2021 BMW M550i xDrive | Why Buy The M5?

In this episode, we have a look at the refreshed 2021 BMW M550i xDrive. Is it an M5 lite or is it a hotted up 5 Series? We take it for a proper drive to find out.
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#bmwm550i #bmwm550ixdrive #bmw5series

[@BobsGT235]

Nice video. Allright, since the motoman and you got the same press car, who used it first?

[@BrianMakse]

I think it’s a question of who drove it better…

[@derekburns4553]

Maybe I'm partial to red vehicles but Aventurin Red is a gorgeous color, and thee spec overall is just fantastic. Well spoken as always. Something tells me this is the sweet-spot for the 5-series if the aim is performance/daily driver.

[@stevealexR1]

I normally think of metallic red cars as being a Honda Accord driven by an old man but, I agree with you, Aventurin Red is gorgeous!

[@IamJay02]

Man this 5 series looks absolutely stunning in my opinion. I much prefer this over the new 3 and 4 series.

[@BrianMakse]

Couldn't agree more! It's a modern BMW that follows the tradition.

[@mrsteve7175]

Yes it looks great from all angles. The perfect understated design. Last chance to get one before they slap on a hideous grill.

[@snafons]

Just saw your review and bought it! Thanks!

[@leeraymer166]

This looks like the spec to get. Not an M5 but close enough that you can take the savings and buy that extended warranty. Great looking car.

[@BrianMakse]

It was brilliant to drive, that’s for sure.

[@pettersaethre]

540i - the sweetspot

[@davidrpriest]

A lot of people do not like the M Performance models but I think they are the perfect balance between sport and luxury. I have also noticed that the people who do not like them do not own any BMWs. They read that they supposed to like an M5 better in Car and Driver.

[@BrianMakse]

Indeed. I learned a long time ago to take the mags with a grain of salt which is why I evaluate each car through the same parameters on this channel. It's not about the most hardcore car or the most expensive. Here, it's about whether the car fulfills its design objectives.

[@______________9163]

Subscribed! On KZbin there’s rarely anyone as direct, competent and in depth as I saw in this video

[@BrianMakse]

Thanks, Joel! Check out MotoMan for a different and also nonsense-free take on the same car.

[@bazilewillems4625]

awesome review!

[@vegasplayer7387]

Nice review!

[@SladeStone50]

Great Review!

[@OTCRSA]

Nice review, thanks.

[@BrianMakse]

Thanks for watching!

[@rajeevchhaya489]

Brilliant review. Excellent 👌

[@BrianMakse]

Glad you enjoyed. Hope you stick around.

[@cameronstewart6193]

Crikey - love that colour, although I guess we won't be seeing it in the GWN. Thanks for the review; it was very interesting to hear your comments regarding how BMW has positioned it in the 5 series lineup.

[@BrianMakse]

Glad you enjoyed the episode, Cameron! We definitely don’t get that colour in the standard palate in Canadia. Shame because it’s so good.

[@mikeab2871]

Just bought one parked next to my trackhawk now !

[@BrianMakse]

Congrats. That’s a mega garage!

[@captainamerica9353]

My Laser Red Cadillac STS V8 got smucked by a drunk driver not long ago. Am looking a similar car, the BMW's are almost all either black or white. Love this color, it's rare for this model.

[@BrianMakse]

Such an elegant, understated sedan.

[@paulm6481]

Great review. To the point. This is how I know a brand is luxury, variety of engines options. Not the only way, but definitely one of the ways. This five series can be had with four and straight six and this crazy V8 and M5. It is really as big a BMW as I want, beautiful and that red wow. I probably just get the straight six if I were in market for one of these. That V8 seems fast but leaves no room in the engine bay. Really scares me to look at that complicated engine bay.

[@BrianMakse]

Thanks, Paul. I'm tempted to pull the engine covers off sometimes, but I'm always too busy driving!

[@timw2083]

Thanks for the review.... I'm loving the M550. I want a fun but not extreme sedan. Have you driven the E53 AMG and how do they compare?

[@BrianMakse]

This one’s not a bad choice! Check in on my pal MotoMan’s channel. He may have driven it. I haven’t. Just the 63.

[@VitoC.]

Another great vid. (Hate front license plates...)

[@BrianMakse]

Thanks, Vito. Same here.

[@SebastianThierjung]

this is a nice car with the right engine. great vid

[@BrianMakse]

Thanks Sea Bass! How was the sound?

[@SebastianThierjung]

@@BrianMakse it was very good. i’m sure this wasn’t the loudest car in the world but you did great at capturing the sound and the quality of sound was great.

[@jaffarbaqi]

Handsome but a bit understated. Should age gracefully.

[@lowspark68]

Thank you for a very intelligent and useful review without a lot of talk about twinkies and ho-ho's.

[@BrianMakse]

Cheers, glad you enjoyed it. We leave the dessert chat to the non-drivers.

