2024 BMW i5 M60 xDrive First Test: Did the Electric 5 Series Need More Motor?

The 2024 i5 M60 xDrive has no shortage of power and speed, but the rest of the car can be harder to get excited about when compared to any other 5 Series, electrified or not. After testing two versions of the electric performance sedan, subdued road manners are hard to shake despite the big-time power. Depending on what you want out of a car, that doesn’t have to be good or bad; i5s are simply comfortable, vaultlike vehicles. Are they better with the M60’s second drive motor and extra helping of horsepower?

But Those Specs …

The front and rear motors have a total output of 593 hp and 586 lb-ft of torque (up from the rear-motor-only i5 eDrive40’s 335 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque), enough to get the 5,266-pound sedan to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds from a stop. Keep the pedal floored, and you’ll hit 124 mph after blitzing the quarter mile in 11.5 seconds. With numbers like that, how could anyone be disappointed? True “M” car or not, how could it not live up to the badge? BMW is still associated with Ultimate Driving Machines, even if that’s not the official tagline anymore, not the ultimate drag race machines. But unfortunately, the driving is where the i5 M60 isn’t as ultimate.

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Diving Further In

We had the opportunity to test two examples of the i5 M60: one with the $3,600 Dynamic Handling package that adds Adaptive M Suspension Pro, Active Roll Stabilization, and Integral Active Steering (rear steering) and the other without. Adaptive Suspension Pro is standard for the i5 M60, using the same active dampers as the M Suspension Pro but with the Active Roll Stabilization. The test? Our signature figure-eight circuit with road test editor and MotorTrend resident hot-shoe Chris Walton piloting the upgraded suspension in California, and your author wheeling the standard issue suspension in Michigan.

Despite being driven in two locations by two different people, Walton and I independently came to the same conclusion: The i5 M60 is heavy, and although it can hide it in some cases, it can’t mask it in every situation. We each clocked one good lap—the first—and performance faded from there. Usually, a warmup lap or two helps us get a feel for the car, and the quickest times come shortly after. Nearly 5,300 pounds is a lot to bring to a halt, and that’s a lot of inertia to redirect. It turns in OK, but it quickly starts to understeer before transitioning to oversteer at the exit of the turn, but not so much that you could drift it predictably.

Our overall opinion of the handling is the same, but the Dynamic Handling package does make a difference. The standard i5 M60 with Adaptive Suspension Pro completed its first lap in 25.2 seconds with a 0.82 g average. On the skidpad, it maintained a 0.88 g average. That isn’t a slow time, but it is for a 600-hp car.

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With the Dynamic Handling pack, the otherwise identical car started to come into its own. The lap time improved to 23.9 seconds at a 0.86 g average, achieving a 0.96 g average around the skid. Those are numbers that we expect from a car like this, putting it squarely in performance car territory.

It’s worth mentioning again that each car was tested by a different person in a different location. But a lot of the skill needed for the figure eight comes down to how to approach specific types of vehicles, like a minivan versus a supercar, and we can usually attribute differences over a few tenths of a second to an objective difference—in this case, the suspension. With a small sample size, we can’t say exactly how much better, but it’s clear that the active anti-roll bar management and rear steering both help manage the weight of the i5 M60 around the curves better than without the Dynamic Handling pack.

With a 50/50 weight distribution, you might expect it to handle beautifully regardless of the suspension. It’s enjoyable to drive on public roads, but less static weight on the front axle could give the tires more headroom for grip under dynamic forces. Redistributing the weight might not help anything, but driving the i5 M60 flat-out dynamically for any amount of time is too much for the Continental EcoContact 6Q tires at each corner (255/35R21 front and 285/30R21 rear) to contend with, and it messes with the transition between understeer and oversteer, leaving it inconsistent. But that begs the question: Why wouldn’t a higher-performance suspension—M suspension, meaning performance and not comfort—come with a higher-performance tire?

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Let’s Talk Tires

Would a higher-performance tire help? Absolutely. But the dynamics that matter more for this specific car and its intended use would suffer, meaning comfort and range. To maximize range for an electric vehicle, tires with a lower rolling resistance are typically used because they require less power than a sticky tire. Low rolling resistance means less friction across the road but also less grip. So the balance becomes finding the best compound for adequate grip during braking, acceleration, turning, and adverse weather, while maintaining range and an acceptable rate of tire wear.

