2024 BMW i5 eDrive 40 review

It was always a matter of when not if. Since the mainstream European manufacturers started making significant commitments to electrification, the venerable 5 Series has been destined for a zero emissions, battery-powered version.

But instead of an overnight transition in one model life cycle, BMW is carefully rolling out the electric 5 Series alongside more traditional variants. That’s why, as part of the seventh-generation model, Australians can still have a 520i petrol or an all-new i5.

Two versions are on offer: the flagship (for now) M60 xDrive or the most affordable pure battery 5 Series – the i5 eDrive 40. We’re taking a close look at the first electric BMW 5 Series, to see if the most affordable option upholds all the values that have made the model such an iconic executive sedan, despite its most significant evolution in half a century.

At $114,900, the more conventional 520i is still the most accessible 5 Series and stepping into an electric version costs an extra $41,000, but that $155,900 cost is still a relative bargain compared with the $215,900 M60 (all before on-road costs). There are, however, significant design differences to justify the increments.

The entry i5 replaces the 520i’s 2.0-litre petrol engine with an 84kWh battery and single electric motor, along with larger 20-inch wheels to replace the 19s, and other goodies such as adaptive suspension, metallic paint, leather interior, a posh stereo, and five years of free Chargefox charging.

At the top of the pack, the M60 xDrive gets two electric motors and all-wheel drive in place of the purist’s rear-wheel drive and more performance, up to 21-inch wheels, more clever chassis tech and an M body kit. If you think it’s a bit pricey for a 5 Series, the V8-hybrid M5 is likely to blast past the $250,000 mark when it arrives.

Choice in the executive electric sedan market is still a little limited given the more esoteric nature of sedans themselves, let alone before you throw in an electric drivetrain. 

But if you were looking for alternatives, then Mercedes’s EQE is on the list and Porsche’s rear-drive Taycan should get a mention, while not exactly in the same segment.

Don’t let the new i5’s proportions fool you – it’s big. With an overall length of 5060mm, the eDrive 40 is deceptively long, as is the 2995mm wheelbase. We’ll get into what that’s like to live with on the road later, but the big dimensions do translate into lots of space.

There’s plenty of space in the front row, but it’s in the second row where the i5 really earns its place as a luxury vehicle. Not only is there ample head, leg and knee room, but the comfortable seats are plush and upholstered in fine Merino leather.

We particularly like the cool ambient interior lighting, which can be manually switched for your favourite colour, or automatically changes depending on which of the My Modes has been selected.

Perhaps the only interior feature we’re not completely convinced of is the ceiling-mounted camera, which has a full view of all occupants. BMW’s official party line is that the camera is for security and can photograph any unauthorised occupants (read: wannabe car thiefs), as well as snap a selfie of all the occupants that are meant to be there. Hmmmm…

Less hard to understand the purpose of is the lovely large panoramic glass roof, which can tilt and slide both in the front and rear sections, while the Bowers and Wilkins stereo system was a delight on the ears.

A 490-litre boot is pretty reasonable for a large sedan, but BMW’s new 5 Series pushes the limits of the segment and sits ahead of the 430-litre EQE and 354-litre G80 electrified. It’s a touch smaller than the 520i though, which claims 520 litres.

Technology is where BMW’s i5 really earns its chops as a premium offering and has a very impressive suite of electronic features.

Immediately obvious is the vast curved display, which fuses both the driver’s 12.3-inch display with the 14.9-inch central touchscreen behind a single seamless pane. Not only is it visually impressive, but the functionality is just as respectable.

We loved the tile layout and pinch-and-swipe operation, which anyone with a smartphone will get to grips with quickly.

Also included is a large full-colour and customisable head-up display, completing the extensive information and entertainment and access to a wide range of services.

Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are supported wirelessly, and made simpler by a wireless device charging pad in the central console.

There’s also a lot of flexibility in how the i5 is accessed. In addition to keyless entry, owners can gain access to the car via a compatible smartphone and the My BMW application, which offers other vehicle functions and information features.

