bluetooth integration is very well done with BMW iDrive.

Good luck if you have to TOW or Service it.

I drove over a rock and had to have the car towed to the BMW in Port Chester, NY. It took visits from 3 tow trucks to finally get one that would crawl underneath the car to put it in neutral when off. The guy told me he would never do that if I had broken down on the highway. BMW assist was clueless. Car needed a muffler which took 10 days for BMW service Port Chester to get it from Germany. Then they decided it needed another muffler part which was backordered 2 months! In all it would be 2.5 months to fix a muffler! They couldn't care less about the inconvenience to me.

Love BMW diesels

This is one beautiful car

do not dive the car unless you can afford it

Do not test drive the car unless you are ready to purchase one of these cars.. that's how good this machine is!! you will buy it if you drive it! I had BMW 5 series before, always V8, and yet, this car delivers impressive power with unmatched mpg.

Only had it a 13 days...now in the shop

Drove my car to LAX and left for 3 days. When I returned early morning on the third day, computer system said that some systems had shut down due to low battery. I was able to start it and after my 2 hr. drive home it charged up. Brakes feel grabby with a harder than normal stop. I noticed on my first trip that I had to hold counter clock wise pressure on the steering wheel. When I let go of the wheel, car drifts right. Tried this on various parts of the road. Took it in and they tried to tell me that most cars do that. My Mercedes never did. So now its in the shop and they cant find the problem. I'm driving a loaner car...going on a week. As for the look of the car, its nothing special.

I love this car!

I just love this car! This is my second BMW, The style, comfort and performance is something I can not put into words. The technology is a little complicated, I think it is a little over the top.

Timing System Needs Recall

At just over 60k miles, BOTH timing guide rails inside my F10 engine shattered. It was a devastating repair cost, but luckily I was able to manage it without damaging the engine any further. Engine had to be pulled apart to remove all the plastic shards. Really hoping BMW will be issuing a recall on this flawed system. Beyond that, the car is wonderful. Love the comfort and feel of the vehicle.

Still in the shop blown turbo

I wasn't a mile from the dealership when the car malfunctioned. I bought it eight days ago and they are replacing the turbo. While I'm glad the problem revealed itself as soon as i drove off. I am not pleased that the car was on the lot for sale. For the very short time I've had driving the car. I was pleased with the feel. This will be my only BMW purchase. Back to Infiniti for my next car.

Great Car!

Traded my 2011 328i for the 2013 528i, and I love it! The interior is extremely nice and the idrive system is great. There are some very high tech features that took me some time to get used to. Although the exterior is a bit conservative, there something about it that gives it a classy look to it. I am very happy with the overall performance of this car. The ride is a lot quieter and smoother. I'm very pleased and know I made the right decision.

Best German value for your money

Bought it used and about 20k miles later not a single issue. The car is very comfortable around town and specially on the highway. There is a refineness that is hard to beat at this price range. I own Mercedes and Porsche as my other cars and this cars hold its own in more ways than they do. BMW drive is still unmatched even with Lexus (yawn) like comfort levels. Get the M-Sport package.

2013 535I - Great Car - Fun to drive - but...

The 535i has the right mix of Sport, comfort and fuel economy for my budget. I have one technology issue with the car and the Auto Stop feature which shuts down the engine when you come to a stop for more than and a few seconds with the idea it saves on fuel cost. However, in my experience its more annoying than what it's worth as in most cases with city driving the engine shuts off just seconds before it has to restarted again. In stop n go traffic it's absolutely ridiculous. Also, with auto stop it can give you the impression the car is off when parked when in fact it is not.

Nice value for a used car

60% off from a new car that's only 3-4 years old. Good value. Nice acceleration and braking. Sport setting steering is not as crisp as a 2011 3-series. Navigation is hard to use, so I just use my phone. Seat heaters work quickly so great when it's cold out. Nice comfortable interior. Nice exterior looks.

Power & Luxury

Great car very comfortable and a blast to drive. Plenty of technology in the car

one of the best BMWs

great car, hard to find a low mileage 528i these days but what an excellent car-great value

BMW 528i x drive

Just bought 528 ix. The drive is really fun; car has enough power with great G/M. The transmission is great. The problem is only that the basic car comes naked. You have to pay for literally all options. Let’s say, back up camera which Honda installs in any CRV, or side blinkers which Kia installs on $18,000 Forte. And those options my $55,000 car does not have because they are too expensive. Another things: I don’t like too big and too thin wheel, and the lack of spare tire. What exactly should you do if your tire blows up and you can’t drive to local shop due to long distance or inconvenient time? Otherwise I recommend the car. It comes with free maintenance for 5 years

Great Car

Love my 535D!

