BMW i5 M60 review

[Bunnylebowski]

Why am I posting a review of the latest BMW EV here? Because it’s amazing to me how far ahead Lucid is of other automakers. It has slower charging, less space, less range, less power, less storage, less speed, no frunk, last generation headlights, looks generic and dull….but hey you should buy the car cuz it has some crazy lightbar inside which blinds you when you put on your turn signal?

 

[Tim-in-CA]

Why am I posting a review of the latest BMW EV here? Because it’s amazing to me how far ahead Lucid is of other automakers. It has slower charging, less space, less range, less power, less storage, less speed, no frunk, last generation headlights, looks generic and dull….but hey you should buy the car cuz it has some crazy lightbar inside which blinds you when you put on your turn signal?

Completely agree! I often watch Thomas’ reviews and found that he was a little too glowing for the BMW. I was also amazed how little space there was in the backseat given that the length of the i5 is about the same as the LUCID. This highlights LUCID‘s superior packaging and tech.

 

[digiboxer]

Completely agree! I often watch Thomas’ reviews and found that he was a little too glowing for the BMW. I was also amazed how little space there was in the backseat given that the length of the i5 is about the same as the LUCID. This highlights LUCID‘s superior packaging and tech.

It's fun to see what the legacy OEMs are doing, but I agree this car does nothing for me...2 years behind Audi and not as good.

That said, I just bought a 2024 X5 (to replace a 2016) and much of the electronics are better than my Touring's. Lighting up and unlocking when sensing the fob or the phone is flawless. The iDrive graphics, speed, configurability, intuitiveness, etc are outstanding (altho, oddly, the native Nav doesn't look great).

This version of iDrive is the best UI I've ever used.

 

[Rob Stark]

i5 has a massive hood to house I6 engine but no frunk but it does have a boxy useful 17.3 cubic foot trunk. Rear seats also fold down with wide pass through.

Not very much rear seat legroom in 199.2" sedan but easy ingress and egress. Especially in front. Car is not too low. Roof is not too low.

i5 has grab handles for all passengers and a sunshade too. My 96 year old father likes riding shotgun. He would definitely prefer riding in an i5 over an Air.

 

[jsf1993]

Completely agree! I often watch Thomas’ reviews and found that he was a little too glowing for the BMW. I was also amazed how little space there was in the backseat given that the length of the i5 is about the same as the LUCID. This highlights LUCID‘s superior packaging and tech.

Why am I posting a review of the latest BMW EV here? Because it’s amazing to me how far ahead Lucid is of other automakers. It has slower charging, less space, less range, less power, less storage, less speed, no frunk, last generation headlights, looks generic and dull….but hey you should buy the car cuz it has some crazy lightbar inside which blinds you when you put on your turn signal?

Honestly, while I now own a Lucid, I have long owned BMW’s, especially 5 series sedans. They are great cars and the i5, while not as up-to-date on the EV side as the Lucid, is likely to be very well received. In my experience over many years, my BMW’s were all built extremely well and, if purchased with certain bells and whistles - including more powerful engines and upgraded suspensions - they were a blast to drive. But, the comments above are not without justification. They are not designed with space efficiency in mind, for example. Nor, are they as forward thinking as other manufacturers are when it comes to design. Having said that, I wish Lucid’s infotainment system was half as logical and half as easy to use as BMW’s much maligned iDrive system is. And, one can drive a BMW w/o having to take one’s eyes off the road to address all kinds of things (climate controls, music, etc.), especially if one purchases the optional head-up display, a feature that I wish my Lucid had.

On balance, I suggest that the differences between the 2 vehicles are significant and that each may be preferred by different market segments. Over time, as BMW’s improve on design efficiency and battery performance in their EV vehicles and as Lucid’s infotainment system matures, those market segments may overlap more and more. At the end of the day, it’s about different strokes for different folks, I think.