1st - BMW 530d
Superb turbo-charged diesel straight-six is brilliant in the 5 Series’ poised chassis, while its underlying economics opened up an 11-point spread across the six cars we assessed in this class. It’s also the equal best drive in the class. With economy of 7.5L/100km, the 530d is another example that diesel ownership is still, to an extent, economically rational. In fact, the three cheapest cars in this field were diesels, and on the podium, the BMW oiler cut running costs by more than $600 annually. Okay, that’s not a big deal when the ask on each car is over $100K; that $12 per week saved on fuel won’t be a make-or-break deal — but the 37 percent more torque on offer for less money will be a real sweetener each time you drive.



2nd - Mercedes-Benz E350 Elegance
Merc’s E350 is a closer competitor on price to the BMW, and offers a superb petrol V6 (which costs $600 more a year to fuel). It’s a conservative alternative to the CLS, and so close on value it’s not worth arguing the toss over the difference.




3rd - Mercedes-Benz CLS 350
Killer styling and the three-pointed star make a compelling case for CLS ownership among those polarised in the positive by its looks. However, the price premium over the 530d is over $25K (for the entry-level CLS).