BMW 5 SERIES Estate 2010 on

I bought this car to replace my 520 d Tourer - Business edition which was a superb car. I was reluctant to make the change due to the 'average' reviews for the GT. However, after purchasing the 535 GT, I can say that the car is simply astonishing. It is so smooth, fast for the size of car with the engineering excellence so evident. The car is constantly attracting comment and admiration from friends and passers by. I don't use the car on a daily basis and would say that if you are looking for something more suitable for luggage or shopping the 5 series Tourer is probably a better option - both in terms of storage and parking due to the narrower profile (hence 4/5) . But I can live with that as the car is just in a different league to anything I have ever driven or owned.

This replaced a 5 Series Sport Touring vehicle, primarily to get less firm ride but still retain the carrying capacity when needed. This has been achieved although the theoretical capacity is slightly more, in practice the sloping back can restrict the height of objects carried towards the rear of the vehicle. This would be my only criticism. The car rides and drives very well, is very comfortable, has an excellent 3L diesel engine and 8 speed auto box, well equipped and spacious inside using top quality materials.

Now 2 years old and would be happy to replace with a similar specification.

The BMW520 is an excellent estate vehicle. Large boot manages to get my family of 5's luggage in for holiday without any probs. The handling is good even without the variable damper system - I think if you do not opt for the larger wheels the standard set up is excellent. Fuel economy has been a little disappointing with an average of 43mpg - not bad for such a big car and sporty driving but a little short of the advertised number! Comfort is excellent - the best car I have sat in and driven to date. The auto gear box is also very slick. I chose the Professional GPS/Music/Office system and it is excellent - very clear driving instructions, voice activation adds to safety. Overall and excellent car.

Great car eight speed auto brill giving 50+mpg plenty of power even loaded up done 17000 miles no problems spent your money on HD sat nav very impressive I had a five series on a 06 plate it's now a completely different car don't like run flats and 19" tyres are £350 a corner

Fantastic car ,very economical - it does 33 mpg knocking around town and circa 38 mpg on a run.Two new run flats on the rear at 17,000 miles and changed the front two at 18,500.

Luxury finish inside and very comfortable - its just like sitting in an arm chair .Only criticsm is the ride can be a bit bumpy at times and the reversing camera makes things look further away than they actually are .Its a big car to drive and manouevre - my wife wont drive it ,which is a plus !

Sat Nav System is the best I have had .I had some some software problems with the BMW Online System when I first got it and it took BMW 11 days to sort it out - apparently they hadn't written the software update to sort the problem ? All has worked fine since .

First service was a dream - just oil change and a filter .5 year service inclusive package is a true plus and worth having .

This is my 8th BMW and the best yet !

I did not want another BMW as the 3 series coupe I'd have previously was expensive to run and had a terrible ride on anything but the smoothest road.

So I was out to buy a Mercedes E class estate: however, the Mercedes dealer failed to provided the promised test drive vehicle.

I was going to go back the next week, but on the rebound, I popped into the BMW dealers.

They had just got the first new 5 series estate in and they let me have a test drive without any fuss.

As soon as I got into the the BMW I could see it was far better than the MB and the test drive convinced me it was the car for me.

I have now had it 8 months and done 14,000 miles and it has been perfect.

The interior is just right, everything where it should be, an works.

The economy is amazing, and with the standard wheels an SE trim, the ride is MUCH BETTER that the more expensive M sports version.

The handling is just fine if you do not make a habit of going round race tracks.

The only extras I invested in are sports seats with lumbar supports: again, much better than the standard one.

So if you want a capacious, comfortable, economical, practical and reliable quality car THIS IS THE BEST YOU CAN GET BAR NONE!

The car is a mini computer, I would prefer it if there were not so many gadgets. Whatever I want to do there is a button for it. Bit worried when something fails, I probably will get locked in.

A fantastic car that offers 7 series luxury and performance for 5 series money. A very spacious and comfortable cabin. Running costs are very respectable for such a powerful car - 44mpg on long runs and 35mpg around town . Added bonus is the 5 year service pack.

Dynamic pack gives excellent handling and ensures a great drive although the one minor criticism are the run flat tyres which are not great over bumpy surfaces.

spacious luxury and amazing finishes in this car. It is stunning with white leather and black / anthracite finish making it ooze luxury from the moment you step inside. The 8 speed gear box is so smooth that you dont feel anything as moves up and down. Crusing at motorway speeds is effortless and it eats the miles up with such great cumfort you are left amazed at how quick a long journey takes. This is the best car I have ever had and I traded a new e-class mercedes convertible as it drove like a ford escort and did not produce anywhere near the fuel consumption stated.

This is a big advance on the previous 5-series and in 535d guise this is a mile-eating grand tourer capable of carrying 4 people and their luggage in style. If you go for the Adaptive Drive (variable suspension & dampers) the ride is smooth, yet can be stiffened up for the twisty bits. Even with the compulsory run-flats the ride is supple yet informative and the 3-litre twin-turbo diesel pumps out plenty of grunt all through the rev range. When pressing on, it even makes a menacing growl - not bad for a diesel! The 8-speed auto box just moves effortlessly between the ratios and it will cruise at 85mph at less than 2,000 rpm.

The only thing I wish it could do (but doesn't) is to turn itself into a convertible when the mood takes me. The panoramic sun-roof is the closest you can get to that. It's a car that makes you want to get in and drive it, and hope that everybody else stays at home and leaves the roads free for you!