Driven: 2024 BMW i5 M60 Touring – the Miracle Cure for Hopeless Petrolheads

If the above sounds too good to be true, you should waste no moment and request a test drive at your local dealer to convince yourself. Oh, well, sorry, that's not possible because the Touring variant is not and will not be sold in the US. It's a shame because the i5 M60 Touring is much better than an SUV and more versatile than the sedan. I've driven it in Europe, and I can tell you this is one of the best cars the German carmaker has ever built and its best EV to date, despite a few shortcomings.

But before delving into the intricacies of this electric Bimmer, it's worth remembering BMW's efforts in the EV arena. The German carmaker was among the first traditional carmakers to start preparations for the electric future with the quirky i3 launched in 2013. The BMW i3 was not only excessively weird, it was an experimental prototype introduced in series production. It featured innovative details like the carbon-fiber passenger module bonded on an aluminum chassis. Against all odds, the i3 was a huge success, with over 250,000 units produced until 2022, when it was retired.

Since the i3, BMW switched course and refrained from offering purpose-built all-electric models until 2021, when it introduced the iX. This is another technology showcase that made it into production. Like the i3, the BMW iX is the only stand-alone electric model BMW has offered. All other EVs in BMW's lineup are just electric variants of the regular models, with the i4 being an electric 4 Series coupe and the i7 an electric variant of the 7 Series luxury sedan.

The BMW i5 is no exception, being integrated into the G60/G61 5 Series lineup and built using the same versatile Cluster Architecture (CLAR). This allows BMW to use any powertrain configuration in its portfolio, be it diesel, gasoline, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or electric. Remarkably, the i5 doesn't sacrifice much space compared to the ICE 5 Series, despite having to find a place for the battery pack. This is even more true for the Touring variant, which offers the same trunk space as the gas-powered wagon.

Design evaluation

I must say I'm grateful to BMW designers for striking the right balance with the G60 5 Series. Gone is the hideous kidney grill pioneered by the BMW iX, and you know what? Good riddance. The BMW i5 M60 Touring is as beautiful as a BMW wagon can be, and it's enough to want to admire it one last time when you walk away from it in the parking lot. That's all I ask from any vehicle, and BMW certainly accomplishes this with flying colors, making this one of the most beautiful 5 Series Touring across many generations.

BMW contributed to this by providing the loaner for this test drive with a comprehensive set of visual upgrades. This starts with the most obvious, the Frozen Deep Grey Metallic paint job. It's a BMW Individual paint that requires special care on the production line and will set you back 3,895 euros (you can get it on the i5 M60 sedan for $3,600 at BMW dealers in the US ). It's worth every penny, though, like the 20-inch M Aero Bicolor Black/Grey rims (2,204 euros in Europe and only $800 in the US).

The M Sport Pro package is a must-have for every M model, and I don't see why this is not in the standard configuration. It adds the red M Sport brake calipers, Shadow Line trims and lights, as well as carbon fiber elements that pepper this family wagon to look like a Nürburgring beast. The staggered wheels certainly contribute, with 245/40 R20 tires up front and 275/35 R20 at the rear, all wrapped in Pirelli P Zero sport tires.

People have often criticized carmakers for trying to set their all-electric models apart, resulting in ugly and weirdly-looking cars. BMW wasn't spared, with the i3 and later iX considered among the ugliest models it ever designed. The Germans have learned their lesson and now offer electric variants of their most popular model lines. This is why the i5 is almost impossible to distinguish from its 5 Series brothers with a combustion engine. And that's a good thing, design-wise, although it forced BMW to compromise in other areas, which we will discuss below.

The i5 M60 Touring adopts a classic shark-faced front fascia with active grille flaps for improved efficiency. The drag coefficient is 0.25, which could be described as "not great, not terrible." That is in line with the Mercedes-AMG EQE 53 (0.26) but far from the segment leaders Lucid Air (0.197) and Tesla Model S (0.206). This adds some burden to the i5's overall efficiency, which is nothing to phone home about.

