SecondHandSense: WHAT IS the best executive saloon car in the world? There are quite a few to contest the title and makers' claims are legion, but surely the BMW 5-Series must rank above them all.
It is a beautifully engineered car with a modern design and everything about it has been fine-tuned over the years. When it comes to diesel technology, the 5-Series leaves everything else in the shade.
It has style, oodles of comfort, great ride and handling, and solid security. The 5-Series comes with choices of diesel engines, from the 2.0-litre up, but the 2.0-litre offers a great combination of efficiency, power and economy. The 3.0-litre is peppier, but more costly to run and the 2.0-litre does the job just fine for most Irish buyers.
The diesel automatic is the gearbox of choice for me. I cannot understand why so many people still have a prejudice towards automatics. With diesel engines they make perfect sense and take a lot of stress out of driving, especially in heavy traffic.
The iDrive system which directs all functions on the 5-Series has not been popular with everyone, but it's not as mysterious as some think. If you can manage an iPod, you can manage iDrive - and it makes life a lot easier without overly distracting the driver.
The 5-Series got four out of five stars in the EuroNCAP crash tests, which is not as good as Mercedes or Lexus. However, it has great reliability.
A 2006 3.0-litre automatic diesel, with extras such as leather upholstery and 60,000km on the clock is on offer for €70,000.
A 2007 model with 2.0-litre diesel and 35,000km on the clock is on offer for €34,900. The latter would be well worth bargaining for.
• STAR RATING: 8/10