[chiguanodude]

No comparison.
Went on a test drive today. I am on my second F90 and usually get an itch for something different every 3 years or so. This time around, I've made it 39 months (new record). Nothing in the market really excites me. I have a 992 GTS so it eliminates a lot of contenders. For family duties, I have an X5M. So I am looking for something that's "chill" to drive through some of the rougher rodes in LA.
I never considered myself someone that would even think of an electric car. Never bought into the Tesla hype. But as BMW fanboy, had to check out the i5m60.

Looks: Polarizing. It grows on you the more you see it. Lots of plastic being used is apparent. Darker colors might suit the car better, but damn the frozen pure grey a great color in person. 21's do set it off, and compared to my m5, car is noticeably longer, and I know not an M, but has a different kind of aggression in the front. Agree with others, rear is kind of camry looking but nicer. Although I've been seeing the same body lines on the m5 since 2018, car is still a looker IMHO.

Interior: Hard to judge. I switched the first time around (F90), since I had not ordered full merino and B&W. So the current car has that "classic" BMW look. The i5 looks almost fake, but I am a big fan of the lightbars. Screens, they look dope. The graphics, huge leaps from the i7. Camera is super HD. Lots of black plastic inside. The vegan stuff is not as bad as I thought it would be. No Alcantara on the roof, gives it a "cheaper" vibe. But not a bad place to be in. Seat is comfortable, but not as luxurious as the m5.

Drive: Here is where I was most surprised. You obviously don't have the glorious v8. But I do feel the m5 from the inside is on the quieter side (I do know it pops and bangs tho from the outside). The instant torque of the i5 on the low end makes launches feel an amusement park ride. I feel its the standout feature of all electric cars, but as someone who had never experienced it, it was something enjoyable. The drive on the i5 really does change in sport vs the other modes. If you want any sort of feedback, it will have to be driven on this setting. RWS makes the car feel smaller than it actually is. Surprisingly, with 21s that thing ate up bumps on the road. Overall drive, was enjoyable and I spent time on highway and streets and I would say pretty capable, good on turns, but not an M5. M5 is already heavy, and this thing seems noticeably more heavy.

Overall, I know this is marketed as an electric M5, but I feel we are a long way from there. Since I have the itch for something new, I might just get it and switch out for new m5 touring when that becomes available. I am afraid I'll regret my choice as I do love the current m5, but desire something different. If the switch does happen, I will miss this board. Although I don't post much, you guys have been invaluable and I have appreciated so many of your recommendations.
I would love to hear from real enthusiast on their take on the new i5. And any recommendations? Thanks.

[AHall]

Nice review, well done.

[Tommy L Garage]

I don’t know man. 6,000 lbs, looks are questionable.
What you liked about the car is what electric cars bring to the table.
I can’t get over the new i5 looks INSIDE. The straight pipes said it well: it feels like a copy of a Chinese copy of a BMW.

[mjr24]

Originally Posted by chiguanodude

No comparison.
Went on a test drive today. I am on my second F90 and usually get an itch for something different every 3 years or so. This time around, I've made it 39 months (new record). Nothing in the market really excites me. I have a 992 GTS so it eliminates a lot of contenders. For family duties, I have an X5M. So I am looking for something that's "chill" to drive through some of the rougher rodes in LA.
I never considered myself someone that would even think of an electric car. Never bought into the Tesla hype. But as BMW fanboy, had to check out the i5m60.

Looks: Polarizing. It grows on you the more you see it. Lots of plastic being used is apparent. Darker colors might suit the car better, but damn the frozen pure grey a great color in person. 21's do set it off, and compared to my m5, car is noticeably longer, and I know not an M, but has a different kind of aggression in the front. Agree with others, rear is kind of camry looking but nicer. Although I've been seeing the same body lines on the m5 since 2018, car is still a looker IMHO.

Interior: Hard to judge. I switched the first time around (F90), since I had not ordered full merino and B&W. So the current car has that "classic" BMW look. The i5 looks almost fake, but I am a big fan of the lightbars. Screens, they look dope. The graphics, huge leaps from the i7. Camera is super HD. Lots of black plastic inside. The vegan stuff is not as bad as I thought it would be. No Alcantara on the roof, gives it a "cheaper" vibe. But not a bad place to be in. Seat is comfortable, but not as luxurious as the m5.

Drive: Here is where I was most surprised. You obviously don't have the glorious v8. But I do feel the m5 from the inside is on the quieter side (I do know it pops and bangs tho from the outside). The instant torque of the i5 on the low end makes launches feel an amusement park ride. I feel its the standout feature of all electric cars, but as someone who had never experienced it, it was something enjoyable. The drive on the i5 really does change in sport vs the other modes. If you want any sort of feedback, it will have to be driven on this setting. RWS makes the car feel smaller than it actually is. Surprisingly, with 21s that thing ate up bumps on the road. Overall drive, was enjoyable and I spent time on highway and streets and I would say pretty capable, good on turns, but not an M5. M5 is already heavy, and this thing seems noticeably more heavy.

