BMW i5 250kW eDrive40 M Sport Pro

The BMW i5 experience

It must be at least 10 years since my last BMW company car and despite its plaudits and awards I’ve never really warmed to the vehicles. Engineering and function no quibbles, but not really hit the emotive part in terms of how it looks and feels to me personally.

Equally as a business we have rarely provided many BMWs over the years. That has changed in the past 18months where the pace of EV model introductions seems to have hit warp factor, and with it a re-invigored interest from our customer base it seems.

Test drive of the BMW i5

With us selling so many BMWs it seemed sensible to get to know one better and see what the fuss was all about. We decided on a “quick” jaunt from Colchester to Cardiff including an overnight stay and watch our daughter in a University Dance Comp.

The model in question was the recently introduced i5 saloon – or to give it it’s full name, it is the i5 250kW eDrive40 M Sport Pro. Luckily, they didn’t put all of that on the badge at the back!

As an EV, the new i5 carries a lofty price, but with such a low BIK (Benefit in Kind) rate for EV’s and some very appealing business contract hire rates this vehicle is sure to start appearing in company car parks in the near future.

Space in the BMW i5

On first site the i5 looked huge. At 5 metres long it is longer than one of our SWB VW campervans and yet very stylish.

The angular front and sleek low roof line won me over. Describing the i5 as a saloon is inaccurate since it appeared very much like a 4dr coupe to me. What’s the saying? “you had me at hello”.  BMWs are always functional and meticulously engineered, the interiors of my previous BMW’s were generally places to be, rather to enjoy. I was therefore very pleasantly surprised with the interior – which felt very much designed and not simply engineered to do what it needed. 

Range of the BMW i5

The i5 has a WLTP (‘Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure) maximum range of circa 330 miles and the car was collected fully charged showing a range of 313 miles available. With a journey of 225miles to the car park my journey plan was therefore simple. A coffee break but no need to charge and jump on a charger in Cardiff to fully re-charge. Eat and sleep and repeat on the return.

As we loaded the car the following morning, I was reminded of my gripe with EV’s. What started as 313 miles at the dealership which reduced to 287 after my journey home. The car was then re-charged to 100%, but even though it was a very mild day and warmer than the day before my 100% charge was now only giving me 235 miles of range. Someone had stolen 50 miles of range overnight, and then charged me for the privilege!

We all know that whatever type of vehicle we drive the stated WLTP range or consumption figures are rarely achievable for us mortals in everyday use. This level of discrepancy threw my journey plans and with my smugness at having a journey plan. The plan straight out of the window!

This isn’t an issue just with my week-end BMW i5. Every EV I’ve tested so far has at some point in the journey done something similar to me and I’m sure over a period of time it is something that simply becomes the new norm and becomes part of all travel plans.

It is probably one of the downsides of just testing a vehicle for a short period of time and comes with a dose of realism that owning or having an EV is just different to what we’re used to. We need to decide whether we’re ready for that change now or wait until sometime in the future.

BMW i5 driving experience

Back to the car itself and it was a dream to drive. It was so quiet and very little road noise intruding into the sumptuous cabin. The exception to this is when you hit the boost button. The dash goes red and starts to count down from ten which is your cue to floor it to an accompanying symphony of a throaty V6 and rapid acceleration with a big smile time!

The drive itself was effortless and extremely comfortable. Friday M4 traffic and a charge up meant our total journey was nearly 6 hours (one stop strategy) but no sign of fatigue on arrival. 

Conclusion

The i5 has changed my view entirely. The i5 we had looked great both inside and out and I genuinely enjoyed driving it and the feeling it gave me over the 450-mile round trip. A little part of me was sad to hand it back because it had made such an impact.

The company car park has changed significantly and with so many manufacturers turning their back on “cars” in preference for SUV’s it was more than encouraging to be actually driving a car, and a great one at that!

As more and more of us get past and accept the notion of an electric vehicle our decisions will once again be more about the car itself and this is where the BMW i5 will undoubtedly find favour!

If a BMW is a consideration then speak to the team @ TYSONCOOPER and they’ll happily talk through the BMW i5 and other comparable models even more so if you happen to be a member of RICS, ICAEW or BASC.

For more details click on the link https://www.tysoncooper.com/cars/bmw

or call us on 01473 372020 or email getintouch@tysoncooper.com