BMW 5 Series Touring

Drives superbly, looks pretty good – better than the saloon at least – and it’s one of the bigger estates. Much to recommend it.

• Comfort

  The handling may have lost a little purity, but the trade-off is less bobbliness from the run-flat tyres and a calmer ride - a compromise that should suit most buyers. Stiffer M-Sport suspension is available if it doesn't.

  

• Performance

  You get the full, complicated and confusing line-up of BMW's 5 engine line-up. There's the 2.0-litre turbo producing 184bhp and 245bhp in the 520i and 528i, the 272bhp 530i, the twin-turbo 3.0-litre six in the 535i (306bhp), the 4.4-litre turbo'd V8 in the 550i (407bhp), and of course the diesels. There's the 520d, 525d, 530d and 535d. That last engine pushes out 313bhp, hits 62mph in 5.5 seconds and returns 50.4mpg, for which read "having cake", and "eating it". It's got more torque than the 550i for goodness sake.

  

• Cool

  A 535d Touring gets the nod of approval from any true petrolhead...

  

• Quality

  Solid as a rock. Don’t be afraid of the 5-Series in terms of build quality, they represent the best of the breed.  

  

• Handling

  The big catch with the new 5 Series, saloon or Touring, is the presence or lack of Adaptive Drive. It's an expensive option that counteracts the forces that cause body roll, meaning both more comfort and more dynamic ability at greater speed. Without it the 5 Series feels pretty ordinary, but when fitted it's a cut above.

  

• Practicality

  That boot is huge: 560 litres with the seats up, 1,670 with the rear seats down which, considering it's rear-wheel-drive, is very ruddy good indeed. Otherwise its a big, roomy cabin and masses of headroom.

  

• Running costs

  Residuals are super-strong and smaller-engined versions are actually quite reasonable in terms of mpg and insurance. Even the 535d gets 50.4mpg as an average (though with 464lb ft of torque, good luck with that).