BMW 5 Series

Despite the prosaic remit, the BMW 5 Series has always been championed at Autocar.

For one thing, the concept itself hardly lacks breadth. Our preferred executive saloon sets out not simply to convey occupants down motorways in superb comfort, but also to reward its driver on decent roads, to purvey a sense of subtle luxury through both its interior quality and exterior design, and to offer plenty of practicality to boot. Over the decades, the 5 Series has often delivered on all these fronts.

The outgoing car, codenamed G30, was no different. Sheer scope meant it was arguably a greater achievement than any of its forebears. It could nudge 50mpg in no-nonsense 520d guise, or play up to its rich heritage as a blue-blooded performance saloon in six-cylinder 540i M Sport form.

At the top of the tree, the M5 CS was such an extraordinarily talented family supercar that Ferrari was decidedly lukewarm about the idea of us putting one up against the Purosangue.

But no matter the flavour, the G30’s baseline credibility concerning everything from dynamic polish to cabin ergonomics was often class-leading.