Canadian here... We would love Estate/Station Wagons, but the folks in marketing keep "telling" us what we want, instead of listening. Would love to see this and the ID7 Estate here in N. America.
Yes. Seems like we don’t like station wagons. But I’m thinking they might be nostalgic for some and a novel new thing for many younger people. Perhaps worth taking a risk. Especially with this car which I think looks fantastic. Chevys new suv EVs are a bit wagon like but not really quite wagons. This is a proper station wagon.
I thoroughly hate SUVs. Money no object, I would absolutely choose an Estate. But personally I would prefer an i4 Touring instead of this much bigger i5 Touring.
I love Estates - Just for Info : Some councils in the UK have banned large cars from parking in council run car parks - Five councils in total said they expressly ban cars from parking in their car parks if they exceed a specific length. Wokingham, South Hams, Broadland and South Norfolk, and West Devon all have in place a restriction of 5 metres. This is just over 5m in Length (5060 mm). Some other councils are slightly different - Thurrock council imposes a slightly more lenient length restriction of 5.35 metres.
I bet they would prefer it painted. Fun fact - all german big manufacturers meet at least once a year to talk shop. You know they don't actually want to sell electric cars. I bet ya on one of those meetings there was something like - lets sell/advertise those cars in primer colors only .. muahahhaha. Its no coincidence mercedes, audi/VW are doing exact same crap colors.
I choose an i5 xdrive 40 touring, in my personal opinion the perfect sweet spot of the lineup. Delivery will take place in March 2025, I’m already very excited!:) Thank you for this refreshing review!
No it doesn't, or at least it shouldn't. Everyone with 3 or more kids to deliver to school each morning know for what I'm talking about, and no, a SUV is not the ideal solution by any means. As regarding to affordability... Well... In just 2 years from now you'll have plenty of those vans at a reasonable price tag with some 30k-50k Km under their belt... Not the perfect world, I know, but hey: What is it perfect in this world?...
I've chosen the ID.7 estate version. So I'm interested why you haven't mentioned it as a cheaper alternative. Isn't it available in the UK later this year, too?
Great vid, thanks. I've owned a BMW 5 series and an X3 and the driving experience is incomparable. 5 series wins every time. Now if only I could afford this i5 Touring...
In the BMW b-roll, you can see the town-sign for Hexenagger, which is situated right bang in the centre of Bavaria. I'd assume that the Electrifying footage was shot not too far from there???
The i5 estate seemed like exactly the car I’d been waiting for - and then, when it came out, I ordered an iX instead. Not because I prefer an SUV, quite the opposite, but because a pure EV has SO much more space inside. The i5 is more than 5m long, 10cm longer than the already-borderline iX, and still has less rear legroom - a big deal for a tall family. All that bonnet contributing nothing is just a reminder of how things used to be. Let’s hope there’s a Touring version of the 3-size Neue Klasse that gives the full EV space benefit without the SUV height.
We needed 3 ISOFIX for a while which is why we had a Peugeot 5008 (MPV). And when the need for 3 ISOFIX ended and least the 3 daughters had equal size seats
thanks for presentation, it is a nice car....one mention only, bmw has R6 engines, not V6...i payed that part many times, i thought i did not hear well.Thanks!
I’ve currently got an iX, thinking of replacing it with one of these as the boots not actually that big on the iX. I’d like to see one in person though
Great review, thank you. This is clearly a fine and premium car. BMW seem to have got to a workable UI/UX without everything in an ugly iPad on the dashboard. I imagine it drives really well. However a touring car this big is not a format I want. My benchmark at the moment would be something to replace my last Audi RS3 but as a full fat EV rather than a hybrid. As a point for each review, would you always comment on whether the car has vehicle to grid as well as vehicle to load? That matters more to me than charging speeds.
Love `estate` far more than SUV, which is about as practical as giving it an ICE engine. Will look at this in about 12 months, by which time the choice should be far wider. I've got a grotty old diesel estate car that will need changing then, alongside my E-208.
Spent years looking for a car with space for three car seats in second row, gave up and bought 7-seaters - kids now outgrown the car seats and suddenly we have choices again
My small girlfriend saw this and thought the car looked quite big around you. She’s had a long belief based on evidence that manufacturers do not consider the smaller female frame in crash tests such as using female anatomically representative crash test dummies leading to higher death/injury rates. Do you know if BMW and other OEMs consider the female body in their design?