Overall, I know this is marketed as an electric M5, but I feel we are a long way from there. Since I have the itch for something new, I might just get it and switch out for new m5 touring when that becomes available. I am afraid I'll regret my choice as I do love the current m5, but desire something different. If the switch does happen, I will miss this board. Although I don't post much, you guys have been invaluable and I have appreciated so many of your recommendations.
I would love to hear from real enthusiast on their take on the new i5. And any recommendations? Thanks.

The instant torque I've heard from others on electric cars confuses me....probably because I've never driven an electric. I mean, the M5 is much faster 0-60 than the i5.....so wouldn't the torque be as instant in the M5?

[Kponti]

Originally Posted by mjr24

The instant torque I've heard from others on electric cars confuses me....probably because I've never driven an electric. I mean, the M5 is much faster 0-60 than the i5.....so wouldn't the torque be as instant in the M5?

Imagine you hit peak torque and peak horsepower the moment your foot is down on the go pedal, no need to wait on rpm, turbo boosting up and it stays at peak HP and peak torque the entire time your foot is down. That's the electric car feeling.

Even the Model 3 feels faster on the low end than my M8 due to the instant feeling. And will definitely catch you if you hesitate slightly in a race. Sometimes takes up to triple digit speeds to catch back up.

[shellbmb]

While it's not replacing my F90, I was in a similar situation to you recently for my wife. We drove several cars: X5, X5M, X5m60, Ix, I4, Macan, Cayenne and even a Tahoe. But what she loved the most, and honestly so did I, was the Model S. Yes, it's a tad dated and it certainly has its quirks, but it was hands down the most fun to drive and still is after about 6 months of ownership. There are a few things that drive you crazy about it, but you get used to them. If you've never driven an EV, you might try it at least for giggles. They will give you one to take overnight.

[Egrunt]

Originally Posted by shellbmb

While it's not replacing my F90, I was in a similar situation to you recently for my wife. We drove several cars: X5, X5M, X5m60, Ix, I4, Macan, Cayenne and even a Tahoe. But what she loved the most, and honestly so did I, was the Model S. Yes, it's a tad dated and it certainly has its quirks, but it was hands down the most fun to drive and still is after about 6 months of ownership. There are a few things that drive you crazy about it, but you get used to them. If you've never driven an EV, you might try it at least for giggles. They will give you one to take overnight.

We are looking for my wifes next vehicle and we recently test drove a 23 Macan GTS and it was a blast to drive.

[JK479]

Originally Posted by Egrunt

We are looking for my wifes next vehicle and we recently test drove a 23 Macan GTS and it was a blast to drive.

Even an s is fun. That new GTS engine though is a beast. I do think they killed the front looks with the ridiculous black trim. The 19-22 car was better looking I feel.

[mjr24]

Originally Posted by Kponti

Imagine you hit peak torque and peak horsepower the moment your foot is down on the go pedal, no need to wait on rpm, turbo boosting up and it stays at peak HP and peak torque the entire time your foot is down. That's the electric car feeling.

Even the Model 3 feels faster on the low end than my M8 due to the instant feeling. And will definitely catch you if you hesitate slightly in a race. Sometimes takes up to triple digit speeds to catch back up.

Understood, I’m obviously oblivious because I haven’t driven an electric car yet.

[LouK]

We have the new IX xdrive 50 as a loaner, the interior looks to be well put together, seats are nice.
Pros, space on the inside is utilized well, feels light and airy.

Cons, I am not sure if this is specific to the newest Idrive version but in the IX there are almost no physical buttons, meaning if i want to do something I have to go through several touchscreens to find the page and then select options, simple things that used to be a physical button.

Both my wife and I started feeling a little sick to our stomach after driving around for about 20-30 minutes, not sure what it was. We both drive fairly spirited in the M5 and TRX and never feel that way.

Obviously you will have a larger charger put in your house if you bought an electric vehicle, but getting one as a loaner can put you at a disadvantage. I just plugged the vehicle in at home from 81% it will take approx 29 hours to get to 100%. I have no fast chargers at work, so this means I either need to make an unscheduled stop and sit for 45 minutes to get it charged or hope that plugging it in every night and unplugging when I leave gives me enough juice until I get the M5 back.

Overall its a nice car, but by no means is it on a short list for me to buy.

[Mr. Jonathan]

We have an IX, installed a 240v 39 amp in the garage ($800). The IX never gets below 60% daily driven, charges up to 90-100 before bed time.

Not sure how much faster the M EVs are and I'm not sure I care to much. The IX will put you back in the seat as long as you can keep the peddle down. This is our first EV so I can't speak to another make/models. Overall we are very happy with the IX. The ride is unbelievably smooth and quiet (a little to quiet). I caught myself doing 95 by mistake yesterday. At this point I don't think it would be worth spending more for an M EV model. These cars are to heavy for how fast they move in my opinion.

[RobRed]

If you really want to chill in LA - Rivian R1T

I rented a R1T fo 8 days and it was quite intoxicating... roll over anything comfortable, mad acceleration, looks different in a good way. I mean its a pickup configuration but what the hell you already have the 992, m5 and X5m.