If you’re at a loose end while waiting for a charge or burger, the new BMW OS 8.5 system also introduced in-car gaming (when stationary) with occupants using a smartphone as the console controller, while video streaming is also now available.

As part of BMW’s operating system version 8.5, more conversational and natural spoken controls were introduced and the system is very effective, recognising even quite obscure requests such as “I don’t like this music” and “Where am I?”.

Digital radio and integrated e-sim connectivity are also standard fare, along with the full-width Interaction Bar that consolidates numerous climate and ventilation functions into another seamless unit with touch-sensitive operation.

With such a comprehensive set of technology incorporated into both the large curved screen and Interaction Bar, the i5’s dash is clean and uncluttered but still decorative and easy to use. Not many other brands have achieved the same balance.

Given BMW’s high level of specification and equipment, it’s perhaps not surprising that it scored the maximum five stars in the Australasian New Car Assessment Program.

It scored well in all areas, particularly adult and child occupant protection with ratings of 89 and 87 per cent respectively, while vulnerable road users and safety assistance were scored as 86 and 81 per cent.

The i5 is packed with safety technology with a comprehensive offering of passive and active features.

No safety features are optional, with all technology and driver assistance systems offered as standard on all variants, including the entry-level 520i.

One common bugbear with advanced driver assistance is overly enthusiastic lane-departure warning and intervention or collision avoidance, but the i5 has a very finely developed system that only intervenes when absolutely necessary and not aggressively when it does.

Standout features include seven airbags with curtain bags for both rows of seating, front seat side airbags, driver and passenger front airbags, and a central bag between front occupants.

There’s also BMW’s Drive Recorder system, which can be used to record short clips of the vehicle’s surroundings using the standard surround-view cameras in much the same way a dash cam captures footage.

BMW offers a six-year all-inclusive service package, which covers all scheduled maintenance for unlimited kilometres for an additional $2900. The standard Service Inclusive Basic service plan can also be upgraded to the Plus schedule, which includes some wear-and-tear items such as brakes, and wiper blades.

Like all electric vehicles, the i5 has fewer items that need periodic servicing attention – most notably a combustion engine and associated oil services. That said, there are still things that need regular checking and appointments at a BMW service centre.

While some manufacturers have fixed service intervals, BMW uses a system called Condition Based Servicing (CBS), which dictates how frequently a vehicle requires servicing depending on how it is used and driven and in what conditions.

Generally speaking, a BMW will want about 15,000km between services, but that could be increased or reduced if the vehicle has been driven hard, such as at a track or in dusty or very hot/cold weather, for example.

Full comprehensive insurance for the i5 eDrive 40 costs $5683 per year based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates will vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

That’s pretty pricey, and sits higher than the $4641 quote for a Mercedes-Benz EQE300 with the same owner details.

Outright range will vary depending on the type of driving, terrain and environmental conditions, but BMW claims a WLTP figure of between 477km and 582km for the eDrive 40.

A Max Range function can be used to extend the distance on a single charge by up to 25 per cent, says BMW, by cutting non-essential systems such as air conditioning and limiting performance.

One of the most positively surprising things about the i5 is how much it feels like a BMW 5 Series. It’s not like slipping back behind the wheel of 2000s E39, nor is it like an electric version of the G30, but instead, the i5 is exactly how the 5 Series should have evolved to retain all of the elements one might expect for the venerable model while adding in essential progress.

Its steering is sweet and direct, the driving position is luxurious and comforting, but not unsupportive in corners and under heavy braking. The i5 offers a wonderful balance of dynamics and ride quality that the very best 5 Series models have possessed over the decades.

With a heavy hand on the wheel, the i5’s weight shifts to the front in fast corners and leans onto the outside front wheel and can’t match the front-to-rear balance of previous 5 Series offerings, but with a more gentle approach, excellent grip and cornering speeds are possible.

At no point did we feel the eDrive 40 was lacking traction with rear-drive only, and the two-wheel-drive set-up combined with reasonable torque and decent Continental EcoContact tyres was a good arrangement.

