2001 BMW 5 Series 525i 4dr Sedan (2.5L 6cyl 5M)
I commute a lot and needed an auto transmission, therefore no M5. This was as close as I could get and no disappointment. ALWAYS get the 540 with the sport option, otherwise stay with the V6. Fine, fine car, best of sport tuning and luxury.
Drives like an enthusiast's dream, flat cornering, easy handling at 120 mph. Example of fine engineering: the temperature gauge is rock steady whether outside is -10 deg or 105 deg. Cruise control varies only +/- 1 mph on hills.
Long term reliability -- good overall, but after 5 yrs had to replace radiator and 10% of the digital dashboard dots failed leaving incomplete characters on the display. Amazing tire life on ZR1s. Speedometer reads the wrong speed (+4 mph). Cupholders and nav system poor.