Interior assessment

The same attention to detail is visible in the cabin, where we were greeted by the Merino leather seats in Individual Copper Brown/Atlas Grey combination (2,255 euros/$2,450). BMW loves going above and beyond when specifying the vehicles in the press fleet, and this i5 M60 Touring tester is no exception. The M60 trim is already filled to the brim with exciting goodies. Of course, being an M model, there are M-themed trims and details everywhere, but I'm talking about convenience and technology features that make you feel you bought an upscale Bimmer.

The i5 M60 Touring comes standard with ambient lighting and the BMW Connected Professional package, which helps you control many functions from the mobile app via the vehicle's embedded SIM (eSIM). This also benefits the Live Cockpit Plus infotainment system powered by the BMW OS 8.5. The standard Harman/Kardon speakers complement this, although our configuration benefitted from a Bower & Wilkins upgrade in the audio department. However, I found the standard four-zone automatic air conditioning system the most useful, considering the 107-degree temperature outside.

Based on the same criterion, I wasn't a fan of the optional panoramic glass roof, which lets in more sunlight than I'd like, but I understand why it's a hit with families. Other upgrades on our tester included the Innovation package, with Live Cockpit Professional and an advanced driver assistance package, and ventilated Comfort seats, a real life savior in these criminal temperatures. Bonus points: These seats honor their name, being perfect for longer road trips. The M60 might be sporty, but there's no reason why you should feel miserable on some raw bucket seats.

I give BMW kudos for squeezing the battery beneath the floor without affecting the space for rear passengers. Although the battery does take a little space and the combustion-powered 5 Series has a lower floor, the i5 M60 Touring pampers rear passengers with enough room to travel comfortably long distances. The trunk can easily swallow 570 liters/20 cu-ft (1,700 liters/60 cu-ft with the rear seats folded) of luggage, the same as the gas-powered 5 Series.

The cabin atmosphere benefits from what BMW calls an "interaction bar," stretching door-to-door. This light strip is part of the ambient lighting and can display different colors and animations according to the selected driving profile. It also blinks solid red when the hazard lights are active, offering additional warning when the front doors are open.

The curved display combines the driver's information display with the infotainment screen. While both offer the functionality you expect, I wish BMW had offered the option to change the gauges to something more... round. I'm not a fan of BMW's new instrument cluster theme, which you can see across all current models. Although you can change the information displayed and even the shape to some degree, you're stuck with the boomerang-shaped gauges that make little sense.

Also, I wish that BMW had made the infotainment menus simpler and more intuitive. For instance, instead of a unified Settings menu where you can find every setting you need, there are a dozen separate settings menus for each feature. Needless to say, you cannot get to another section directly, so you have to close this menu and move to another if you need to adjust several settings in a row.

Driving take

Fortunately, what journalists have to figure out with every new model they test, owners have a lot more time to adjust and be familiar with. Once you get past those myriads of settings scattered across the infotainment menu, you can finally enjoy that unmistakable BMW feeling. That's when every component, from the precise steering to the perfectly tuned suspension, cooperates to offer the best driving experience possible.

The BMW i5 M60 Touring relies on a dual-motor configuration that delivers up to 593 horsepower when you select the Sport profile or activate Launch Control. The standard 510 horsepower is more than enough for everyday driving and can even feel explosive if you're not careful with your right foot. Switching to the Efficient profile tames the beast (maybe a tad too much) with the added benefit of lower energy consumption.

BMW informs us that the i5 M60 Touring can get from zero to 100 kph in 3.9 seconds, equivalent to 0-60 mph in 3.8 seconds. This sounds impressive only until you write this down on the same piece of paper with the Tesla Model S (3.2/3.1 seconds) or even its compatriot Mercedes-AMG EQE 53 (3.3/3.2 seconds). The i5 M60 Touring is quite heavy, at 2,425 kg (5,346 lbs.), and it shows.

This heavy-weight champion still masters cornering like an M car, with a perfectly controlled body roll, courtesy of the active sway bars. The parametric steering also helps navigate twisty roads, with a stability boost provided by the rear-wheel steering system. However, you'll feel all its heft when traffic forces you to brake quickly and notice how reluctantly it obeys the brake pedal.

