BMW i5 Touring review
The electrified 5 Series Touring is a fine car with a wonderful cabin, but its range is compromised
Our opinion on the BMW i5 Touring
There’s plenty to like about the BMW i5 Touring. This electric executive estate offers more space inside than its main rival, the Audi A6 Avant e-tron, while the quality of the fit and finish inside is excellent. The cabin is packed with tech, too, and limo-like refinement completes the package. However, it’s not quite as involving to drive as the Audi, which is something of a surprise when it comes to BMW, while the range falls short for a car that seems well suited to the brief of being a comfortable long-distance cruiser.
About the BMW i5 Touring
It wasn’t long ago that estate car buyers would have been feeling pretty left out of the EV market. For years, there have been plenty of huge SUVs to choose from, but electric estate cars were much thinner on the ground. The BMW i5 Touring was one of the first cars to offer a spacious, desirable estate that was just as usable as the petrol-powered equivalents – and now rivals like the Audi A6 Avant e-tron aim to take away some of BMW’s glory. There’s still a huge amount to like about the i5, though, even if the Audi has revealed one or two areas where there’s room for improvement.
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This review focuses on the BMW i5 Touring, but we also have an in-depth review of the BMW i5 saloon if that's the car that's caught your eye.
To see how well the i5 Touring stands up to its four-ringed foe, we lined it up against the S6 Avant e-tron in a twin test. The Audi took the win as it offered the best all-round package and overall value for money. The BMW did achieve a close second, though.
Performance & driving experience
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As it stands, the eDrive40 is likely to make the most sense for most buyers; with up to 365 miles of range and 335bhp from its rear-mounted motor, both its performance and range are more than adequate for typical estate car users.
The M60 xDrive is for those who are in a little more of a hurry, thanks to its twin-motor set-up. It has the same 335bhp motor that’s fitted in the back of the eDrive40, but that’s joined by another 257bhp motor driving the front axle. These combine to deliver 593bhp and up to 820Nm of torque in ‘Boost’ mode. The throttle response is well judged: keen enough to react so that it feels as potent as you’d expect it to, but not so sharp that it feels hyperactive. At any speed, there’s loads of performance in reserve, with strong acceleration available well beyond the national speed limit.
| Model | Power | 0-62mph | Top speed |
| BMW i5 Touring eDrive40 Sport Edition | 335bhp | 6.1 seconds | 120mph |
| BMW i5 Touring eDrive40 M Sport | 335bhp | 6.1 seconds | 120mph |
| BMW i5 Touring M60 xDrive | 593bhp | 3.9 seconds | 143mph |
Electric motors, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed
The standard eDrive40 has an official 0-62mph time of 6.1 seconds, which will be more than fast enough for most buyers. Officially, the M60 Touring will crack the 0-62mph dash in 3.9 seconds. Both cars are a tenth of a second behind their saloon counterparts, but the M60 Touring has the same acceleration figure as the rival Audi S6 Avant e-tron.
Top speeds are 120mph for the eDrive40 and 143mph for the M60 version of the i5 Touring.
Both variants of the i5 Touring deliver a great blend of a composed ride and sharp handling, while the M60 version has a phenomenal amount of grip. But a disappointing feel to the steering takes the shine off what would otherwise be an accomplished driving experience.
Town driving, visibility and parking
The main thing that strikes you about the i5 around town is just how eerily quiet it is. Sound insulation is superb, which means that below 20mph or so, it’s hard to hear any tyre noise at all.
For a car with M aspirations, the i5 is even fairly soothing to drive, although the Audi S6 manages to ride across smoother surfaces and rough roads even better. The turning circle is reasonable for a car of this size, which is helped by a four-wheel steering system that turns the rear axle in the opposite direction to the front wheels at low speeds.
Country road driving and handling
There’s a decent chassis beneath the i5. Its ability to cosset and comfort its occupants on city streets is matched by an ability to feel agile and responsive on a twisty road – no mean feat, considering the significant mass at play.
