BMWi5 eDrive40

　　

2024 BMW i5 Review

byReese CountsVehicle Test Editor

　　Reese Counts has worked in the automotive industry since he started as an intern at zzdcar in 2015. He has written or edited thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Reese is a vehicle test editor at zzdcar and has also contributed to Autoblog. Reese has also been featured on Yahoo! Finance, Engadget and AOL reviewing cars and covering automotive technology, auto shows and more. Reese learned to drive in his father's C4 Chevrolet Corvette and now owns his grandfather's 1999 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG. A love for cars runs deep in his family.

　　The BMW i5 is an all-new and all-electric luxury sedan from one of the first automakers to really give electric cars a solid go. Based on the BMW 5 Series sedan (also fully redesigned for 2024) and slotting between the i4 and i7 sedans, the i5 is simply one of the best and most well-rounded cars we've driven in the past few years. Where the Mercedes-Benz EQE doesn't feel quite as premium or as comfortable as its gas-powered E-Class counterpart, the i5 looks, feels and actually drives even better than the new 5 Series. New technology features, a well-appointed cabin, and plenty of range (more than 300 miles in the zzdcar EV Range Test) help solidify the i5 as one of the best electric cars on the road.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below

　　

BMW i5 EV Insights

Trim:i5 eDrive40

　　eDrive40 4dr Sedan (electric DD) - $66,800 MSRPM60 4dr Sedan AWD (electric DD) (Most Popular) - $84,100 MSRP

　　

Range

　　295 miles

　　EPA Estimated Range

　　EV batteries lose 1-2% of range per year. Est. range for this car is 251 miles after 8 years.Electric cars typically experience 1-2% of range loss per year with slightly faster degradation over the first 50,000 miles as the car settles into its long term state, according to Recurrent's study of 15,000 EVs.

　　Estimated range mapThis map is a visual representation of the possible one-way and round-trips by this vehicle (on a full charge) from the geometric center of Rutland, North Dakota. The depicted ranges are based on the estimated new vehicle range value provided by the EPA, rounded down to miles for one-way and miles for round-trip. Actual range will vary depending on the condition of this vehicle’s battery pack, how you drive, driving conditions and other factors.Map display generated using: © openrouteservice.org by HeiGIT | Map data © Recurrent contributors | Recurrent

　　from 58067

　　

EV Battery Warranty

　　8 yrs or 100,000 milesThe federal government requires that EV batteries be warrantied for a minimum of eight years or 100,000 miles. The EV battery warranty includes replacement if your battery capacity drops below a certain percentage of the original capacity.

　　

Charging at Home

　　8 hours

　　Total Charging Time (240V outlet)

　　SAE ComboStandard port for most electric models. Supports Level 1, Level 2, and DC Fast charging.

　　Plug Type

　　

EV Tax Credits & Rebates

　　$400

　　Available Rebates. Restrictions apply.

　　Utility EV Charger Offer

　　$400

　　Restrictions: Otter Tail Power offers EV owners a rebate of up to $400 towards the installation of a Level 2 charging station. To qualify for this rebate, the customer and/or charging station must meet the following requirements: Receive electricity from Otter Tail Power.

　　To learn more, visit Recurrent

　　Complimentary Charging Offer

　　Restrictions: This program is a charging agreement between BMW of North America and Electrify America. Customers who purchase a new BMW i5 will receive 2 years of complimentary 30-minute charging on the Electrify America network. Participation requires the MyBMW app. Plug & Charge functionality will be available for use with this plan. Complimentary charging expires 2 years from vehicle purchase date. Offer is non-transferable. See your participating dealer for details.

　　

Cost to Drive

　　$69/mo

　　i5

　　vs

　　$198/mo

　　Car Avg.

　　Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　

Am I Ready for an EV?

　　EV ownership works best if you can charge (240V) at home or at work This typically means a 240V home installation, but you could also have a similar setup at your office or other places your car is already parked for several hours each day. Don't expect a regular household outlet (120V) to suffice unless you've got a plug-in hybrid, in which case overnight charging at home is feasible.

　　If you can’t charge at home, charging at a charging station could take at least 10x longer than at a gas station With public charging infrastructure still in its infancy, the user experience can be maddeningly inconsistent. Tesla owners tend to rave about the reliability and speed of the company's proprietary Supercharger stations, but rival DC fast options have thus far been plagued by technical issues and overcrowding. It's an evolving landscape and our best advice is to do your research on the available options for the EV you want to buy.

　　Adding a 240V home charging system could cost up to $1,600 or more If your existing electrical service can handle the additional demands of EV charging, you may be able to add Level 2 charging at home for less than a grand, including installation. But your costs will multiply if you need to upgrade your electrical panel or add a dedicated circuit.

　　

zzdcar spotlight: A new 5 Series

Given the i5 is essentially a 5 Series with an electric powertrain instead of an internal-combustion one, it makes sense to see both debut for 2024. They're nearly identical twins. The 5 Series' updates all benefit the i5 and could not have come at a better time as the new model takes advantage of all the strides BMW has made to its vehicles over the past few years. The new 5 Series improves on its predecessor in every way. The new exterior styling is bold, but it skips out on the comically large and divisive grilles we've seen on other recent BMW models. The interior draws significantly from the larger (and also recently redesigned) BMW 7 Series, with a sleek, premium look and feel that put it among the best you'll find in a midsize luxury sedan today.

　　

Competitors to consider

The i5 primarily competes against the Genesis Electrified G80, Mercedes-Benz EQE and Tesla Model S. These are all very good EVs, but we think the i5 is still the most enjoyable to drive and the most comfortable. You might also check out the BMW i4 or Hyundai Ioniq 6 as a less expensive alternative. Read the zzdcar Expert Rating below to get our test team's full take on the i5.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Great

　　8.4

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

8.5/10

　　How does the i5 drive? We tested the i5 eDrive40 version, which uses a single electric motor that drives the rear wheels. At the zzdcar test track, it accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds, which is similar to the acceleration of other single-motor luxury EVs. In the real world, the i5 is quick and zippy on city streets and has enough power for quick passing on the highway. The i5 M60 is also available if you want more thrust.

　　We were also impressed with the i5's smooth and powerful brakes in our testing. The available one-pedal driving mode makes it easy to lift off the accelerator and slow down and stop without having to use the brake pedal in routine driving. Around turns, the i5 is balanced and stable. The steering doesn't offer much feel of the road, but it adjusts to make the effort light at low speeds and then adds more heft while cruising on the highway.

　　

Comfort

8.5/10

　　How comfortable is the i5? The i5 does a wonderful job of absorbing bumps and imperfections in the road. The front seats are comfortable and supportive too. Another key attribute is the i5's quiet cabin that keeps out most wind and road noise.

　　The i5's climate controls are routed through the touchscreen. Accessing them can be a bit distracting to do while driving, but BMW is far from alone in using touchscreens. Plus, we have no complaints about the climate system's ability to quickly heat or cool the cabin. The vents are a bit cumbersome to adjust, but we're glad you don't have to do that through the touchscreen too.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below