For years the war has waged, and yet the world continues to be divided distinctly in two. This is the saga of the three pointed star and the propeller, and their most contested warriors - the E-Class and the 5-Series. It was the year 2009 and Mercedes-Benz struck a devastating blow to the established order. Up until then there had always been a distinct demarcation of territories between the Mercedes E-Class and the BMW 5-Series. The E was always the more opulent one - focussing wholely on luxury and pampering. The image of outright performance and driving pleasure belonged to the 5 with its near-perfect handling, aggressive styling and overall feel. But the new E-Class was radically different.
The truce had been broken and in its all-new guise, the E was now moving closer to BMW territory than it ever had before. It transformed to a machine with mean styling and loads of attitude, but the best part was the way it now felt to drive - planted and reassuring like it always had been but begging for a whole lot more action from its drivers.
Bavaria couldn't take this assault on its space too lightly - something had to be done. The sixth generation had to bring the 5 back to BMW roots and while at it, also had to send a strong message back to its rivals in Stuttgart. The car had to be subtler in appearance and had to cut into Mercedes territory just as the E-Class had cut into theirs. The new 5-Series had to be just as good to drive as its previous generation had come to be known for, yet had to get more luxurious on the inside - an acceptable balance had to be met, and it has