BMW 535i SE (Price, as tested, £51,395) (From The Northern Echo)

BMW 535i SE (Price, as tested, £51,395)

10:13pm Monday 5th July 2010 in

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BUYING a BMW is the motoring equivalent of ordering a steak.

While it looks good as it is, and you could eat it with little complaint, in order to gain the most enjoyment you really need to consider adding a little something extra.

With the BMW that comes in the form of mechanical aids that further improve the drive and options that increase both the levels of entertainment and your comfort.

However, not unlike the extras on the menu, such things come at a price.

Our test car would set you back a not inconsiderable £37,000 without all the additional gizmos.

But with them you can add an extra £14,000 to that price tag - or, to put it another way, the cost of another small car.

Of course you don't have to put an even bigger smile on the face of the salesman by agreeing to these and many other options available, but without them I am sure the experience, like your steak, would just be a little dry.

While the standard car comes with a host of gadgetry, collectively known as Dynamic Stability Control Plus, the upgrade includes, among other things, Adaptive Drive and a Dynamic package and Media package.

With all this wizardry in concert the smart-looking and imposing 5-Series is a terrific car to both drive and be driven in.

There's a mode for every mood. Want to be wafted along like a VIP?

Then go for Comfort. Want a bit more engagement? Then flick the Sport switch. Or if you want to fully exorcise some frustrations then you can go for Sport Plus, but be warned it packs a punch. Watch the needles shift, feel the chassis tighten and focus your eyes on the horizon because it will come towards you a lot quicker than you might think.

For those, like me, who look for these things, there is also a bit of a burble from the twin exhaust as you pump the accelerator.

The interior, as with most BMWs, gives you the feeling that you have arrived - in a career sense that is. The leather seats are supremely comfortable, and there's plenty of room in which to stretch out. Five might be pushing it, but for four the 5-Series is a very pleasant way in which to travel.

In common with most BMWs there's plenty of things to keep you occupied in the cabin, some of which can be a little too distracting.

Everything from the satellite navigation, to the telephone, to the contents of your iPod can be controlled from the computer located where the handbrake used to be. The problem is the screen you have to look at is right in the middle of the centre console and can cause your eyes to wander for periods longer than could be deemed safe.

Conversely, our car also came with a head-up display, which projects such things as your speed onto the windscreen right in your line of sight.

The 3.0 litre petrol engine is both powerful and refined, providing oomph through the early gears and smooth progression through the latter, all the way to seven.

Despite its size, the 5-Series handles like a dream and there's so much grip that you push the envelope with little fear of losing control.

In many ways this car is almost perfect, my only concern is that would that be the case without all the extras?