Category: Executive 
Price Range: £27,430 to £65,330
Handling, refinement, comfort, quality.
Too much of the clever kit is confined to the options list.
Brilliant all-round package, impressively updated.
Most of the 2007 changes to the 5-Series focus on improving engine efficiency, with a view to reducing fuel use, CO2 emissions and, in some cases, tax. Brake Energy Regeneration, which is standard on all Fives apart from the 520d, is a system that uses energy that would otherwise be lost to recharge the battery during over-run. The alternator is only engaged when it's needed, thus reducing drag on the engine. Similarly, the new electric power steering set-up is an on-demand system, and the air con is disconnected from the drivetrain when not in use, again removing a potential drain on the engine.
With every 5-Series, the on-board computer tells you when servicing is needed, depending on how you've been driving, so you won't be making unnecessarily frequent trips to the dealer. Like all BMWs, it's covered by a scheme - generally regarded as very good value - that allows you to make a single payment to cover all servicing for five years.
Standard-fit front and rear parking sensors should reduce the number of low-speed shunts, thus keeping repair bills and insurance premiums reined in. And unless you go overboard when you visit the options list, you should find that your 5-Series keeps a healthy chunk of its value when you get to resale time.
