You’ve nailed it there - the i3 and i8 felt like a BMW that was confident in its identity and ready for the future. 10 years later, they seem to be having a crisis of identity.
They have a new identity based on new market and that's China. It's neon lights and colourful pottery and less engine options is kinda communist. So there you are, that's BMW's new identity.
@@nonotherthananother I don't understand why they think people outside china would like this crap (idiotic colorful screens spouting nonsense, design language meant for 15 y.o chinese)? BMW, just make special models for chinese market and make more normal cars for the westerners, like Audi and MB are offering in Europe.
They dont really commit to EVs so they’re trying the Jack of all Trades approach..and fail miserably with it. But that’s pretty much the German automotive manufacturers in a nutshell 😮
If you can, buy a classic you'll love to drive, a simple, relatively analogue classic. Many will go up in price, the used car market prices have already risen for the past years.
The strange thing is EVs ate simplicity at its best. Few moving parts no engine. Go or stop. It's the stupid tech that goes with new cars of both types that make it infuriating
So basically they had to force manufacturers to add lane assist to stop you from crashing because they have moved basic controls into a touch screen? What a time to be alive!
@@christianfloehr EVs should be cheaper then petrol cars, motor is simpler gearbox with 1 gear, battery tech has evolved. Seems like they milk the customers.
Exactly what I was thinking from the start of this review! scary! as a pedestrian you won't hear this 2 1/2 Tonne unguided missile approaching untill you're under it! really refreshing to hear such a brutally honest review though!
Digital touch screens are dangerous. Stalks, knobs and button work without looking. The car world has gone nuts, thanks to Elon Musk reinventing the wheel.
This is my review of the year already. Finally someone who shares my views when it comes to the desirable future of cars. I don't want "bigger", "heavier" and "more powerful" with every generation of new cars. cars today are big enough (and way too heavy already). What I really want to see is an efficiency race between the brands.
I hate piling on the BMW hate, but it's as if they read my mind to find everything I dislike in a modern car and then made certain to include it in this.
Yep, if you really like cars and like traditional interior quality, switchgear and instruments, handsome styling and good drive it's a real struggle buying a new car these days.
@@cw205mi16 Totally agree, it's like the spotty barely out of adolescence designers who were raised on PS3's put all their energy into programming the screens and making the GUI flashy, that they completely forgot to design the architecture around the screens, leaving it all vacant and uninspiring.
@@habsom1406 it's just the beginning of the nightmare. the kindergarten has been the more recent intrusion into the bad, bad, dream of world order scam & groom - and it's for each one of us to consume. caveat emptor.
@@cw205mi16got to look at brands like Lexus. Even they have now gone touch screen mad but even last year models like the RX had proper interiors with buttons.
To dangerous to operate a mobile phone while driving? how the hell can BMW expect drivers to use those modes and controls without them taking your attention away from the road?
I agree, far too much interaction with the operating system and unnecessary input, one would assume this should fall in to the same parameters as mobile phone usage, but something shouts blind eye turned about this, humans are being de sensitised to what is real and what is artificial, as in having to choose which sound you like, its the generation brought up with computer games, step in to the Lotus Elan or a MX5 etc for the real experience and 1/4 the weight. Cant help wonder what this will be worth in 10 years let alone 30 or more. And I thought BMWs were the ultimate driving machine!
I have an I4 with one of these screens you get used to it like any other car. People who complain about it tend to only have a limited amount of time with it. Spend a bit longer with it day to day you get used to and it is quite intuitive operating system.
I know Harry doesn't do regular cars that much (because let's face it, he doesn't really have to), but boy do we need more reviewers like this, because all this bullshit has become way too normalized. Especially the interior, I've seen shiny plastics like this mostly on supermarket electronics.
A mate of mine recently owned an M4 for a brief period. As we all know it's one of BMW's 'halo' models and not cheap. I was shocked that the cheap plastics and interior trim found in bottom end 1 Series were also used in this car. Cheap hard plastics (like from an Escort mk5) were used in lower interior sections, cheap leather (if it was indeed leather...), unlined door panel storage pockets, it didn't even have those extending under knee sections that slide out from the front of the seats which all BMW's more sporting models have had since the day dot. If BMW are prepared to skimp on the bit of the 'premium' car that we interact with every time we get in it (the interior), where else are they skimping and using cheap materials? Back in the 80's/90's as a kid I would see a BMW drive past and it would ooze quality; the materials used, the factory pressed sharp creases and lines in the bodywork, under stated yet purposeful styling etc. Now when I see a BMW the impression is of a generic lump of plastic with some awful OTT Halfords go-faster bits in the case of M-Sport models ('M' has now been marketed to death to the point of being meaningless..)!!! The quality of all the German marque cars are not what they were anymore (Audi Q2 is garbage where quality is concerned too), but BMW are particularly bad now in this regard. Going into automotive future I really can see a big move away from BMW/Mercedes/Audi as they are getting so hard to justify purchasing over mainstream manufacturer cars; the quality is no longer there, mechanical layouts are like any other thing on the road (3 cylinder FWD 1 Series??), they are far from exclusive anymore; the 5 Series and E-Class are simply the Granada/Carlton of today and starting prices for the range of over £50,000 are just insane and cannot be justified. I myself have owned many 80's and 90's BMW's and won't be going back anytime soon..
I was a BMW buyer for 30 years here in Germany. Not only has the styling changed but the basic BMW comes with almost nothing unless you option it up, anything from 4-10 K euros depending on the model. My last BMW was an X5 3:0 diesel and to replace it with the same optioned model was over 90K. Decided to change brand to Alfa and bought a Stelvio Lusso 280hp and never looked back. I’m quite new to your channel but enjoy every episode so keep up the good work mein Herr!
Crikey, Harry's level of exasperation says it all. Spot on as usual. Would love to be a fly on the wall when BMW UK's press department are discussing this video!
They probably won't even discuss it, after all they didn't listen to any feedback about the god awful front grills they've been putting on cars for the last few years.
I'm a Brit in China This thing (I5 M60) costs 640,000 RMB, maybe 550,000RMB in some dealers, if you're lucky. That's around £72k to £60k. BMW and other foreign brands had to drastically reduce their EV prices to have any hope competing in China. Because there is a massive assortment of upper-end Chinese EVs with more features, better interiors, much more technology, even better interiors, for a lot less price. Or for the same price you can get something that's more comparable to a I7 M70... Here are some options Xiaomi Su7: 300,000 RMB 670hp, 800km range, with battery technology half a generation more advance than anything BMW has in their drawing board Nio ET7: 500,000 RMB, 653hp, 675km range, and more tech than all the supercomputers in the EU combined Yuanhuang Y6: 707hp, 1020km range, 560,000 RMB, Chinese ELS competitor for the same price as a regular 5 series. The interior is even nicer than an EQS I test drove, with technology that;'s half a generation ahead Europeans, like with everything else, are getting ripped off by their own manufacturers.
@@theotherchannel2028 Doesn't matter, carbon fiber sure is strong but it actually weights more than plastic. So the cf is not saving any weight, its adding it.
