BMW's midsize car comes in sedan and wagon form and with rear- and all-wheel drive. The lineup starts with 525i and all-wheel-drive 525xi sedans, and the 530i sedan and AWD 530xi sedans and wagons. These models have an inline 6-cyl engine. The 525s have 215 hp, the 530s 255. The 550i sedan has a 360-hp V8, the high-performance M5 a 500-hp V10. All are available with a 6-speed manual transmission. All but the M5 are available with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Available on the 530i, 550i, and M5 is BMW's Sequential Manual Gearbox, a sequential manual transmission (SMT).

Standard on all are ABS, traction/antiskid control, front side airbags, and front and rear head-protecting tubular side airbags. Rear torso side airbags are optional. BMW Assist emergency and concierge service is standard. All models have BMW's iDrive, which uses a console knob to control entertainment, navigation, communication, and climate functions. Available features include a sport suspension teamed with run-flat tires, BMW's Active Roll Stabilization designed to counteract body lean, and BMW's Active Steering that electronically varies steering ratio and assist. Also available is BMW's Night Vision, which projects onto a dashboard screen images of objects beyond headlight range. Adaptive cruise control, a navigation system, heated front and rear seats, and steering-linked headlights are also available. The M5 has unique sport suspension tuning and other high-performance features.