BMW i5 long-term test: report 9
Does the electric version of BMW’s latest 5 Series executive saloon impress as much as the larger and pricier i7? We're living with an i5 to find out...
The Car BMW i5 eDrive40 M Sport Pro Run by Steve Huntingford, editor
Why it’s here To see if BMW’s latest electric car feels special enough to justify its hefty pricing when you live with it day-to-day
Needs to Combine outstanding comfort and refinement with strong performance, an enjoyable drive and a good real-world range
Mileage 5218 List price £77,105 Target Price £71,200 Price as tested £92,570 Test range 317 miles Official range 338 miles
30 June 2024 – Facing the facts
A penny dropped from the top of the Empire State Building can kill; the Great Wall of China is visible from space; it takes seven years for your body to digest a piece of chewing gum.
Most of us have heard these ‘facts’, even though we probably can’t remember where we learnt them. But it’s safe to say it wasn’t from a school textbook, because in reality none of them are true. And another false fact that people often think they know is that electric cars are more efficient in town than on faster roads.
My BMW i5, for example, spends much of its life in stop-start London traffic, where it has a real-world range of around 280 miles in good weather. However, take it on a long run – as I did the other week, when I had to get from our Twickenham office to an event in Birmingham – and that figure is almost 320 miles.
There’s something very satisfying about watching the percentage of charge that you’re estimated to have left when you reach your destination actually increase as you drive. And don’t think this requires you to pootle along at 55mph and slip-stream lorries; on the contrary, I was cruising at 70mph when conditions allowed, which was for most of the journey.
Our most recent petrol vs diesel vs electric test told a similar story, with the electric car averaging 2.5 miles/kWh on congested urban roads but 3.4 miles/kWh on the motorway. So, why is this?
Well, the first thing to note is that driving slowly and steadily is more efficient than driving quickly and steadily. And, of course, electric cars have regenerative brakes, which can put some energy back into the battery whenever you slow. However, this isn’t enough to make up for inherent inefficiency of repeatedly moving away from stationary and never really building any momentum.
It’s not just a big real-world range, though, that makes the i5 a superb long-distance cruiser. It’s even quieter than the previous-generation BMW 5 Series that I ran a few years ago – a car that was so refined that it gave luxury limos a run for their money.
What’s more, while BMW has long fitted sporty front seats that stop you from sliding around in corners, the i5’s also keep you comfortable when you’re sat in the same position for a couple of hours, thanks to excellent under-thigh and lower back support.
On top of this, I like the way the seat heating (or cooling) automatically activates when needed, and invariably makes the right call on when to do so. It’s just a pity you have to add the Comfort Plus Pack to get this functionality; given the price of the i5, I can’t help thinking heated seats should be standard.
Instead, BMW charges £5000 for the pack in question – a price that stings like being hit by a coin dropped from a great height.
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