I'm on the latter part of a three year lease on a Mustang Mach-E. I am considering the i5, but I get less range, and not any more practicality, since the Mach-E already has a decent boot and a very big frunk. Perhaps I should extend the lease for another year and see what the market brings?
Literally a perfect car. I ended up going with an iX1 only because it came under some tax exemptions and made it an attractive purchase through the business. I'd love the i5 but God it would be so financially irresponsible 😭
Waiting for the three test drive between the BMW, Audi A6 Advant and Porsche Taycan Cross Tourismo. Like the idea of the Porsche, but occasionally would need five seats, and have heard quite a few reliably issues with the Taycan. As for the other two, hair splits them for me, generally prefer an Audi interior though and the 800V charging mean I’m leaning that way
Good job and great car. I'm a bit offended with the absence of a frunk, given that there's place for huge l6 (not V6!) and V8s under that bonnet. Oh, and give us more phisical buttons fot the climate, even porsche managed to do it in the new macan.
Sorry, how much? Will only sell to the very well-heeled or company drivers, not many people will shell out for these privately. A lovely car for sure, but a niche car. If they can get a 3-series Touring out there at the same price as a petrol, then it will be a big winner. This one will only sell in tiny volumes.
I currently own an A4 avant and would like to replace it with an electric estate. No SUV - I do have small kids but we don't take the car that often, except for long journeys. Would love this i5 and prefer it to a Porsche for the more discreet badge (because of my job) but it is quite big and expensive. Perhaps when they make an electric 3 series.
Estate please - but in something smaller - like Astra or 308SW - tho’ their battery is too small. Can’t understand why they use the ICE-shared platform excuse for not putting a frunk in the EV. PSA (and others) do that as well. Always going to be more space in an EV version - and the motor on that Beemer is in the rear anyway. If the boot is full, you’re going to have to store the charge cable somewhere else in the car, rather than under the boot. I don’t get why they do that.
It would never happen, but i1 Touring is all the size I'd need. Full estate boot, 2 good seats and a cramped set of back seats used more as a storage spot thanks to the boot full of dog.
@@sIightIybored 👍🏻 ditto with dog here too! I miss my old Fabia Estate - a friend has it now, and every time I see it, or indeed, drive it, it reminds me what a great package it was. And the lower boot sill made it easier for doggie to hop in. All these cars now have very high boot sills. It’s a real chore for my dog to hop into the back of the Soul. Ah well … guess they’re first world problems !
Ironically, if you pull that large plastic cover under the hood up, you will find large empty space. There is basically nothing but AC in the engine bay of RWD version of I5. If someone in BMW used brain, they would move AC a bit back in engine bay and make a plastic tub instead of plastic cover. It's so simple that some business could sell it as an aftermarket mod kit.
Unfortunately not in by budget, but I would choose Touring every time over the sedan or as you say, Saloon. But we will never get it here in the states because of our infatuation with SUV's.
I think all 3 are not viable options. Although they might all have merrits in terms of space and load height, I wouldn't know how to decently park this car in Europe and fit the car through the smaller streets. I'm still surprised in 2024 we still have such big cars, whilst bmw was able to make the interior space of a passat fit into and ID3 full electric drive formfactor. I think all options put forward on the table are not enticing options, even for the price for the 21st century.
Estate car FTW - but since I am 55 it is probably just an age marker. Can I put on my lycra and throw the bike in the boot now (without removing the front wheel)?
Estate car. Plenty of people carry long loads but how many fill the vehicles up to the roof? Now if you’ve got two St. Bernard dogs, a high SUV may make sense.
Lack of EV-like space comes down to shared platform. Explains why the seats don’t fold flat too. But it will enable BMW to protect margins as it tries to switch to EV market.
As nice as the induction sound of the six is in beemers, most people don't care and like this peace and quiet of EVs. Especially in a cruiser like this.
Shame about that rear glass not opening - I've always used mine. It's a USP that once you have, and use, you'll miss. Could lose sales simply because of this.