If we all drove normal-sized cars with a ~150-200bhp engine, weighing ~1,500kg, with a small electric motor that would do 40 miles on a charge, our personal transport environmental problems would be largely sorted. (And it would be safer for cars/pedestrians we hit.) 40 miles covers most journeys and means a small battery - less pollution from heavy metals. Most of us could do that. We don’t need pointlessly heavy SUVs/crossovers (you can have an estate for extra space). We don’t need 500bhp in a family car. Or even 300. And we could still have sports cars, etc. for occasional fun. The current situation is what happens when you let people selfishly do whatever they want - and allow big businesses to propagandise them through advertising to ‘choose’ to drive needlessly large vehicles. And the government have no intention of improving the charging network because rich people have driveways and garages, so they’ll be fine. That is the key problem with electric cars - or do you have spare hours a week to ‘fill’ your car? Electric cars are still the preserve of the rich - the poor will be shafted once they’re forced into them.
@@julianevans9548 I think the term ‘use case’ is going to become a necessity when choosing your mode of transport in the future. I’m about to buy a high quality car with around 20,000 miles on the clock for less than half of what it cost 40 months ago. It has an aluminium ladder frame topped with a carbon reinforced plastic shell; it’s v strong. It has a 42kwh battery that’s thermally managed that’s well ahead of its time and a range of 160 - 170 useable miles and a flat charging curve from any SoC right up to 85%. That range might slightly increase in warm weather or when the topography allows and it might reduce to 140 in freezing, wet and windy conditions. It’s a BMW i3 and quite brilliant, at least for my expectations. My wife will drive to work and back four days a week and we’ll use it locally 90% of the time, so that 175 range will cost us 1p a mile. On longer journeys we’ll add a charging strategy to the challenge of driving to Cornwall or Norfolk and enjoy testing our efficiency tactics. Everyone needs something different, just as long as it doesn’t poison the air we breath 😊
I gave up reading car magazines years ago. But I do wonder about what they are saying on EVs. Never got that EVO style of journalism rating cars by driving on empty B roads, probably why I’ve never owned a Porsche but do enjoy my high powered Mercedes.. especially when passing a GTR whatever on the motorways.
I like that he mention this charging loss. It is horrific that you loose 10% of the electric energy that you have paid just to fill up the battery. No one would accept to pay for 44 litres of gasolin if you only recieved 40 litres in your tank. But on EV´s it is allright.
hilarious - the little car that weighs 2000+ and conks after a few minutes with/ a battery that seizes up long term in winter - even at the charging port, you are stuck and must be towed out - now you can 'receive instruction' on 'art' while you drive - prefiguring (and preparing you for the inevitability of) not driving period! game & who knows what - but it shouldn't be driving - just can't have that!
@@winstonplatt7354- In an extremely annoying German accent as well. Couldn't they at least have found someone who could speak English? I say that as someone whose first language isn't English either.
Truth will set you free. This is a feast of fat laden, pure hard to swallow woke (yes BMW YOU ARE ASLEEP AT THE ELECTRIC WHEEL) busting TRUTH. BMW, ignore it at your very existence peril.
Sorry to break it to you, but BMW sold more cars in 2023 than at any other year in their history, because not many people share your opinion in the real world.
At the price in the video, I agree completely--it's way too expensive in the UK. Wouldn't think seriously about it at that price. However, I just got this car in the US with similar options. I love it. It was listed at US$96K; some incentives dropped that to about US$90K. I love driving it. I love the tech. It has a comfortable, easy ride if you're commuting while doing calls, and it is super fun if you want to "drive" it in sport mode. The "expressive" and "digital art" modes are gimmicky and dumb. Still, you never have to activate them--and that's true of several little things in the car's software, but some people may find them a bit of fun. There was a learning curve to figure out the car and get it set the way I wanted. The effort there surprised me. It took about a week or so for most of it and about three weeks to make peace with the driver-assist mode (which I hated in the beginning but now like and find useful). The UX is ok, but not great from a "learnability" and setup perspective. Once you're through the learning curve though, it's great. I'm through all of that now, and, as I said, I love the car. It's very natural and easy to operate. CarPlay/Siri integration is good, and that matters to me. This is one of my favorite cars I've ever had. As to the negatives in the comments re: EV's in general, it's important to note that I use this as a commuter car in Southern California. So, range isn't a concern for me as I'm in a temperate climate, and it gets plugged in every night in my garage. For me, it's a super car. But if someone wants to take road trips or lives someplace that gets really cold and asks me what I think, I'd tell them they might want to wait on an EV until the next gen of batteries comes out in a few years, which many are saying will deliver up to 1000 miles a charge. Someone I was talking to last week said that a friend drove his EV to Las Vegas and was stuck waiting to charge his car for seven hours on the way home! But longer range and improvements in public charging will make EVs an obvious choice over gas at some point. Right now and for some time to come, however, this (or any other EV) isn't a complete replacement of gas cars. I think people should stay practical (as oposed to ideological) with their evaluations, and governments should be careful with laws and incentives that push EVs. Taking a high-level worldview and unthinkingly applying it to EVs (or anything else!) doesn't do much good. Lastly, I appreciated this review, but have to say that people might be right to file at least some of Harry's comments under "grumpy guy who doesn't like things that aren't as he was expecting." ;) But I understand them a bit because, as I said, there was a learning curve I had to get through before I really loved it.
Sober comment. One is wondering if Harry’s review is targeted at UK people or global market. Cost of living has worsened in the UK and to me a bigger luxurious car from a reputable manufacturer like BMW that can do 0-100km/h in 3,8 sec cannot be cheap. Well I respect his review but I think it’s too one sided towards efficiency and not fun. Also the roads the car was being driven on did not look very good and were too narrow.
Great counter review…. but price and drive range of this model are problematic and do need a rethink. I’m guessing the 3 year depreciation will be horrendous too. I think the Idrive system is good having used it in the I4 … overall there are too many red flags for this BMW not least the poor value for money and driving range. In the UK demand for electric cars is slowing and the EV second hand market is struggling due to high depreciation, however charging networks are increasing so range anxiety is becoming less of an issue. I think the next generation of battery technology with a 600 mile range will restore the appeal of EVs which appear to be losing their edge. As for BMW they need to get the cost of production down and be thinking of at least a 30- 40% list price reduction across their entire EV line up to be competitive as well as value for money
@@christianburch479 Safety features are not automatically needed. It's the blanket "safety always good" sheep thinking which leads to stupid shit like this.
Isn’t it better that there’s more safety features when there are also more distraction’s? Why would you want less safety but more distractions. If there are more distractions, more safety is a plus. Feel’s like common logic but hey, I’m just a crazy pizza mascot!
What sets Harry apart: He's not like most TH-cam'ers who would review this lump by sitting at a charger for an hour. He drives the damn thing then takes the piss out of BMW who have lost their way.
If we all drove normal-sized cars with a ~150-200bhp engine, weighing ~1,500kg, with a small electric motor that would do 40 miles on a charge, our personal transport environmental problems would be largely sorted. (And it would be safer for cars/pedestrians we hit.) 40 miles covers most journeys and means a small battery - less pollution from heavy metals. Most of us could do that. We don’t need pointlessly heavy SUVs/crossovers (you can have an estate for extra space). We don’t need 500bhp in a family car. Or even 300. And we could still have sports cars, etc. for occasional fun. The current situation is what happens when you let people selfishly do whatever they want - and allow big businesses to propagandise them through advertising to ‘choose’ to drive needlessly large vehicles. And the government have no intention of improving the charging network because rich people have driveways and garages, so they’ll be fine. That is the key problem with electric cars - or do you have spare hours a week to ‘fill’ your car? Electric cars are still the preserve of the rich - the poor will be shafted once they’re forced into them.
