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When faced with the all-new Mercedes E-class, the apparently new Audi A6 and Jaguar’s XF, it’s all too easy to forget about the executive saloon segment’s benchmark, the BMW 5-series. With a replacement due in 2010, we at CAR thought it time to reappraise the Five. Not least because CAR Online wasn’t around when the current 5-series was first launched, so we don't have many reviews on our site. So read on for our 'first' web drive of the latest BMW 530d and 520d.
I think I know the BMW 5-series pretty well, but remind me what it’s about...
The 5-series is what BMW does best. The 1-series isn’t much better than a Golf and the Three is too ubiquitous for more discerning clientele, while the big 7-series is still beaten by the Mercedes S-class around these parts. But the Five stands proud, arguably the best mainstream car BMW makes.
The current 5-series was originally introduced in 2003 (and the public’s love-hate relationship with the styling seems to have mellowed since then), and we drove the facelifted car in 2007, when BMW’s EfficientDynamics technology was introduced to the range. That means regenerative braking (actually just intelligent charging of the alternator), a gearshift indicator and active aerodynamics – meaning flaps over the air intakes don’t open when the engine’s cold. There's no stop-start technology (or start-stop as BMW calls it) on the current Five though, but the next-gen car will have it.
Full Review: CAR MAGAZINE - First Drives: BMW 530d/520d
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