BMW 5 Series vs BMW I4

What's the difference?

There’s no getting around the i5 being a rather expensive offering. More than $150,000 to get into an electric sedan that’s not much faster than a hot hatch is a big ask, but there’s plenty to enjoy about the 5 Series.

Things like its heated leather seats shouldn’t be the reason you’re willing to spend so much on a sedan when a $50,000 hybrid SUV will score you the same, instead it’s the fact the 5 Series is a delight to drive and hasn’t lost the feeling of prestige the badge has earned over the last half a century.

In terms of value - if speed isn’t your focus and you’re less of a gadget-type-operator when looking at cars like this - the 520i has the style and comfort you’d need and at $100K less than the M60.

And in terms of large electric sedans, the i5 eDrive40 is cheaper than a Porsche Taycan (by a little) or an Audi e-Tron (by a lot). The Genesis G80 Electrified is the closest cheaper rival, by about $10K, or the less powerful Mercedes EQE is similarly priced at $154,900.

Essentially, if you’re looking at a 5 Series, it might be worth considering if you really need it to be electric, but if so, there aren’t many alternatives in its category for the price.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

If you’re intimidated by the electric future, don't be, because BMW’s i4 is just as good as any non-M sedan BMW offers right now.

The i4 delivers all the things you love about a 3 Series, engaging driving dynamics, a well-appointed interior and comfortable ride, but its all-electric powertrain means you’ll never have to stop at a servo again.

With a large battery on board, the i4 also serves up a decent driving range that should put anxiety-prone EV drivers at ease.

That is, of course, if you can get onboard with the looks.

If you’ve watched other members of the BMW family go into a new generation within the last few years - the 3, 4 and 7 Series particularly, you won’t be too surprised by what you see here. Especially with the latter, having seen the petrol variants look roughly the same as the electric ones.

BMW specifically made the petrol 520i and the i5 variants look similar for egalitarian purposes - to not disenfranchise 520i buyers who are still spending a fair chunk of cash but might not be ready to go EV.

That means all three variants score a mix of new and old. The kidney grille remains and isn’t as large as on the M3 or 4 Series, while the bonnet line following it and the ‘character line’ down the car’s side also remain. And yes, the Hoffmeister kink where the C-pillar meets the passenger window’s lower corner is still there.

On that C-pillar though is a ‘5’ stamped into the bodywork, new to this generation, while the front grille as mentioned has a glowing light surround - the brand’s ‘Iconic Glow’ already seen on the 7 Series.

Overall, thanks to being slightly larger in every dimension, the new 5 is starting to look bigger than a 7 Series from a little while ago. And that’s because it is - its body is overall longer than an E65 7 Series from the mid-2000s.

It’s 5060mm long 1900mm wide, 1515mm tall (97mm longer, 32mm wider, and 36mm taller). Its wheelbase is 20mm longer too at 2995mm. 

If the i4 looks familiar, that’s because it is based on the 4 Series Gran Coupe that entered showrooms last year.

This means a four-door liftback body style with a sloping roofline, athletic proportions and sizing close to the Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2.

Let’s get it out of the way early and talk about the elephant in the room, the oversized front grille.

Say whatever you want about it, there’s no denying it gives the i4 a unique and head-turning look, and in my opinion, it’s not too bad.

In the flesh, it really isn’t as big as the press photos have made it out to be, and with the front numberplate to split it up, it does start to look a bit more like a traditional grille.

In profile, the 19-inch wheels fill out the arches well, and hide the massive brakes that add to the i4’s sporty appearance.

I particularly like the almost flush door handles that look futuristic, but aren’t as pretentious as those retractable handles you see on Teslas and Range Rovers.

Slim tail-lights and a chunky bumper inform the styling of the i4’s rear, but we’re really not a fan of a rear diffuser that keeps the exhaust cut-outs.

It makes sense on a model like the 4 Series Gran Coupe, but it just looks look rather odd on an all-electric model like the i4.

While the outside of the i4 might be all about that big grille, the inside is all about big screens, two of them in fact.

The instrumentation and multimedia screens dominate the experience inside, but BMW has also included physical buttons on the steering wheel and centre stack, as well as a rotary control knob, to make navigating the menus that much easier.

The connected screens differentiate the i4 from its 4 Series Gran Coupe relative, and make the cabin feel futuristic and befitting of the all-electric powertrain.

