BMW 5 Series

An impressive continuation of the 5 Series success story. Don't get too bogged down with extras and choose the 520d.

• Comfort

  Again, run-flat tyres make the 5-Series a right spine-botherer on lumpy roads. BMW seems to set its cars up with Germany in mind - but the pay-off is that they handle better than anything else. There's plenty of room in the front and back and it's made of nice stuff inside. A long-distance dream for the driver, but the rest will feel every pothole.

  

• Performance

  As you'd expect the 5 Series comes with a huge range of engines, from the 520d to a twin-turbo V8. The 535i has a new three-litre six making 306bhp that uses one turbo instead of the old 535i's two, plus added Valvetronic tech. Nice in theory, but the power delivery is a bit sticky and it doesn't sound as gorgeous as a BMW sis ought to. The 530d is nearly and quiet and still cracks seven seconds for 0-62. But why would anyone want anything other than the 520d? Smooth and powerful, it still has 184bhp and will do 0-62 in 8.1secs. Fives now have the option of a new eight-speed auto 'box with full paddleshift over-ride. It's smooth and decisive and doesn't feel like it has too many ratios, unlike the multi-speed Lexus and Benz autos, which are always dithering about which gear to use.

  

• Cool

  A 535d Touring gets the respect nod from any petrolhead. A base-spec 520i doesn't.

  

• Quality

  Although the dash architecture differs from the 7 Series', the main controls are shared. That means marvellously clear analogue dials set into graphically satsifying and informative digital backgrounds. Thanks to the new-gen iDrive (which is a lot more usable than of old) the ergonomics manage to be good rather than scarily intimidating.

  

• Handling

  The 5 Series's ride is really excellent, both over big stuff and the sharp little zits that often upset 'sporty' saloons. And wind and tyre noise are way down. By the way, avoid the four-wheel active steering option; better manouevrability in car parks is exchanged for much worse feel and precision on B-roads.

  

• Practicality

  Go for a Touring if you need extra space, but the saloon is big and proud; the boot is a cavernous 520 litres.

  

• Running costs

  The star here is the 520d saloon. It returns 56.5mpg and thanks to 132g/km of CO2 is in the 18% bracket for car tax. The rest are what you'd expect from a big exec - the diesels return around 45mpg and the petrols ten less.