This is why we value Harry as a reviewer, he’s happy to give his honest knowledgable thoughts on cars he tests without fear. He will simply tell it as it is. Personally I would say he’s 100% correct in his sum up of this car 👍
Couldn’t agree more. He clearly wants to be enthusiastic, failing that he wants to be helpful. But regardless he is honest. He reminds me of that line from Almost Famous, “if you want to be a true friend to these guys, be honest, and unmerciful.”
thanks for being totally transparent. Manufacturers are really struggling with EVs it seems. Range, quality, depreciation, styling...this car is just negative after negative.
Watching Harry's eyes darting around the cabin as he's trying to change settings with the control systems tells you everything you need to know how unsafe these tech monstrosities are on the road. For the one simple reason: that these controls are not intuitive and you have to take your eyes off the road.
@e36man328i as it happens, yes. Which also means I've a wealth of experience and many miles under my wheels. Also, having taken four driving tests; car, motorcycle, armoured car and tank, in Northern Ireland, England and West Germany, I can attest that anything that distracts from the business of DRIVING the vehicle is not clever. Consider me an analogue man in a digital world if you must but my favourite car was a Golf GTi Mk1 1600. As analogue as they come and all the better for it. Sorry but BMW has lost the plot with this one. Oh, wait. They did that with the X6.
Yet, depending on your country, you can be fined and get points on your licence for operating a smartphone when driving. Even if it is in a holder on your dashboard. I do not advocate the use of a smartphone whilst driving, but fail to see how the law allows essentially the same thing if is an integrated screen on your dashboard. The lunacy is most obvious when you can't use your smartphone directly, but can operate CarPlay/Android Auto if is displayed on your car's screen, regardless of how large or small that screen is.
It's a good job they optioned the carbon wingmirrors to help reduce the weight to only two and a half tonnes for this "M" car 😁 Also, shout out to the old Morris Minor out of nowhere at 13:57 !
I'd rather have the Morris Minor, such simplicity, than any modern car with all its computers and gimmicks. How distracting is trying to do things on a touch screen whilst driving.
My gosh BMW managed to make their grills even worse without a combustion engine behind it... Hard to think of another car brand that has drifted so far from it's heyday.
When did we say was the last time you walked past a BMW dealership? I won't ask when was the last BMW you ever owned because I already know the answer - never. Here we have one more manifestation of a major problem of our times: Internet sofa experts confidently and proudly expressing absolute convictions!
@@hassanger8128 Business fleets are huge part of modern sales numbers. 38% of sales are either financed through BMW's own bank or just plain leasing cars. Not to mention all the plugin hybrid tax advantages of cars that rarely get plugged in.
@@uslaserguideddemocracyseed1039 he is talking about looks. You don't need to drive, own or even sit in a car for that. You only need 1 eye, vision and have one in your eyesight. It doesn't even need to stay there for long ...
And I’m gonna keep buying parts for my manual E39 528i and my E46 330i sport. Even if I could afford a modern bmw, there are hundreds of better ways to spend the money.
I absolutely agree with you Harry having run an EV for 4 years. My Jaguar I Pace is a brilliant, sporty drive & I cannot fault it but as for EVs in general….. When I purchased mine in 2020, public rapid chargers were 38p kWh they are now 79p kWh !!! You can’t get anywhere near 200 miles at a constant 70-75mph & it then costs you £50 to do another 150 odd miles!! Ridiculously expensive & a no go as a touring car. They are overweight with a massive purchase price. I expected after a very large initial deposit on my I Pace to make up to £10k on the RV thinking I was ahead of the curve at the end of the PCP but instead, it is worth £7k less than the final balloon! I have no choice but to hand it back & buy a big petrol or diesel of comparable size & performance.. It’s absolutely criminal, unjustifiable & I’ve lost a lot of money! Never again will I buy an EV. It’s been a very expensive & bitter pill to swallow.
Ooof... This will all come out in the wash. I expect a BBC Breakfast report about the 'Sea of unwanted electric vehicles' will be incoming in the not too distant future
Dear Harry, from the bottom of my heart: Nevre, ever grow up. We all love your enthusiasm, your joy and your curiosity. You are so darn good at putting us beside you in the car, and we all know you are doing your darnest to give us that thrill. Thank you for making my Sunday a Sunday!
I drive a bunch of cars from 1999-2019 model years. My daily driver is a 2008 NA V8 Lexus LS, owned since new. This review makes me feel that I am missing NOTHING by avoiding all these tech laden, over priced modern cars. Will keep driving ICE cars, and even used ones (eg Gen 2 Flying Spur for less than half the price of this BMW), for as long as possible!
Thank you, Harry for keeping four solid driving wheels firmly on the ground throughout all the madness we are currently having to endure. The voice of sanity and reason - may you never be silenced, lest we forget (as so many manufacturers seem to) that cars are actually meant to be enjoyed.
When Sabine took the wheel of my E36M3 and smiled, that was a BMW. This car should be marketed by Zanussi. Oh how the world has changed. And the politicians are in charge! Glad i grew up in an era of exciting cars. Keep up the good work Harry, this is spot on. When I drove a Twizzy on the launches they made more sense than this. How can movong 2.4 metric tonnes with no matter what power source be a sensible option???
It's NOT Politicians....read that again. Its those Unelected and Unregulated Eurocrats in Geneva - exactly the same people who developed CBDC'c. Politicians are only puppets (think Tony B.Liar and WMD in Iran)
What a wonderful review!!! 2.5t, 240 mile range if lucky, £115k price tag, lose 10% energy when you fill up. And not even enjoyable to drive! Harry says it as he sees it - courteous but bitterly honest!!!
2.5 tons , barely 200 miles range, a nanny computer and 10% losses when you charge it..... All for over £100k ...... Where do I sign ? Sounds awesome !!! It's a ridiculous car for ridiculous people. What is going on a BMW these days. They have lost the plot !! Great honest review as always Harry . I wonder if BMW will be so quick to lend you another car to review in the future 😂
Basically, the western world went downhill after 9/11. The 2000s caused the proliferation of consumer technology for technology's sake (rather than asking if it actually benefitted consumers).
@@dibrom6981the 456 was the last Ferrari with pop up headlights and cars in general i think there were the lotus esprit and the c5 corvette. Great engine on the 355 though, and looks, and size, and noise...
I would say peak car happened between 2012-2020 when DSG and automatic transmissions grew refined and diesel and petrol engines reached excellent economy levels. Tech was great with ABS but without the utterly disgusting lane keep assist. Nice interiors made of genuine leather - sigh
I've driven BMWs my whole life, and I just can't seem to find anything coming out of the company that I like any longer. The 5 series used to be a pretty safe bet... but not only have they messed it up with all that's been mentioned, they've also made it flat out ugly. What a shame for the whole company.
My (first gen) BMW M2 will probably be the last BMW I ever bought new. The only new BMW I still really like (design and how it drives) is the Alpina B3 Touring. That's it...