Overall, the i4’s styling might not be to everyone’s tastes, but BMW definitely gets credit for being bold in its aesthetic choices.

Would have been nice to see BMW’s designers go a bit further in differentiating the i4 from its 4 Series Gran Coupe cousin, but there's no denying the head-turning appeal of this all-electric sedan.

A longer wheelbase means more space inside, where the 5 Series also still looks fairly familiar to those who have spent any significant time in a recent model BMW.

BMW has historically been pretty bang-on with ergonomics, and the new-gen 5 does a good job of sticking to that. Comfortable sports seats and quality feel for the materials on touch points mean the 5 Series feels nice to be in, and relatively restrained interior design for a somewhat luxurious car means it looks nice too.

It’s let down only by a couple of things - its multimedia screen and Operating System 8.5 is a little less simple to use now, and requires more touching the screen than previous iDrive systems, rendering the scroll wheel less useful.

The BMW Interaction Bar too is a little tricky to see controls on, as well as lacking physical feedback for using controls. Vent flow controls are digital sliders on the Bar, while vent direction is controlled by an unusual ‘joystick’ style control nearby.

The rear seat is plenty spacious, as you’d expect from a large sedan, with climate controls and ports for charging devices in the rear.

As a premium mid-sized sedan, the BMW i4 offers up enough storage and space for most, but keep in mind there are limitations.

From the driver’s seat, everything is well placed and the electronically adjustable seats offer plenty of adjustability to get comfy for long road trips.

Storage options include an central cubby, glove box, two cupholders and small door pockets that just about fit a bottle, but the design means it rattles around a little.

Speaking of fiddly, between this car, and the weird plastic cowl thing found in the Z4 and 1 Series, BMW needs to be called out for some of the most annoying wireless smartphone charger designs.

This one is tucked all the way under a retractable lid, and is barely wide enough to fit some flagship-sized phones.

However, we will give BMW huge props for its iDrive8 multimedia system, which is displayed on a huge 14.9-inch screen.

The menus are clear, concise and intuitive, while the software is buttery smooth and responsive. It feels snappier than some phones we’ve used in the past.

Credit too for not making all inputs touch, as there is a rotary control knob and voice command capability available.

In the second row, things are a little more cramped, but at 183cm tall I can fit in the outboard seats with tight headroom.

There’s enough leg and shoulder-room, too, and passengers can make use of the climate controls, USB-C charging ports and a fold-down-centre armrest with two cupholders.

Opening the boot reveals 470 litres of volume, but fold the rear seats down and that pace swells to 1290L.

Loading large and bulky items is made much easier thanks to the liftback design, and it’s important to note i4 buyers aren't penalised in terms of practicality as the i4 and 4 Series Gran Coupe share the same boot capacity.

However, the charging cables can get in the way, as there isn’t any dedicated space for them.

The charging point is also in an annoying spot, in the right-rear fender where the petrol cap would be.

It means that you always have to reverse into charging spots, and it can be tricky to manoeuvre the i4 into just the right position to get the charging cable to reach.

The Nissan Leaf's front centre charging port, or the dual charging ports available on the left and right fenders in the Audi e-tron or Porsche Taycan are preferable.

With a name like i4, you might be mistaken for thinking this is the sequel to the cute and quirky i3 hatchback released back in 2014.

But sorry duology fans, it isn’t.

Based on the same platform as the ever-popular 3 Series, the i4 is essentially an all-electric version of BMW’s 4 Series Gran Coupe.

And sadly, in 2022 an all-electric powertrain means a price premium.

The i4 kicks off at $99,900, before on-road costs, for this eDrive40 grade - $16,000 more expensive than the comparable 430i Gran Coupe.

Standard equipment includes 19-inch wheels, LED headlights, keyless entry, push-button start, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, head-up display, wireless smartphone charging, sports seats, three-zone climate control, interior ambient lighting and a powered tailgate.

Handling multimedia duties is a humungous 14.9-inch touchscreen display, powered by BMW’s latest 'iDrive8' software with features including satellite navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, a 10-speaker sound system and digital radio.

Stepping up to the M50 version adds laser headlights, a rear spoiler, sunroof, 16-speaker sound system, metallic paint and heated front seats, but also moves the asking price to $124,900, or $9000 pricier than that M440i Gran Coupe.

Of course, the i4 M50 also scores a dual-motor, all-wheel drive set-up and more potent performance, but we’ll go into more detail about that a little later on.