In the M60 model, traction is also brilliant, given the massive amount of torque that all four tyres have to cope with. And with more power going to the back axle, it still feels pleasingly rear-biased in a way that seems in keeping with all of the best performance BMWs.
However, there are one or two areas that could be improved, and the steering is chief among these – although its response is fast and it’s fairly accurate, so it does a solid job of masking the i5’s kerbweight at slow to moderate speeds. The problem is that the light rack is almost completely devoid of any feedback – and things are not helped by an almost comically thick steering wheel. As such, placing the car accurately through a turn takes some getting used to, and working out how much grip the tyres have left to give is even trickier to judge.
Motorway driving and long-distance comfort
Driven in a more relaxed manner, the i5 proves to be a brilliant long-distance cruiser. Road noise remains superbly suppressed, though the M Sport mirrors of the M60 version generate a noticeable amount of wind rustle, which means an Audi S6 is a little more hushed in this area.
The i5’s ride is wonderfully soft and supple – even in hot M60 form – and the motors feel like they’re barely breaking a sweat at 70mph. Were it not for the i5’s overall driving range, it would be a near-faultless and impeccable motorway car.
“The BMW’s chunky steering wheel rim and remote feel prevent the driver from feeling properly connected.” - Alex Ingram, contributor.
Range, charging & running costs
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The i5’s 81.2kWh battery is a little smaller than what’s offered by some rivals, and when we tested the M60 version against an S6 Avant e-tron, we were disappointed to see that it couldn’t quite match the efficiency that the Audi had to offer. This means there’s a penalty in real-world range.
Officially, the i5 has a usable battery capacity of 81.2kWh, which is some way down on the 100kWh pack used by the Audi A6 Avant e-tron.
When we tested the i5 eDrive40 Touring on a gentle long-distance drive in favourable temperatures for an EV, we were pushing an impressive 4.0 miles per kWh, which translates into a real-world range of 325 miles from the 81.2kWh battery. While we’d say that’s a best-case scenario, more mixed driving threw up around 3.3 mi/kWh, which is still enough for 268 miles.
Given that the battery tends to be the heaviest part of an electric car – and a smaller pack should be lighter – it’s a surprise that officially, the i5 M60 Touring tips the scales at 2,425kg, which is 15kg more than an Audi S6 Avant e-tron.
With no weight advantage, the i5 proved to be slightly less efficient in our hands when we tested the pair, hitting 3.0 miles/kWh to the Audi’s 3.1mi/kWh. But with its smaller battery, that’s enough to have a profound effect on the overall range. While the Audi is capable of covering nearly 300 miles on a charge at that figure, the BMW can only muster 244 miles. While few people are likely to do any more than that distance in one sitting, it means that the BMW has less wiggle room for finding charging stops on the sort of long-distance trips it excels at – especially if the weather gets cold and the range drops.
When it comes to charging, the i5 can top up its battery at a maximum of 205kW. That’s a strong figure, but once again the Audi has an edge, with a peak speed of 270kW. At least the smaller battery in the i5, compared with the A6 e-tron, means that it takes less time to fully recharge using a typical 7.4kW wallbox charger at home. Refilling a flat battery this way will take about 13 hours.
| Model | Battery size | Range | Insurance group |
| BMW i5 Touring eDrive40 Sport Edition | 83.9kWh | 351.7 miles | 43 |
| BMW i5 Touring eDrive40 M Sport | 83.9kWh | 359.8 miles | 43 |
| BMW i5 Touring M60 xDrive | 83.9kWh | 321.9 miles | 50 |
Insurance groups
Insurance ratings fall in line with the powertrains offered, so the eDrive40 is in group 43 irrespective of whether you pick Sport Edition or M Sport trim. Predictably for a performance car with a six-figure price tag, the M60 sits in the highest group 50 insurance band.
This is pretty much an exact reflection of the costs you’ll face with the Audi A6 Avant e-tron, as that also sits in groups 43 to 50. It’s the hot S6 that sits at the top of the scale.
