BMW i5 Touring - The Fab 5

[@akhilleusz15]

Let's talk about specs (baby) 😆😆😆 I really laughed out loud there! Cheers from Hungary

[@iwabernethy]

Ordered one of these just before watching this! Same colour and spec as the video test car apart from the alloys, no sunroof but i added the adaptive suspension with rear wheel steering. I've been without a car for 3 years but now need a 600 mile main road journey comfort car, and practicality for a house building project and putting full size adult bikes in the boot. It is expensive, however via a company car scheme in the 62% tax bracket it's ~£600 a month including insurance, tax, servicing and tyres, so not unreasonable. At the test drive the BMW dealer was a bit suprised that i found it a bit slow off the line and in the 50-70 overtake, and a bit lacking in interior trim materials quality... my last car was a F02 760Li! The i5 40 is good, but just not quite 760 good.

[@harrisclive77]

Nice car ❤

[@carstenklyhn4501]

Always look forward to your review, but this one lacks some critical notes in my opinion. In the country I live in the i5’s do not sell well at all and the M60’s are not even leaving the showroom heavily discounted. So much for the pricing. But for it’s price category and competition the i5 has a small battery by comparison meaning that the A6 or Q6 driver can still keep driving for a considerable time when the i5 driver has to stop or hypermile again. Furthermore the A6 chargers way better. The options which used to be available like opening sunroof, alcantara headliner and so on all missing. So despite this being a well built car I have little doubt that history will not be kind to this generation 5 series

[@AutoEV]

I’m very much looking forward to the A6 etron as I am led to believe that Audi have progressed quite a bit from the original etron (now Q8 etron) with electrical architecture and technology. I love the i5 but it isn’t immune to being bettered if another car comes along. Thank you for watching, and of course for supporting the channel.

[@davids4696]

This is incorrect - BMW EV sales are up 24 per cent if you read their latest update

[@unowen-nh9ov]

Record 2023 on 60 years of growth.

[@dstfno]

Audi is yet to release their A6, we'll see if it's as good as they promise it is. But by the time you get them delivered this 5 series will be over a year on the market. And also by then probably BMWs top selling model (3 series) will get its electric variant built on their new dedicated platform.

[@SavedLCI]

Will be good to review the audio system in vehicle, looking forward to hearing your take on this ?

[@clivew772]

If it’s any help, the standard Harman-Kardon system sounds very good in the iX, helped by the fantastically low background noise. I was playing Mahler nice and loud yesterday and noticed things like woodwind lines that have never come through in a car before 20:26 , presumably lost in the noise. I’ve no experience of the B&W system, but on this showing there’s no need to pay the (huge) extra price for it.

[@SavedLCI]

@@clivew772Thank you! I have the i4M50 with the Harman Kardon system sound excellent. Audio is key for me and wanted to get you take on the audio in this vehicle. Thank you

[@clivew772]

@@SavedLCI That’s encouraging! I also have the HK in an i3S, where it struggles a bit with really ‘big’ music like the orchestral stuff I enjoy. But that’s a much smaller car, without the space or the battery capacity for big amplification. In the iX, I find it doesn’t have to work hard because the car itself is so quiet - but it can easily go louder than I’ll ever want. And if you’re pleased with it in an i4, it’s probably safe to think the i5 interior is somewhere between that and the iX, so it ought to work well there too!

[@alanjenkinson7812]

double the price of an extremely well specced 530e a few years ago, they are totally taking the pi55 out of us all

[@pauljk5901]

Yet it will still sell .

[@GeertBaeke]

My 530e was not half the price of this. On the contrary… only 2 years ago though…

[@davids4696]

Bmw bev sales up 24 per cent year on year

[@AirgunNL]

That's why I traded my G31 for an Ioniq 5 N. I don't like the interior of all now BMW's with the curved display. Also exterior is too much focused on China. The head lights and rear lights of the new 5... 😮 ugly.

