19: BMW 5 Series – Still lovely to drive but no longer unassailable king

BMW’s once-unassailable king of the executive car market is facing tougher and tougher challenges from the likes of the Mercedes E-Class and the new Audi A6 at this point. It’s especially noticeable, for instance, how much less roomy the 5 feels once you’ve tried one of the other two. It is still a gorgeously made thing, though, and its styling is ageing better than we had thought it would have.

Plus,it’s still the best car of the three Germans to drive - great steering, agile chassis, properly entertaining stuff. Default choice is still the diesel 520d, but the petrol 520i is well worth a look too, as is the plugin hybrid 530e.

The 600hp M5 super-saloon is something else again; a car that can seemingly bend space and time and punch physics in the face. We'd probably be happiest with a 530d Touring, though, to be honest. Best model: 530d M-Sport Touring for €79,605

Price range: €48,750 to €178,811. Finance from €POA per month.