BMW 5 Series driven - What's it like to drive?

The cars we drove came with the optional eight-speed automatic gearbox and paddle-shifters mounted on the steering wheel. A six-speed manual is standard on all apart from the range-topping twin-turbo 5.0-litre V8 model.

The auto really is smoother than melted chocolate dripping off a warm spoon. Shifts are seamless, the gear ratios are well chosen and it makes the car react instantly regardless of the engine it's attached to. BMW rightly expects the self-shifter to be the first tick on most buyers' options list.

It's not so clear-cut whether the active four-wheel steering fitted to our test cars will be as popular. Below 37mph, the system turns the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the fronts to aid low-speed manoeuvring, such as parking. Over 37mph, they turn in the same direction as the fronts to sharpen turn-in to corners.

The system has quite a profound effect, because there's rarely a corner or roundabout that requires more than a quarter turn of the wheel. The 5 Series remains utterly stable throughout, no matter how enthusiastic you are with steering and throttle.

However, we found that the cars fitted with the standard electrically powered steering rack offered significantly more feedback, and although they required a bit more arm-twirling at all speeds, they were much more satisfying to use. We'd forgo the option of active steering.

Perhaps most notable of all the optional electronic trickery, though, is the all-singing, all-dancing active suspension system. It uses a whole host of sensors to monitor your speed, driving style and the condition of the road surface, and then adjusts the firmness of the suspension to suit the occasion.

It also allows you to choose between sport and comfort settings. On the smooth roads of our test drive, the comfort setting seemed to address the most notable Achilles heel of the previous 5 Series, namely its overly firm low-speed ride.

Now, instead of clunking and shuddering over poor surfaces, the Five feels far more composed. It covered miles with the gait of a genuine luxury car, although we'll reserve final judgment until we've tried it in the UK. That luxury feel continues with the almost complete absence of road and engine noise. In fact, it's just as well that there's a slight bit of wind noise around the windscreen to remind you to keep a watchful eye on the speedo.

Don't think the 5 Series has gone too soft and gloopy, though. It grips harder than any previous Five, is poised and agile, and seems to shrink around you the faster you go. Throw in hitting-a-wall brakes and the new 5 Series reaffirms BMW's claim that it builds the finest sporting saloons.