[@nc8444]

Excellent review! I'm waiting on my M550, production starts in a couple weeks. Where are these canyon roads? Looks like a fun place to drive.

[@BrianMakse]

Thanks! That's southern California. No shortage of great roads!

[@nc8444]

@@BrianMakse I'm in NorCal. If you have any recommendations let me know. Can't wait for this car.

[@BrianMakse]

@@nc8444 I've got nothing for you. Enjoyed some great roads up there, but I'm sure you've seen them all. Unlike socal, I don't know of any decent, low traffic roads up there. Enjoy your 550 when it arrives!

[@jaykay2242]

Waiting for mine, checking my garage everyday. What are your thoughts on the vehicle so far?

[@nc8444]

@@jaykay2242 It's awesome. It's like having 2 different cars in one. Comfort mode is so quiet, relaxing, and such a soft ride. Very similar to the 750 I used to drive. If you hit the Sport mode button it wakes up an aggressive monster on steroids. Very different driving experiences. The ability to overtake cars is dangerously addictive. At 90mph it feels like the car is barely doing 50. Incredibly build quality. I got it ceramic coated and have paint protection film on it, so cleaning has been simple. I went with alpine white with ivory interior. I got nearly every option. Not sure what you've been driving, but you're going to love this car. The exhaust note from a cold start inside a garage sounds great. Makes me smile every time. What build did you go with? Is it already in production?

[@maxthemaltesedog3597]

The m550i gives you all the power of the m5 but with more luxury !! 🔥superb

[@rcauthen324]

M550 is a great car and not everyone wants all the power; however, M550 does not have the same power (HP) of a M5 only the same torque. Trust me, I traded my M550 for a M5 Comp and the power is on another level

[@Phantom-ez4zv]

@@rcauthen324 m cars are on another league, even the f10 m5 will walk all over this car, if you dyno both theres more than 100 wheel hp stock for stock! + and with just a tune it can go over 600whp which will make the difference almost 200hp to the wheel , no other modification just a tune, same for the f90 m5, just a tune and u be looking at 700whp with nothing else on it. i have the f10 m5 btw

[@rcauthen324]

@@Phantom-ez4zv Yes, M5 is different; however, the M550 is no slacker; it has serious power 523HP (MY2020+) and same torque as the M5. The M550 is for a different audience who is not looking for a track inspired car. I had a M550 and now M5 Comp.

[@onehorsepower]

M550i will add approx 120whp with just a tune, so that variable applied to both actually reduces the gap to the M5C!

[@maxthemaltesedog3597]

@@onehorsepower 💯 good point out

[@dwightraine9686]

Very nice car well Spect, I am thinking about getting one

[@BrianMakse]

You should, wonderful car.

[@ACURACALABAR11]

Did u got it

[@dwightraine9686]

@@ACURACALABAR11 not yet I’m at odds between the 550i or a C8 corvette

[@ACURACALABAR11]

@@dwightraine9686 o kool Well thats two different segments. A mean if u already have ur family. That can be just for u and ur significant other but if the family is still growing and u cant bother with daily and weekend ride. Get the m550

[@dwightraine9686]

@@ACURACALABAR11 no yet I think I will wait on the C8, I’m concerned about the motor on the BMW. Overheating, hi oil consumption I heard there’s a class action lawsuit on the motor.

[@InspirationIgnite310]

I’m very curious as to what is not available on the Canadian version, that’s available on the USA? I am not aware of any information as to what’s different. Thanks

[@BrianMakse]

Plenty. They’re product planned separately. Thanks.

[@InspirationIgnite310]

@@BrianMakse any reference? I just test drove one a few weeks ago up here in Canada, and I haven’t seen or heard any differences between the Canada and USA versions… the red paint is available up here as well. So just curious. 🤷‍♂️

[@BrianMakse]

All of that information is readily available at your finger tips. I offlined the files for this episode a year and a half ago.

[@InspirationIgnite310]

@@BrianMakse no worries. Didn’t check the date published. I probably watched every video on the M550… now KZbin is bringing up past ones on my feed. 🤷‍♂️😅This was the very first video I heard reference Canada, as not having certain upgrades. Perhaps a lot has changed in the past year and half. 👍

[@jimj2683]

The thing I hate about sedans/wagons is that they have zero legroom for the rear seats compared to the equivalent suv.

[@BrianMakse]

Are you a passenger or are you a driver?

[@jimj2683]

@@BrianMakse Mostly a passenger! I guess that is why I care so much haha Just remember sitting in the back of a VW tiguan and thinking how much better it was than all the sedans/wagons I had been in. Could stretch out the legs and sit upright with no restriction in headroom. But sedans look much cooler though...

[@joliettraveler]

Where did you do this test drive? It looks like somewhere in California.

[@BrianMakse]

Yes.

[@BrakRulesAll]

How can a car be the size of a battleship, but have a back seat with legroom like ea Jetta?

