Insurance Group: 44
MPG: 34.4
CO2: 192
0-62 Mph: 6.3 secs
BHP: 306 BHP
Range: 530 miles
The diesel engine is much more economical and will save the driver lots of money - especially as a company car. However, the 335i is such a powerful engine that the more expensive running cost could be worth it.
PROS: The 535i SE is a powerful car with fairly good efficiency for the engine size. The cabin is sleek and elegant, with everything you would expect to come with a BMW.
CONS: The ride is really disappointing and the handling is not up to standard.
The 535i SE has a 306 bhp engine delivering 295 lb-ft of torque at 1200-5000 rpm and reaches 0-62 mph in 6.3 seconds with a top speed of 155 mph.
As you would expect from a BMW, the drive of the 5 Series is smooth, powerful and refined, although it does require a lot of extras to reach its potential. The suspension on the 5 Series is not as supportive as you might expect, but there is a rather expensive option to add Variable Damper Control to the four-cylinder models and Adaptive Drive to the six-cylinder models, which is worth the money for the difference it makes in the performance and handling.
The cabin is insulated from the outside noise of the engine, tyre and suspension, although there is a little wind noise at high speeds. The engine is smooth and responsive and the eight speed automatic gearbox provides effortless acceleration through the gears.
The BMW cabin is arguably one of the best available and the 5 Series is made with high-quality materials and beautifully finished. This is a hatchback offering the elegance and practicality of the BMW badge on top of great performance from the engine.
The iDrive system is much easier to get to grips with than before and all the controls are angled towards the driver, making them easier to operare whilst driving. The system also features electronic controls for the seat height and backrest angle, although you still have to slide back and forth using a manual lever.
The 535i SE hatchback comes with leather seats, metallic paint, power steering, stability control, cruise control, climate control, alloy wheels, stereo, MP3 connectivity, rear parking sensors, satellite navigation and Bluetooth as standard.
Safety levels are high and the car comes with a great range of standard equipment as standard. This includes a minimum of six airbags, dynamic stability control inclusive of ABS and dynamic traction control. An alarm, deadlocks and locking wheelnuts are also standard fittings. The 5 Series also comes with a spring-loaded bonnet, which limits damage during a crash.
Practically, the rear view is hindered by the sloping window and blacked out sides and this can affect the driving experience. Aside from this, comfort levels and pracitcality are high and the car offers lots of cabin space in the front - although rear space fails to match that offered by other 5 Series models.
Although BMW claim it is a five-seater, the narrow middle back seat is not ideal as it has to accommodate the large transmission tunnel which runs through the centre of the car. The boot is also quite small, with 440 litres of space on offer - a lot less than the rest of the 5 Series.
Reliability levels should be high however and the car benefits from a decent warranty and BMW's strong reputation.
The 5 Series benefits from BMW’s Efficient Dynamics technology, which makes it a great business car option with economic running costs and low CO2 emissions. The 535i SE model costs £46,205 and has a combined economy of 31.7mpg and CO2 emissions of 209 g/km.
This model, whilst a great option, does fall short of other 5 Series cars on certain aspects and this makes it a worse investment - especially as it currently experiences worse resale values than the rest of the 5 Series.
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