With a motor output of 250kW and 430Nm, the i5 isn’t as quick as some electric sedans (leave that job for the M60), and it doesn’t feel quite as quick as the 6.0sec zero to 100km/h claim, but its power delivery far outshines basic statistics.

The i5 has the best throttle mapping and modulation we’ve experienced in an EV. Not only are power and acceleration perfectly intuitive at low speeds, it has a clever variable map. Smash the throttle open to three quarters, for example, and the i5 senses urgent acceleration is required and will give you more acceleration than if you bled the accelerator onto the same point.

Combined with an almost equally well-calibrated brake pedal for both regenerative and conventional braking, the i5 eDrive 40 is extremely easy to drive smoothly and is exceptionally relaxing for all on board as a result.

As you might expect, minimal noise levels certainly contribute to cabin comfort, unless you don’t want near silence – here too the i5 can oblige. The Iconic Sounds option allows a different synthetic sound to be played into the cabin depending on the selected My Drive mode.

Designed by renowned composer Hans Zimmer, the sounds are intriguing. When in Relaxing mode, the i5’s cabin is filled with ethereal sounds not unlike a wellness retreat, while the Expressive mode introduces loud menacing sounds that are slightly unsettling.

Regardless of which you choose, all soundtracks change according to accelerator and brake application, and in our time with the car they hadn’t started to lose their novelty.

One feature that did catch us out a few times was the i5’s very long wheelbase. During normal driving, the rear-axle steering does a good job of hiding the near 3.0m wheelbase and more than 5.0m overall length.

It has a 146mm ground clearance, but with the battery situated in the vehicle floor and hanging slightly underneath and the long wheelbase, a steep driveway caused the i5 to belly out on more than one occasion.

The i5 eDrive 40 can officially tow up to 1500kg if the trailer or caravan is braked, while the unbraked load is a fairly typical 750kg. That limits the BMW to lighter duty and small camper trailers, but no problem for a standard box trailer.

However, the i5 might not offer the best vehicle for towing duties given the dramatic effect this type of motoring can have on electric vehicle battery range, which falls faster than the range and efficiency of an equivalent combustion-powered model, measure for measure.

As the BMW is also rear-wheel drive, this might also be a consideration if taking a jet ski to a slippery boat ramp, for example.

If the i5 were to have its full tow rating exploited, it is worth noting that it has a maximum down ball weight of just 80kg, which may limit some applications. Roof bars offer some load flexibility with up to 75kg of cargo on top.

The i5 eDrive 40 is an exceptionally relaxing iteration of the iconic BMW 5 Series, and very much fits the brief of what the model has always offered. It’s luxurious, quiet, technologically impressive and reasonably practical.

If you’re after the pinnacle of 5 Series driving dynamics, then the M60 version is worth investigating – but its advantages come at a cost and, although it’s a more sporty proposition, that also comes at a cost to overall range.

That’s why the more affordable and efficient electric version is the most compelling in the family for now.

Not only does the i5 feel exactly as a BMW 5 Series should, it takes the iconic model into a new era without compromising too much of what put it on the map.

As such a new and significant model in the 5 Series’ history, demand for the i5 is still shaping up according to BMW, but there is already lots of interest in all versions.

“Early days for i5 as it only went on sale late last year, but interest is very strong,” says BMW.

Our advice is to contact BMW and arrange an inspection or test drive to establish if it’s the right EV for you.

While there is the more potent M60 to choose from, it also comes at a significant price premium compared with the eDrive 40, so it’s worth weighing up your priorities before heading to the dealership and getting swept away in the excitement of choosing a new car.

The next step in the purchase process is to check the BMW website for stock of your preferred 5 Series variant. You can also find BMWs for sale at Drive.com.au/cars-for-sale.

We strongly recommend taking a test drive at a dealership before committing because personal needs and tastes often differ. Find your nearest BMW dealer via this link. We’d also recommend test-driving the Mercedes-Benz EQE because it’s arguably the i5’s closest rival.

If you want to stay updated with everything that’s happened to this car since our review, you’ll find all the latest news here.