[@RichardHilditch]

I am surprised that you describe the VW ID.7 Tourer as “the size below this”, when I look at ev-database I see that the ID.7 tourer is only 4 inches shorter with just a 1 inch shorter wheelbase (the dedicated EV platform will make the interior space comparable). The boot space is listed as 35 litres more on the VW, but it is best to use a tape measure or banana boxes when comparing boots between manufacturers. For the same range you save over £17,000 on base list price (eDrive40 vs Pro). It seems that the only advantage the BMW has is the drive and the badge.

[@AutoEV]

The ID.7 is a D-segment car (so is designed to compete with the BMW i4, Tesla Model 3, Polestar 2, Hyundai Ioniq 6 and BYD Seal). The i5 is an E-segment car (Mercedes-Benz EQE, Genesis G70), so technically the VW is from the class below. That said, it is the largest in that class, so runs the i5 close.

[@DeZ197203]

I've driven both (in Holland) and can confirm that the ride and drivability is on a much higher standard on the i5. The ID.7 Tourer is (much) more spacious.That said, I do think the i5 is overpriced 5-10K. But I am getting one anyway. 😅

[@granfersteve3815]

Would you be giving it such a glowing review if you had the version with none of those options added?

[@AutoEV]

Absolutely. In many ways I’d probably have preferred it as it would’ve been better value for money.

[@RedBatteryHead]

Like the wheels. The ICE nose length doesn't really fit the design I think. Estate design is beneficial to the consumption for EV.

[@CryptoDave]

Ridiculous prices with options, which is a shame as it looks like a great all rounder apart from the transmission tunnel and efficiency.

[@sIightIybored]

Oh my that's expensive. It's going to depreciate in freefall. There'll be 6 month old ones for £40k before long.

[@paulhammond5599]

As much as I love your reviews how about doing something on 2nd hand EVs to help get people into them. Not everyone has the cash for these new models.

[@AutoEV]

It is something we have considered and discussed quite a bit. We’ve done a couple (the BMW i3 and Kia Soul) which took a while to get viewing figures, but it’s always something that is close to our hearts - especially mine as an ex-car salesman! What used EVs should we cover first everyone?

[@richardpiper4828]

I cannot get too excited about the styling although it is a bit better than most of BMW’s recent efforts and I agree with Bryan that it looks more coherent than the saloon. What I find a bigger problem is that it is such a big car, partly because it shares its underpinnings with the 5 Series ICE variants. I was recently passed by a Volvo V90 Cross in white with light grey lower cladding and I thought it looked absolutely gorgeous. Well done Volvo in returning their estate cars to the UK model listing. It will be interesting to see how the new Audi A6 compares with the i5 as IMHO it styling looks cleaner and more modern than the BMW. I always respect BMW’s engineering, tech and build quality but cannot overlook how awkward most of their models look. They may still be the ultimate driving machine - if you can live with their size - but for me they are no longer a car that you look at with a pride of ownership. I also just think the price of premium executive cars has become too high in comparison with many mainstream EVs from Hyundai, Kia and even Renault.

[@unowen-nh9ov]

Which explains why BMW have 20X more trolls>buyer$, both record #s.

[@Professor-Jack]

yes there is a choice its called a BUS

[@hege750]

That wallbox charger looks so tedious to use. 😂

[@AutoEV]

It isn’t.

[@PG-gs5vb]

BMW still cannot figure out how to build an EV, with a bonnet taking about 1/3 of the length... All the more puzzling considering they had it right on the i3.

[@pauljk5901]

This car is not a dedicated EV, they have ICE versions too, hence the long bonnet.

[@PG-gs5vb]

@@pauljk5901 Yes, I figured out later through the review.

[@brettevans3291]

Well it still doesn’t detract from it being too long in the front and restricted leg room and boot space which is the reason for buying a touring!

[@Sturge0519]

Price is steep, be interesting to compare it to the ID7 Tourer which will be a fair amount cheaper.

