Currently reading: BMW 5-series GT v rivals - pics
Autocar pits BMW v Merc v Audi v Land Rover v Lexus

Autocar has pitted the BMW 530d Gran Turismo against its rivals - and these are some of the best pictures from the five-car test.

The rivals are the Mercedes E350 CDI Avantegarde, Land Rover Discovery 3.0 TDV6 HSE, BMW 530D SE Gran Turismo, Audi A6 Allroad 3.0 TDI and Lexus RX450H SE-L.

See the BMW 5-series GT v rivals pictures

However, it should be noted that - due to photographic deadlines - the car you see in these pictures is the Mercedes E200 CDI. However, it was the E350 CDI tested.

The conclusions? The BMW has its strengths - particularly the most spacious and best-finished interior. However, it fails to match its own claims to having grand touring ability, comfort and versatility.

The best all-rounder in the test is deemed the Audi, but it only finishes fourth overall - ahead, only, of the Lexus - as it doesn't excel in any area.

Instead, it's the Mercedes and Land Rover that do that. If you want an SUV with huge versatility then the Discovery is the car for you, but overall we have placed the Mercedes first; it doesn't sit you up high, but as a method of transporting you and your family it is unmatched.

The full test story is in this week's Autocar magazine, on sale now.

Twitter - follow autocar.co.ukSee all the latest BMW reviews, news and video

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Mart_J 30 November 2009

Re: BMW 5-series GT v rivals - pics

StringfelloweHawke wrote:

Considering that BMW have completely invented a class of car and there has never been an executive hatch before then no wonder Autocar couldn't find similar cars to pit the 5-Series against.

I think BMW should be applauded for revolutionising motoring with this unique concept.

Nb. Apparently the Rover SD1, Ford Granada III, Citroen XM, Rover 800 Fastback, Renault 25, Renault 20 etc, etc were all produced by use of time travel and are actually copies of the 5-Series.

You missed the greatest of them all, the CX. Or if you only wanted 2 doors, the SM. Oh, wait a minute, what's that I can hear from Bavaria.....? Yes, what a stupid test, I cannot see someone wanting a luxury 4 door saloon thinking about a 7 seat 4x4. It just shows how poorly positioned the new 5GT is in the marketplace. Incidentally, a new E-class can be yours for £25k brand new I found out today. It's quite a shocker given some of the pricing of other inferior vehicles at the same price point. OK, it is a 200D with no options, but if you wanted a car for life....

Overdrive 30 November 2009

Re: BMW 5-series GT v rivals - pics

Giom37 wrote:

I'll second that. It's like the reviewer didn't get the GT breef. He still thinks it's a sedan. He totally missed the fact that it's not supposed to be a hot hatch athletical racer. Funny, how the initial reviews were so positive...? Then all of a sudden - BAM! "We must remember, we hate BMWs, cause they're making new sort of cars that we don't get...!"

Really Autocar, I'll repeat, get your act together!

I don't know if the good chaps and chappesses at Autocar hate BMWs (I'd like to think they are all objective and even-handed motoring journalists), but there does appear to be a recent pattern of initial favourable reviews on BMWs, such as the latest 7-series, Z4, X1, X6 etc only for those impressions to be largely contradicted in subsequent tests.

The GT has also suffered the same fate. The main gripe against the GT in this comparison test seems to be its ride comfort. However, as you say, the initial drives all gave it the thumbs up.

Heck, Hilton Holloway even did a full piece on the GT (it was a magazine article a few weeks ago) where he took it all the way from Europe through to Moroco on all sorts of terrain, which one would imagine would've been worse than anything UK's roads can throw at you, and he thought the car was an excellent drive and very comfortable. And indeed articles from other publications still attest to GT's fine ride. But alas Autocar has done u-turn on its view here. Whether there's something wrong with the suspension of the car in the latest, I don't know, but there you have it.

The new E-class does seem to be a really excellent exec saloon though and the new 5 saloon will have its work cut out to beat it (and while on the subject, what are the chances of the Autocar initially praising the new 5-series saloon, only to put it down later? :) ).

Giom37 30 November 2009

Re: BMW 5-series GT v rivals - pics

I'll second that. It's like the reviewer didn't get the GT breef. He still thinks it's a sedan. He totally missed the fact that it's not supposed to be a hot hatch athletical racer. Funny, how the initial reviews were so positive...? Then all of a sudden - BAM! "We must remember, we hate BMWs, cause they're making new sort of cars that we don't get...!"

Really Autocar, I'll repeat, get your act together!