I loved the morris going by as you’re pulling out of a junction in the alleged “future” of motoring. Fantastic. Also I’m a watch lover and you have quite a collection. Can we have a mention of what watch you are wearing at the start of the videos. 😂
10/10 review. This is a prime example of why "Harry's garage" is a cut above the rest. Thank you going deeper into the analyse of EV charging flaws, as to why nobody else comments about or measures the charging inefficiencies, I suspect the rest of the journalism world simply don't understand the engineering behind it or are afraid to say critically negative things about the manufacturers and their products, which in this case would harm the general marketing push of an EV world. Without these critical opinions formed from actual data and test results, unrefined and low effort products are allowed to be passed off as a normal product. This is a vehicle designed by a feel good marketing department with the engineering team in shackles, a vehicle fit for people with more money than sense. I applaud you for highlighting this. 👏
Do you not understand the importance of objective testing data? Thanks to Harry we know that this car weighs 600kgs more than ICE variants, costs almost 2x more than those variants but doesn't have quality reflective of that price, wastes 10% of the charging electricity to the atmosphere and has less range than advertised. Whether or not people like it is irrelevant, these are hard facts that automotive consumers should be more concerned with, lest we want OEMs to continue produce subpar products for the sake of marketing nonsense. @@Astke
Rich people wouldn't touch this car with a 20foot pole. Only upper middle class fools on a lease (or corporate fleets) are the sorry targets of this product @@therpope
@@therpope That's not the argument he made, at all. The car isn't distasteful because it's for "rich people" - it's objectively distasteful because it's an ugly monstrosity with poor range, a horrible user interface, dull driving dynamics and a massively inflated price.
I was in the crowd that would always be excited by the new BMW 3 or 5 series and the progress compared to the previous generation. I look at this and think the pinnacle was somewhere around the Bangle E60? I'm Harry's age and the more I think about it the more I believe we were fortunate to have been in our peak when ICE cars peaked. The engines were powerful, suspensions sorted, fun to drive, safe, roads were reasonably empty and unrestricted, exhaust fumes were catalysed. We also weren't spending Sunday afternoons fiddling with carbs, points and ignition like our dads. The Russians weren't threatening us with nukes every other day either. You can probably add multiple points around property prices, safety, state of infrastructure and cost of a pint to the list.
Oh Wow! I can't remember a review from Harry, when he gets to the 'likes' and 'dislikes' so early, so he can list all the problems with this car! The usual honest review, but rarely will you see Harry dislike a car more, I think!
Crazy to buy a car with a tyre profile of less than 55 with the state of the roads especially with a EV that weighs 40% more than the equivalent ICE car.
To be fair, 35% profile of a 345mm section width is actually more sidewall (120mm) than 55% profile of a 205mm section width (112mm), so it's not that simple. The rear 15" tyres on Harry's Lamborghini Countach are technically a 35 profile (345/35 R15), but it's 35% of 345mm which is quite tall actually!
Weight is a problem when the reason is electrification. However, when the reason is safety and comfort, weight is not a problem at all. Harry could explain to the viewers why electrification is an issue, but not these other aspects. Why doesn’t everyone just buy a 1000 kg Lotus? If the problem is that we don’t need electrification, then you need to prove that. Electric petrol might be a solution for racing and hobby use, but not for transforming the masses. The reason BMW’s electric models are heavier than Tesla’s is that they are also designed as ICE (internal combustion engine) cars.
The mad rush to net zero has taken away one of the finest cars ever made - the BMW 530d Xdrive. I used to regularly drive from the Pyrenees in the south of France to Hampshire in the UK in a single day in mine - I used to get 1,100km from a single tank of diesel. This new I5 is a MASSIVE step backwards.
Nail on head Richard. Looking at this new model and comparing it to my g30 530d xdrive, it offers nothing more and in some ways it’s a backward step. Looks like I’m going to be keeping the g30 for a while longer.
Yep, my father has a 2018 x3 3.0 diesel. Covers 25-30k miles per year in it and he cannot get it to return any less than 500 miles to 3/4 of a tank of diesel. He drives fast, with no regard to efficiency. The tail pipes are still silver and have never been cleaned. Their 3.0 diesel is an incredible engine.. fast, powerful, efficient, clean. Massive shame when they stop making it.
I hate these new interiors with no buttons and just and extended tablet from China. It feels cheap because it is cheap. It appears that the best of automotive industry is behind us and 2015-2020 cars are simply the ones to get today with their plush and luxurious interiors. Thank you for the review, I totally agree with the statements and their assessment and hope, really hope that customers will vote with their wallets. So far it doesn't seem to have any effect for example judging by how all of these carried on with "glued" tablets in recent years. I'm glad that I can keep watching and keep subscribing Harry's videos with pleasure.
I really wonder what will happen say, 10 years down the line.....when all the tech has started to fail and requires repair/replacement at huge cost. My daily is a 121K miles 2012 tdi and I can drive the 250 miles to see our son, potter around for a week and then return home on a single tank of the black stuff. No hurry to change it for one of these crazy machines....besides my previous tdi managed 320K miles @ 50mpg...so its hardly run in.... Great video- your honesty and sensible thoughts are appreciated. DC
This makes me appreciate my M340i from late 2019 even more. I test drove the i5 M60 and while it was fast and comfortable it just felt cheap somehow. The interior is just huge slabs of screens. Gone is the sporty inside-the-cockpit feeling I've got from the G20. The most annoying thing is the abundance of ugly piano gloss plastic on the surfaces you touch the most; there's piano black on the door handles where your window controls are and there is piano black on the main center control which is probably the most annoying thing. It just feels cheap! And here in Switzerland the price is even more absurd than in Germany and the UK.
This makes me appreciate my F-Type even more! Plenty of physical switches and buttons that I can operate with my eyes closed, or at least with them on the road, looking where I'm going.
@@Bimmer_i4_M50 It's cool if you can charge at home but I have my care in a a rental garage and I only make around 7k km a year. I commute by train. If I'd commute by car and could charge at home I'd definitely get an electric. But for now the 6 cylinder is awesome!
@@Bimmer_i4_M50 worse* but on the positive it is half the price of this i5 while being indistinguishable (apart from being even more ugly), so that's nice.
This is the first electric car review that I enjoyed. Thanks for calling out the gimmicks and all the shortfalls. We need more motoring journalists to be honest and say it like it is.
@@VideoAmericanStyle but a lot. of people will proably still like it because it feels new and drives well to normal people who are not deep into the old school car enthusiasm.
Wow, well that could not be clearer and the 5 Series is their flagship. On looks alone the E Class has it for me but the whole EV thing is a disaster, mainstreaming technology before it is commercially viable. Once again the state backing the wrong horse at vast expense.
The lack of feelable switches or buttons, so common in modern cars, is deplorable. Searching around on a touch screen is a massive and dangerous distraction. And I agree with Harry about the speed and lane keeping functions. My car tells me that any country road without white lines in the middle has a 30 mph limit. and constantly bleeps at me to stay in the centre of the road.
that frau does not intend for anyone to be driving ever in future - and she's there to tell you right now - can't you hear? why, that was one long-winded frau - no wonder our guy got annoyed - jeez, it is just so blatant!
If we can't use mobile phones or tablets while we're driving because they're too distracting, how is using a screen in a car any different? I heard that to turn the wipers on or off in a Tesla 3 it has to done through the touchscreen - my informant said he had to actually stop to do it as he felt so unsafe doing it while in motion. Madness.
