Here are Top Gear’s top five executive saloons

Our choice: 530d SE

Price: £41,455

Specs: 258bhp, 398lb ft, 0-62mph 5.8secs, 155mph top speed, 55.4mpg, CO2 134g/km

The BMW 5-Series stands clear at the top of the large saloon class. Others come close in some areas, but none of them can quite manage the 5-Series’ breadth of excellence across the board. M Sport kit sharpens up the looks, should you so desire.

Read Top Gear's full verdict on the BMW 5-Series

Our choice: 3.0D S

Price: £49,945

Specs: 296bhp, 516lb ft, 0-62mph 6.2secs, 155mph top speed, 51.4mpg, CO2 144g/km

Before you scroll angrily to the comments section below, we haven’t used a picture of the dinkier XE. This really is what the new Jaguar XF looks like: very nice, but rather a lot like its little brother. No matter, though, for the sharp new XF comes incredibly close to toppling the 5-Series.

Read Top Gear's full verdict on the Jaguar XF

Our choice: E350 Bluetec AMG Line

Price: £42,010

Specs: 258bhp, 457lb ft, 0-62mph 6.4secs, 155mph top speed, 54.3mpg, CO2 136g/km

The Mercedes E-Class has always come across as slightly austere compared to more welcoming rivals, but perhaps its ubiquity in the German taxi trade can take some of the blame. There’s a lot of ability on offer from this latest E-Class, which is a class act. If you hate tyres, get the tyre-shredding 577bhp E63 AMG S.

Read Top Gear's full verdict on the Mercedes E-Class

Our choice: 3.0 BiTDI Quattro 320PS SE

Price: £46,465

Specs: 317bhp, 479lb ft, 0-62mph 5.0secs, 155mph top speed, 47.1 mpg, CO2 159g/km

This twin-turbo BiTDI is not the cheapest A6, it must be said, but it is the most interesting by a good distance. Numerous hot hatches and sports cars should duck for cover on the Autobahn. Recent facelift ensures the A6 is perhaps the classiest looking car in this sector, too, with lots of fancy LED light tech on display.

Read Top Gear's full verdict on the Audi A6

Our choice: 70kWh

Price: £60,535

Specs: 328bhp, 317lb ft, 0-62mph 5.2secs, 140mph top speed, 275-mile range, CO2 0g/km

Proof that it is possible to do things differently in this market. Such as be powered by electricity and have a hatchback. Get clicky with the options and you can have anything from Nissan GT-R-baiting performance to a self-steering Autopilot system, too. Tesla is here, and we think it’s rather awesome.

Read Top Gear's full verdict on the Tesla Model S