BMW 535d

Those who continue to argue that diesel engines in cars are the work of Satan or close to it, dirty, noisy and smelly, have obviously not experienced driving a modern diesel.
Admittedly, some of the cheaper diesels are not as quiet as others, but when underway they are largely indistinguishable from their petrol siblings.
Elsewhere in the marketplace, unless you were told what was under the bonnet, you'd be hard pressed to tell what sort of engine lies beneath it. Peugeot and VW group diesels are among the most silent you can buy, and when you get to the upper echelon of prestige motoring such as this BMW 535d, you would swear it's driven by petrol.
At idle from the outside with the bonnet closed there is no hint of a signature diesel "tickover" and when revved while stationary, the diesel in the 535d sounds like a petrol in- line six.
On takeoff, there's a slight growl from the twin turbo engine, and when cruising at sixty in the suburbs, the near total silence in the cabin is eerie.
There's no sound whatsoever from the engine, and no wind noise either,
At highway speeds the only sound you'll hear, is a faint whisper from the tyres.
Even without the prestigious and much regarded M badge affixed to the boot lid, the 535d has formidable performance and handling.

The 3 litre straight six develops  230 kw and 650 nm, only slightly less than last week's storming BMW X5 M. The engine is redlined at an incredible( for a diesel) five and a half thousand rpm.
The 535d is a little lighter than the X5, and  as a result, when floored, reaches 100 kph in a similarly quick  time of about 5 seconds. Front tyres are 245/40/19s, with 275/35/19s on the rear.
The 535d has adjustable suspension similar to the X5 (Comfort/ Eco/Sport and Sport Plus)and despatches corners with arrogant ease, a bucketful of excitement, and grins all around. Helping to keep the 535d's body stiffer for better handling, BMW has fitted two underbonnet braces .
The 535d has auto/ stop start fuel saving feature, which can be overridden if you tire of the constant idle stop intervention. In a week of mostly round town driving, I averaged 8 litres per 100 kilometres. The official combined city /highway average is 5.6 litres. You'll travel an exceptional distance at that rate, from a 70 litre fuel tank.
                           
I like the shape of the new 5 series, it's elegant and stylish, with fewer sharp angles and edges than in the previous model. It's roomy inside, and rear seat passengers have good head and leg room even when the front seats are adjusted rearwards. The test car had a stunning 12 speaker 205 w digital sound system as fitted to last week's X5M, and other similar features, including cameras that see around corners at blind intersections. 

The needles and dials for speedo and tachometer are digitally projected onto the panel, and there's a heads up display for the driver. 

When Sport is selected however, the standard dials disappear, replaced with large digital readouts, to keep you paying attention when pressing on.

In Eco mode, the dials change yet again, indicating whether you are driving economically or not.
At night, all the door handles are illuminated on keyless approach, and the scuff plates are lit with BMW in red. There's no spare tyre. 
The interior of the test car was trimmed in a luxurious cream leather, which contrasted nicely with the deep brown exterior metallic colour BMW calls "Jatoba"
As a supremely comfortable daily driver, or interstate express, the 535d is an exceptional vehicle. If you have the wherewithal to own one, it's a car that will definitely signal to your neighbours that you've " made it."

At the moment BMW sells about a third fewer 5 series per month than its Mercedes E class competitor, but once people get wind of what's on offer with the 5 series at BMW showrooms, that sales gap will almost certainly start to rapidly close. For what's being offered, the 535d's 122K price tag is very competitive.
BMW Australia says it sells more petrol 5 series cars than diesel, but if you are looking for towering performance, handling, comfort  and economy, you must also try the 535d. You will be as impressed as I was, with its refinement, sophistication and overall prowess. 
Peter Sellen