In a class where diesels are becoming the norm, a revvy six feels alien, and without the huge torque available from a big oil burner the 525i never feels very fast. But use all the revs – it needs to be kept between 4000-6500rpm to really perform – and the Touring will hit 60mph from rest in 9.0sec, 0.1sec shy of the 217bhp Audi A6 Avant Quattro 3.2. We achieved a maximum of 136mph, 7mph slower than BMW claims, yet at speed and under load the six-cylinder engine is exceptionally refined, with a smooth power delivery and velvety song.
Unfortunately, the gearbox seems mismatched. Employing the same ratios as the diesel versions, the auto works well on light throttle inputs, but press on and it gets confused, holding on to gears for too long or not dropping down quickly enough when exiting corners. Then the Steptronic manual function comes into its own, responding quickly to a stab of the lever and making it a better B-road companion.
Shedding 50kg over the outgoing Touring, and with additional structural stiffness thanks to a riveted and bonded structure, the Five has the potential to be a fine drive. And so it proves. Our test car lacked both Dynamic Drive and Active Steering yet demonstrated an agility few rivals are able to approach. The Touring’s limits are easier to find than its saloon brother’s, but when you do find them you’ll encounter safe understeer, remedied by easing off the throttle. The back end will also break traction more easily than in the saloon, careless jabs of the accelerator provoking a tweak from the tail with the two-stage traction control completely disengaged.
The servotronic rack and pinion steering is oddly vague on initial turn-in, yet feels nervous on the motorway, detracting from the Touring’s otherwise excellent high-speed stability.