[@ACURACALABAR11]

50/50 weight ratio I believe. I have one. In fact all 5 series i own r like this.

[@captainamerica9353]

It's a mid-size car, and with average size people in front, there's plenty of rear seat legroom.

[@SJWetz88]

Aventurine red is not a good color for that car, I’m sorry. It looks like robotussin. Berenina grey amber, however, is amazing as is the tanzanite blue

[@BrianMakse]

That's why BMW gives you choice!

[@jeg569]

Is that a comfy seating position, it looks like you are lying down.

[@BrianMakse]

It’s the angle of the cameras.

[@jeg569]

@@BrianMakse great review

[@JohnnyBlaze5680]

I don’t agree with the non run flat tires in BMWs. Your cornering feel suffers due to the side wall flexing. The suspension is set up for the stiffness of the side walls of the run flats. Especially in the performance models like this one

[@BrianMakse]

Dear God, no...tires have a specific spring rate that is calculated into the engineering of the suspension regardless of their construction. It's not simply arbitrary as in "golly gee, my feelings tell me that stiffer is better". Furthermore, run flats weigh significantly more than conventional tires and the additional unsprung weight detracts from several dynamic aspects in addition to driver feedback.

[@JohnnyBlaze5680]

@@BrianMakse Took a 6 series I had into BMW for maintenance and decided to change from run flats to non run flats. I heard you get a smoother ride. Well it did feel smoother but the cornering completely changed due to the sidewalls flexing. A fact that was complained about in this very review video.

[@BrianMakse]

@@JohnnyBlaze5680 you're conflating a whole bunch of factors here and this isn't a tire engineering channel. If you are making tire purchase decisions in the future, I recommend further reading.

[@JohnnyBlaze5680]

@@BrianMakse I’m not “conflating” anything. I’m simply stating facts about a comment you yourself made in your review video. If you can’t handle that then maybe you shouldn’t be making these types of videos.

[@BrianMakse]

@@JohnnyBlaze5680 Perhaps I expect too much from viewers. Your 'facts' aren't facts, but rather feelings. Do yourself a favour and learn a bit more about tire tech so that we can have an intelligent, fact-based conversation.

[@rcauthen324]

Brain: Spot on, the M550 is made for people who focus on luxury with performance and is not a water down M5. Note, the AMG E53 does not stand a chance against the M550 regarding performance. 😉

[@BrianMakse]

I can't comment on the E53 because I've not driven it, but the M550 is a lovely thing.

[@rcauthen324]

​@@BrianMakseFor Sure !!

[@optimusprimevil1646]

340d is lighter, same torque and double the range for half the price.

[@BrianMakse]

The M5 CS has more power, more torque, and more exclusivity for twice the price.

[@ivangamer8022]

''i can't see the heads up display because i have the polarised glasses'' - First world problems everybody

[@BrianMakse]

Is sunlight just a conceptualization to you?

[@ivangamer8022]

@@BrianMakse what is said is funny. european countries are so advanced we have ridiculous problems. laugh now

[@ejr5480]

Because it’s faster? Just sayin…

[@Guenounovitch]

This interior doesn’t match with Mercedes and Audi offer

[@BrianMakse]

That’s, like, your opinion, man.

[@Spartanator84]

Why buy the M5? Resale value. The M550i doesn't hold its value nearly as well as the M5.

[@BrianMakse]

That’s valid, assuming that current market conditions are stable. 😎

[@mark21034]

Being the owner of a 2021 M5 Comp i can tell you there is no watered down M5 and if your focused on saving a few $ then dont even mention the M5. Ive done 0-62mph in 3.0 seconds flat. Find me a faster car for the same money.

[@BrianMakse]

Driving an M5 Comp at the moment and it’s lovely, but wait for the Tesla cult losers to show up. They’ll argue with you.

[@mark21034]

@@BrianMakse The tesla losers need 3 motors and they cant exactly do a track day. Not to mention the plaid needs to be modified just to get close to an M5 comp around the nurburgring. I wonder how many laps a plaid will do before it needs a lunch break? But most people understand what motor racing is, the rest are tesla owners.

[@xxthehuskycaboosexx]

An E63, that won’t bend rods after a stage one tune 💀💀🤣

[@BrianMakse]

@xxthehuskycaboosexx tuning isn't for chumps, as they say! 😎

[@arvinderbhangu8373]

A nissan gtr cost same and is faster

[@dannyhoward3437]

Stopped watching at 5:56 after I saw the unprofessional snark about fellow KZbin car reviewers. Newsflash: you’re all pretty bad at this.

[@BrianMakse]

What are you even talking about?

[@dannyhoward3437]

@@BrianMakse you know what I’m talking about.

[@BrianMakse]

@@dannyhoward3437 polarized sunglasses? lol

[@ejr5480]

Because it’s faster? Just sayin…