[@Nigelrudyardmusic]

The real breakthrough will come for them when they have the confidence (or feedback from focus groups or whatever) to stop building EVs that look like their ICE cars.

[@SteveLoughran]

I agree. This car wastes a third of its length into an engine compartment which was designed for a V6 engine and customers who viewed engine capacity as the key feature-so having a big engine compartment was a status symbol. Now on their EVs, especially iX3, i4 it's just a waste of space where they don't even fit a frunk. Range is the EV status- aerodynamics the way of advertising this. Dual ICE/BEV designs cripple their EV experience. (Written as an iX1 owner: after a year I now understand its limitations better)

[@unowen-nh9ov]

NK Concept, 1st of half dozen dedicated BEV, did you miss i3?

[@unowen-nh9ov]

​@@SteveLoughranBMW I6.

[@s111nps]

As a shared platform it should be much cheaper than it is. Maybe BMW doesn’t want to sell many in the UK. Unfortunately it will be one of the ones that adds fuel to the fire for anti EV lobby,as no doubt it will suffer severe depreciation further down the line. Good it may be, but list price with a few sensible options? Ouch. Thanks Brian.

[@clivew772]

This should have been perfect for me, because I much prefer estates to SUVs (and RWD to AWD) and had a 2013 Mercedes CLS to replace. But the i5 is even longer than that - more than 5m overall, more than is allowed by some car parks or ferry operators - and has rear legroom that is not really good enough for a car of this size. (Disappointingly, early walkarounds of the A6 Avant, by taller reviewers - sorry Bryan - suggest it’s no better in this respect.) So I swallowed all my SUV objections and bought an iX instead - at a very good price that will mitigate the worst of the depreciation. It’s a proper EV, has room for five of me at 6’5”, and is fabulously smooth and quiet to travel in. But I still wish it was an estate car, and that BMW had held the nerve it showed a decade ago in building the i3. Conservatism is a problem, in so many senses!

[@dstfno]

It was a smart decision. The EV market was/is not big enough to dedicate resources in building 100% electric cars of different sizes. BMW created platforms that supported all engine variants, which streamlined production and still delivered a decent offering. That's why they're not in trouble like VW group.

[@juliandclarke]

Please compare to the Ioniq 5 N.

[@AutoEV]

The two don’t compete in the same market space. The Hyundai is a properly focussed drivers car that has performance and driver satisfaction at its core whilst still retaining a good practicality for every day use. The i5 is a large estate that, whilst excellent to drive, is nowhere near as centred solely as a drivers car.

[@juliandclarke]

@@AutoEVkeep up the excellent EV reviews. Top of Ioniq range N is close to bottom of i5 cost. So as a buyer I would compare. I’m going with the N. Also please compare i5 to new Audi A6

[@johnlowe-g6t]

£70K for the base model, what world are they living in. If it did 500 mile on a charge then fine but 280! Go away utterly ridiculous!

[@dotslasher]

Audi A6 avant e tron is the same. These are terrible times for consumers

[@Billywoo12]

Lovely car, but this will depreciate incredibly quickly. The hybrids and BMW's reintroduction of diesel will make it so!

[@unowen-nh9ov]

Most lease.

[@Billywoo12]

@@unowen-nh9ov agree, but the depreciation will have to be paid for when the car doesn't make it's payout. The Tesla market is flooded with this problem, many customers 'own' a car which is worth 10 grand less than it's payout.

[@chriss8971]

The car looks comically long from the side view. Reminds me of a squashed hearse. And the rear wheels way too small relative to the overall size. It'll be fun reversing that beast into a tight charging space. Very unappealing. The infotainment system looks tacky but I guess it will appeal to a certain audience.

[@Glassey12]

Genuinely wish you'd not make your videos so long. 46 minutes? Genuinely, not a chance to dedicate that much time to a car review.

