2025 BMW i5

How’s the tech? The large infotainment screen works great for navigation. Inputting directions is easy using the screen or voice commands, and the navigation links with the instrument cluster and head-up display to show turn-by-turn directions. Voice commands can also be used to change the climate control, adjust the radio, or even roll up the rear sunshades. Voice prompts work well, though the system isn't quite as robust as Mercedes' MBUX or some Google-based systems.

If you prefer to use your own device, the i5 comes standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; both include wireless connectivity. There's also a wireless charging pad as well as six USB-C ports spread throughout both rows of seats. The i5 would score even higher here if we didn't have recurring issues when trying to get CarPlay to launch in our test car.

As you might expect with a modern luxury vehicle, the i5 is available with a whole suite of driver aids, including hands-free highway driving. That system worked well in our testing, and we liked the prompts on the screen letting you know when you can activate the hands-free system or when traffic has cleared to change lanes. Adaptive cruise control is smooth and maintains consistent gaps in traffic.

How are the range and efficiency? The EPA estimates the i5 can go between 240 miles and 295 miles on a single charge, depending on the wheel size and powertrain. (Larger wheels and dual-motor i5s get lower range estimates.) In an eDrive40 with 21-inch wheels with an EPA-estimated 270 miles, we managed to drive 321 miles on a single charge. Those are better figures we've seen in rivals, and we're impressed BMW consistently outperforms EPA estimates in our testing. We latter followed that up with an M60 on 21-inch wheels. It traveled 246 miles on an 240-mile estimate.

Much of that range is due to the i5 using a lot less energy than its EPA figure suggests too. On paper, the i5 is said to use 35 kWh of electricity for every 100 miles traveled, but in the Edmunds EV Range Test we saw a much more impressive 28.7 kWh/100 miles (a lower number is better) for the eDrive40 and 35.0 kWh/100 miles in the M60. This aligns with what we've seen in other BMW EVs like the i4 and iX.

When it comes to fast charging on the go, in the Edmunds EV Charging Test the i5 was able to add an average of 477 miles of range per charging hour, starting from 10% and charging to 80% battery capacity. That sounds impressive but puts the i5 around mid-field among every EV we've tested to date. When charging at home, the i5 supports up to 11 kilowatts, which is about as good as it gets with a typical home setup.