Finally, the radio has been sorted. And of course, it was driver ignorance that caused the problem in the first place.

No longer does my enjoyment of the latest ‘next big thing in music’ get disturbed every few minutes by a local traffic report informing me of road conditions in Leeds, when I’m heading from Peterborough to Birmingham.

I have BMW UK head of corporate sales Steve Chater to thank. I mentioned my problem to him (the answer to which I had not consulted the driver handbook, admittedly) and he gave me the solution – a hard button that had gone unnoticed to the left of the control panel. I’d been searching the iDrive, to no avail.

Oddly, once the traffic announcements were switched off, it also solved another issue: RDS. Now the radio updates automatically with the strongest signal when driving around; previously I’d been forced to retune manually when moving from one transmission region to another.

So with my musical woes over, nothing else could go wrong, right? Wrong. A temporary loss of sound – radio/CD, reversing beepers, Bluetooth phone; everything requiring speakers – brought BMW’s engineers scampering in for a look around the car.

The fault, which resolved itself after the car was left switched off for a few hours, went undetected. And it’s not happened since, so I’ve put it down to a temporary blip in an otherwise faultless display by the 5 Series during its time with Fleet News.

And yes, despite my quibbles above, this is a near faultless car. Another couple of thousand miles have passed since the last review and all have been travelled in comfort.

Driving enjoyment ranks high on the list of BMW priorities and the 5 Series does not disappoint – but, and this is a key development, you don’t have to have the stiff ride if you don’t want it.

Now BMW offers a compromise. Three settings alter the chassis and driving set up to enable drivers to choose comfort over sporty, or vice versa.

Those who want to enjoy BMW’s excellent levels of reliable, low running costs, class-leading levels of CO2 emissions and fuel efficiency do not have to sacrifice a smooth, cosseting ride. It’s all there.

Conversely, the sporty nature of the 5 Series can be unleashed with a flick of the Drive Dynamic Control button. The affects throttle response, engine response, gear change characteristics, the level of steering assistance, Dynamic Stability Control thresholds and damper settings. The result?A more engaging and potent driving experience

The car’s ample boot space has come in useful when transporting child paraphernalia around, while the ‘ski’ hatch in the middle seat has also been utilised to carry long items. It gives the 5 Series added flexibility, despite being a saloon.

Whether chosen as a fleet car with a family in mind, the environment or fuel costs as a priority, or a smooth runner that enables long distances to be covered in comfort, the 5 Series covers all the bases.