ROAD TEST
Still Beeming decades later
Mark Smyth puts the latest BMW 5 Series to the test. Is it still the benchmark?
The BMW 5 Series is something of an institution. First launched in 1972, it is the model that put the Munich brand on the map. It has been loved by executives the world over in each of its generations and the company recently launched the latest version. Today competition is much tougher than it was in the 1970s and 1980s. Mercedes has ditched its older-generation image and made its E-Class every bit the luxury limo combined with great handling and some of the best tech in the game. Jaguar is in the mix with its XF and Audi has its A6, although both are due to be replaced as soon as 2018. Lexus is trying its best with the GS and in spite of a big price premium, Maserati has its Ghibli. Then there is Volvo, which has jumped into the sector in a big way with its elegant S90. The 5 Series does not own the space anymore. Great news for those who bought the last generation is that styling changes are not major. Instead, BMW chief designer Adrian van Hooydonk and his team have made some s...
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