[@AutoEV]

I hear you, but there is a reason why we do it. We are a very small channel in a very big sea of automotive media, many of whom have big names attached to them. So how do we stand out against the likes of Carwow, Electrifying.com, What Car?, etc? We aim our videos at car buyers who want detail. We like to think that we are the last review someone will watch before buying (or not buying as the case may be) their new car. In an age where buying online, or remotely has become very commonplace, many people like the detail we go into as it covers all the bases that a prospective buyer may wish to know about. This in something I’ve garnered after spending nearly 30 Years selling cars. I tend to know the things that people want to know about. Now, don’t get me wrong, this approach won’t be to everyone’s liking (as you yourself have pointed out), but we do break into chapters so people can skip, or go to the part they need to know about. I appreciate it costs us subscribers and views, but we have really carved ourselves a bit of a niche with this that many people have thanked us for, and also (believe it or not) the manufacturers themselves. Ten minutes of drag racing down a runway doesn’t always give them the return on their marketing investment that a detailed 46 minute video aimed at actual car buyers can do. So there you go. I know it’s not for everyone, but I always like to explain why we go for the longer reviews as your comment is quite common. I do hope you understand, and I also hope that you do enjoy some of the review, if not all of it! Thank you for taking the time to watch and for commenting. It’s very much appreciated.

[@richardpiper4828]

@@AutoEVI agree. I like your comprehensive and factual reviews. Shorter KZbin videos are too focused on impressions and personal views. The AutoEV reviews are longer than most but they are authoritative - the equivalent of the Autocar Road tests in printed media rather than those of Top Gear.

[@mikegipson1224]

No there is no 'in fairness' you'd probably go for an Enyaq or sommit like that.. Both BMW and Audi have always ripped off customers whether ICE or EV recently its how they have made so many millions of profit in the past - they don't deserve that much no matter how good the car is...

[@AutoEV]

But that’s no different to saying you wouldn’t buy a 320i at £40k and just buy a Škoda Scala at £24k. Different cars. And that’s isn’t being detrimental to Škoda as they are brilliant cars, especially the Enyaq. But you can’t compare them just because they are both large electric cars. Why buy a Rolls Royce Spectre for over £300k when you could buy the BMW i7 for less than £200k? That’s the price for that brand, and if you want to drive it, that’s how much you have to pay. It’s just the same here. But you have to compare like for like. If Audi’s A6 etron Avant comes out and is brilliant and costs £10k less, then yes, the i5 has an issue. Until then though, the price of this excellent car is what it is.

[@dstfno]

@@AutoEV I've configured the A6 in Europe already and when speccing it the same as the i5 it's more expensive 😅

[@granfersteve3815]

Ridiculous prices and as you say so little in the way of choice

[@jaapboode2719]

The car has an ugly boring appearance. Not premium at all. Looks from the back left and right like an eighties Japanese hatchback.

[@pauljk5901]

That's a long hatch back. You need your eyes tested 🕶

[@jaapboode2719]

@@pauljk5901the form, not the dimensions.

[@glideman]

The constant advertising of the wallbox charger which is massive and looks cheap, hard to use! Some of us are paying KZbin for advertising free viewing and these adverts at the start and during the video are annoying to say the least.

[@AutoEV]

Not all our videos have it, and Andersen are our sponsored partners on some of the road tests. It’s support like this that allows us to be independent of big publishing groups and still be able to bring content to you. A lot of channels do it, because it’s a commercial world and an expensive business to be in and remain competitive. And in fairness, the box is anything but cheap looking and is very easy to use in my opinion. That’s the reason I have one.

[@markbennett6658]

@@AutoEVI wish you’d had a cleaner install done at your house with the power feed and data cables fully concealed in the wall cavity. It doesn’t reflect the clean minimalism of the Andersen charger that well which might be why the other comment suggested it looks cheap. I quite like it although it seemed a bit like there was fair a bit of resistance unwinding the cable from the self cleaning brushes. If I didn’t have the Easee One which I use untethered I’d definitely consider the Andersen, having said that.