The first thing that strikes you when driving the i5 M60 Touring is its comfort. The engineers have done a marvelous job fine-tuning the M Sport adaptive suspension. Regardless of the irregularities in the road, you'll be treated with a "magic carpet" feeling. That's surprising, considering that the M Suspension is optimized for agility first and foremost. BMW proves it can do both, although I suspect the 20-inch wheels played their part.

Everyday living

The BMW i5 M60 Touring is one of the most versatile cars on the market, offering enough space for a family of five and its luggage. It's also one of the most comfortable on a road trip, and let's just say it doesn't feel boring in the slightest. However, you must be a die-hard BMW fan to be willing to spend so much on it. Out tester was 129,375 euros ($141,000), including 27,750 euros ($30,000) in extras. While the slightly more powerful BMW M5 starts at 133,000 euros in Europe, the Tesla Model S is only 93,000 euros. It's also more powerful and faster than the i5, while it smashes it in the range department.

Of course, if the i5 M60 Touring would sell in the US, you'd be getting a much better deal, considering that the equivalent sedan starts at $84,100. That would be more in line with what a sporty executive car should cost. However, it would still be more expensive than the Tesla Model S ($74,990), with all the other shortcomings in power, performance, and efficiency.

The limited range is the elephant in the room with this electric M. If electric vehicles never existed, nobody would expect a super sport executive sedan with 600 horsepower to go more than 200 miles on a full tank. Measured by this standard, the BMW i5 M60 Touring qualifies, with a claimed range of 464 km (288 miles). Compare that with the Tesla Model S's 634-km (394-mile) range (following the same optimistic European WLTP standard), and you'll start scratching your head.

However, driving that long on a charge in the real world is almost impossible without pulling all the strings in the eco-driving manual. You can expect around 300 km/200 mi of combined driving range in the i5 M60 Touring. This still falls short of what the Tesla Model S provides, at about 560 km/350 miles of real-world range. It makes the electric Bimmer less suited for road trips unless you like to take your time and thoroughly enjoy every charging stop.

Part of the problem is the small battery pack, with only 81.2 kWh of usable capacity. The same pack powers the lesser variants of the i5, and it shows on the much more powerful M60. During my test, I managed an average of about 30 kWh/100 km (484 Wh per mile). I'm aware that testing a car is not how regular people drive theirs, but it's still a very high consumption, making me believe that BMW could've done more to improve efficiency.

On the plus side, the i5 M60 Touring can charge quickly. The onboard AC charger supports up to 22 kW (optional; the standard configuration allows up to 11 kW), meaning the i5 needs about four hours to charge fully. Hooked to a DC fast charger, it supports up to 205 kW in ideal conditions (which hot weather is not), allowing you to charge from 10% to 80% in less than half an hour.

Test drive roundup

Overall, the BMW i5 M60 Touring is a great car and a great EV, offering a lot of versatility for families and road warriors. It's also perfect for a weekend on the racetrack, all while providing unmatched comfort and exhilarating performance. Its only letdown is the limited range, which BMW could mitigate with a bigger battery pack. However, this would raise the price further while also affecting the dynamic qualities.

Of course, part of i5's problems stem from sharing the CLAR platform with the gas-powered 5 Series, and that is more difficult to change with this generation. Thankfully, BMW is already working on the next-generation electric powertrains and vehicle architectures. Come 2030, I'm sure we'll see a much-improved i5 in every aspect. Until then, we have to admire this perfect compromise that the G61 i5 M60 Touring is.

If you're willing to give it a pass in the range department, you'll discover that the i5 M60 Touring ticks all the boxes, offering a luxurious and comfortable ride that Tesla still cannot match. Performance-wise, it's close enough, and only on paper, it looks slower. If you don't believe me, book a flight to Europe and try it yourself.

Pros

• Comfortable ride
• Driving dynamics
• Cabin space
• Outstanding build quality

Cons

• Limited range
• Complicated menus