The 530i may be all the car you really need, but Desmond maintains that the 540i is the car that you should really have

To be very honest, having driven the new 5 Series, I had a moment of clarity and realisation - if I could have only one car for the rest of my life, it has to be this 5 Series. It's really all the car you will ever need.

Why? Quite simply, the 5 Series covers all the bases. It is the ideal size - surely big enough for the needs of a family of five, but not too big as to be cumbersome and hard to park. The cabin is premium, comfortable, and will age well. It's packed to the brim with the latest technologies, including cruise control that makes highway driving incredibly easy and hands-free. And on the roads, it's plush, sensible yet engaging to drive. 

The real question here is this - which 5 Series variant do you want? 

I will agree with Nigel, the BMW 530i is conceivably all the car you will need. It does everything that you need the car to do. However, the BMW 540i is the model that you should really have. It's got extra goodies - sunroof, Remote Control Parking, as well as Dynamic Damping Control to tailor the ride to your needs. The Harmon Kardon sound system is also fantastic to blast your tunes with.

But most noticeably, you also get two extra cylinders with the fantastically velvety 3.0-litre turbocharged engine. With 335bhp and 450Nm of torque, it's a grunty unit that always feels like it has more to give - the car never feels strained, no matter how hard you try to push it. Mated to an eight-speed Steptronic transmission, acceleration is linear and refined, and that extra displacement means that you can always be ahead of traffic. 

No matter how you slice it, there's no doubt that the 5 Series is an incredibly accomplished executive sedan, and it would be almost sacrileges to say that either variant is somehow flawed compared to the other. What you do get from the 540i, though, is an elevated sense of effortless accomplishment. It is everything that's already great about the 5 Series, but made a little bit more special and a tad bit better.

This is the full, unadulterated experience, the whole shebang. You get into the Nappa leather comfort seat, hit the engine start button, and quietly pull away knowing that you've done yourself proud - you've picked the 5 Series that you really wanted. If the 530i is the 'Athlete' in BMW's 'Business Athlete' equation, then this 540i is the real 'Business'.

Truth is, if I have to have just one car for the rest of my life, this is undoubtedly it.
Nigel believes less is more with the BMW 5 Series 530i M Sport

While the general perception is that anyone who walks into a BMW showroom for a brand spanking new 5 Series isn't going to be fazed by prices, it's also the smart buyers who spend wisely that are able to continue to lead such lifestyles.

Is 335bhp and 450Nm of torque from the 5 Series 540i M Sport's turbocharged 3.0-litre engine entirely necessary for a luxurious business sedan? For a $61,000 premium (as of 2^nd May 2017), this writer believes it isn't. The alternative? A more sensible turbocharged 2.0-litre variant, the 5 Series 530i M Sport.

Of course, if you're the sort of car buyer who must absolutely have the top-of-the-range model and considers the extra money for it chump change, then by all means, have your cake and eat it. Otherwise, the 530i should be the car to go for.

Let's talk finances first. Apart from lower upfront payment, you also benefit from lower car depreciation, lower road taxes and lower fuel costs. Anyone with the right business mind would understand that cars are the worst things to spend money on in Singapore, so why not use your extra hard-earned money on money-making investments instead?

Most importantly, someone who wants a BMW over its competitors is likely to be somewhat of a driving enthusiast. With the 530i's lighter front-end, it helps in being the more agile car. Despite having a smaller and less powerful engine, it's also the lighter one on its feet. Sure, the 540i will have a lot more lungs for storming down highways, but how often are you going to be able to do that without earning yourself a speeding ticket?

At the same time, the 530i's 248bhp and 350Nm of torque aren't shabby, either. It will go from 0-100km/h just as quick as a modern German hot hatch and when you're carving corners, its abilities belie its size, too. For staying ahead of traffic in Singapore, it's got more than enough grunt to do so, highlighting the 'Athelete' in the car's 'Business Athelete' tag. Think of the experience in the 530i as smaller, nimbler, luxurious speed boat and the 540i as a more powerful, but more cumbersome yacht.

Of course, for that $61,000 extra, you do get more features as standard in the 540i. For example, the car comes with BMW's Remote Control Parking, Dynamic Damping Control, Harmon Kardon speakers, BMW's comfort seats and a sunroof.

Not having those, however, won't cause any loss of sleep. With BMW's Parking Assistant Plus package, which makes parking a walk in the park, you won't be using Remote Control Parking very often. And given how quiet and well-insulated the 5 Series' cabin is, the standard speaker system works well enough. Dynamic Damping Control? Not necessary either, considering the 530i is one of the best-riding cars in its class. You can opt for a sunroof in the 530i for a fee if you want one and, I honestly prefer the 530i's hugging sports seats over the 540i's couch-like comfort ones.

This is seriously all the business sedan you'll ever need.