What Car? Used Car of the Year Awards - Best executive and luxury cars

Up to £12,000
BMW 525i SE saloon 4dr Auto, ’00/X, 50k miles, £12,645

Any car that wins its class in the What Car? Awards has to be pretty special. One that does so on seven occasions is legendary. The previous-shape 5-Series did just that.

Furthermore, despite the leaps forward made by other executive cars in recent years, as well as the progress made by BMW with the new Five, the older car still stands up as a fine machine.

Its superb blend of a smooth ride and wonderful handling still humbles many newer cars. Motorways and backroads are dispatched with the same effortless ability.

The cabin is spacious and superbly made, while the engines are refined and powerful. Our favourite, the 525i, puts out 192bhp while still managing to return a respectable 30mpg.

Our judges did consider the 520i for the honours but, with 150bhp, they felt it was a little bit gutless by comparison, and didn’t provide enough compensation in fuel economy.

Our favourite SE models are a bit more expensive to buy, but automatic air-conditioning, side airbags, front foglamps and bigger alloy wheels are added to the base specification. Not only is there more to enjoy while you own it, you’ll also get more back when you sell it.

Whichever Five you choose, though, you can be safe in the knowledge that you are getting one of the UK’s most exceptional used car bargains. Not many new cars have this much going for them, especially ones available for this kind of money. There are lots of used examples readily available, too.

When shopping, check the cooling system, electrics and suspension, as these are the main sources of trouble. Don’t worry too much, though, as reliability is generally very good, but bear in mind that repairs can be dear.

Also consider
Mercedes E220 CDi Classic auto ’00/V, 55k miles, £11,945
The E-Class may look dated nowadays, but it still has plenty going for it as a used buy. It’s big and comfortable, is a good cruiser, has lots of safety kit and, being a Merc, it’s dripping with prestige.

What’s more, it’s well priced. All of the diesels are superb, but our favourite, the E220 CDI, offers the best balance of performance and economy. The E-Class is quite reliable, but can be prone to random electrical faults.


On a different budget?
£12,000-£18,000
£14,545 Volvo S80 D5 auto SE, ’03/53, 20k miles

Also consider
£16,745 BMW 530d SE saloon 4dr auto, ’01/Y, 46k miles

Over £18,000
£29,145 Mercedes S320 CDI 4dr auto, ’02/52, 32k miles


Also consider
£27,495 Jaguar XJ6 3.0 V6 4dr auto, ’04/53, 16k miles