Is $100,000 too much to pay for an electric mid-sized sedan? Well, the most expensive versions of the Polestar 2 and Tesla Model 3 are much more affordable than this base i4, but then again, neither of those are wearing a BMW badge.

Despite BMW calling it ‘electrified’, the base 520i is only a mild hybrid so most wouldn’t realise unless they were told.

Its turbocharged 2.0-litre four cylinder puts out a modest 153kW and 330Nm, with power and torque sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

BMW claims it’ll knock over the 0-100km/h sprint in 7.5 seconds, a few seconds too slow to blow anyone’s socks off.

The mid-spec eDrive40 has a little more kick to it, its rear-mounted electric motor capable of 250kW/430Nm and able to cut that time to 6.0 seconds.

It’s fitted with an 84kWh battery to draw its power from, the same as the 442kW/820Nm M60 with its all-wheel drive dual-motor setup.

The M-tuned i5 can hit 100km/h in a claimed 3.8 seconds. Bye bye socks, perhaps.

If there’s one thing BMW knows how to do well, it’s building a sports sedan like no other. And that holds true for its EVs.

Powering this i4 eDrive40 is a single electric motor that produces 250kW/430Nm, which beats the outputs of even the 330i and 430i Gran Coupe.

With drive sent to the rear wheels, the i4 eDrive40 can accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 5.7 seconds, beating out the aforementioned 330i and 430i models.

For those that want a bit more pep, the top-spec M50 grade’s dual-motor set-up punches out 400kW/795Nm for a lightning quick 3.9s 0-100km/h run.

Compared with its petrol-powered 4 Series Gran Coupe counterpart, the i4 certainly puts up respectable figures, while offering more than a performance match for the Polestar 2 and Tesla Model 3.

BMW claims the petrol 520i sips 6.7 litres per 100km from its 60-litre fuel tank, though we were unable to independently test any of the claimed figures on the launch day.

The base car has a theoretical range of 896km if it was possible to achieve the claimed fuel consumption figure for the duration of the whole tank - but it isn’t and realistically you could knock about 20-30 per cent off that, depending on how enthusiastically you drive.

In the i5 variants, the same 84kWh battery provides slightly different ranges due to the eDrive40 using 16.56kWh per 100km, and the M60 using 18kWh.

The eDrive40 has a claimed 550km maximum range, while the M60 has a 506km figure thanks to its extra motor and weight.

With an 84kWh battery the official range on this i4 eDrive40 is pegged at 590km when tested to WLTP standards.

However, when fully charged, our test car's range readout was around 390km.

But keep in mind EVs aren’t as effective in cold weather, and the mercury was showing only three degrees on most days during this freezing Irish winter.

Luckily then, BMW has included DC fast-charging capabilities in the i4 as standard, with its 210kW CCS plug able to take the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in around half an hour.

BMW has included DC fast-charging capabilities in the i4 as standard, with its 210kW CCS plug able to take the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in around half an hour.

Using an 11kW AC charger however, will require 8.5 hours for a full charge.

In a week with the car, I averaged an energy consumption rating of 23.4kWh per 100km, almost matching the official figure of 22.2kWh/100km.

My driving included several long-distance trips on the freeway, however, an environment in which an electric vehicle does not excel.

Worth noting the heavier and more energy-hungry M50’s official driving range drops to 510km, but we’re yet to test its real-world figures.

For some cars, the list of features is what really separates the variants, but that’s not the case for the 5 Series. As is a bit of a BMW tradition, the drivetrains dictate the different trim levels and prices, and there are three fairly distinct flavours of 5 Series.

Starting at ground level, the 520i might at first seem like a bit of boring vanilla. Except it’s actually quite smooth and light vanilla.

There’s not a lot to write about when it comes to its drivetrain, but the lightness of its engine and petrol tank combo when compared to EV batteries and motors is refreshing, and makes for a quite dynamic rear-drive sedan.

Its 153kW and 330Nm is delivered smoothly enough with the mild hybrid assistance doing a little in helping responsiveness, but without intervening in the gearshifts it doesn’t feel particularly keen.

It lacks the ride comfort of the i5’s adaptive suspension, but it’s able to be driven in a spirited manner that belies its size and even, to some extent its 1725kg kerb weight. Chocolate sprinkles on the vanilla, if you like.

It’s not fast, but it feels nimble compared to its electric siblings and can carry a fair bit more speed through corners, after which there’s room to notice its rear-drive characteristics.

