2017 BMW 5 Series verdict and specs

The new BMW 5 Series is still one of the best executive models around. It's an all-round brilliant car...

2017 BMW 5 Series verdict and specs

Should I buy one?

The 5 Series is an all-round brilliant car that’s far better than the A6 and E-Class. It brings a luxury limo feel to the executive saloon package, and this 530d variant offers a great combination of power and efficiency. It’s just a shame that, as before, a lot of the luxury items are expensive optional extras, so while the list price is competitive, what you pay will likely be far more.

In pure financial terms, company car buyers are better off forgoing four-wheel drive to get cheaper monthly payments, while the lesser 520d – likely to be the best-selling model in the UK – is cheaper but should still be powerful enough.

However, the 530d adds a good amount of extra pace as a trade-off for only marginally worse fuel efficiency. If it’s within your budget, then you likely won’t regret choosing the bigger engine, and you’ll be getting the very best quick diesel executive saloon around.


What Car? says...

Rated 5 out of 5


Read more – The best and worst executive cars 2016

Read more – Used BMW 5 Series reivew

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Rivals:

Audi A6

Mercedes E-Class


BMW 530d xDrove Luxury

Engine size 3.0 diesel

Price from £45,975

Power 261bhp

Torque 457lb ft

0-62mph 5.4sec

Top speed 155mph

Fuel economy (official combined) 60.1mpg

CO2/BIK band 124g/km/24%

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