BMW i5 Touring review

Our opinion on the BMW i5 Touring

There’s plenty to like about the BMW i5 Touring. This electric executive estate offers more space inside than its main rival, the Audi A6 Avant e-tron, while the quality of the fit and finish inside is excellent. The cabin is packed with tech, too, and limo-like refinement completes the package. However, it’s not quite as involving to drive as the Audi, which is something of a surprise when it comes to BMW, while the range falls short for a car that seems well suited to the brief of being a comfortable long-distance cruiser.

About the BMW i5 Touring

It wasn’t long ago that estate car buyers would have been feeling pretty left out of the EV market. For years, there have been plenty of huge SUVs to choose from, but electric estate cars were much thinner on the ground. The BMW i5 Touring was one of the first cars to offer a spacious, desirable estate that was just as usable as the petrol-powered equivalents – and now rivals like the Audi A6 Avant e-tron aim to take away some of BMW’s glory. There’s still a huge amount to like about the i5, though, even if the Audi has revealed one or two areas where there’s room for improvement.

There are two powertrain options available, the eDrive40 and M60, and both models are fitted with the same 84kWh battery. The difference is the electric motors, with the former featuring a single motor on the rear axle, while the M60 has two motors (and more power) for four-wheel drive.

The eDrive40 Sport Edition is the entry point to the line-up and starts from around £70,000. As you might expect for that price, it comes with a decent haul of kit, including 19-inch alloy wheels, LED lights, a powered tailgate, BMW Live Cockpit Plus with a vast curved display, sports seats, two-zone climate control, park assist and a suite of driving-assistance tech.

The eDrive40 can also be had in M Sport trim, which is often the more popular spec level for UK buyers. This adds around £6,500 to the list price before options, and includes M Sport wheels, suspension, bodykit and detailing, while there’s Alcantara and man-made leather seat trim and a sportier 19-inch wheel design.

At the top of the electric i5 Touring range is the M60, which is its own model within the line-up. It’s priced at around £100,000, but as well as getting more power and four-wheel drive, you also get more kit, including a beefier bodykit, 20-inch alloys, four-zone climate control, adaptive suspension, a B&W sound system and an illuminated grille surround.

The i5 Touring delivers a great blend of a composed ride and sharp handling, while the M60 version has a phenomenal amount of grip. But a disappointing feel to the steering takes the shine off what would otherwise be an accomplished driving experience.

As it stands, the eDrive40 is likely to make the most sense for most buyers; with up to 365 miles of range and 335bhp from its rear-mounted motor, both its performance and range are more than adequate for typical estate car users. 

The M60 xDrive is for those who are in a little more of a hurry, thanks to its twin-motor set-up. It has the same 335bhp motor that’s fitted in the back of the eDrive40, but that’s joined by another 257bhp motor driving the front axle. These combine to deliver 593bhp and up to 820Nm in ‘Boost’ mode. The throttle response is well judged: keen enough to react so that it feels as potent as you’d expect it to, but not so sharp that it feels hyperactive. At any speed, there’s loads of performance in reserve, with strong acceleration available well beyond the national speed limit.

Electric motors, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed

The standard eDrive40 has an official 0-62mph time of 6.1 seconds, which will be more than fast enough for most buyers. Officially, the M60 Touring will crack the 0-62mph dash in 3.9 seconds. Both cars are a tenth of a second behind their saloon counterparts, but the M60 Touring has the same acceleration figure as the rival Audi S6 Avant e-tron. 

Top speeds are 120mph for the eDrive40 and 143mph for the M60 version of the i5 Touring.

Town driving, visibility and parking

The main thing that strikes you about the i5 around town is just how eerily quiet it is. Sound insulation is superb, which means that below 20mph or so, it’s hard to hear any tyre noise at all. 

For a car with M aspirations, the i5 is even fairly soothing to drive, although the Audi S6 manages to ride across smoother surfaces and rough roads even better. The turning circle is reasonable for a car of this size, which is helped by a four-wheel steering system that turns the rear axle in the opposite direction to the front wheels at low speeds.

B-road driving and handling

There’s a decent chassis beneath the i5. Its ability to cosset and comfort its occupants on city streets is matched by an ability to feel agile and responsive on a twisty road – no mean feat, considering the significant mass at play. 

In the M60 model, traction is also brilliant, given the massive amount of torque that all four tyres have to cope with. And with more power going to the back axle, it still feels pleasingly rear-biased in a way that seems in keeping with all of the best performance BMWs.

However, there are one or two areas that could be improved, and the steering is chief among these – although its response is fast and it’s fairly accurate, so it does a solid job of masking the i5’s kerbweight at slow to moderate speeds. The problem is that the light rack is almost completely devoid of any feedback – and things are not helped by an almost comically thick steering wheel. As such, placing the car accurately through a turn takes some getting used to, and working out how much grip the tyres have left to give is even more tricky to judge. 

Motorway driving and long-distance comfort

Driven in a more relaxed manner, the i5 proves to be a brilliant long-distance cruiser. Road noise remains superbly suppressed, though the M Sport mirrors of the M60 version generate a noticeable amount of wind rustle, which means an Audi S6 is a little more hushed in this area. 