It’s especially noticeable after getting out of the 2130kg eDrive40, though the extra power from its 250kW/430Nm motor makes for some more spirited acceleration and a little more excitement when exiting a corner, especially if you’re aiming to double-check if it really is rear-wheel drive. There’s a little more than choc-topped vanilla going on here.

The steering is, like in the 520i, direct and responsive, though in most cases is probably best set to ‘comfort’ rather than ‘sport’ in its settings. 

The eDrive40 is rather comfortable and capable when barrelling through twisty backroads, and doesn’t feel out of hand for a five-metre-long sedan. It holds its weight well, and telegraphs when you might be approaching the limit quite sensibly.

When considering that, then, it’s impressive how brutally capable the 2305kg M60 is.

Here, we’re looking at a double-choc fudge with extra choc, and maybe some cookie dough in there for good measure. There’s a lot to like, but boy is it heavy.

It’s 580kg (or exactly half a Peugeot 208 GTi) heavier than the 520i, but it feels quick on its feet and its anti-roll seems to do a lot in terms of dynamics, the limiting factor really seems to be its tyres (which can and will squeal quite quickly to let you know when approaching said limit).

While you’ll need to take caution with how much speed you approach a corner with, you’re not going to lack acceleration on the other side, its all-wheel drive being less ‘fun’ but more efficient at getting you away from the bend than in the rear-drive eDrive40.

That adaptive suspension does also translate to a comfortable ride on relatively rough roads - only particularly bad bumps will reveal how much weight and pressure is being placed on each corner of the big sedan.

If you came here just to find out whether BMW has succeeded in transplanting its signature sports sedan characteristics into the all-electric i4, the answer is, yes.

The best thing I can say about the i4 is that, aside from the way power is delivered and the lack of engine and exhaust noise, it feels just like a 3 or a 4 Series.

Steering is sharp and responsive, throttle and brake inputs are immediate, making this rear-drive i4 a delight to drive enthusiastically.

The staggered Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres and massive brakes obviously help in this regard, and look, it’s not as sharp as the Porsche Taycan, still the sharpest electric vehicle we’ve driven to date, but the driving experience in this i4 is comparable to the excellent 3 Series.

But I’m not in love with the fake sound piped into the cabin when in 'Sport' mode. It sounds weirdly low-rent and I much prefer to accelerate to triple digit speeds in serene, near-silence.

Switch things up to 'Comfort' mode, and the i4 makes for a surprisingly relaxed drive.

The steering gets bit a looser and the adaptive dampers ease off a little, soaking up bumps and road imperfections with minimal affect to occupants.

Pair this with the nearly-silent electric powertrain, and well, our little one in the back seat has fallen asleep on more than one occasion in my time with the car

You can also adjust the level of regenerative braking in the i4 and operate it with one pedal like in the Nissan Leaf and Hyundai Ioniq 5.

This is a more efficient way to drive an EV as it forces you to look ahead and be careful with your throttle inputs.

One-pedal driving might not be for everyone, but it’s nice to have the option there.

BMW’s i4 is yet to be tested by ANCAP or Euro NCAP, so at the time of publication, doesn’t wear an official crash test rating.

Neither does the closely-related 4 Series Gran Coupe, but the 4 Series Coupe, launched in 2019, received a maximum five-star assessment.

It is unclear how much the changes in body style and powertrain affect the safety of occupants, but the i4 comes with long list of advanced safety features.

Specifically, autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, high-beam assist, a surround-view camera, parking assist, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are all included at no extra cost.

BMW has a fairly industry-standard five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty on its new cars, while its electric car batteries are covered by an eight year/160,000km warranty.

For servicing, BMW offers numerous discounted packs and deals based on your preferences and desire to pay upfront.

For the 5 Series, a five-year/80,000km basic service package is $2400, though the i5 will have different needs and lower servicing costs not yet listed by the brand.

Like all BMWs sold in Australia, the i4 comes with a three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty with roadside assist over that period.

This falls short of the now-standard five-year assurance periods offered by premium rivals Audi, Genesis, Jaguar, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz.

Scheduled servicing intervals for the i4 are every 20,000km/24 months, at least in overseas materials.

Australian intervals are yet to be confirmed, but BMW is offering service price plans covering four- and six-year periods in 'Basic' and 'Plus' forms.

The Basic plan for four and six years is set at $1240 and $1765 respectively, while the Plus package is $4805 and $5500.