Expensive Car Supplement by model
Does the BMW 5 Series pay the Expensive Car Supplement?
Some versions pay. In 2 dated UK price lists (2020–2021), 322 of the 353 BMW 5 Series versions priced (91%) had a base list price over £40,000, so whether a particular car pays depends on its version, year and options. A car that pays is charged £440 a year on top of the £200 standard rate for 5 years from its second licence: £2,200 over the window at 2026/27 rates.
Data to 2026-09-23 · Page updated 2026-09-28 · Publisher: 73 Auto
- Versions over threshold
- 322 of 353
- base list prices, 2020–2021 price lists
- 2021 price range
- £35,835–£71,425
- 215 versions, before options
- Supplement over 5 years
- £2,200
- £440 × 5, 2026/27 rate
BMW 5 Series list prices by year
Summary of each year's UK price list (base prices before options, including VAT). At most two versions are named a year: the cheapest over the threshold and the dearest at or under it. The share over the threshold rose from 89% in 2020 to 93% in 2021.
| Price list | Powertrain | Versions | Base price range | Over threshold | Cheapest over | Dearest at or under |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Petrol, diesel, hybrid (£40,000) | 138 | £35,835–£59,885 | 123 (89%) | 520i SE 5dr Auto (£40,220) | 520d SE 5dr Auto (£39,845) |
| 2021 | Petrol, diesel, hybrid (£40,000) | 215 | £35,835–£71,425 | 199 (93%) | 520i SE 5dr Auto (£40,220) | 520d SE 5dr Auto (£39,845) |
Year links open the archived Autocar page the figures come from (Internet Archive). Where Autocar's page for an older generation was captured after it went off sale, it shows that generation's final price list, dated to the end of the generation.
What this means for a BMW 5 Series
Check the exact version and year. In 2021 the cheapest version over the line was the 520i SE 5dr Auto at £40,220. The dearest at or under it was the 520d SE 5dr Auto at £39,845, close enough that options could take it over.
The list price that counts is the original one on the car's sales invoice. It is not on the V5C log book; the VED rate DVLA charges on the tax reminder shows whether the supplement is being applied. See how the supplement works and other models.
Limitations
These are 73 Auto's summaries of dated price-list snapshots, not DVLA records: prices can change during a year, and versions sold between snapshots may be missing.
Base prices exclude options, which count towards the threshold, so a car can pay even when its base price is under it.
Versions whose powertrain could not be identified from their name are left out, because the threshold depends on it. Petrol, diesel and hybrid cars registered before 1 April 2017 never pay the supplement.
Check whether a specific BMW 5 Series pays the supplement
Enter a UK registration: 73 Auto matches the car's registration date and version against its list-price evidence and shows the VED it owes. Your first check is free and shows the vehicle summary and its headline ownership cost. The category-by-category breakdown is part of a paid check.
UK number plate or 17-character VIN
Where these figures come from
- Official rate: Vehicle tax rates (V149): Expensive Car Supplement thresholds and amount — GOV.UK (DVLA). Open Government Licence v3.0.
- List prices: Autocar UK price tables for the BMW 5 Series, dated snapshots 2020-08-04 onwards, summarised by 73 Auto — Autocar (Haymarket Media), via the Internet Archive. Price lists not reproduced; 73 Auto publishes summary figures only.
Figures labelled as 73 Auto estimates are our own analysis of these sources, set out in the methodology and data sources. To report a factual error, see corrections.