• Virtually identical to the saloon
• Updated infotainment screen in 2020
• iDrive still betters many touchscreen systems from rivals

How is the quality and layout?

The cabin of the 5 Series Touring feels suitably premium, with a driving position that’s unmistakably BMW: able to be dropped down low for a sporty, cocooned feeling, or endlessly configurable to get all shapes and sizes of driver feeling comfortable.

The design is stylish and eye-catching, with the strong horizontal sweep of the instrument panel incorporating modern twists on classic BMW touches. At first glance, the number of shortcut keys and buttons for the climate control system might look like they’ll be confusing to use, but in reality, they don’t take long to get use to. It’s far less fiddly than Volvo’s touchscreen controls for adjusting the cabin temperature, for example.

Later models replaced the exceptionally clear speedometer and rev counter dials with a new digital screen, which we find to be less effective. The previous dials were still digital, but were placed conventionally, in the centre, ahead of the driver – this newer layout used on all BMWs means they’re placed on the outer edges of the screen and can be obscured by the steering wheel at various points.

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Leather upholstery, aluminium trim inserts and gloss-black trim creates a highly luxurious feel (though its noticeable that gloss-black buttons abruptly give way to cheaper plastic at the outer edges of the centre console).

Ergonomically, the controls are all clustered together in a logical manner, and while we found the buttons for the drive modes and vehicle settings beside the gear lever a little harder to locate, all the other functions are easy to find.

Infotainment and tech 

The iDrive infotainment system is one of the most intuitive to use. The graphics are high-resolution, the sat-nav easy to use and follow. Functions are controlled via either the rotary controller and shortcut buttons located next to the gearstick, or by interacting directly with the touchscreen.

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The rotary controller also doubles as a ‘touchpad’, allowing occupants to enter, for instance, postcodes with a scrawl of their finger. If it sounds baffling, it isn’t – it quickly becomes second-nature to switch between the different methods. Trying to scribe in letters and numbers with your left hand will be a pain however, especially if it’s not your dominant hand.

Gesture control is available as an option, although it’s more of a novelty than a must-have. You control functions such as volume control or answering phone calls with hand movements. There is, however, no option to merge infotainment functions into the instrument binnacle, as is possible with Audi’s Virtual Cockpit.

Comfort

• Excellent seats
• Upgraded Comfort chairs even better
• Refined, especially on the smaller wheels

The transition from a saloon to an estate body style can sometimes reduce refinement, because there’s no longer a solid barrier between the cabin and the luggage area.

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But the 5-series Touring is a very refined car, especially when fitted with 18 or 19-inch wheels – you’d have to drive this and the saloon back-to-back to notice the difference. Wind- and engine noise is also impressively subdued even at relatively high motorway cruising speeds, adding to the sense of calm inside.

We tried the optional Comfort seats and they’re superb, with a plush, enveloping embrace that you sink comfortably into. Even the headrests have a pillowy plumpness. Generous second-row legroom delivers high levels of rear passenger comfort too.