RarityRadar · UK car rarity tracker

BMW · BMW 5 SERIES · Cars

BMW 5 SERIES Common

As of 2026 Q2, 238,148 BMW 5 SERIESs remain registered in the UK — still a familiar sight on today's roads. That's down from a peak of 273,651 in 2019 Q3 — only 87% of the high-water mark, a loss of about 35,503 cars. They're disappearing at roughly 7,191 a year (3.0% of what's left), a pace that would halve the survivors by around 2049 if it held — though in practice the last, most-cherished examples tend to linger far longer.

BMW 5 SERIES car — UK survivor photo
Photo: Alexander-93 / CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Surviving in the UK · 2026 Q2
238,148
195,477 licensed42,671 SORN
▼ 6,305 (-2.6%) yr/yr
Peak: 273,651 in 2019 Q3 · first seen 2014 Q3

Survivors over time

0 68k 137k 205k 274k 2014 Q32020 Q32026 Q2

How rare is it?

Common — still a familiar sight, with 238,148 on the road.

Rarer than 2% of the 2,315 UK car models we track.

Fuel breakdown

Of the 237,947 on the road today
Diesel 68%Petrol 16%Plug-in hybrid 8%Hybrid 8%

📉 Rate of decline

Disappearing at about 7,191 a year (3.0% of survivors). At that pace roughly 204,301 would remain in 5 years, and half the current fleet is gone by around ~2049.

A constant-rate projection from the last 3 years. The last survivors tend to linger far longer than this — cherished cars don't vanish on a fixed date.
Share Reddit X Facebook WhatsApp

About the 5 SERIES

The BMW 5 Series is an executive car manufactured and marketed by BMW since 1972. It is the successor to the BMW New Class sedans and is currently in its eighth generation. The car is sold as either a sedan or, since 1991, a station wagon (marketed as "Touring"). A 5-door fastback (marketed as "Gran Turismo") was sold between 2009 and 2017. Each successive generation has been given an internal G-code designation since 2017. Previously, a F-code designation was used between 2010 and 2016, while an E-code designation was used between 1972 and 2010. These are used to distinguish each model and generation...

Source: Wikipedia, text under CC BY-SA 4.0.

BMW 5 SERIES — questions & answers

How many BMW 5 SERIES are left in the UK?

As of 2026 Q2, 238,148 BMW 5 SERIES were still registered in the UK — 195,477 licensed and on the road, plus 42,671 declared SORN (off-road). The figures come from official DVLA vehicle licensing data.

Is the BMW 5 SERIES rare?

The BMW 5 SERIES is common, with 238,148 still on the road, making it rarer than 2% of the 2,315 UK car models we track.

Is the BMW 5 SERIES increasing or decreasing?

Over the last year the number of BMW 5 SERIES on UK roads fell by 6,305 (2.6%). At the current rate of decline, roughly 204,301 would remain in 5 years.

What fuel do most BMW 5 SERIES use?

Most BMW 5 SERIES run on diesel — about 68% of those still registered, with the rest split across petrol, plug-in hybrid, hybrid.

When did the BMW 5 SERIES peak?

The BMW 5 SERIES peaked at 273,651 registered in 2019 Q3, and was first recorded in the data in 2014 Q3.

Compare the 5 SERIES

How it stacks up against its rivals
vs AUDI A1vs CITROEN C3vs PEUGEOT 208vs HYUNDAI TUCSONvs FORD PUMAvs SKODA FABIA

You might also like

More from BMW
3 SERIES Common 595,292 left1 SERIES Common 462,000 left2 SERIES Common 167,347 leftX1 Common 137,832 leftX3 Common 129,350 left4 SERIES Common 122,432 left
Compare— Compare now