@@stevemawer848the screens can be hugely distracting. On a model 3 current version you can do the wipers via a button on the stalk, although the auto setting never seems to get it quite right. The new model 3 doesn’t have any stalks so no idea on that one. Agree that the touchscreens are distracting while driving vs conventional controls
I totally agree with all the above. This is a downwards spiral for motoring. We have already seen the best days of the car, the future looks very bleak 😳
@jfw5358 you complain about the car yet you still bought it? That's why manufacturers don't care what we think, because we hand over our cash regardless.
Why on earth are BMW not selling the BMW 520d in the UK? - They currently selling the new 5 series RHD 520d in other RHD countries, so why have they left the UK out when this was their best selling engine here, the mind just boggles. Looks like we’ll have to go to Cyprus now and drive back for people wanting the 520d …..
So glad you mentioned about lane assist! Merc are just as bad - mine tried to swerve me back TOWARDS the cyclist I was passing - straightforwardly dangerous.
Ooof! Harry, you NAILED IT! 👍🏻 BMW used to be known as 'The Ultimate Driving Machine'. Now they seem to be for people who do not know how to drive for themselves! What a load of over-priced, heavy, nanny-state, non-premium material quality, GARBAGE! Where are the ergonomics, driver involvement, premium feel, and excitement? AWFUL MACHINE! BRILLIANT & FRANK video Harry. Thank you for being so honest...You have restored my faith in motoring journalism. 👍🏻
Last time i went to a Bimmer dealership the only shoppers there were 60+ with failing eyesight. Perfect demographic seeing as you would have to a bit slow and blind to want one.
they have the discretionary $ - that is a much-admired car for this boomer set. makes them feel hip & young. and they care about the natural world and life on earth being preserved for their grandbabies. @@benbennit
Excellent review Harry, can't tell you how much I appreciate seeing your honest opinions on these things. As a 3x BMW owner (and someone who assumed they'd be buying BMWs for life) - it has saddened me incredibly to watch the direction of the company over the last 5 years or so. It's hard to describe how much I dislike their current range of products, it's very clear the West is no longer of much interest to them, their primary interest will be selling hyper-digitized EV appliances to Asian markets going forward. Of course, much of this has been forced by massive gov't intervention which has, once again done nothing but hurt the consumer. Really not sure how the whole industry can course-correct at this point, but I don't see myself buying many cars made after 2020, and by 2025 it seems there will hardly be anything left in production that I will have any interest owning at any price. Sad to think about.
My sentiment exactly! I'm with you all the way. I grew up driving BMW's and I am gutted with what they have become - building mostly rubbish and fad cars!! I will also not be buying anything older than 2019/2020!
True. Everyone reading this must consider when was the last time you bought a brand new BMW, Audi or Merc? Chinese middle class are buying these like mad. Middle class people in the UK can hardly pay their heating bills, let alone pay for brand new premium cars. Sad.
Harry sounding just like Clarkson, made me chuckle. Excellent review, thanks Harry. This thing is a far cry from the highly desirable and memorable cars that visited my garage in past years - 540i touring, 525i touring with added Schnitzer, M3 evo. And then Bangle interfered……
Loved this one Harry. Sick to death of the monster price hikes manufacturers have bestowed on us since COVID and a little before. The rise of EVs has seemingly given car people the right to 'charge' outrageous money for their products. Kia have gone from an ice pricing range of £9k to £39k. Now with their EV range its £30k upto nearly £80k. This from one of the best, lowest priced car manufactuer/s. it bonkers. It really is. Oh and this need for uber power too? . What is this about? mid to low range car manufacturers offering EVs with a 0-60 of 3 or so seconds. Fun, but really not needed. Again, its a crazy thing.
I’m not sure if BMW live in a parallel universe or they’re just thick in the head but the target audience they’re trying to attract with this gimmick-infested car (young people) can only afford to spend £115, not £115k, on a car.
@@Fc-cb3tn Yes, if you look around, it feels like there has been a massive money grab by car makers since COVID. its pathetic and so blatant. You only to look at the Civic Type-R. £35k 1 year and practically £50k the very next for a car with a few tweaks. The previous gen had similar tweaks for improvement but went up in price by around £2k. Its just so blatant.
BMW. Seem to of really lost the plot with the new touch screen tech, I’ve just traded in my 12 month old M240i for a 4 year old 435DMSport couple which I had prior for a number of reasons. Firstly the touch screen tech drove me mad-turn air con on via a menu ? Seat heating plus lane assistant without question the most dangerous system as it pushes you towards the ongoing traffic. As someone who has had BMW’s for well over 30 years can’t believe they would go down the Tesla route . So it’s perfectly fine to look at a touch screen to turn on air con but not to answer your phone? Love my 4 series with its incredible ride and buttons for everything.
Well said Harry. It's another backward step. Cars peaked a few years ago. I will never part with my own money for a new car - not until the EU driver assistance garbage is revoked.
The driver assistance in a new G Wagon saved my families life! It works much better than in a current BMW (yes, I have driven 2023 X3, X5, and 7 Series).
ICE cars peaked 2000-2015 with the wailing NA engines. EVs will presumably get better and better and/or progress until you can order a convenient driverless electric taxi pod on demand? 🙂
The Prices BMW & Mercedes are putting on their Electrics are insane! Here in the U.S. Mercedes dealer lots are choked full with $100K+ Electrics that No One Wants. And all the Nanny electronics are completely overdone. My Japanese brand car displays the speed limit & that's all I need. No buzzers, No nanny voice! And Whoever put the number "5" on the C pillar should be Fired.
One thing I want to know about these high mass cars and truck is: How long do the tires last?? I cant see something with that much mass and torque not utterly destroying the tires (and our roads) in a very short time. Keep up the great work Harry & Co.
I remember a time when you pressed the pedal of a BMW M and heard a race tuned straight six or a V8 😂 now it’s starship enterprise sounds - feels like we are back in that 50’s jet age of cars 😂
EV fan here (and i3 owner) and I think your appraisal is spot on, having an overweight EV plays to its weaknesses. They should be focusing on getting the weight down and improving efficiency then better driving dynamics and range will fall into line
You're so right. After so many BMW's I decided to leave this brand behind me and I switched to an Alfa Rome Giulia, where style and class still exist. So sad, that BMW got the wrong track.
They didn't get the wrong track though. They sold more cars in 2023 than at any other year in their history. So I am pretty sure they couldn't care less if you got an Alfa or not.
@@N1ckZ Sales numbers isn't the only single thing the businesses should be concerned with, you know. There are other things, oh, like brand image (I know, that's such an outlandish thing to say!).
@@thunderrun1528 I am glad that you mentioned it. BMW's brand image is a modern brand that goes with the times and doesn't remain stagnant, regardless of what some people on the internet say, because it's the real world that matters. And in the real world, BMW is seeing massive success with their new line-up.
@@N1ckZ Well, you see, brand erosion is a thing that does not happen overnight, at least in most cases. There is always some inertia when it comes to total sales numbers, meaning that past success helps sales in the present. But as dubious and brand-eroding practices become more commonplace within a certain brand, that past success becomes more and more diluted and, as a result, you see a company perform worse at what it is known for. But if by "modern, not stagnant brand" you actually mean one that is trading its identity (which is crucial for long term success) for marginal short term financial gains, then sure, BMW does fit into that description.
