I've been a BMW fan for years. Had a 5 series in the late 90s. Picked up this one a few years back. Power is great, torque is right there off the start, minimal turbo lag but throttle by wire needs quicker response time but, really, that's nit picking. Most of the time, response feels effortless. The ZF 8 speed auto rows through the gears with ease and always picks the right one. You only hear the diesel as a soft purr at idle and slow acceleration but it gets quiet at speed. Really polished and massaged. Best diesel in a car yet. Road holding is a little disappointing at .81g where the luxo barge Mercedes S class base model pulls .88 and seems to want everything you throw at it where the ride here is BMW firm, you feel the short chop, every bump in the road, sometimes harsh. It is quiet for a sedan but not what it could be as road noise can intrude at times on course road surface but that's the only gripe. Engineering is about the best there is. It is playful but you have to work at it. The truth is, we liked it so much, we purchased the X5 3.5d mid sized SUV which irons out the harshness, retains most of the torque, and handles way better than a vehicle of its kind should. If you can live with the firm ride, it's classic BMW. Now if we could dial in a might bit more cornering and precision. One other thing, steering feels imprecise and almost seems to hunt at speed. It's subtile but definitely there. Some feedback but not a lot. First gen electric steering assist perhaps? Most of the shortcomings, if you can call them that, can be easily forgiven for the good attributes. Mileage is rarely below 32 in town and consistently 38 to 29 on the road. You get great power and economy car, well, economy. All wrapped up in a nice package. Seating is comfy albeit snug in the back. Trunk space is abundant, better than many cars much larger. Visibility is fine if not a tad greenhouse like. And, you can disable the auto engine shut off at rest but better than the Mercedes version, it remembers your setting after the engine and electrical is powered down. You need to remember to watch the exhaust fluid refill warning. Wait too long and the nanny circuits will prevent you from being able to start it until you replenish it. Once you do, the system recognises and resets the function automatically. The chassis doesn't have issues with the Goodyear run flat tyres though we're told conventional tyres will solve the noise issue and potentially improve handling. We didn't get a chance to try that. Overall a great sedan with enough polish and has grown up a bit with just enough sport remaining. Maybe a little too much.

The 535d has style, comfort, power, and is fuel efficient ...what more could I ask for? It has the dual personality of a sports sedan and a luxury touring auto.

This is a very nice car, plenty of power whenever you want it for its size. Handles well at driving speeds. Interior is very nice and what you would expect from a BMW. Also lots of trunk space.