Compare the2023 Maserati GhibliVS 2023 BMW 5 Series Sedan

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Maserati Ghibli are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Ghibli has standard Anti-Whiplash Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Anti-Whiplash Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Ghibli has a standard Surround View Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The 5 Series Sedan only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Ghibli and the 5 Series Sedan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Ghibli has a standard 850-amp battery. The 5 Series Sedan’s 570-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

The battery on the Ghibli is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Ghibli’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The 5 Series Sedan’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

The Ghibli has more powerful engines than the 5 Series Sedan:

As tested in Motor Trend the Ghibli Modena 3.0 turbo V6 is faster than the 540i 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder:

The Ghibli has 3.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the 5 Series Sedan (21.1 vs. 18 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Ghibli has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

For better stopping power the Ghibli’s brake rotors are larger than those on the 5 Series Sedan:

The Ghibli stops much shorter than the 5 Series Sedan:

For better traction and acceleration, the Ghibli has larger standard rear tires than the 5 Series Sedan (275/40R19 vs. 245/45R18). The Ghibli’s optional rear tires are larger than the largest rear tires available on the 5 Series Sedan (285/35R20 vs. 275/30R20).

The Ghibli’s standard 275/40R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the 5 Series Sedan’s standard 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Ghibli has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the 5 Series Sedan. The Ghibli’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the 5 Series Sedan.

The Ghibli’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Ghibli is 1.3 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the 5 Series Sedan.

The Ghibli Modena Q4 handles at .91 G’s, while the 530i pulls only .86 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Ghibli Modena Q4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the 530i (25.5 seconds @ .8 average G’s vs. 26.3 seconds @ .68 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Ghibli’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the 5 Series Sedan’s (38.4 feet vs. 39.4 feet). The Ghibli’s turning circle is 2.4 feet tighter than the 5 Series Sedan xDrive’s (38.4 feet vs. 40.8 feet).

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Ghibli a Large car, while the 5 Series Sedan is rated a Mid-size.

The Ghibli has 9.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the 5 Series Sedan (108 vs. 98.8).

The Ghibli has 1.3 inches more rear headroom and .6 inches more rear shoulder room than the 5 Series Sedan.

The front step up height for the Ghibli is 1.1 inches lower than the 5 Series Sedan (14.75” vs. 15.8”). The Ghibli’s rear step up height is .3 inches lower than the 5 Series Sedan’s (15.5” vs. 15.8”).

The Ghibli has a much larger trunk than the 5 Series Sedan (17.7 vs. 14 cubic feet).

The Ghibli’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The 5 Series Sedan does not have an oil pressure gauge.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the Ghibli to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

Consumer Reports rated the Ghibli’s headlight performance “Fair,” a higher rating than the 5 Series Sedan’s headlights, which were rated “Poor.”

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Ghibli offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Ghibli has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the car heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the 5 Series Sedan.