What a brilliant review. Seeing a journalist like Harry honestly review the new 5 is excellent. "What has happened to BMW?" even my son, who would be the next generation of BMW drivers, has no good impression of their direction and design language, which should be a worry for BMW. The AutotopNL and Joe Achilles review also shows they both have the same frustrations with BMW as Harry. Disappointed, I was really looking forward to this new model. I'll stick with the 545e for the moment. It may be time to look at another marque - I never thought I would say that.
So much for the Ultimate Driving Machine, its more like a video arcade on four wheels. 2400 kg, numb steering, fancy lighted trim on the dash, screens tacked on (instead of integrated into the dashboard), ridiculously expensive (and just wait until its 4 years old!), gadgets and gimmicks galore! At least its not as hideous exterior-wise as many BMW models. Sadly, BMW has certainly strayed a long, long way from its storied past.
This is what buyers want. The majority of BMW buyers don't actually care about "the Ultimate Driving Machine" (TM). As a BMW representative said "the majority of customer feedback was for less steering effort" and "to remove the bad (steering) feedback".
Shocking difference between watt hours added vs stored, with fully 10% lost in heat during charging. I knew there must be some losses, but I’d have guessed it was low single %. I’ve just realised there are some really severe implications. If you use a really fast charger, your % losses will be larger. Why? Because the rig gets much hotter than a trickle charger type system. That seriously erodes the efficiency advantage if you also wish to minimise stops for obligatory charging on longer journeys. And they’re not that long. We occasionally blast up to Bluewater, then back. It’s a 100 mile round trip. If I had a 200 mile range, then unless I started at well over 50%, I would not attempt it. Even if I did, occasionally we’ll divert 50 miles south to visit our daughter, then another 60 miles home. We’re free agents, and this kind of thing isn’t that rare, maybe once or twice a month. In winter, unless you start fully charged, you’re always going to be feeling concerned about range. The last leg home is cross country, Sussex into rural mid Kent. There’s a route that passes through very few places and you’d not see a charger simply by passing by. I can’t ever see myself being happy with 200 miles, nominal. It’s more likely 160. It’s just too limiting.
@@charliehmi76 Nightmare. Quality of life is very consciously being degraded steadily, step by step. The weather manipulation has multiple objectives. It’s not only to damage food production, which will afford the perpetrators immense power over us through deployment of a rationing system, as I guessed that would be used at some point from as early as 2020. Additionally, it lowers mood. I’m aware of what’s going on & so I’m no longer surprised by anything & even I find it’s bringing me down. A wiser friend once observed that the effects of a system, if persistent, are the OBJECTIVE of that particular system. If they were not, things would be changed. Mass immigration fits that description very well as does the state of the roads.
Makes me sad to see how much this misses the mark. I use an i3 daily which addresses every negative Harry mentioned about the i5, and came out nearly a decade ago. Hard to believe the same company made both of these
Ive been very impressed with the i3 For round town trips its ideal, odd looking but 4 miles per kw aint bad and the range of 180 miles meets most trips
How true. Had my i3 for 4 years and 60,000 miles. And was brilliant and fun.The i3 came out in 2012/13, so OVER 10 years ago. Mental! Was waiting and fully expecting BMW to put more energy dense batteries in it over time but they killed it instead. A 55-60kWh i3 and 100kW + charging speeds would have been perfect. BMW now just turn out boring, stupidly heavy and inefficient and massively over-priced EVs instead.
Great honest review. I remember both my father's E39 (the best built car I've ever driven) and E60 (evidence of cost cutting but great tech and optional suspension superb) very fondly. Dad looked at the larger F10 when it was released and decided he might as well get an SUV. After a couple of Lexus (well built but boring) he's currently driving one of the first EQCs. He figured if a car is going to be a bit heavy and lifeless, he might as well have the practicality of an SUV. Such a shame, the 5 series. As a young driver I was proud of Dad for driving 5s and I relished every opportunity to get behind the wheel. The ride handling ballence was unlike anything I'd driven before or since. It's such a shame that 'pure driving pleasure' has gone out the window and now the 5 is a bloated barge with a party trick cabin and a lack of dynamic ability. Not even very efficient. I grew up loving BMW (only owned 1, the first 130i (fun car back in the day for a chap in his mid 20s) but I don't find them in any way appealing now which is a shame. 0:10
I genuinely think the motor industry think the public are stupid. Cars from the big brands, EV or otherwise seem to push the price ceiling to new heights for every model evolution. Just look at JLR with the new Range Rover and Defender, anything from Porsche and now a 5 series over £100k, its utter madness, but while people keep paying, they'll keep increasing the prices. I think you're right though, BMW are going to struggle to shift this one. Why you'd pay a premium for a car that wont go as far as the petrol equivalent, which will force you to stop more than you want for longer than you want, with the inconvenience and damn right awkwardness of trying to establish who is waiting and who is next to use the charger (because they've been installed in the corner of a car park) is beyond me (and I like EV's - lol). Great shout Harry!
Now I've had an EV for 2 years, and whilst it is great for transportation, the driving experience is quite numb. I'll get another EV, but as a "daily" and have decided that I need a fun car in my life, 6 cylinders at the least. Thank you Harry for sharing.
i love how harry seems to be completely done with all the nonsense
People who update their iphone model every year love the nonsense..
The front looks like a giant skoda fabia 12:25
The older you get, the less nonsense you are willing to tolerate
But you also begin to realize where are future needs to go and it’s not ice cars
The EV bllocks nonsense? (Not watched the video yet tbch)
You’ve nailed it there - the i3 and i8 felt like a BMW that was confident in its identity and ready for the future. 10 years later, they seem to be having a crisis of identity.
I think the I3 in particular is a spectacular 2nd hand buy if your usage fits within the range.
They have a new identity based on new market and that's China.
It's neon lights and colourful pottery and less engine options is kinda communist. So there you are, that's BMW's new identity.
@@nonotherthananother I don't understand why they think people outside china would like this crap (idiotic colorful screens spouting nonsense, design language meant for 15 y.o chinese)? BMW, just make special models for chinese market and make more normal cars for the westerners, like Audi and MB are offering in Europe.
@@pffyespff The problem is they both sold very badly so BMW assumed they needed more mainstream products.
They dont really commit to EVs so they’re trying the Jack of all Trades approach..and fail miserably with it. But that’s pretty much the German automotive manufacturers in a nutshell 😮
The older I get, the more I crave simplicity
Think 2001 was the last of the sweet spot in most cars.
If you can, buy a classic you'll love to drive, a simple, relatively analogue classic. Many will go up in price, the used car market prices have already risen for the past years.
The strange thing is EVs ate simplicity at its best. Few moving parts no engine. Go or stop. It's the stupid tech that goes with new cars of both types that make it infuriating
@@admol73 I agree. Seems like you have to hit 47 buttons just to turn your heater on newer cars. Older cars, turn key, start, put in drive and go.
@@Wipsplash hanging on to my 2011 987.2 cayman s. the important tech is in the engine and gearbox.
So basically they had to force manufacturers to add lane assist to stop you from crashing because they have moved basic controls into a touch screen?
What a time to be alive!
Lane assist won't work properly on many British roads like Harry drives on. This car is hideous.
This is the best car review I've seen in a very long time. No influencer BS just a straight forward honest review. Bravo.
“ So is this my next Daily” “ I took it for a Coffee” Nope none of that bollocks that’s overdone just Harry in the Car giving it a review.