Quality on new BMW models are down compared to the older models, cheaper materials, dropped things like separate opening on boot window on the g61, the use of cheap screens instead of proper buttons, bad interiors that squeak and rattle.
I and many others doesn't appreciate to sit low and not appreciate to be "looked down" at in city traffic, traffic lights and other circumstances. I appreciate the high seating and the ease of sitting and stepping out of the car.
Estate body: Absolutely. However, BMW have, like all current cars, cheaped out and not done a proper flat floor that locks to a tip-forward seat squab. I miss my Subaru Legacy estate so much.
Just took my 2017 530d in on a recall for the driver airbag and used the time to thoroughly look at all the cars in the showroom and they had an i5 touring in there. Sat in the drivers seat, lovely car as is my 530d but obviously this has the electronic stuff. I needed to put my glasses on to see everything (don’t need them in my 530d) but I would be ok with that. Anyway, I set the seat up for me (I’m 6’ or 183cm) then I sat the back. Total show stopper! Because of the raised floor to accommodate the batteries my knees were just about in my mouth - it was just awful! Could never buy one of these and for now i will be sticking with my beautiful and solidly made 530d.
Estate cars. Hate SUV’s, don’t like BMW’s (unless a motorbike). You missed the VW ID7 tourer. About the same length, 50mm taller, but still classed as an estate.
The phrase on the screen is the English expression, hence it is the English word "art". If it were the German word "Art", the grammatical form of "digital" would be different.
Love an estate but way too big for me and useless as a load lugger with rear seats that don't fold flat, wish manufacturers would rediscover actual flat folding rear seats like my previous R55 Clubman had.
I agree, I just bought a 2023 g31 with 3000 miles on the clock, loaded with extras and under £40k, no brainer, the new model is hideous and also built cheaper.
Canadian here... We would love Estate/Station Wagons, but the folks in marketing keep "telling" us what we want, instead of listening. Would love to see this and the ID7 Estate here in N. America.
But would you buy one of those?
@@Harrythehun yes
Yes. Seems like we don’t like station wagons. But I’m thinking they might be nostalgic for some and a novel new thing for many younger people. Perhaps worth taking a risk. Especially with this car which I think looks fantastic. Chevys new suv EVs are a bit wagon like but not really quite wagons. This is a proper station wagon.
I thoroughly hate SUVs. Money no object, I would absolutely choose an Estate. But personally I would prefer an i4 Touring instead of this much bigger i5 Touring.
I agree. Much better looking than an SUV, but I don't need something that big.
Really appreciated how you guys showed the visual difference between the sedan and estate i5 ! Top class 👍!!
@@76tfdtr4r5I'm 6.1 and I hate SUVs.
No such thing as an i4 Touring.
The Porsche Taycan is not an estate, it is not a rival to the i5.
Estate car every time please. In fact, anything apart from an suv
the comparison of both shapes at the beginning was world class!!
That trasition is 🔥🔥
I love Estates - Just for Info : Some councils in the UK have banned large cars from parking in council run car parks - Five councils in total said they expressly ban cars from parking in their car parks if they exceed a specific length. Wokingham, South Hams, Broadland and South Norfolk, and West Devon all have in place a restriction of 5 metres. This is just over 5m in Length (5060 mm). Some other councils are slightly different - Thurrock council imposes a slightly more lenient length restriction of 5.35 metres.
Good thing I just bought the shorter g31 as it’s under 5 meters, looks wayyyyy better too so easy choice.
Better than an SUV with more space offered 😊
Estate for me, every time. And I have an SUV EV. I miss my BMW Touring a lot but no regrets going Electric.
Nice! Beemer fans here would prefer this to the saloon.
I bet they would prefer it painted. Fun fact - all german big manufacturers meet at least once a year to talk shop. You know they don't actually want to sell electric cars. I bet ya on one of those meetings there was something like - lets sell/advertise those cars in primer colors only .. muahahhaha. Its no coincidence mercedes, audi/VW are doing exact same crap colors.
I want the i5 touring in the US! Hold as much as an SUV, but handles like a Saloon.
100% estate cars much cooler than SUV! Have got Polestar 2 at the moment and feel they’ve really missed a trick not doing an estate version 🤨
Estate car everyday and twice on Sunday. SUV's have had their day.