Tax
The standard rate of VED road tax applies to the i5 Touring, as it does with all electric cars. You’ll also need to take the luxury car tax surcharge into account, though, as this car starts well above the £50,000 threshold. This will add a further £440 to your annual bill between years two and six of ownership.
Those eyeing this model up as a particularly fancy company car will be pleased to hear that it incurs the lowest applicable Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax rates.
Depreciation
According to our market data, the BMW i5 Touring suffers a pretty grim fate after three years or 36,000 miles. Due to it only retaining 33 to 36 per cent of its original value after this period, the BMW finds itself quite a long way behind the Audi A6 Avant, which manages 40 to 44 per cent.
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Interior, design & technology
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The i5 Touring’s fantastic cabin feels as expensive as it looks. It makes most other rivals seem poorly thought out, a little dull, or both.
Interior and dashboard design
While it’s fair to say that many of BMW’s recent exterior designs have been somewhat divisive, its cabin layouts have been much more successful.
The i5 looks fantastic inside, with a clean, modern design that immediately makes its rivals appear a little bland and old-fashioned. Ergonomically, it’s much better thought-out than the Mercedes EQE, too. Unlike its rival, the low dashboard relative to the seating position gives a clear view ahead. The seats are fantastically comfortable, but the steering wheel rim is too thick – to the point of making the steering feel clumsy. This is one of the few gripes that we have about an otherwise fantastic interior layout.
Materials and build quality
Not only is the design unique and modern, but the fit and finish are first-rate, too. The panel gaps, the trim joins between dashboard and door, plus the overall quality of the materials are all a step up from its closest German rivals – the perceived quality is closer to Porsche than Mercedes.
The only exceptions to this are the electric window switches, which feel a little old-fashioned, cheap and plasticky.
It can be a tricky task to integrate touchscreen tech into a cabin without compromising ergonomics, but BMW has managed to have a much better go at it than most brands. It’s by no means perfect; the touch-sensitive heating and lighting controls aren’t as tactile or intuitive as proper buttons would be, but the mix of physical controls and a slick infotainment system makes it feel much more natural to use than many rival set-ups.
Thanks to BMW’s method of blending a touchscreen interface with a physical clickwheel, the i5’s infotainment set-up remains one of the easiest to use around. It offers the best of both worlds with its functionality; the screen is quicker and easier to use when parked, while the clickwheel is ideal for making minor adjustments on the move. Physical shortcut keys surrounding it make it easy to jump to key menus, too. Add in razor-sharp graphics and rapid loading times, and it really is hard to fault.
Boot space & practicality
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There are some estate cars on the market with a bigger boot than the i5 Touring, but they’re few and far between. A supremely comfortable and spacious cabin makes it a perfect choice for a large family car.
Dimensions and size
Mechanically, the i5 Touring is identical to the i5 saloon. At a shade over five metres long, it’s the same length as its four-door counterpart, but with a longer roof, obviously. Overall, it’s longer than the Audi A6 Avant e-tron and has a longer wheelbase, too, although it’s not quite as wide, but that doesn’t appear to have affected passenger space.
| Dimensions comparison | |||
| Model | BMW i5 Touring | Audi A6 Avant e-tron | Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer |
| Length | 5,060mm | 4,928mm | 4,961mm |
| Width | 1,900mm | 1,923mm | 1,862mm |
| Height | 1,505mm | 1,493mm | 1,551mm |
| Wheelbase | 3,000mm | 2,946mm | 2,971mm |
| Boot space | 570-1,700 litres | 502-1,422 litres | 605-1,948 litres |
Seats & passenger space
Plenty of adjustment in both the steering wheel and the seat itself makes it easy for drivers of all shapes and sizes to arrive at a comfortable position. Storage is in reasonable supply, with a deep glovebox, a space beneath the central armrest, and sizable door bins.
At the base of the dash, there’s a shelf that can hold two smartphones (one space includes a wireless charging pad), but the position of the USB ports close to the cup-holders is a little awkward.
