BMW'S new 5-series has set record-breaking residual values as the first vehicles come back to market 12 months after the first examples hit UK showrooms. According to the May edition of Glass's Guide, a P-registered 523 or 528 is worth 96% of its cost new to trade buyers and is actually selling at more than its list price to retail buyers.

As well as smashing all previous BMW residual value records, the achievement is the first time 5-series resale values have outstripped Mercedes-Benz E-class.

A 523 SE first registered in August is now booked at £27,600 with 9,000 miles on the clock - a cost of just 10 pence per mile for depreciation. The retail price is quoted as £29,000 - equating to a profit of 5.55 pence per mile.

BMW has come under fire for failing to meet overwhelming demand and allowing waiting lists to extend to more than a year on some models.