Bunch of fives

Such expansive superlatives about a car, any car, deserve to be shot down. Riddled with scorn. But he's right!

"The essential ingredient which distinguishes the 5 Series from its opposition is that it remains the driver's choice." Right again.

Galling as it can be for some motoring writers, he will probably be proved right as "the combination of pioneering technology, excellent fuel economy, low exhaust emissions and, importantly, class-leading residual values will ensure that the new 5 Series maintains its segment leadership in the years to come."

So, what is it that makes the new 5 Series so utterly wonderful? Any new model which is bigger in all exterior dimensions than the car it replaces, as well as being better packaged, lighter, more agile on the road, and crammed with one-generation-on technology, has to be taken seriously. And seriously is certainly how BMW is taking its new 5 Series, the first examples of which go on sale this month.

Although all the design cues are clearly BMW, the new model is distinctively different from its predecessor, but does have a smattering of resemblance to the 7 Series. It is an imposing car in side-on view, with a longer wheelbase. There is, as BMW points out, a highlight along the top of the shoulder line, and a shadow effect below. At the front, the familiar double kidney grille and twin headlamp clusters are still there, although restyled.

Strangely, the shadow effect over the headlights gives the front-end a rather menacing look, especially when confronted head-on. But again BMW has an answer... this bit of design means that a 5-Series stopped at a T-junction in the darkness will be more obvious to drivers approaching from the right than many other cars. Could be.

Inside, the new model is clearly roomier than its predecessor, and that is particularly obvious in the rear cabin, which feels much more spacious. Whether everybody will like the fascia design - techno rather than gentleman's club - is another likely subject for partisan debate. There is excellent seating and upholstery, though, with various types of high-grade leather in the catalogue.

The iDrive system has been improved, although it is still the case that you have to balance the undeniable reduction in the number of traditional fascia buttons and controls against some people's resistance to the whole iDrive idea - or, more likely, their lack of patience to figure out how it all operates.

For those not familiar with it, and perhaps to help those who are still frustrated by it, the explanation is really quite simple. It provides the link to communication, entertainment, comfort settings and navigation functions. It (the control wheel, that is) sits on the centre console between driver and front passenger, enabling both to use it. First of all the control wheel can be directed to the four main compass points, each offering a particular function. Then the wheel can be turned to scroll through the various menus offered. All the information is shown on a large colour screen fitted in the centre of the dashboard. The difference between the 5's iDrive and that in the 7 Series is that it takes fewer finger-tip manoeuvres to reach the same information, so it is an improvement.

There is no debate at all, however, about the engineering advances which have been made with the new model. This is a real 21st-century car in more than just date.

For one thing, the unusually light weight is possible thanks largely to the amount of aluminium involved. It is used for the chassis and suspension, as well as being combined with steel for the bodywork - in particular, the front wings and the bonnet.

With a longer wheelbase, and wider tracks front and rear, the new car sits really four-square on the road. Taken briskly over some of the German Black Forest hill roads on the press launch, the different variants on the test fleet showed a balance and precision on sweeping and tightening bends, as well as a lightness of touch provided by the new Active Steering system, which suggests that all these cars are going to be correctly categorised as sports saloons.

BMW's active steering system is more than just a standard variable-ratio affair. Thanks to the reduction in actual lock-to-lock movements at low speeds, it involves much less wheel twirling in city parking manoeuvres, and that is quite an advance.

Another piece of 21st-century BMW technology which really hits the spot is the option of dynamic drive. This introduces active anti-roll bars front and rear, not only controlling the amount of body lean on corners but also adjusting the firmness or softness of the ride. It works extremely well, too.

Where BMW also scores is in the top engines it has specified for the new models. The six-cylinder in-line engine has been a BMW speciality since way back when, so it should come as no surprise that the six-cylinder remains at the heart of the power chain. The 170bhp 2.2-litre engine in the entry-level 520i is pretty good for a six-cylinder unit of that size. But the two other engines in the three-model launch range are a lot better than just pretty good. They are well at the top of their class.

The 231bhp three-litre petrol engine in the 530i is familiar enough, but it really makes the lightweight 5 Series shift. In this form, the car will get from 0-62mph in 6.9-seconds - and remember, there is even better to come, with the ultimate top-of-the-range specification, with more powerful engines still to be fed in.

Even the diesel is brilliant, particularly the three-litre 530d. Here is an engine which can take the car to 62mph in 7.1-seconds and also get to within just three miles an hour of needing a governor to hold it to the maximum speed most German manufacturers agree to, of 155mph. Those with a mind for bar room chat might recall that F1 driver Jenson Button was stopped by police in France for speeding somewhat above the national limit in the diesel-powered earlier 5 Series (He was driving the diesel because drivers under 21-years-old are not allowed powerful petrol-engined cars in France!). Anyway, back to more relevant facts: in its second-generation form, this engine peaks at 218bhp, and it taps into as much as 369lb/ft of torque at 2000rpm.

With its incredible off-the-line acceleration and top speed, the 530d's overtaking and hillclimbing abilities are simply sensational. All this with a combined fuel consumption figure of 40.9mpg, and CO2 emissions rated at 184g/km.

The 520i SE costs £25,455, the 530d SE £30,950 and the 530i SE is just a fiver dearer than that. All have six-speed transmissions, whether in manual or automatic form. Next month the 525i will arrive, at £26,955, and the flagship 545i will come in at £41,555. Servicing costs for the new car have been kept down, and for the first time a Europe-wide service and maintenance package is available as an option. It is called BMW Service Inclusive, and it gives the driver five years or 60,000 miles of maintenance-free ownership for a fixed, one-off £750 payment.

Updated: 11:48 Friday, September 05, 2003