Forty Grand Tourer

I am trying to decide between buying a BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo 530d or a BMW 5 Series Touring 530d. At the weekend, I need a car for trips to the tip and park with my labrador dog, wife and two teenage children. During the week I need a prestigious executive saloon, and have a mixture of long motorway drives and short commuter trips (16 miles each way). I drive about 17,000 miles a year. My current car is a petrol automatic Honda CRV, which has completed 112,000 miles over an 8 year period. Originally, I was looking for an estate. However, the Gran Turismo has caught my eye. I've looked at the boot space carefully, and think it will be big enough. How do you think these two cars stack up? Will one be significantly better value than the other in the long run?

Asked on 19 September 2010 by JS, via email

Answered by Honest John
They are different kinds of cars. I'd say the Gran Turismo is the one for crossing continents in luxury. It is a distance car. The new F10 5-Series Touring is more practical as a day to day car. Gran Turismo test and video at: www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/bmw/bmw-5-gran-tur.../
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