My BMW recently made the step up from executive saloon to bridal carriage, and made a great impression in doing so.

The classy new 5-series now takes many of the styling cues from its luxury saloon big brother 7-series, and my car was mistaken for a Seven by more than one wedding-goer. A light sprinkling of ribbon and it certainly didn’t look out of place collecting my partner’s sister and carrying her to and from her wedding ceremony. Although it didn’t get nearly as many positive remarks as the blushing bride, my 520d was certainly praised for its style, and there’s not much else that could have performed the job nearly as well for under its £28,000 price tag.

The long bonnet nearly beat the length of ribbon stretching down from the door pillars, while the stop-start system was a boon in Winchester’s one-way system, offering a brief period of peace and tranquillity in an otherwise potentially stressful day. The groom enjoyed settling in behind the optional rear privacy glass, and the satnav proved itself worthy in finding the hotel, registry office, florist, car wash and other random requirements during a morning of last-minute fretting.

BMW 520d saloon SE manual
Mileage 3616 miles
Our average consumption 46.3mpg
Forecast CPM 58.2p
Actual CPM 59.8p
Positive Emissions, running
costs, quality
Negative Electric steering