BMW 5-Series (Old)

Overall Average Rating - 86.2%
Position in the Top 100 cars - 34th

Here’s a model with an impressive Driver Power history. When our survey was launched in 2002, BMW’s executive saloon came second.

And it didn’t lose its appeal, only slipping out of the top 10 last year. Time has caught up with it now, though, as ageing parts begin to fail, leading to reliability gripes and complaints of high running costs.

Ratings

Position in the Top 100 cars
Reliability: 92nd
Build Quality: 4th
Running Costs: 93rd
Performance: 24th
Braking: 68th
Ride Quality: 11th
Handling: 25th
Practicality: 64th
Comfort: 29th
Ease of Driving: 19th

Manufacturer Verdict (Position - 8th)

It trails Lexus, but BMW will be delighted to see that it’s still ahead of Mercedes and Audi… just. The brand has fallen two places overall this year, and will look to reverse that trend in 2010.