For The BMW 5 Series strikes just the right balance between comfort, refinement and dynamic excellence. The interior is plush and feels suitably expensive.
Against You can't please everyone, and diehard BMW enthusiasts might want a car that is more outright sporty in the way it drives.
What Car? says
Jaguar and Mercedes will be worried by the latest Five - they're in for a hard time.
Reader review rating
No reader reviews foundThere are 7 BMW 5 Series versions available
Buyer's notes
Target Price team says:
Enthusiasts will no doubt argue that you buy a BMW for its driving prowess, which means a powerful engine is essential.
We have some sympathy with that view and the 301bhp turbocharged 535i, or the 402bhp 550i V8 will certainly deliver all the thrills you'll ever need.
However, there will be a lot more pragmatists than enthusiasts buying the 5 Series, because the 520d will be the best seller by a significant margin.
It's pretty obvious why when you look at the numbers. Although it's powered by a relatively small 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine it still produces 181bhp – yet take it easy and it'll do 56.5mpg. If you're a company car driver then the 520d's CO2 output of just 132g/km places it in a lowly18% tax bracket.
Most buyers will go for the eight-speed automatic gearbox, which is a cost option on all but the V8i. We'd avoid the Active Steering option because the standard set-up is excellent.
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