What’s interesting, though, is that the i5 eDrive40 (rear-wheel drive) and i5 M60 both come with the same tires. Doesn’t that seem odd, considering the i5 M60 has twice the horsepower and torque of the eDrive40? Yes and no. We never roasted the tires launching the M60 for quarter-mile runs, and the understeer only happens driving at the limit in a manner that isn’t appropriate for public roads.

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Don’t Forget Range and Charging

Now we should consider its range. The EPA rates the i5 M60 for 240 miles of range. Our MotorTrend Real-World Road Trip Range test reveals that the i5 M60 can travel about 247 miles after depleting a fully charged battery to 5 percent while traveling at a constant speed of 70 mph.

For comparison, the single-motor i5 eDrive40 on 21-inch tires is rated for 270 miles from the EPA, and 268 miles from our MTRTR testing. That’s a hit of 20 to 30 miles depending on which numbers you compare and will vary based on weather, road surface, and driving style. That range could easily be the difference between making it to a charger or hunting for a working one.

We would love to see the full potential of the i5 M60 realized, but it’s M-adjacent because it’s intended mainly for public roads, and we might have to agree with BMW that sacrificing more range isn’t worth it this time. If you want the i5 M60 to handle better, get the DHP and find some weekend-warrior tires if you absolutely must hit the track.

There’s no question that charging performance is up to par. The i5 M60 charges its 84.3-kWh battery (usable capacity) from 5 to 80 percent in only 27 minutes and fully charges after 55 minutes on a 350-kilowatt DC charger. Charging speed peaks at 212 kW, so make sure you head to a capable and reliable public charger.

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The Rest of the Story

Our complaints about handling and turning repeatable laps don’t really cross over into the real world. The only real critique is one that seems to keep popping up with modern BMWs, and that’s the soulless steering. If the weighting of the steering wheel changes at all with the sport drive modes, it isn’t noticeable. The steering feels mismatched for the car itself. The i5 in general feels a lot more controlled than the combustion-powered 5 series, which leans toward too lightly sprung. If you’re open to an ICE or electric motors, it’s worth comparing both to get the interior and exterior styling while choosing very different-feeling cars.

You can choose two different suspensions for the M60, and both options have rear air springs. The overall ride quality is very good and feels like middle ground between too soft and too harsh. The DHP won’t degrade ride quality but will further refine the ride. It’s great around town and on open expressways. Although it can be engaging, it might not be the best choice if you’re looking for something to carve some canyon roads with. The light steering and heavy car make for an odd pairing; the eDrive40 manages this balance better, feeling much lighter (especially on its motor-less nose) and thus more satisfying to drive, albeit not as quick.

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With a starting price of $85,275, it isn’t exactly cheap, but as a luxury performance sedan, it seems mostly right. The bummer is that it doesn’t include a heated steering wheel without the $3,350 Executive package, including glass controls and Sky Lounge roof. That’s a steep price considering the Driving Assistance Pro package with Highway Assistant, M Sport Package Pro, and 21-inch wheels each cost $2,000 or less. Heated front seats are standard but are only heated without active ventilation. The as-tested price of our standard suspension i5 M60 came to $94,825, and the DHP tacks on an additional $3,600.

What really makes the i5 M60 xDrive special is its straight-line speed. It’s fast as hell, and the launch control lays the theatrics on thick: The entire car vibrates leading up to an awesome display of electrified, head-tossing propulsion. But you can’t really appreciate it in day-to-day commuting, and you have to really ask yourself: Is the potential of the M60 worth it over an i5 eDrive40 or xDrive? (The eDrive40 has better range and was quicker around the figure-eight course.)

It’s wildly consistent in a straight line, and equally inconsistent in a corner, so while you could probably clean up at a bracket race, you might not be as successful in any contest involving corners. Maybe BMW makes drag cars, after all. It maybe didn’t mean to, but that’s the best trick the i5 M60 xDrive has this time around.

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