2026 BMW i5: Can electric overtake gasoline power?
The electric-powered i5 looks as subtle as the rest of the 5 Series, but the acceleration and handling offer a strong case for the plug.
2026 Genesis G80 3.5T Sport Prestige AWD vs. 2026 BMW i5 xDrive40 Sedan: Two ways to get your elegant sedan on, this time with electricity.
This week: BMW i5
Price: $82,700 as tested
What others are saying: “Highs: Absorbent ride, sharp handling, short stopping distances, quiet cabin, comfortable front seats, high-quality materials. Lows: Distracting controls,” notes Consumer Reports.
What BMW is saying: “The iconic sedan silhouette, electrified.”
Reality: Yeeeehaw!
What’s new: The i5 is just what BMW says above — the 5 Series with an electric motor.
Competition: In addition to the G80, there are the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, Lexus ES, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and Volvo S90.
Up to speed: Whoosh! The i5 has some cool, turbine-like sound effects while you’re racing ahead. The xDrive40 version tested gets to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds, according to BMW.
The rear-wheel-drive eDrive takes half a second longer and the hot rod M60 gets there in 3.7 seconds, in BMW’s estimation. Car and Driver got the M60 to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds, so figure our version even faster than BMW claims. Heck, I thought at first I was driving the 3.3-second model, it had that much oomph.
Though the 0-60 number only slightly bests the gasoline-powered Genesis’ 5.2, the i5’s no-gear, all-torque EV power curve is endless, so I could pull into traffic in ways one can only do with premium EVs. Passing is a snap as well. Strong advantage, BMW.
Shiftless: A small toggle gets you into Drive or Reverse, and a button accesses Park.
There are toggles to toggle the un-gears but I never bothered.
On the road: The i5 is a delight on the road, and this is where the xDrive probably pays off handsomely. It’s always a nice system for making the most of the driving experience. The M Sport suspension — part of the $3,000 M Sport Package, which also adds exterior and interior treats and 21-inch wheels — probably has something to add to the fun as well.
Couple all of that with the smooth power delivery from the electric motor, and country roads are a real treat. Some EVs are too smooth but the i5 retains a sporty feeling. Strong, strong advantage, BMW.
Driver’s Seat: The standard espresso brown performance veganza seats are sporty and wingy, but they don’t make you feel constrained. The options sheet notes the free lumbar support, but it was a little on the intrusive side for me. Still, not a deal-breaker.
Gauges and information from the system were easy to follow. BMW mentions the Curved Display in the sales sheet frequently but it didn’t strike me as a huge breakthrough. Strong advantage, BMW.
Friends and stuff: The rear seat is as comfortable as the front, angled just right and spacious for your bottom as well as feet, legs, and head. Entry and exit are not too bad as long as the angled door doesn’t get you on the way in. Advantage BMW.
Cargo space is 18.4 cubic feet, large for a sedan.
In and out: The i5 is not as low to the ground as some sporty sedans, and I think it could be easy to live with for all but the most limited-mobility occupants.
Play some tunes: The Harman Kardon premium sound system provides great playback, about an A- or an A.
The console has a cool-looking ebony touch pad that doesn’t function as smoothly as I’d like. It needs a lot of force to make things happen. But the dial and buttons to operate the infotainment remain, something I thought would be phased out.
Keeping warm and cool: Controls for this are in the touchscreen, and the graphics are baffling to me. I remember loving one version of this system at some point, but the arrows are now so small and finicky in this unit. I’d recommend checking closely that this will work for you.
The 0-1 touch-slider system to open the vents are as perplexing as the whole Gen Alpha 6-7 trend that came and went. Advantage, Genesis.
In case of emergency: BMW adds a nice touch to the hazard lights, because they also cause the ambient lighting strip to flash as well. No more accidentally driving around unintentionally cautioning everyone.
Range: BMW advertises 259-278 miles in the i5 xDrive40 but 235 seemed to be the high number in the model tested.
It takes 30 minutes to get from a 10% charge to 80% at a fast charger, and 11.5 hours to charge at a Level 2 charger (the kind you’d want to install at home).
Where it’s built: Dingolfing, Germany; 19% of parts come from Hungary, 17% from Germany, and none from the U.S. and Canada.
How it’s built: Consumer Reports predicts the i5 reliability to be a 3 out of 5.
In the end: The i5 is priced almost as if BMW was trying to blast the G80 sales to smithereens. It’s soooo much better, and doesn’t cost $1 in gasoline every three miles ($6/gallon for premium divided by 16 miles per gallon). Plug in already.
