By: Jag Dhatt
In some of my other reviews of German vehicles, Iโve often referenced that Iโve owned a few BMWs and absolutely loved them. My M3, 535i and the amazing M5. All three of these were great yet the most mind-blowing was my 2012 M5. It was a fun, luxury rocket that did everything you expected and then some. It was the epitome of โThe Ultimate Driving Machineโ. That was until I drove the 2024 BMW i5 M60 and I would now say it could be better than the M5.
Driving my M5 was an absolute thrill. Back when gas prices were much lower, I would stomp on the pedal throughout the day and the M5 would deliver mind blowing performance. Even though I would have loved a manual, mine was an automatic. Regardless, it was just fun to drive, and of course, it was a luxury vehicle.
Now the 2024 BMW i5 M60 doesnโt only look great, it is absolute beast of a machine. We all know that electric vehicles have the ability to deliver massive amounts of power, but being able to deliver such power that pays homage to legendary performance and driving experience is another matter. BMW seems to have done that to almost perfection.
I had driven the i4 eDrive40 a couple of years ago and that car was a delight to drive. So, it really set the stage for the i5 M50. As soon as I sat inside the 2024 i5, I knew I was in for a great week. Thereโs an impressive amount of technology in the i5, but itโs tasteful, still retaining the classic look of BMW. The large 14.9โ curved screen, aimed towards the driver, houses all controls for the vehicle. There are some physical buttons, but overall, BMW has moved towards touch controls. Itโs a cleaner look for sure, but Iโm still a fan of simplistic buttons for basic controls.
The cabin is spacious and comfortable, like the gas-powered version. All seats, front and back, are comfortable and are designed to keep you in place whether cruising at 120km/h or doing enthusiastic driving around windy roads. And if you feel like a massage, the option is there.
Connectivity is a breeze with most cars nowadays, whether just with Bluetooth or using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. One caveat here is that when using the native system or trying to navigate through the apps, you really have to look carefully as the app icons are small. Many times, I pressed the wrong app button. Nothing major but just a point I noticed. The i5 M60 does offer a few options on user input: touch, the rotary controller and for some functions, gesture control. I used touch and the rotary control equally, and in all honesty, gesture controlโs novelty wears off pretty quick.
The fun begins when you get in the car, but the real experience starts when you start driving the i5 M60. Right off the bat, I noticed the car to be nimble, more like a 3- or 4-series. Remember that this is a 5-series so it has some size and weight to it. With the lower center of gravity and heavier weight, I expected the i5 to behave โweightyโ, especially when going around turns and corners. This was not the case at all. Not only does the i5 cling to the road, the front end will tackle any windy road like a rock star. You really have to drive it to experience the level of performance that this car delivers.
Our test i5 M60 came equipped with the M badging and this gives plenty upgrades. Right off the bat is the two electric motors, which put out a combined 593 horsepower and more than 600 lb-ft of torque. This translates a 0 โ 100 km/h sprint time of under 4 seconds, which will smoke the outgoing M5. Then thereโs the adaptive M suspension, resulting in a more responsive and sportier ride. Add to this the tuned suspension, M Sport brakes, and rear-wheel steering and youโve got an i5 that will keep a smile permanently on your face. Since the i5 is electric and you have no orchestra from an engine, the 18-speaker 655-watt Bowers and Wilkins surround system will deliver amazing audio to the cabin.
My time with the i5 M60 came when there was still a lot of unsettled weather in Vancouver. From rain and snow to clear days, the car behaved perfectly. Even on slick roads, the M60 remained poised, never unnerved. I come back to my point of the car being nimble and being able to handle like the smaller i4, even though it weighs 2, 380 kg, which is darn close to full-size trucks. I was able to throw it around so many different types of roads and take corners and not once did it feel big and bulky.
And when do you drive a BMW and not use the various drive modes? Never. The i5 M60, like others in the line-up, has five drive modes, ranging from Sport to Digital Art. Not all of these actually change the actual performance; for example, Digital Art transforms the infotainment display into a piece of digital art and changes the ambient lighting and powertrain sounds. I kept the car mostly in Relax mode, which has softer suspension and is meant as the daily mode (for me anyway). Even in this mode, the car still performs, so donโt let the name persuade you otherwise. Sport just amps up the already available power in the M60, like getting an immediate dosage of steroids. Now if some cheeky driver pulls up in a sports car and wants to race, press the dedicated Boost paddle (active for 10 seconds and unleashes maximum power) and blow his doors off.
The 2024 BMW i5 M60 is an amazing piece of machinery, loaded with top notch engineering, performance, and technology, wrapped up in a beautifully designed exterior. Yes, design and looks is a personal opinion, and the i5 M60 looks as good as it performs. The large kidney display, surrounded by BMW Iconic Glow, makes a statement, especially in the dark.
All this doesnโt come cheap, with our test car coming up at almost $110K. Is it too much? Maybe. But now, youโve got a vehicle that again defines โThe Ultimate Driving Machineโ and is perhaps a worthy, and better, successor to the legendary M5.