The i5’s ride is wonderfully soft and supple – even in hot M60 form – and the motors feel like they’re barely breaking a sweat at 70mph. Were it not for the i5’s overall driving range, it would be a near-faultless and impeccable motorway car.

Expert view, on driving experience

“The i5 Touring’s ride is superbly controlled; it doesn’t filter out every single bump like a Mercedes EQE (not available as an estate) or the Mercedes E-Class Estate (not available as an EV), but it keeps the car’s mass in check without throwing the occupants around over rough roads.” – Alex Ingram, chief reviewer, who has driven both the eDrive40 and M60 versions of the i5 Touring

The i5’s 81.2kWh battery is a little smaller than what’s offered by some rivals, and when we tested the M60 version against an S6 Avant e-tron, we were disappointed to see that it couldn’t quite match the efficiency that the Audi had to offer. This means there’s a penalty in real-world range.

Electric range, battery life and charge time

Officially, the i5 has a usable battery capacity of 81.2kWh, which is some way down on the 100kWh pack used by the Audi A6 e-tron. 

When we tested the i5 eDrive40 Touring on a gentle long-distance drive in favourable temperatures for an EV, we were pushing an impressive 4.0 miles per kilowatt-hour, which translates into a real-world range of 325 miles from the 81.2kWh battery. While we’d say that’s a best-case scenario, more mixed driving threw up around 3.3 mi/kWh, which is still enough for 268 miles. 

Given that the battery tends to be the heaviest part of an electric car – and a smaller pack should be lighter – it’s a surprise that officially, the i5 M60 Touring tips the scales at 2,425kg, which is 15kg more than an Audi S6 Avant e-tron. 

With no weight advantage, the i5 proved to be slightly less efficient in our hands when we tested the pair, hitting 3.0 miles/kWh to the Audi’s 3.1mi/kWh. But with its smaller battery, that’s enough to have a profound effect on the overall range. While the Audi is capable of covering nearly 300 miles on a charge at that figure, the BMW can only muster 244 miles. While few people are likely to do any more than that distance in one sitting, it means that the BMW has less wiggle room for finding charging stops on the sort of long-distance trips it excels at – especially if the weather gets cold and the range drops. 

When it comes to charging, the i5 can top up its battery at a maximum of 205kW. That’s a strong figure, but once again the Audi has an edge, with a peak speed of 270kW. At least the smaller battery in the i5, compared with the A6 e-tron, means that it takes less time to fully recharge using a typical 7kW wall box charger at home. Refilling a flat battery this way will take about 13 hours. 

Insurance groups

Insurance ratings fall in line with the powertrains offered, so the eDrive40 is in group 43 irrespective of whether you pick Sport Edition or M Sport trim. Predictably for a performance car with a six-figure price tag, the M60 sits in the highest group 50 insurance band, which is in line with rivals.  

Tax

Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) rates are increasing year-on-year for EVs, but the current taxation structure means that they’re still significantly cheaper to run than similarly priced petrol or diesel models. The i5 Touring sits in the three per cent band, which means that a higher-rate income tax payer will face a bill of about £1,200 a year for the top-spec M60.  

Depreciation

Holding on to between 49 and 51 per cent of its value over three years (depending on spec), the BMW i5 Touring is expected to depreciate ever so slightly faster than the Audi A6 Avant e-tron.

The i5 Touring’s fantastic cabin feels as expensive as it looks. It makes most other rivals seem poorly thought out, a little dull, or both.

Interior and dashboard design

While it’s fair to say that many of BMW’s recent exterior designs have been somewhat divisive, its cabin layouts have been much more successful. 

The i5 looks fantastic inside, with a clean, modern design that immediately makes its rivals appear a little bland and old-fashioned. Ergonomically, it’s much better thought-out than the Mercedes EQE, too. Unlike its rival, the low dashboard relative to the seating position gives a clear view ahead. The seats are fantastically comfortable, but the steering wheel rim is too thick – to the point of making the steering feel clumsy. This is one of the few gripes that we have about an otherwise fantastic interior layout.

Materials and build quality 

Not only is the design unique and modern, but the fit and finish are first rate, too. The panel gaps, the trim joins between dashboard and door, plus the overall quality of the materials are all a step up from its closest German rivals – the perceived quality is closer to Porsche than Mercedes. 

The only exceptions to this are the electric window switches, which feel a little old-fashioned, cheap and plasticky.

Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo

It can be a tricky task to integrate touchscreen tech into a cabin without compromising ergonomics, but BMW has managed to have a much better go at it than most brands. It’s by no means perfect; the touch-sensitive heating and lighting controls aren’t as tactile or intuitive as proper buttons would be, but the mix of physical controls and a slick infotainment system makes it feel much more natural to use than many rival set-ups.

Thanks to BMW’s method of blending a touchscreen interface with a physical clickwheel, the i5’s infotainment set-up remains one of the easiest to use around. It offers the best of both worlds with its functionality; the screen is quicker and easier to use when parked, while the clickwheel is ideal for making minor adjustments on the move. Physical shortcut keys surrounding it make it easy to jump to key menus, too. Add in razor-sharp graphics and rapid loading times, and it really is hard to fault.

