BMW 5-serie (1981–1988) nudio se s 18 različitih konfiguracija motora kroz cijelu ponudu opreme.
| Motor | Snaga | Okretni moment | Mjenjač | Pogon | Najveća brzina | 0-100 km/h | Potrošnja | Dostupno u |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L Benzin | 286 hp | 340 Nm | Manual | Rear Wheel Drive | 245 km/h | 6.5 s | 11.3 l/100km | 1 verziji |
| 3.4L Benzin | 218 hp | 310 Nm | Automatic | Rear Wheel Drive | 223 km/h | 8.9 s | 10.7 l/100km | 2 verzije |
| 3.4L Benzin | 218 hp | 310 Nm | Manual | Rear Wheel Drive | 230 km/h | 7.2 s | 10.4 l/100km | 2 verzije |
| 2.8L Benzin | 184 hp | 240 Nm | Automatic | Rear Wheel Drive | 208 km/h | 10.8 s | 10.3 l/100km | 1 verziji |
| 2.8L Benzin | 184 hp | 240 Nm | Manual | Rear Wheel Drive | 215 km/h | 8.4 s | 10.2 l/100km | 1 verziji |
| 2.5L Benzin | 150 hp | 215 Nm | Automatic | Rear Wheel Drive | 195 km/h | 11.9 s | 10.0 l/100km | 1 verziji |
| 2.5L Benzin | 150 hp | 215 Nm | Manual | Rear Wheel Drive | 201 km/h | 9.8 s | 10.0 l/100km | 1 verziji |
| 2.7L Benzin | 129 hp | 230 Nm | Automatic | Rear Wheel Drive | 183 km/h | 13.1 s | 8.8 l/100km | 2 verzije |
| 2.7L Benzin | 129 hp | 230 Nm | Manual | Rear Wheel Drive | 188 km/h | 11.3 s | 8.8 l/100km | 2 verzije |
| 2.0L Benzin | 129 hp | 164 Nm | Automatic | Rear Wheel Drive | 183 km/h | 14.4 s | 9.8 l/100km | 2 verzije |
| 2.0L Benzin | 129 hp | 164 Nm | Manual | Rear Wheel Drive | 190 km/h | 12.1 s | 10.0 l/100km | 2 verzije |
| 2.0L Benzin | 125 hp | 170 Nm | Automatic | Rear Wheel Drive | 184 km/h | 13.8 s | 8.7 l/100km | 1 verziji |
| 2.0L Benzin | 125 hp | 170 Nm | Manual | Rear Wheel Drive | 188 km/h | 11.4 s | 8.8 l/100km | 1 verziji |
| 2.4L Dizel | 115 hp | 210 Nm | Automatic | Rear Wheel Drive | 175 km/h | 13.6 s | 7.2 l/100km | 1 verziji |
| 2.4L Dizel | 115 hp | 210 Nm | Manual | Rear Wheel Drive | 180 km/h | 12.9 s | 7.1 l/100km | 1 verziji |
| 1.8L Benzin | 105 hp | 145 Nm | Manual | Rear Wheel Drive | 175 km/h | 12.6 s | 8.0 l/100km | 1 verziji |
| 2.4L Dizel | 86 hp | 152 Nm | Manual | Rear Wheel Drive | 164 km/h | 18.1 s | 7.4 l/100km | 1 verziji |
| 1.8L Benzin | — | — | Manual | Rear Wheel Drive | — | — | — | 1 verziji |
Svaki je red zasebna mehanička konfiguracija — obujam motora, snaga, mjenjač, pogon i vrsta goriva — deduplicirana kroz razine opreme koje dijele isti motor. Razlike samo u opremi (unutrašnjost, naplatci, opcije) ne stvaraju zaseban red.