I choose an i5 xdrive 40 touring, in my personal opinion the perfect sweet spot of the lineup. Delivery will take place in March 2025, I’m already very excited!:) Thank you for this refreshing review!
Well you sold me on it. (Budget a minor issue.) Seems very odd that in 2024 owning a stationwagon makes you an outlier. Great vid as always!
No it doesn't, or at least it shouldn't. Everyone with 3 or more kids to deliver to school each morning know for what I'm talking about, and no, a SUV is not the ideal solution by any means. As regarding to affordability... Well... In just 2 years from now you'll have plenty of those vans at a reasonable price tag with some 30k-50k Km under their belt... Not the perfect world, I know, but hey: What is it perfect in this world?...
Love the estate car. Don't forget VW ID7 touring is now available and all the reviews seem extremely good, quite a bit cheaper than the BMW as well
I've chosen the ID.7 estate version. So I'm interested why you haven't mentioned it as a cheaper alternative. Isn't it available in the UK later this year, too?
You can order the ID7 Tourer now
I picked up a i5 40 a couple of weeks ago, amazing car.
Nikki is a very good presenter. Always knowledgeable and most importantly concise and clear in speaking.
Great vid, thanks. I've owned a BMW 5 series and an X3 and the driving experience is incomparable. 5 series wins every time.
Now if only I could afford this i5 Touring...
Where was this filmed, the general area or what are nearby towns? Understandably, some will be BMW supplied footage that is not in the same location.
In the BMW b-roll, you can see the town-sign for Hexenagger, which is situated right bang in the centre of Bavaria. I'd assume that the Electrifying footage was shot not too far from there???
The i5 estate seemed like exactly the car I’d been waiting for - and then, when it came out, I ordered an iX instead. Not because I prefer an SUV, quite the opposite, but because a pure EV has SO much more space inside. The i5 is more than 5m long, 10cm longer than the already-borderline iX, and still has less rear legroom - a big deal for a tall family. All that bonnet contributing nothing is just a reminder of how things used to be. Let’s hope there’s a Touring version of the 3-size Neue Klasse that gives the full EV space benefit without the SUV height.
We needed 3 ISOFIX for a while which is why we had a Peugeot 5008 (MPV). And when the need for 3 ISOFIX ended and least the 3 daughters had equal size seats
thanks for presentation, it is a nice car....one mention only, bmw has R6 engines, not V6...i payed that part many times, i thought i did not hear well.Thanks!
BMW ❤
I’ve currently got an iX, thinking of replacing it with one of these as the boots not actually that big on the iX. I’d like to see one in person though
I specced an i5 saloon and couldn't believe how expensive they are! Lots of competition at that price.
What does it tow?
Great review, thank you.
This is clearly a fine and premium car. BMW seem to have got to a workable UI/UX without everything in an ugly iPad on the dashboard. I imagine it drives really well. However a touring car this big is not a format I want. My benchmark at the moment would be something to replace my last Audi RS3 but as a full fat EV rather than a hybrid.
As a point for each review, would you always comment on whether the car has vehicle to grid as well as vehicle to load? That matters more to me than charging speeds.
Excellent review again 😉
I have 3 isofix seats in the car! I think theres more than 5 of us 😬
Like the way you use the knob rather than touch screen directly
What about the upcoming VW ID7 estate?
Sad to see the separate rear window opening from the hatch gone but glad to see that we still are getting estates even with the transition to electric
Love `estate` far more than SUV, which is about as practical as giving it an ICE engine. Will look at this in about 12 months, by which time the choice should be far wider. I've got a grotty old diesel estate car that will need changing then, alongside my E-208.
Spent years looking for a car with space for three car seats in second row, gave up and bought 7-seaters - kids now outgrown the car seats and suddenly we have choices again
Estate cars is sooo much cooler than SUVs. This my dream car.
I’d pick this i5 Touring, it looks so cool!
Is there a touring mode
My small girlfriend saw this and thought the car looked quite big around you. She’s had a long belief based on evidence that manufacturers do not consider the smaller female frame in crash tests such as using female anatomically representative crash test dummies leading to higher death/injury rates. Do you know if BMW and other OEMs consider the female body in their design?
