We tested the BMW i5 eDrive 40 over the course of the week to find out how BMW’s the modern electric executive sport sedan compares with its’ rivals and 5 Series of the past. What we found was a supremely capable car from some angles, and a flawed on in others. 

BMW gambled correctly when it decided embrace the “power of choice” strategy. Rather than creating bespoke electric versions of its models or even go all electric, BMW decided take the conservative approach and build a platform that could accommodate everything from combustion to PHEV to outright EVs. While critics can rightly claim this one size fits all approach creates some package inefficiencies and EV performance gaps, it allows greater flexibility in manufacturing and product planning. 

BMW i5

Which is exactly what was needed as it turns out. Since this decision was made, it’s become all to clear that one size does not fit all when it comes to automotive propulsion. While some regions are all in on EVs, others look to still be 10-20 years away from making up their minds. BMW’s pragmatic approach was the right one. 

But their are downsides. Enter the BMW i5 eDrive 40. A car that cost $76,695, has a 270 mile range (295 with the smaller standard wheels) but is nearly as big as the last 7 Series. 

Gone are the days when the 5 Series mission was to bring driving excitement to the executive car park. Now it’s as much about technology and design as it is performance. And the notion of driver engagement and feedback is a shadow of what we saw just two generations ago. Yet we found the new i5 to be a great daily drive that felt both faultless and enjoyable to drive. 

Lucid

As luck would have it During our time with the i5 we also had a chance to drive a rear wheel drive Lucid Air Pure (big thank to Lucid) as a quick comparison. It’s an interesting one because these cars represent almost entire differing views on how to build an electric executive sedan. They were both around the same price and were both rear wheel drive. But that’s where the similarities ended. The Lucid is a ground-up EV that’s a generation (or two) ahead of the i5 in terms of motor and battery tech. Where the i5 has a 400v charging system the Lucid has an 800v. Where our BMW i5 had. 270 mile range, the Lucid we tested was rated at 420. 

Even still there was plenty to appreciate in the i5 over the Lucid. For one it felt better built with higher quality materials. Maybe it was the example we had, but our Lucid Air Pure test car felt far more used than the 2,500 miles on the odometer would indicate. There were enough small figment issues and software glitches to give you some pause on investing almost $75k in new and still relatively unproven company.  

BMW i5

The i5 represents a bridge to a much more purely electric products coming from BMW. But the sacrifices made by BMW are smart. There’s slightly less range and charging speed but in our world of poor charging infrastructure, these shortcomings are perhaps not as exposed as they will be in the future. For most of the buying public the i5 40 eDrive represents an exciting future for BMW’s core 5 Series product.

BMW i5

In fact it’s not the electric portion of the i5 that falls short. Instead it’s the core competencies that BMW have owned for years. Steering feedback, supple body control and an overall engagement that makes driving fun. Sadly the i5 like the new 5 Series has lost the engagement that used to define it as different in a see of luxury transportation.

That doesn’t mean it’s not fun to drive. It’s quick and reacts to inputs as you’d expect. The interior is a great place to spend time and the tech is excellent (even if the UI is a mess). In short it’s a smart buy, especially as a lease. And in an age where large sports sedans are growing extinct, that may just be enough.