Room in the rear seats is excellent, with more head and knee room than the Audi. The seats themselves have more under-thigh support, too, but foot space beneath the front seats is a little limited. Isofix points are mounted behind folding plastic clips, and all that space makes installing a child seat easy.
Boot space
At 570 litres, the i5 Touring’s boot is vast even with the rear seats up, swallowing all manner of bulky items with ease. That figure puts it 68 litres ahead of the Audi A6 Avant e-tron, and the BMW also has a lower load lip, which makes it easier to lift heavy items on board.
Unlike the awkwardly shaped boot of its saloon counterpart, the i5 Touring’s load bay is a neat, square shape, too. A pair of levers makes it easy to drop the rear seat backs from the boot and with them folded flat, the volume grows to 1,700 litres. It’s worth noting that the BMW 5 Series Touring has the same boot volume, whether it’s combustion-powered or a plug-in hybrid.
Towing
Estate cars are popular with caravanners, and the i5 Touring has a maximum braked towing capacity of 2,000kg. That’s 100kg behind the Audi A6 Avant e-tron, and the same as a BMW 5 Series petrol can tow, but more than the 530e plug-in hybrid can achieve, at 1,800kg. Of course, hitching a trailer to the i5 Touring will have a negative impact on an already slightly disappointing range.
“The way that the A6’s load bay slopes up slightly towards the back seats is a little awkward, but the i5’s boot is square and usefully flat.” - Alex Ingram, contributor.
Reliability & safety
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Strictly speaking, the i5 hasn’t been assessed by Euro NCAP, but its petrol twin, the 5 Series, has – and as a saloon it scored a maximum five-star rating in 2023. The way Euro NCAP’s scores work is that the rating for this model covers a range of bodystyles and powertrains – including EV variants – that use the same safety features.
The eight-generation BMW 5 Series was rated as the 17th best car to own in the most recent Driver Power survey. Reliability and running costs were two areas of concern, but the electric i5 should help to at least partly mitigate these. The BMW brand has been winning over owners, too, with a fifth-place result in the best manufacturer rankings. However, Mercedes performed even better in first place.
| Euro NCAP safety ratings | |
| Euro NCAP safety rating | Five stars (5 Series, 2023) |
| Adult occupant protection | 89% |
| Child occupant protection | 85% |
| Vulnerable road user protection | 86% |
| Safety assist | 78% |
Buying, prices and deals
Best buy: BMW i5 Touring eDrive40 M Sport
Prices for the BMW i5 Touring start from around £70,000 for the Sport Edition, but we’d fork out a bit more for the M Sport from £76,500. This adds a notable amount of extra kit, along with a little extra battery range. Driving enthusiasts may be tempted by the powerful i5 M60, but this crosses the £100,000 mark.
You can save on the list price of any model by building your new BMW i5 Touring through the Auto Express Buy A Car service. We also have a range of i5 Touring leasing deals and can even help you to sell your car.
BMW i5 Touring alternatives
The i5 Touring’s closest competitor is the Audi A6 Avant e-tron, and when we tested the S6 version, we found it a better all-rounder, with a longer range and a more entertaining drive. It’s not as accommodating, though, especially in the boot. If space isn’t a necessity, then the Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo prioritises handling over load lugging.
If you’re not as bothered about sportiness, the Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer is a more affordable option that still feels upmarket.
BMW i5 Touring pictures
Key updates of the BMW i5 Touring review
23 October 2026: Latest driving impressions and pricing data.
Frequently Asked Questions
As with its key German rivals, BMW provides a three-year warranty on all of its cars. However, the BMW package has no mileage cap, compared with the 60,000-mile limit that rival Audi stipulates.
Deals on the i5 Touring and alternatives
More reviews
Which Is Best
Most Economical
- Name250kW eDrive40 Sport Edition 84kWh 5dr Auto [Tec+]
- Gearbox typeAuto
- RRP£74,945