Neither do they consider people who are within spitting distance of 2 m tall
Estate over SUV every time
I'm on the latter part of a three year lease on a Mustang Mach-E. I am considering the i5, but I get less range, and not any more practicality, since the Mach-E already has a decent boot and a very big frunk. Perhaps I should extend the lease for another year and see what the market brings?
Finally some EV estates are coming can't wait for Audi A6 E-tron Avant, and your test.
Keep up with great work ❤❤
Literally a perfect car. I ended up going with an iX1 only because it came under some tax exemptions and made it an attractive purchase through the business. I'd love the i5 but God it would be so financially irresponsible 😭
why the pretent exhaust cutouts???
Great looking rear
Waiting for the three test drive between the BMW, Audi A6 Advant and Porsche Taycan Cross Tourismo. Like the idea of the Porsche, but occasionally would need five seats, and have heard quite a few reliably issues with the Taycan. As for the other two, hair splits them for me, generally prefer an Audi interior though and the 800V charging mean I’m leaning that way
Good job and great car. I'm a bit offended with the absence of a frunk, given that there's place for huge l6 (not V6!) and V8s under that bonnet. Oh, and give us more phisical buttons fot the climate, even porsche managed to do it in the new macan.
Sorry, how much? Will only sell to the very well-heeled or company drivers, not many people will shell out for these privately. A lovely car for sure, but a niche car. If they can get a 3-series Touring out there at the same price as a petrol, then it will be a big winner. This one will only sell in tiny volumes.
I’d love to see a comparison video between the i5 Touring and the ID.7 Tourer
I currently own an A4 avant and would like to replace it with an electric estate. No SUV - I do have small kids but we don't take the car that often, except for long journeys. Would love this i5 and prefer it to a Porsche for the more discreet badge (because of my job) but it is quite big and expensive. Perhaps when they make an electric 3 series.
Estate for me.
Estate please - but in something smaller - like Astra or 308SW - tho’ their battery is too small. Can’t understand why they use the ICE-shared platform excuse for not putting a frunk in the EV. PSA (and others) do that as well. Always going to be more space in an EV version - and the motor on that Beemer is in the rear anyway. If the boot is full, you’re going to have to store the charge cable somewhere else in the car, rather than under the boot. I don’t get why they do that.
It would never happen, but i1 Touring is all the size I'd need. Full estate boot, 2 good seats and a cramped set of back seats used more as a storage spot thanks to the boot full of dog.
@@sIightIybored 👍🏻 ditto with dog here too! I miss my old Fabia Estate - a friend has it now, and every time I see it, or indeed, drive it, it reminds me what a great package it was. And the lower boot sill made it easier for doggie to hop in. All these cars now have very high boot sills. It’s a real chore for my dog to hop into the back of the Soul. Ah well … guess they’re first world problems !
Ironically, if you pull that large plastic cover under the hood up, you will find large empty space. There is basically nothing but AC in the engine bay of RWD version of I5.
If someone in BMW used brain, they would move AC a bit back in engine bay and make a plastic tub instead of plastic cover. It's so simple that some business could sell it as an aftermarket mod kit.
Apart of the practical I had the 530e and the boot was annoying…I finally prefer the look of the Touring
Unfortunately not in by budget, but I would choose Touring every time over the sedan or as you say, Saloon. But we will never get it here in the states because of our infatuation with SUV's.
At last! We just want some smaller ones, I am really not happy to give up my JCW Mini Clubman...
Those "pants" on video😂
BMW driving sounds by Hans Zimmer - hence iconic. Mentioned in other reviews.
Was quite enjoying that…right up to the point gritty, dirty shoe tread had to be put on the paint.
You forgot the VW ID7 tourer
You can keep your SUVs - more estates please!
i love this
for such an expensive car, it’s got a lot of cheap glossy plastic. I will wait for the Neue Klasse cars
The cheap looking 'crystal' control wheel is a weird choice too
Would wait for an Audi A6 eTron, though immaterial as way too expensive for me...
Estate 😍
Estate every time.
I think all 3 are not viable options. Although they might all have merrits in terms of space and load height, I wouldn't know how to decently park this car in Europe and fit the car through the smaller streets. I'm still surprised in 2024 we still have such big cars, whilst bmw was able to make the interior space of a passat fit into and ID3 full electric drive formfactor. I think all options put forward on the table are not enticing options, even for the price for the 21st century.
