1. Five of our Favourite Diesel Saloons
2. BMW 320d
3. Alfa Romeo 159 1.9 JTDM
4. Honda Accord 2.2 i-CDTi
5. Audi A4 TDI
6. Volvo S60 D5

Now that safety is one of the main factors buyers look for in a car, Volvo has become established as a mainstream manufacturer. Its midsize saloon offering is called the S60 and recently Volvo launched a new D5 version. The 'D' is for diesel and the '5' for the number of cylinders.

The other four cars here are significantly more frugal than the D5, but if you are more interested in performance than fuel economy then the Volvo should not be overlooked. Grabbing the headlines is its 185bhp peak power and a whopping 400Nm of torque, ideal for shredding the front tyres or towing a caravan or two.

Volvo's D5 is one of the most comfortable cars here too, though the D5 engine is not particularly refined. At least the five-cylinder layout gives it a more interesting noise than the ubiquitous four-cylinder units.

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