F10 5 series the best sporty saloon in history??

Packrat

Full disclosure: I've driven them at work and owned a couple.

Currently have a 151 F10 520d and have found it to be bulletproof and still fun to drive.

I initially actually thought the F10 styling too safe when they came out, but they've aged brilliantly.

Opinions?

Montage of Feck

E39 no question

bazz26

I've had 3 of them, they are very comfortable and refined motorway/autobahn cruisers for sure. Sporty they are not though and not many cars in that segment are, they are too big, wide and heavy to be really classed as sporty.

Sexual Chocolate

Problem with the F10 is there's so many of them on the roads, it doesn't have that uniqueness that you'd envision a luxury German car should probably have, even when they were being sold new. In my opinion they are definitely more common than the equivalent E Class.

From a physical point of view they look very well in M Sport spec buy you couldn't really consider it a sporty car, it's too big, the bonnet is huge or at least when you jump out of an E90 and into an F10 it is 😅

The F30 had that spot covered though as did all 3 series throughout time.

I do think they'll age well though as time goes on, particularly the LCi.

unkel

A 4 pot diesel the best sporty saloon in history, LOL. If it has to be a 5 series, I vote E39, closely followed by E34. 6 or 8 cylinder petrols of course. After the E39 they got very lardy and soft although the V10 in the E60 M5 was glorious.

bazz26

The problem with the E Class is that it has like a lot of Mercs it has an old man's car image. You see a lot more younger people driving a 5 Series or A6 than an E Class.

Larbre34

Sporty saloon?

So not a sports saloon, just an ordinary 150hp yoke with firm suspension and not front wheel drive?

I would say an Impreza RB5 or a Lotus Carlton, but I'm sure they would be ruled out for being exotic sports saloons, so the answer is the E34 with any 6 cylinder petrol.

Goodnight.

passatman86

It's not April fools until next week you chancer

Buddy Bubs

I had an f10 530d and while a lovely car and plenty of power, couldn't disguise its size and weight to be sporty feeling. Now that's fine, it wasn't why I wanted it. Currently have an A6 and probably less sporty again.

Looking towards getting a 530e in next few weeks/months which is apparently less sporty than the equivalent ICE only 5 series.

It's not what these cars are really about any more. But they are better to drive than the equivalent big cars like Camry, Insignia, whatever else is out now (not that there's many) and they are defo better than the myriad of SUVs that seem to be everywhere.

Leonard Hofstadter

The F10 is an absolute barge of a yoke and most of them were 520ds, they can move quite well, but a four cylinder diesel is not and never will be sporty. If you want a sports saloon, you want an older E chassis BMW with six cylinder (or bigger) engines and hydraulic power steering; compared to electric power steering, hydraulic power steering feels more natural and on your side, provides way more feedback and the car feels much more connected to the road, thus providing a much sportier and rewarding driving experience.

Packrat

Ok, lots of people getting upset about the 'sporty' thing. In actual fact I agree with what you're all saying, - They're not particularly sporty but compared to their competitors they drive far far better, and have a solid hard feel to them.

No diesel 2 litre is ever going to be a rocket, but they're plenty quick for as fast as it's half-safe on white line road, and they cruise very comfortably on motorway runs.

I suppose they're the salaryman dad's best available weapon of choice today without being either expensive to run or unreliable.

They're also infinitely more fun than those "I've given up and am now just waiting to die or for the wife to give me back my balls" crossovers and pretend 4x4s.

Those old 6 or 8 pot petrols people seem to be in love with are completely outdated as anything other than weekend hobby cars now, for anyone doing more than tiny mileage.

So yes, it's still the best I'm it's class even if not truly sporty.

It's not however a "barge" as someone said, nor is it an Impreza or Lotus competitor (lofl)

mikeecho

The F10 520d with performance package is grand.

It's a big comfy car, a great motorway mile muncher. And surprisingly economical, given its weight.

50mpg + is easy to achieve.

Henry Ford III

If it has the m sport badge it's ok by me.

Tabnabs

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that, but there are a few Italian saloons that would turn far more heads than a F10 5 Series.