The 5 Series you see here might not look like a brand new car but that’s exactly what it is.
BMW isn’t about to mess with a winning formula so the car’s appearance hasn’t deviated much from what is tried and tested.
The real changes are underneath the skin. This seventh generation model now uses the same platform as the luxury 7 Series. That makes it much bigger inside than the outgoing model, yet it’s also up to 100kg lighter.
Prices start at around the £36,000 mark and by far the most popular model will be the 520d, which returns nearly 70mpg according to official figures.
Where’s the fun in going for the sensible model though? I plumped for the 530d, which has a full extra litre of capacity and 75bhp of power
BMW now offers its cars in four-wheel drive as well as the traditional rear-wheel drive. This being Scotland, where wet roads are practically the norm, I went for the grippier version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiE1X5GetD8
With 265bhp under the bonnet it fairly goes. Zero to 62mph takes just 5.4 seconds, making it nearly as fast as a Porsche 911.
Quite astonishingly, it’s also capable of 53mpg, and 60mpg if you go for the two-wheel drive version. It’s hard to think of another car that can match its blend of power and economy.
I took it for a good blast around Loch Lomond. Press on and you find out why the 5 Series has often been named the best driver’s car in the world.
Handling is absolutely superb, controls are beautifully weighted and, with the bigger engine of my car, you surge forward on a wave of power.
Ease off a little and you discover a car that’s superbly refined with a supple suspension that takes bumps in its stride.
Inside, the cabin has been overhauled. There’s now a huge iPad-style screen and gesture control, but BMW’s excellent rotary control system is retained, thankfully.
Rear passengers will notice a big difference in this new model, with six footers able to comfortably sit in the back. The boot, meanwhile, is also much bigger – although being a saloon the size of item you can get in there is limited.
If there’s a criticism to be made, it’s that BMW’s image remains a touch brash. All of us are familiar with that twin kidney grille roaring towards our rear view mirrors on a motorway outside lane.
Provided you don’t mind or can get over its image, however, this car is close to flawless.
jmckeown@thecourier.co.uk