The BMW 5 Series has long set the bar for midsize sport sedans, with an agile chassis and premium interior. The seventh-generation 5 Series comes with modern touches like advanced driver safety features and an optional plug-in hybrid. It still effortlessly blends luxury with performance, equally capable of hustling along twisty roads and coddling passengers. The understated cabin comes with many standard amenities.

There are four trims: 530i, 530e, 540i, and M550i. Rear-wheel-drive is standard, while all-wheel-drive is available for about $2,500. Get Invoice Pricing Today

Pricing starts around $54,500 for the 530i. It comes with key exterior features like 18-inch alloy wheels, run-flat tires, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, and power-folding heated mirrors with memory. If the car senses an imminent crash, the front seat belts automatically tighten, the windows and sunroof close, and the brakes are engaged. In the cabin, there is perforated SensaTec leatherette upholstery, 16-way power front seats, proximity keyless entry, a split-folding rear seat, a moonroof, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, ambient interior lighting, dual-zone climate control, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, a WiFi hotspot, and more.

The 530e adds a plug-in hybrid gas/electric powertrain for roughly $57,500. Stepping up to the 540i adds more fantastic driving performance and a mild-hybrid system for around $59,500.

The top-of-the-line M550i comes with the most powerful engine, plus standard all-wheel-drive. Retailing at about $77,000 before options, the M550i comes with exterior components like an adaptive suspension, an M Sport rear differential, a rear spoiler, 19-inch wheels, high-performance tires, and a power trunk. The interior adds Dakota leather upholstery, multi-contour 20-way front seats, a leatherette dashboard, Pearl Chrome trim, remote engine start, an M steering wheel, and a Harman Kardon surround-sound system.

Options include driver assistance features like adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, lane-keep assist, and front cross-traffic alert. A parking assistance pack consists of a drive recorder, automatic parking, active parking distance monitoring, and a surround-view camera.

BMW provides drivers the choice between four-, six-, and eight-cylinder engines, all using TwinPower turbocharging. The 530i has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with a single, twin-scroll turbocharger. The engine makes 248 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, giving it 0-60 mph acceleration of about 5.9 seconds. The EPA estimates it’ll return 25/33/28 mpg city/highway/combined. Like the other engines, the 530i employs an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters.

The 530e uses BMW’s eDrive technology. A 2.0-liter four-cylinder gas engine is coupled to an electric motor, each making 181 and 107 horsepower, respectively. Powering the electric motor is a high-voltage lithium-ion battery stored under the rear seat. The 530e’s powertrain generates 288 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, allowing it to accelerate to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds. The driving mode selector has an XtraBoost feature that gives the 530e an added 40 horsepower for up to 10 seconds. The 530e can also drive solely on electricity for short distances.

The 3.0-liter TwinPower six-cylinder in the 540i produces 335 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque, allowing for a 0-60 mph sprint in an estimated 4.9 seconds. The six-cylinder powertrain comes with a 48-volt starter-generator and a second car battery. While not as sophisticated as the one in the 530e, the 540i’s mild-hybrid setup is quite ingenious. It captures energy that would otherwise be lost when the vehicle is braking, saving it in the second battery. It then uses that electricity to power the BMW’s climate control, power windows, audio system, lighting, and heated seats. The EPA expects the 540i to get 25/32/27 mpg combined.

The 4.4-liter V8 engine used in the M550i employs dual twin-scroll turbochargers. It generates 523 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque, accomplishing the 60 mph run in as little as 3.6 seconds and putting the midsize sedan in supercar territory. Fuel economy is impacted by the immense power and standard all-wheel-drive, reducing the EPA numbers to 17/25/20 mpg.