@@SWR112 exactly.
Proper review indeed
Jonny's Late Brake Show review of the Honda ENY1 takes a similar tone
🤣🤣
Harry I couldn't be happier seeing another journalist feeling and experiencing the same I have.
😂I have watched your video too. These cars are so expensive but so nonsens.. will keep my e46 M3 and drive it for the next 40 years 😅
@@christianfloehr EVs should be cheaper then petrol cars, motor is simpler gearbox with 1 gear, battery tech has evolved. Seems like they milk the customers.
I bet your fuel economy was even worse with your high speed testing. All the best.
And I’m happy you both share your true opinions and don’t pretend it’s all great. Many of the influencers do it a bit too much these days.
I bought a BMW, cuz "driving pleasure". BMWs today, are build for the chinese market. Good luck BMW!
You can’t use your phone when driving but it’s ok to constantly press buttons on the dash distracting because of all the crazy driving options
Exactly what I was thinking from the start of this review! scary!
as a pedestrian you won't hear this 2 1/2 Tonne unguided missile approaching untill you're under it!
really refreshing to hear such a brutally honest review though!
the power of lobbyists in action
Definitely need a campaign to Bring Buttons Back!
Digital touch screens are dangerous. Stalks, knobs and button work without looking. The car world has gone nuts, thanks to Elon Musk reinventing the wheel.
Overly complicated, overpriced piece of trendy crap.
This is my review of the year already. Finally someone who shares my views when it comes to the desirable future of cars. I don't want "bigger", "heavier" and "more powerful" with every generation of new cars. cars today are big enough (and way too heavy already). What I really want to see is an efficiency race between the brands.
Well said!
That is exactly and the only reason why I have a boring Tesla.
So get the ICE version, they start at 1,7t I think. They still sell them, where is the problem?
£115,000 is just an insane amount for a 5 series. The world's going mad.
135,000 for a Raptor in America
...and the depreciation rate will be super insane too ... and in 10 years it will go to junk yard ..
Problem is people have too much $$. I went to Benz dealer and was amazed to see middle classs family driving old Rav4 upgrading to GLEs..
$17.79 USD for a bottle of organic juice at my local Whole Foods in California…that’s mad.
* has gone mad
I hate piling on the BMW hate, but it's as if they read my mind to find everything I dislike in a modern car and then made certain to include it in this.
Yep, if you really like cars and like traditional interior quality, switchgear and instruments, handsome styling and good drive it's a real struggle buying a new car these days.
@@cw205mi16 Totally agree, it's like the spotty barely out of adolescence designers who were raised on PS3's put all their energy into programming the screens and making the GUI flashy, that they completely forgot to design the architecture around the screens, leaving it all vacant and uninspiring.
@@habsom1406 it's just the beginning of the nightmare. the kindergarten has been the more recent intrusion into the bad, bad, dream of world order scam & groom - and it's for each one of us to consume. caveat emptor.
nice one.
@@cw205mi16got to look at brands like Lexus. Even they have now gone touch screen mad but even last year models like the RX had proper interiors with buttons.
To dangerous to operate a mobile phone while driving? how the hell can BMW expect drivers to use those modes and controls without them taking your attention away from the road?
gotta lease the optional co-pilot pkg.
I agree, far too much interaction with the operating system and unnecessary input, one would assume this should fall in to the same parameters as mobile phone usage, but something shouts blind eye turned about this, humans are being de sensitised to what is real and what is artificial, as in having to choose which sound you like, its the generation brought up with computer games, step in to the Lotus Elan or a MX5 etc for the real experience and 1/4 the weight. Cant help wonder what this will be worth in 10 years let alone 30 or more. And I thought BMWs were the ultimate driving machine!
And 600hp for a potential fast car novice
You can’t! It’s all politics, with politicians banning things willy nilly for posturing purposes
I have an I4 with one of these screens you get used to it like any other car. People who complain about it tend to only have a limited amount of time with it. Spend a bit longer with it day to day you get used to and it is quite intuitive operating system.
I have never seen a better advert for buying a BMW E39 M5 & looking after it.
Haha exactly!!
The previous 2017-2023 generation of this BMW 5er was good too.
I know Harry doesn't do regular cars that much (because let's face it, he doesn't really have to), but boy do we need more reviewers like this, because all this bullshit has become way too normalized. Especially the interior, I've seen shiny plastics like this mostly on supermarket electronics.
facts, this needs to be pointed out way more. I feel like nobody else has the guts to be honest about it.
A mate of mine recently owned an M4 for a brief period. As we all know it's one of BMW's 'halo' models and not cheap. I was shocked that the cheap plastics and interior trim found in bottom end 1 Series were also used in this car. Cheap hard plastics (like from an Escort mk5) were used in lower interior sections, cheap leather (if it was indeed leather...), unlined door panel storage pockets, it didn't even have those extending under knee sections that slide out from the front of the seats which all BMW's more sporting models have had since the day dot. If BMW are prepared to skimp on the bit of the 'premium' car that we interact with every time we get in it (the interior), where else are they skimping and using cheap materials? Back in the 80's/90's as a kid I would see a BMW drive past and it would ooze quality; the materials used, the factory pressed sharp creases and lines in the bodywork, under stated yet purposeful styling etc. Now when I see a BMW the impression is of a generic lump of plastic with some awful OTT Halfords go-faster bits in the case of M-Sport models ('M' has now been marketed to death to the point of being meaningless..)!!! The quality of all the German marque cars are not what they were anymore (Audi Q2 is garbage where quality is concerned too), but BMW are particularly bad now in this regard. Going into automotive future I really can see a big move away from BMW/Mercedes/Audi as they are getting so hard to justify purchasing over mainstream manufacturer cars; the quality is no longer there, mechanical layouts are like any other thing on the road (3 cylinder FWD 1 Series??), they are far from exclusive anymore; the 5 Series and E-Class are simply the Granada/Carlton of today and starting prices for the range of over £50,000 are just insane and cannot be justified. I myself have owned many 80's and 90's BMW's and won't be going back anytime soon..
So refreshing to hear the truth about all this unnecessary tech! What happened to the world's best dashboard designer?!
it´s so sad BMW has become one of the ugliest out there, i love the last gen % series so good looking especially the m5 cs, but this is just sad.
@@sebastianjo752 What's even sadder is that this is the least ugly car in the current BMW range.
@@peto22the BMW mustang (8 series) still looks okay
He left.
I always hated BMW's interiors. They always looked kinda outdated compared to Audi equivalents. Now they are very modern. I love them.
Formerly a driving machine. Now, an arcade game.
I wonder if all of the electronics hold-up, when driving on some of Britains Flooded Roads.
Yep. This is what happens when millennials make cars.
@@BassicVIC excellent summary - but hey - work life balance is o.k.ish for them and with less sold cars there is even more life at work 🤣
I was a BMW buyer for 30 years here in Germany. Not only has the styling changed but the basic BMW comes with almost nothing unless you option it up, anything from 4-10 K euros depending on the model. My last BMW was an X5 3:0 diesel and to replace it with the same optioned model was over 90K. Decided to change brand to Alfa and bought a Stelvio Lusso 280hp and never looked back. I’m quite new to your channel but enjoy every episode so keep up the good work mein Herr!