Expert view, on design

“While Audi makes big claims about its latest A6 e-tron being the most aerodynamically efficient car it has ever produced, and while the Audi is more slippery in Sportback guise, the Avant estate and i5 Touring have matching drag coefficients of 0.24Cd – an impressive return considering the boxier shape of the BMW. Active aero features help the BMW reach that figure, with a pair of vents in the grilles opening and shutting to allow for a balance between cooling and efficiency.” – Alex Ingram, chief reviewer. Has driven both the eDrive40 and M60 versions of the i5 Touring

There are some estate cars on the market with a bigger boot than the i5 Touring, but they’re few and far between. A supremely comfortable and spacious cabin makes it a perfect choice for a large family car.

Dimensions and size

Mechanically, the i5 Touring is identical to the i5 saloon. At a shade over five metres long, it’s the same length as its four-door counterpart, but with a longer roof, obviously. Overall, it’s longer than the Audi A6 Avant e-tron and has a longer wheelbase, too, although it’s not quite as wide, but that doesn’t appear to have affected passenger space.

Driving position, seats & space in the front

Plenty of adjustment in both the steering wheel and the seat itself makes it easy for drivers of all shapes and sizes to arrive at a comfortable position. Storage is in reasonable supply, with a deep glovebox, a space beneath the central armrest, and sizeable door bins. 

At the base of the dash, there’s a shelf that can hold two smartphones (one space includes a wireless charging pad), but the position of the USB ports close to the cup-holders is a little awkward.

Seats & space in the back

Room in the rear seats is excellent, with more head and knee room than the Audi. The seats themselves have more under-thigh support, too, but foot space beneath the front seats is a little limited. Isofix points are mounted behind folding plastic clips, and all that space makes installing a child seat easy.

Boot space

At 570 litres, the i5 Touring’s boot is vast even with the rear seats up, swallowing all manner of bulky items with ease. That figure puts it 68 litres ahead of the Audi A6 Avant e-tron, and the BMW also has a lower load lip, which makes it easier to lift heavy items on board. 

Unlike the awkwardly shaped boot of its saloon counterpart, the i5 Touring’s load bay is a neat, square shape, too. A pair of levers makes it easy to drop the rear seat backs from the boot and with them folded flat, the volume grows to 1,700 litres. It’s worth noting that the BMW 5 Series Touring has the same boot volume, whether it’s combustion-powered or a plug-in hybrid.

Towing

Estate cars are popular with caravanners, and the i5 Touring has a maximum braked towing capacity of 2,000kg. That’s 100kg behind the Audi A6 Avant e-tron, and the same as a 5 Series petrol can tow, but more than the 530e plug-in hybrid can achieve, at 1,800kg. Of course, hitching a trailer to the i5 Touring will have a negative impact on an already slightly disappointing range.

Expert view, on practicality

“One small gripe is that a previous signature of BMW’s Touring models, the opening tailgate glass, is not a feature on the i5. It was a really useful thing to have in tight spots or if you had only a small item to drop into the boot.” – Alex Ingram, chief reviewer. Has driven both the eDrive40 and M60 versions of the i5 Touring

Strictly speaking, the i5 hasn’t been assessed by Euro NCAP, but its petrol twin, the 5 Series, has – and as a saloon it scored a maximum five-star rating in 2023. The way Euro NCAP’s scores work is that the rating for this model covers a range of bodystyles and powertrains – including EV variants – that use the same safety features.

Owners of cars from premium brands understandably have high expectations for their vehicles, and in our 2024 Driver Power manufacturer survey, BMW finished just over halfway up the table in 14th out of 32 – improving from 21st the year before. That put the brand comfortably ahead of both Mercedes (25th) and Audi (27th).

• Best buy: BMW i5 Touring eDrive40 M Sport 

The model we’d choose is likely to be the most popular in the i5 Touring line-up anyway. The M Sport looks smart, and the eDrive40 powertrain has more than enough performance and the longer range of the two set-ups offered.

As with its key German rivals, BMW provides a three-year warranty on all of its cars. However, the BMW package has no mileage cap, compared with the 60,000-mile limit that rival Audi stipulates.

BMW offers a service package for the i5 that covers the first four years (or two services). Given that most EVs need little more than a pollen filter change and general inspection in that time, a price of over £900 seems a little steep.

Alternatives

If you don’t want to switch to electric power, then the standard 5 Series is just as capable at carrying passengers and luggage, but has a longer range, whether you choose a petrol engine or the 530e and 550e plug-in hybrids. And if you’re thinking of stretching to an i5 M60 Touring, then the powerhouse M5 Touring isn’t a great leap more expensive.

Elsewhere, the Audi A6 Avant e-tron is the most direct rival to the i5 Touring, and when we tested the S6 version, we found it a better all-rounder, with a longer range and a more entertaining drive. It’s not as accommodating, though, especially in the boot. If space isn’t a necessity, then the Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo prioritises handling over load lugging. The Mercedes EQE is a saloon only, but matches the i5 for luxury and comfort.

BMW i5 Touring pictures

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