5 series GT

[jonwm]

Morning all

Looking for some real world experiences of the room in the 5 gt.

Going to come out of the Co car scheme and get a 2 to 3 year old something to run as work car and weekend family car.

Is the gt bigger than the salon in width terms, we're having a 3rd child so need a bit more room for car seats and things, X5 is too much money other option was discovery sport, but seems you get lots for the money with the gt.

Cheers

[Truckosaurus]

Aren't the GTs 4-seaters, so no use if you want 3 child seats?

[rsbmw]

Some of them are, but you can definitely get a 3 rear seat version.

Those looks though

[gizlaroc]

Any BMW in that colour would look ste!!

I loved ours, it is a 7 series hatch, not a 5 series. BMW called it a 5GT as they thought 7GT would put off the age range it was aimed at.


Choose the right colour and it can look fine...




Such a nice interior too...




Rear seats slide back to give 7 series LWB leg room, or they slide forward the same as regular 7 series and then recline. Only car I have owned where I have sat in the rear whenever I could.


Plus really good load space in the boot, especially when you slide the rear seats forward.

Only thing it get it off run flats, they ruin the car, more than any other BMW I have owned.

[jonwm]

Thanks for the replies, it looks great in black on the above photo, would certainly opt for a black or grey one, going to have a trip down BMW next week and have a look at one in the flesh

[rsbmw]

Those are particularly flattering angles I'm afraid! The proportions in that top pic are real!

it's very much a 5 series though, save perhaps the sliding rear seats. That's the 5 series interior.

[gizlaroc]

No, it is on the 7 series platform.

Th interior is straight from a 7 series as well.

7 Series...



5GT...


I owned a 730d, 5GT and 530d.
The 5GT drives like a slightly raised 7 Series, the interior is virtually identical, the 5 series feels very different.

I'm not making it up.

[rsbmw]

Fair enough I'll concede that point.

Still a pig

Just reading reviews and seems it isn't really based on anything, shares components with a number of cars in the range (including 5 and 7 series), but I must quote Top Gear:

"The 5-Series GT is one of BMW’s biggest mistakes. The large hatchback-style body is meant to hit the middle ground between the 5-Series saloon and Touring, but doesn’t succeed. Mainly because it looks utterly ungainly. BMW has tried to better it over the years with a facelift or two, but it’s a bit like putting make-up on a pig. This is a very ugly car indeed"

Edited by rsbmw on Tuesday 20th June 18:53

[gizlaroc]

rsbmw said:

Fair enough I'll concede that point.

Still a pig

Just reading reviews and seems it isn't really based on anything, shares components with a number of cars in the range (including 5 and 7 series), but I must quote Top Gear:

"The 5-Series GT is one of BMW’s biggest mistakes. The large hatchback-style body is meant to hit the middle ground between the 5-Series saloon and Touring, but doesn’t succeed. Mainly because it looks utterly ungainly. BMW has tried to better it over the years with a facelift or two, but it’s a bit like putting make-up on a pig. This is a very ugly car indeed"

Edited by rsbmw on Tuesday 20th June 18:53

Unless you like the look of it of course.

[iSore]

They're an ugly pig of a thing, but they drive very well and are huge inside - very practical.

Plus they're a lot cheaper than a 5 Touring and you can't see the outside when you're on the inside.

Forget a 520d though - got to be the proper 530d. I'd have one.

[gazchap]

Aye, a 530d GT is on the top of my shopping list when my LEAF goes back in September.

[dave_s13]

Are these comfy for 3 kids in the back? 2 in boosters, one in a full front facing seat.

[Fox-]

rsbmw said:

Fair enough I'll concede that point.

I wouldn't, I'm going to take up the task now

The 'It's a 7 Series hatch' is IMHO misleading.

The 5GT is absolutely based on much of the 7 Series platform. When it was released in 2009, the F01 7 Series sat in the range alongside the E60 5 Series. At this point it absolutely was more a 7 Series hatch than a 5 Series - infact it was completely different to the 5 Series and shared almost nothing with it. So the press went with the 'It's a 7 Series basically' narrative because, at the time, it was kinda true.

6 months later of course the new 5 Series was released. This is also based on much of the 7 Series platform, just like the 5GT is. The reason it was a 5GT is because it was a GT version of the as yet unreleased 5 Series.

