Traditionally there have been enough penalties in financial and efficiency terms to always make manual cars a far more sensible bet than automatics, even at the more affluent end of the market where both models are offered.
But the new BMW 5-series auto is as near to the manual as makes no difference in emissions terms, with both being in the same benefit-in-kind band, and it costs just 1.1p per mile more at 63.4p against the manual 520d Touring SE’s 62.3p. It’s only the £1495 premium for the auto box that can really separate it from the manual, and the auto’s residuals are better, which makes up some of it.
The auto is also impressively smooth and quick-shifting, and works well with the 520d’s 184hp engine, rarely feeling like more power would be helpful. The ride quality is also much better than the previous
5-series, much more acceptably on the firm side.
The auto follows the rest of the 5-series range in comfortably winning on costs against its rivals, coming in 4.7p per mile in front of Audi‘s A6 Avant and 6.3p ahead of the equivalent Mercedes.
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