2008 BMW 5 Series

Reviewers have great respect for the BMW 5 Series and acknowledge that it is a formidable sports sedan. The 5 Series carries a long list of negatives, however, starting with its premium price. Most reviewers also dislike BMW's complicated iDrive cabin control system, and are not impressed with the average scores the 5 Series earned in a government frontal crash test and an Insurance Institute side-impact test. Consensus indicates that the "Best Buy" in the 5 Series is the 300-horsepower BMW 535i (*est. $44,600) with a twin-turbo inline six-cylinder. The 535i reportedly provides nearly as much performance as the heavier 360-horsepower V-8-powered BMW 550i (*est. $58,500, but at a much lower price and with better fuel economy. Reviewers prefer the 2009 Jaguar XF (*est. $49,200 to $63,700), which performs better and is lower-priced than the BMW 550i in two prominent comparisons. In addition to the Jaguar, the Audi A6 (*est. $42,950 to $72,350) and other rivals offer warm, well-designed interiors that make the 5 Series' cabin look cold and bland, critics say. The Mercedes E-Class (*est. $51,200 to $85,300) and the Infiniti M (*est. $43,900 to $52,750) are also comparable alternatives.

Comparisons of four similarly equipped sports sedans conducted by Edmunds.com and Motor Trend are highly informative. Edmunds.com also has a detailed full road test of the BMW 535i.Car and Driver test-drives each of the new BMW 5 Series models and gives opinions on strengths and weaknesses. Kelley Blue Book includes the 5 Series on its list of "recommended" cars, while CNet.com provides a good report on BMW's user interface, iDrive.