The interior is not the same as the 7 Series. It is very similar - but then so is the 5 Series interior. The 5GT interior looks more similar to the 7 than the 5 but it was designed right after the 7 so in some ways the 5 is just another evolution onwards. To sit in a 5GT the quality, fit and finish is 5 Series not 7 Series.

There is a reason why they called it 5 Series Gran Tourismo.

[jonwm]

dave_s13 said:

Are these comfy for 3 kids in the back? 2 in boosters, one in a full front facing seat.

That's what I'm going to check out next week, will let you know

[BOR]

I owned a 5GT followed by an F11 5 Touring.

I agree with gizlaroc, the 5 GT was massively better than the F11.

IIRC, the 5 GT has the same wheelbase and underpinnings as the 7 Series. Felt more like a 7 Series than an F11 in my experience.

Looks are challenging, but looks aside, it is massively more desirable than the F10/F11.

[BOR]

Here's wot I wrote about ownership:

BMW 520d GT 2013

Powertrain
Is a 2.0l diesel too small for this size of car? So far, no. In combination with the 8 Speed ZF Auto transmission, motorway and urban use is completely OK. Auto box is very good and keeps the engine in the appropriate rev range for performance and economy.

Surprisingly effective overtaking on alpine roads.Instant kickdown and go. Despite the low power to weight ratio, overtaking was easy, I think, again, because the 8sp box is better than the 6sp manual in terms of being in the right gear at the right time.

I could definitely live with this long term, but for a lot of people, the 3.0 D might be a better choice.

Fuel Consumption over 3000 km Motorway 70-100MPH = 43MPG/ (6,6l/100KM) during running in period.

Tailgate Concept – Option to open complete tailgate or use lower “bootlid” for quick access. Not that useful in my opinion. Usually just open the whole tailgate.

Rear Seat System – Sliding and reclining separate rear seats very good for comfort and increased flexibility of load area.

Luggage Space – Initial thoughts are that luggage space is less than I expected. Load area is quite wide, but the rear window is very sloping which limits height. Rear bulkhead can be unlatched or seats folded to give more options. Rear parcel shelf can be stored under boot floor.

Long Distance – We make a 900 mile journey several times a year which we usually do in about 14hours. This car is perfect for that. Ride is comfortable, wind noise is low, auto box excellent. Definitely less tired after journey.

Urban – Not much urban use so far, but due to long wheelbase(shared with 7 series) more demanding in tight streets. Finding a parking space that’s long enough or wide enough not always easy.

Styling – I’ve seen lots of these and there is no question that the styling is awkward. Mine currently has 19 inch wheels, which seem to improve the proportions of the car. Maybe due to pride of ownership but looks growing on me. One thing I didn’t realize until I got mine, is that the side windows are frameless. For what reason I don’t know. Possibly the aluminium door construction, or to allow the B-pillar to use a glass cover so the whole side glass is continuous.

Summary – Excellent for long distances, hard work in town, greater sense of occasion than 5 Touring. 2.0D plus 8sp Auto is excellent for me, but is borderline in terms of power to weight ratio. 3.0D might be a better choice depending on how you
drive.

It's gone back now. Very sorry to see it go.
Very under-rated BMW in my opinion, would like to have another in the future.

[iSore]

The F01, GT and F10 share a lot of suspension stuff - like the E32 and E34 of old, BMW reverted to parts sharing so the GT used an F10/F01 front subframe but the rear one is GT/F10 only. The track is widened with longer suspension arms. The GT is a mongrel made from whatever bits could be nicked from two far more important model programmes.

[bigkeeko]

Been reading a few BMW GT threads on here and they get a bit of a roasting for the looks.

I saw a couple of 3 series GTs recently and they actually looked good. I thought that might be my replacement for my Mercedes C class. When I came back into the house to research them they didn't look as good in the pictures.

Went to the BMW dealer yesterday and checked out a 3 series M Sport GT and it looked ace. Going to test drive one tomorrow so came back home tonight and went online. Pictures unflattering. WTF? How can a car not be photogenic?

[Pioneer]

3GTs and 5GTs are noticeably cheaper compared to equivalent saloons and tourers. I suspect this is due to the looks and poor reception by press/public. A family friend just bought a 5GT. He loves it, so does his wife and kids. But he is constantly trying to justify why he bought it and that it still looks good despite no one making any negative comments.

[Shaoxter]

bigkeeko said:

Went to the BMW dealer yesterday and checked out a 3 series M Sport GT and it looked ace.

Might want to also book an appointment at Specsavers on your way there.