Which car you say is the 5 series biggest competitor?

No question - it's the Mercedes E Class.

Competition in terms of what though? Looks, speed. luxury, what?

Considering the huge range of 5 series coverage (525 to M5) I think you might want to rephrase or at least, recast your question by performance category. I'd guess the MB E-series to be the logical contender--at least for breadth--but Audi must fit in there somewhere, at least on paper if not in volume. Then come the Japanese knock-offs. :confused:

Cheers,
Ray Hull

Hmm.. as an "Average Joe's" perspective looking for a luxery performance class car? I went throught this exercise. Here are my Cliff's notes/thoughts

Lexus GS 3XX/4XX- Very nice car, not sporty enough, outstanding reliability, boring styling
Infinity GXX - Great reliability, odd styling
Acura RL - Boring styling, great reliability
Cadalillac CTS and up - Styling will be dated next year. American cars suck arse
Jaguar S or X Type - A Ford in Brit sheet metal
Mercedes E/C class - Horrible Reputation for Reliability
Audi - Basically a VW with a different badge. Terrible reliability and will be dated in styling after a year or two


Hope this helps

E-class for sure...

Hmmm, interesting question...

I seriously considered only two other cars besides my 545, the A6 4.2 and the mercedes e500.

I've had four BMWs in a row - 1999 325ci, 2001 330ci, 2002 M3 and now the 2004 545i Sport.

My wife drives an 05 A6 3.2 Quattro and it is a superb car, much better ergonomics than BMW, very reliable and a very attractive shape. I drove the 4.2 and loved it, but just decided I didn't want to have two cars that looked identical.

The A6 4.2 is a worthy alternative. Although acceleration isn't quite as brisk the quattro systems helps make up some of that ground when handling. In my opinion the A6 interior is superior and of course it's MMI is much easier to use than Idrive.

1. E class

2. A6

For me, it's :
1. Lexus GS
2. Infinity G35
3. A6

I test drove a number of "comparable" cars before I decided on the 550i (which I am anxiously waiting for)>

The E550 came the closed to the 550i in terms of power, amenities and handling. I decided against it because of terrible record of repairs history, terrible lease deals and not as much a "drivers" car in the twisties. It did have more power than the 550i (noticeably) but had significantly more lean in the turns.

I had an Audi A6 4.2 a few years ago and hated it due to many mechanical problems and terrible service. Their service is basically VW with a different name. I test drove a new one just to be sure and it just didn't do it for me. It is a very heavy car and just didn't have the pick up i was looking for or the handling. I also didn't want to deal with Audi service again.

In terms of Infinity, I think the M class is considered the competition for the 5 series, not the G. I test drove an M45 sport and it was a pretty nice car - much less expensive than the 550i (even fully equipped) with a lot of technical goodies. It didn't have the power or drive nearly as well. Good interior fit and finish. I also just had 3 years of driving a Japanese car (LS430 with the Euro Tuned Suspension) and didn't want another one.

The GS430 was also a nice car, but I had one (old GS 400) and the new one drives pretty much the same. Also another Japanese car.

All in all nothing came close to the 550i for drivability and while it was the most expensive price wise, their lease deal beat the heck out of the MB.