If you can afford this car, you can afford a hotel room.
Estate car FTW - but since I am 55 it is probably just an age marker. Can I put on my lycra and throw the bike in the boot now (without removing the front wheel)?
I guess I missed the price😳.
OMG what height are you? Look tiny in that front seat
Estate car. Plenty of people carry long loads but how many fill the vehicles up to the roof? Now if you’ve got two St. Bernard dogs, a high SUV may make sense.
Lack of EV-like space comes down to shared platform. Explains why the seats don’t fold flat too. But it will enable BMW to protect margins as it tries to switch to EV market.
@10:00 Surely you meant a lovely BMW *STRAIGHT* Six
As nice as the induction sound of the six is in beemers, most people don't care and like this peace and quiet of EVs. Especially in a cruiser like this.
Shame about that rear glass not opening - I've always used mine. It's a USP that once you have, and use, you'll miss. Could lose sales simply because of this.
Quality on new BMW models are down compared to the older models, cheaper materials, dropped things like separate opening on boot window on the g61, the use of cheap screens instead of proper buttons, bad interiors that squeak and rattle.
Nikki you look so good in it
I and many others doesn't appreciate to sit low and not appreciate to be "looked down" at in city traffic, traffic lights and other circumstances. I appreciate the high seating and the ease of sitting and stepping out of the car.
Estate body: Absolutely.
However, BMW have, like all current cars, cheaped out and not done a proper flat floor that locks to a tip-forward seat squab.
I miss my Subaru Legacy estate so much.
I like it, but with kiddly winks in the back , white seats No , other children available 😂😂😂
Looks great, not sure i trust a BMW though. Waiting for Volvo to remember that EV Estates can exist, not just SUVs
Since you opened the door to SUVs, I’d choose a Model Y. The Porsche and BMW are certainly pretty cars and very posh, just not for me.
Estate
Waaaayy too much screen in the dashboard
The kidneys on the grill are too subtle. If you didn’t know it’s a BMW you could mistake it for a Skoda
Just took my 2017 530d in on a recall for the driver airbag and used the time to thoroughly look at all the cars in the showroom and they had an i5 touring in there. Sat in the drivers seat, lovely car as is my 530d but obviously this has the electronic stuff. I needed to put my glasses on to see everything (don’t need them in my 530d) but I would be ok with that. Anyway, I set the seat up for me (I’m 6’ or 183cm) then I sat the back. Total show stopper! Because of the raised floor to accommodate the batteries my knees were just about in my mouth - it was just awful! Could never buy one of these and for now i will be sticking with my beautiful and solidly made 530d.
Looking absolutely stunning and the car ain't bad either😁
Estate, yes, but this one is too big. 4.7m max (like the Astra estate) would be perfect
Repeat after me: Estates are ALLWAYS better than SUVs.
You don't need an SUV, and they're seriously hitting you in the wallet and costing the environment. By an estate car. Handsome thing, innit?
Take my money
Estate cars. Hate SUV’s, don’t like BMW’s (unless a motorbike). You missed the VW ID7 tourer. About the same length, 50mm taller, but still classed as an estate.
‘Art’ in German means style. So ‘Digital Art’ hadn’t been translated. It means ‘Digital Style’.
The phrase on the screen is the English expression, hence it is the English word "art". If it were the German word "Art", the grammatical form of "digital" would be different.
I googled it and I still don't know what your on about. lol
Love an estate but way too big for me and useless as a load lugger with rear seats that don't fold flat, wish manufacturers would rediscover actual flat folding rear seats like my previous R55 Clubman had.
SUV. Such a better driving position. Had a touring for 14 years in the past. Loved it but my SUV is amazing. 👍
Am I watching a program from the early 90s from a rave somewhere in a warehouse
Midlife crisis Lady😂
What's with the weird/random black centre headrest!?!
UGLY grille, awful lower side sculpture line where body folds under the car. PASS.
I agree, I just bought a 2023 g31 with 3000 miles on the clock, loaded with extras and under £40k, no brainer, the new model is hideous and also built cheaper.
I’ve owned two 5 series but frustratingly the i5 is just too big, it’s huge beyond practical.
Too long, Too wide and Too expensive