Compare the2023 Porsche PanameraVS 2023 BMW 5 Series Sedan

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Porsche Panamera 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.

Both the Panamera and 5 Series Sedan have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Panamera has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The 5 Series Sedan’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Panamera helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard and even aims one of the vehicle’s headlights in the direction of the person or object. The 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The Panamera offers an optional Surround View System 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 Panamera and the 5 Series Sedan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes and blind spot warning systems.

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

The battery on the Panamera is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Panamera’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.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche above average in long-term dependability. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, BMW is rated lower.

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

As tested in Motor Trend the Porsche Panamera is faster than the BMW 5 Series Sedan:

On the EPA test cycle the Panamera Sedan running on electricity gets better mileage than the 5 Series Sedan:

On the EPA test cycle the Panamera Sedan running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the 5 Series Sedan:

The Panamera can travel with zero emissions for 17 to 19 miles (dependent on model). The 5 Series Sedan can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Panamera Turbo/GTS’ fuel efficiency. The 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The Panamera E-Hybrid’s standard fuel tank has 3.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the 5 Series Sedan (21.1 vs. 18 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Panamera’s standard fuel tank has 5.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the 5 Series Sedan (23.7 vs. 18 gallons).

The Panamera offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

For better stopping power the Panamera Turbo S’ brake rotors are larger than those on the 5 Series Sedan:

The Panamera offers optional heat-treated ceramic brake rotors, which last ten to twenty times as long as conventional cast iron rotors, don’t rust, don’t fade during repeated high speed braking, and their lighter weight contribute to better braking, handling and acceleration. The 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

The Panamera stops much shorter than the 5 Series Sedan:

For better traction, the Panamera has larger standard tires than the 5 Series Sedan (F:265/45R19 & R:295/40R19 vs. 245/45R18). The Panamera Turbo S/Turbo S E-Hybrid’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 5 Series Sedan (F:275/35R21 & R:325/30R21 vs. F:245/35R20 & R:275/30R20).

The Panamera’s standard 295/40R19 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 Panamera has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the 5 Series Sedan. The Panamera’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the 5 Series Sedan.

The Panamera has a standard automatic load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Panamera is 2.3 inches wider in the front and 1 inch wider in the rear than the average track on the 5 Series Sedan.

The Panamera GTS handles at 1.05 G’s, while the 530i pulls only .86 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Panamera GTS executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.6 seconds quicker than the 530i (23.7 seconds @ .86 average G’s vs. 26.3 seconds @ .68 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Panamera w/Rear Axle Steering’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the 5 Series Sedan’s (37.4 feet vs. 39.4 feet). The Panamera Executive’s turning circle is .1 feet tighter than the 5 Series Sedan xDrive’s (40.7 feet vs. 40.8 feet).

The Panamera offers available computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

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

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

The Panamera has .5 inches more front legroom and .5 inches more rear headroom than the 5 Series Sedan.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Panamera’s available rear seats recline. The 5 Series Sedan’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Panamera has a much larger trunk with its rear seat up than the 5 Series Sedan (17.6 vs. 14 cubic feet).

The Panamera Sport Turismo has a much larger trunk with its rear seat up than the 5 Series Sedan (18.3 vs. 14 cubic feet).

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the Panamera’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Porsche service is better than BMW. J.D. Power ranks Porsche third in service department satisfaction. With a 13% lower rating, BMW is ranked 7th.

The Panamera’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.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Panamera offers an optional rear wiper. The 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

Optional air conditioned front and rear seats keep the Panamera’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

Both the Panamera and the 5 Series Sedan offer optional massaging front seats. The Panamera also offers optional massaging rear seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging rear seats aren’t available in the 5 Series Sedan.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Porsche Panamera has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the 5 Series Sedan.

The Panamera Sport Turismo offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet in the cargo area, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Porsche Panamera comes in four door hatchback and station wagon bodystyles; the BMW 5 Series isn’t available as a station wagon.

The Panamera will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Panamera will retain 45.4% to 94.99% of its original price after five years, while the 5 Series Sedan only retains 39.57% to 43.24%.