If you want great mileage in luxury, you cannot go wrong with the 535D. Up to 40 miles per gallon, turbos kicking in on one of the best diesel engines ever built, and you're off to the races. Build quality is outstanding and apart from the usual service needs the car is still running as smooth after 8 years as the day I brought it home! You can't go wrong with one of these!

142K miles and still nearly perfect

Engine and transmission are strong and smooth. The styling still holds up. Interior still isn't showing much wear. It's only the rear passenger side tire pressure monitoring sensor (TPMS) that's acting funny. It's always under the impression that that tire is low on air. It's wrong, so I'll need to replace that TPMS. That's an $80 part. I love this car.

5 Series BMW

Great car, put about 50K since buying it and had only a couple issues, oil leak at the filter housing and worn flex joint. Comfortable, excellent gas mileage, good performance. I’ll consider another in a year or so, although I’d go for the 6 cylinder.

7 years of ownership, no issues on 11 Y.O. car

Purchased this vehicle in 2017 only doing scheduled maintenance and have had very little issues. The only issue I had was a faulty turbo-charger but that was covered under original BMW warranty. I have about 103k miles on it and done one of the following since my ownership; brakes, battery, belt, engine mounts. I take it in for Regular oil changes only once a year or 10k miles and replaced tires at about 40k miles. Great Year for me. I do have a friend with same model but 2011 and basically fell apart at 100k miles

It’s attractive, but a moneywhore.

I had a 2011, and a few years after selling it I was looking for a 2017+ 430i/530i but ended up finding a 2013 at South Bay Porsche. It was a one owner, a trade in, 60k miles, super clean, fully loaded. It was a good deal at the time. I owned it for only a year, and within that year it cut me off 3 times, all in the worst situations of course, and it was such a pain. It was so boring to look at, it aged really fast, and it looked dated. At the time the car was seven years old. I had to do the oil pan three times, at the end, they change the timing chain. After that, the car did run well, and I didn’t want to risk anything and I just sold it. I lost nearly half of what I put into that. It was a money pit. Such a pain. And the bumper cameras are absolutely useless. What’s the point of them?? I ended up getting my 430i and I love it, absolutely amazing. Highly recommend but it’s a price jump. So if you’re gonna buy this, be aware of the timing chain as they might go bad, and make sure you can maintain it money wise. And invest in AAA, you’ll need their towing.

Good But Not Great

After telling myself not to do another BMW since I hate turbocharging, I went and did it because of the lease deal. Also, the cars are getting to be soft while Mercedes offers sport versions of their cars and regular tires (no run flats). Why didn't I go MB? This is not a bad car. It is just boring to look at and boring to drive. The M sport package helps but the sport suspension tuning is still soft.

2014 BMW soft riding and less performance oriented

I have had 3 BMW 528is and the 2014 is my 4th. The ride quality is soft, even in the sport mode and the car feels big and floaty. This was not noticeable as much on the short test drive at the dealer. I purchase a CPO version with the additional warranty. The acceleration is better than my 2008, but the ride quality is the main problem. Far less road feel than the old version and driver feels insulated from the road. Feels like my old Buick from days gone by. I thought about changing the springs to a more sporty feel but changed my mind after several installers expressed no experience in switching out OEM springs to after market springs. I will just have to get used to the numb road feel. BMW has lost it's way on the soul of the 528i in my opinion.

Vapor barrier

water in rear foot wells. Went to dealer and said vapor barriers had to be replaced. What is a vapor barrier? The plastic inside your door panels. 965.00 dollars to replace and dry the rug. I find out common issue w BMW. This price is after complaining. Originally 1900.00. Only a two year warranty. Will not buy another BMW. It happened again one year after repair. Big problem

Diesel engine without the noise

This is an excellent car. Rides great with good acceleration. Diesel engine gets 32/41 and won't know it is not a gas engine.

Merry Christmas to ME

I've owned a 550, 535 and a 328 and by far the 2013 528 is the best BMW I've owned. You won't know you're driving a 4 cylinder turbo - it is faster than the previous regular 6 cylinder. Comparing it to my previous 5 series, it is an upgrade in luxury.

Great car

Outstanding auto! Absolutely LOVE it. I'm way over my miles on the lease and will be turning it in because it is also out of warranty. Not getting another BMW because now I want to purchase and they shortens the length of the maintenance warranty so farewell BMW and hello Jaguar.

Great vehicle but definitely not cheap

Hard to justify the cost but nice to drive

Fast, luxury car!

I just purchased this vehicle and let me say, for the year, it still looks like the newer models because the body style is timeless! This car has some really cool technological features, it’s fast, there’s plenty of room for friends and family inside and it’s really FUN to drive!