• Beautifully finished inside
• Good levels of space
• Optional extras include HUD and Gesture Control

How is the quality and layout?

BMW’s traditional driver-oriented interior layout remains intact in the 5 Series. It’s spacious and airy up front, while design intricacies help give the dashboard a first-class impression of quality without making its features more difficult to use.

Emphasising the attention to detail BMW is now going to in order to compete with the quality of its rivals’ interiors, some elements of the dashboard in the 5 Series are individually laser scanned so that adjoining pieces can be made to exactly match them – for every individual car.

It’s a shame then that the knobs for the climate control feel just a little bit cheap. This aside, we have no complaints – while it doesn’t necessarily look as posh as the E-Class inside, it definitely feels more solid than the Merc, but will have some competition in the form of the Audi A6, while the Volvo S90’s simple and stylish interior also takes some beating.

Infotainment and tech

The rotary controller remains the principal – and most intuitive – way of interacting with the iDrive 12.3-inch infotainment system. Of course if you want to bypass it entirely, Apple Carplay and Android Auto come as standard.

One option we wouldn’t recommend is BMW’s gesture control. It allows you to change settings, such as the volume, without touching any buttons. It looks a bit like you’re conducting an invisible orchestra and it is a bit of a gimmick because it’s ultimately quicker and easier to just turn the volume up or down. We’d recommend saving the cash for something more useful.

The (also optional) head-up display is more useful. This projects information onto the lower portion of the windscreen in front of the driver so you no longer have to look away from the road to see – for example – the speed you’re travelling at or the satellite-navigation instructions, and with a 70% larger area it’s now handier than ever.

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Pick either of the plug-in hybrids and you’ll notice a few changes to the instrument cluster – chiefly, there’s the blue colour theme, but also the small secondary number showing battery range and a remodelled rev counter.

While the M5 has a lot of kit and high-quality parts for its interior too. There’s a specially configured instrument display, showing parameters such as a gearshift indicator for optimum performance, all-wheel drive and adaptive damper settings, and drive mode information.

Comfort

• Exceptionally good ride quality with adaptive suspension
• Very comfortable seats are supportive at the same time
• Brilliant long-distance mile-muncher, but also good around town

In short, the 5 Series is a soothing long-distance cruiser all round. The seats are very comfy, with lots of adjustment and there’s even an optional massaging function.

Refinement is also a strong point, with minimal vibrations in the cabin and just the right amount of engine noise to remind you that you’re driving a car from a sporty brand. Road noise is minimal, even on the larger wheels, and you barely notice the diesels when starting up – only when you work them hard do you tune into the faint diesel clatter.

The plug-in hybrids are whisper-quiet and the M5 surprised us with just how comfortable it can be.

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