BMW 3 Series vs BMW 5 Series
A side-by-side comparison of the used BMW 3 Series and BMW 5 Series — price, real monthly finance, running costs and MOT reliability, all from live UK stock.
Reviewed by the Motoring Today Editorial team · methodology in our editorial standards.
BMW 3 Series or BMW 5 Series — which should I buy?
The BMW 3 Series starts cheaper (BMW 3 Series from £7,495, BMW 5 Series from £7,990), with illustrative finance from £169/mo and £249/mo respectively. On MOT reliability they score 74% and 83% first-time passes. The full spec, running-cost and deal breakdown is below.
- 3 Series from
- £7,495
- 5 Series from
- £7,990
- In stock
- 5 vs 6
| From live stock | BMW 3 Series 5 in stock · from £7,495 | ★ Best value overall BMW 5 Series 6 in stock · from £7,990 |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest in stock | £7,495★ lowest | £7,990 |
| Median price | £12,990 | £12,598★ lower |
| From (per month)Illustrative, from live stock | £169/mo (HP, 60 months, 13.4% APR)★ lower | £249/mo (HP, 60 months, 11.9% APR) |
| Road tax (VED)Typical car in stock | £225/yr | £200/yr★ cheaper |
| Median mileage | 78,000 mi★ lower | 86,072 mi |
| Median year | 2017 | 2017 |
| Median CO₂ | 120 g/km★ cleaner | 124 g/km |
| Typical power | 181 bhp | 201 bhp★ more |
| Most common fuel | Diesel | Diesel |
| Most common gearbox | Automatic | Automatic |
| MOT first-time passDVSA history | 74% | 83%★ more reliable |
| Great/good deals in stockMotoring Today price rating | 1 / 5 | 2 / 6★ more |
| View all 5 3 Series → | View all 6 5 Series → |
Motoring Today score
Our 0–100 vehicle-intelligence score: reliability is from real DVSA MOT pass rates, the rest from manufacturer specs (MPG/CO₂, insurance group, Euro NCAP, dimensions). Higher is better — the stronger side is highlighted.
| Score | BMW 3 Series | BMW 5 Series |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 59/100 | 59/100 |
| Reliability | 49 | 57 |
| Running costs | 72 | 73 |
| Safety | 55 | 49 |
| Family & practicality | 76 | 77 |
| Insurance | 42 | 32 |
A guide, not a guarantee — based on the sample of stock and MOT/spec records we hold for each model.
Specs, side by side
Manufacturer specifications across the BMW 3 Series and BMW 5 Series trim range. The stronger figure is highlighted where there's a clear better/worse direction (dimensions are shown for reference only).
| Spec | BMW 3 Series | BMW 5 Series |
|---|---|---|
| MPG (combined) | 22–68 mpg | 19–68 mpg |
| CO₂ emissions | 44–297 g/km | 13–357 g/km |
| Insurance group1 (cheapest) – 50 | Group 18–49 | Group 28–50 |
| Euro NCAP safety | 67% pillar avg | 60% pillar avg |
| 0–60mph | 3.3s | 2.9s |
| Power | 102–543 bhp | 105–716 bhp |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| Doors | 4 | 4 |
| Length | 4633 mm | 4907 mm |
| Width | 2031 mm | 1981 mm |
| Height | 1434 mm | 1468 mm |
How we compare. The “best value overall” column and the cells marked ★ are chosen from live market data, running costs, DVSA MOT history and manufacturer specs — the side that wins the most comparable rows leads. Deal ratings come from the Motoring Today price model. Our methodology →
About the finance figures
Monthly payments shown are illustrative examples drawn from real quotes on cars currently in stock — the exact rate, term and APR depend on your circumstances, the lender and a credit check. They are not an offer of finance and are not a representative example of the total cost of credit.
Motoring Today is a trading style of Motor Genius Group Ltd (FRN 960504), an appointed representative of The Compliance Guys Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 941360).
Motoring Today is a credit broker, not a lender.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the BMW 3 Series or the BMW 5 Series cheaper to buy?
- In current stock the BMW 3 Series starts lower: the BMW 3 Series is available from £7,495 (median £12,990) and the BMW 5 Series from £7,990 (median £12,598).
- What are the monthly finance payments on the BMW 3 Series vs the BMW 5 Series?
- Illustrative finance starts from £169/mo (HP, 60 months, 13.4% APR) on the BMW 3 Series and £249/mo (HP, 60 months, 11.9% APR) on the BMW 5 Series. These are examples from cars currently in stock, not offers of finance — the actual rate, term and APR depend on your circumstances, the lender and a credit check.
- Which is cheaper to tax, the BMW 3 Series or the BMW 5 Series?
- The most common annual road tax (VED) across BMW 3 Series stock is £225/yr, versus £200/yr for the BMW 5 Series — so the BMW 5 Series is generally cheaper to tax.
- Which is more reliable at MOT, the BMW 3 Series or the BMW 5 Series?
- Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the BMW 3 Series averages a 74% first-time pass rate and the BMW 5 Series 83% — the BMW 5 Series edges it on this measure.