subject: German Excellence? [print this page] The BMW 3-series is by far the most popular series the German manufacturer has produced and it continually scores high amongst industry experts when it comes to reliability, comfort and driving pleasure. However, the 3 series bigger brother, the 5 series, is the one that makes the company the most money.
The 5 series is a mid-sized executive car which the company has produced since 1972. And although the model is not as popular as the 3 series in terms of actual sales, it represents about half of the companys profits.
Production of this model started back in 1972 and by 2008 5 million 5 series vehicles had been produced. The car is now in its sixth generation and comes in both a sedan and a touring styling.
Executive cars is the British term for what the Germans themselves called upper-middle class , although theyre strictly talking car classes and not alluding to any social ranking, even though the BMW 5 series probably is a middle class car in the UK. The French call the class Grande routiere which means that theyre comfortable on long journeys. In America the equivalent to an executive car would be a mid-luxury car while the more down to earth Australians label it a large car.
If you want to have a look at the new BMW 5 series, Preston and other areas in the North West will have dealerships you can visit. What you will find is a choice of 7 different engines, 4 petrol and 3 diesels. Youll have the saloon, the Touring and the Gran Turismo, all available in various model offers which differ in engine capacity, size and price. In the future a hybrid 5 series car might become available. The company unveiled a concept hybrid car at the Geneva Motor Show back in 2010.
A BMW 5 series will set you back at least 30,000 for the cheapest model so for many the 3 series starting at 22,000 will still be the preferred option. This is still an executive car although a bit more compact. And the reason why the 5 series is the most profitable of the BMW models? You probably guessed it; people who decide to by a 5 series model tend to also buy a lot of the additional extras that BMW offers, such as more technology or a sportier look. People who can afford an upper-middle class car can clearly also afford to spend some cash on extras, and all these optional extras are what make the company money.
