BMW i5 long-term test
Does the electric version of BMW’s latest 5 Series executive saloon impress as much as the larger and pricier i7? We're living with an i5 to find out...
The Car BMW i5 eDrive40 M Sport Pro Run by Steve Huntingford, editor
Why it’s here To see if BMW’s latest electric car feels special enough to justify its hefty pricing when you live with it day-to-day
Needs to Combine outstanding comfort and refinement with strong performance, an enjoyable drive and a good real-world range
Mileage 4924 List price £77,105 Target Price £71,200 Price as tested £92,570 Test range 327 miles Official range 338 miles
17 July 2024 – Speak up
When I was a kid, only Michael Knight got a response from his car when he talked to it. However, today voice control is an increasingly common feature, and one that can greatly minimise distraction – on the occasions it works.
I add that caveat because in a lot of modern cars the voice control’s ability to understand you is somewhat patchy, but fortunately the system in my BMW i5 mostly works as advertised.
It’s certainly the easiest way to adjust the climate control. And if I begin the process of inputting a destination into the sat-nav via the touchscreen while driving, the i5 will ask “Where do you want to go?” and then generally take me to whatever destination I answer with.
On the other hand, while it’s good at recognising place names – and indeed some of the names of people in my phone’s contacts – if I ask it to call someone with a name that's less common in the UK, it often struggles.
For example, it has no problem if I ask it to call my mother (Sue Huntingford) or father (Bill Huntingford), but if I ask it to call my wife (Hideko Huntingford), the response is more often than not “Pardon?” or “Please say that again”.
Alternatively, sometimes when I ask the car to call her, it will bring up a list of towns and villages called Huntingford and ask which of them I want to visit. And strangest of all, once its response was: “Calling Kyle Fortune.” Ah, yes, very similar!
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