Harry telling BMW's 'Artistic' mode to shut up is already a highlight of my youtube year ! 🤣🤣
Are you sure it wasn't Autistic mode?
that was my favorite part for sure. I'm always amazed cars that go thru millions of research end up with decisions like that
£115,000 and 210 miles, an absolute bargain.
😂😂😂 💀
21:45
Mental isn't it
@cjb514 I've got an BMW I4 EV and it'll do 300 miles on a full charge. So you were saying about no range....
I guess really, here in Norway it will be 200k
Crikey, Harry's level of exasperation says it all. Spot on as usual. Would love to be a fly on the wall when BMW UK's press department are discussing this video!
They probably won't even discuss it, after all they didn't listen to any feedback about the god awful front grills they've been putting on cars for the last few years.
I think it's the sales numbers that will drive any changes. Not youtube videos.
I think it's the sales numbers that will drive any changes. Not youtube videos.
I'm a Brit in China
This thing (I5 M60) costs 640,000 RMB, maybe 550,000RMB in some dealers, if you're lucky.
That's around £72k to £60k.
BMW and other foreign brands had to drastically reduce their EV prices to have any hope competing in China.
Because there is a massive assortment of upper-end Chinese EVs with more features, better interiors, much more technology, even better interiors, for a lot less price. Or for the same price you can get something that's more comparable to a I7 M70...
Here are some options
Xiaomi Su7: 300,000 RMB 670hp, 800km range, with battery technology half a generation more advance than anything BMW has in their drawing board
Nio ET7: 500,000 RMB, 653hp, 675km range, and more tech than all the supercomputers in the EU combined
Yuanhuang Y6: 707hp, 1020km range, 560,000 RMB, Chinese ELS competitor for the same price as a regular 5 series. The interior is even nicer than an EQS I test drove, with technology that;'s half a generation ahead
Europeans, like with everything else, are getting ripped off by their own manufacturers.
Can you imagine the depreciation on this?! Literally free fall!
Like all premium cars. In Norway, a 7-series top spec from 2021 i down from 190k$ msrp to about 90k$, thats in 3 years.
@@TheSteinbitt in the UK they fall further, always have done. Even back in 1990, brand new 750iL was about 75k; three years old they were £15k
In the USA you can buy an F150 lightening for $7000
@@lindman399 WTF no that was a misleading meme.
If it doesn’t strangely burst into flames…
Thank god you can get carbon fibre wing mirrors and rear spoiler to save weight.
I'll bet they're just cheap plastic
@@unklian9221thats not technically true
😂😂😂
@@theotherchannel2028 Doesn't matter, carbon fiber sure is strong but it actually weights more than plastic. So the cf is not saving any weight, its adding it.
@@theotherchannel2028 Yes, carbon is cheap. I can get it from the BMW Diesels if i want to.
Thank you, Harry. BMW's used to be sporting cars, fun cars. This thing is a monstrosity.
Looks like a big bmw muscle car. Completely disagree. Their sales disagree too
You like this 5200 lb., $138,000, electric thing? What do you think the depreciation will be after one year? @@G82Watts
If we all drove normal-sized cars with a ~150-200bhp engine, weighing ~1,500kg, with a small electric motor that would do 40 miles on a charge, our personal transport environmental problems would be largely sorted. (And it would be safer for cars/pedestrians we hit.) 40 miles covers most journeys and means a small battery - less pollution from heavy metals.
Most of us could do that. We don’t need pointlessly heavy SUVs/crossovers (you can have an estate for extra space). We don’t need 500bhp in a family car. Or even 300.
And we could still have sports cars, etc. for occasional fun.
The current situation is what happens when you let people selfishly do whatever they want - and allow big businesses to propagandise them through advertising to ‘choose’ to drive needlessly large vehicles.
And the government have no intention of improving the charging network because rich people have driveways and garages, so they’ll be fine. That is the key problem with electric cars - or do you have spare hours a week to ‘fill’ your car? Electric cars are still the preserve of the rich - the poor will be shafted once they’re forced into them.
Ultimate Ridiculous Machine
@@julianevans9548 I think the term ‘use case’ is going to become a necessity when choosing your mode of transport in the future. I’m about to buy a high quality car with around 20,000 miles on the clock for less than half of what it cost 40 months ago. It has an aluminium ladder frame topped with a carbon reinforced plastic shell; it’s v strong. It has a 42kwh battery that’s thermally managed that’s well ahead of its time and a range of 160 - 170 useable miles and a flat charging curve from any SoC right up to 85%. That range might slightly increase in warm weather or when the topography allows and it might reduce to 140 in freezing, wet and windy conditions. It’s a BMW i3 and quite brilliant, at least for my expectations. My wife will drive to work and back four days a week and we’ll use it locally 90% of the time, so that 175 range will cost us 1p a mile. On longer journeys we’ll add a charging strategy to the challenge of driving to Cornwall or Norfolk and enjoy testing our efficiency tactics. Everyone needs something different, just as long as it doesn’t poison the air we breath 😊
I don't think I've ever seen another Harry video where he was more annoyed before even leaving the house! Well done BMW
The refreshing thing about Harry is he can give an honest opinion without fear of getting sacked
I gave up reading car magazines years ago. But I do wonder about what they are saying on EVs. Never got that EVO style of journalism rating cars by driving on empty B roads, probably why I’ve never owned a Porsche but do enjoy my high powered Mercedes.. especially when passing a GTR whatever on the motorways.
@@dominicwood3750 Thats why Harry's garage is still the absolute best Car channel and Azizdrives has skyrocketed because he is honest too.
@@Baujahr90erAG Honest Harry yep like it
Exactly. It's painful to watch channels like Munro Live.
I like that he mention this charging loss. It is horrific that you loose 10% of the electric energy that you have paid just to fill up the battery. No one would accept to pay for 44 litres of gasolin if you only recieved 40 litres in your tank. But on EV´s it is allright.
The “Personal Art” segment was utterly hilarious. “Will you shut up now please?” 😊
hilarious - the little car that weighs 2000+ and conks after a few minutes with/ a battery that seizes up long term in winter - even at the charging port, you are stuck and must be towed out - now you can 'receive instruction' on 'art' while you drive - prefiguring (and preparing you for the inevitability of) not driving period! game & who knows what - but it shouldn't be driving - just can't have that!
Can't believe that was real. A voiceover explaining how purple bordello lights are 'art'
@@winstonplatt7354- In an extremely annoying German accent as well. Couldn't they at least have found someone who could speak English? I say that as someone whose first language isn't English either.
Harry just killed the UK sales for that monstrosity. Excellent work !
I think BMW already did that.
Most people get the much cheaper, better to drive, lighter and way more efficient eDrive40 anyway
Truth will set you free. This is a feast of fat laden, pure hard to swallow woke (yes BMW YOU ARE ASLEEP AT THE ELECTRIC WHEEL) busting TRUTH.
BMW, ignore it at your very existence peril.
That was already done 4 years ago when someone at BMW thought it was a good idea.
Sorry to break it to you, but BMW sold more cars in 2023 than at any other year in their history, because not many people share your opinion in the real world.
At the price in the video, I agree completely--it's way too expensive in the UK. Wouldn't think seriously about it at that price. However, I just got this car in the US with similar options. I love it. It was listed at US$96K; some incentives dropped that to about US$90K. I love driving it. I love the tech. It has a comfortable, easy ride if you're commuting while doing calls, and it is super fun if you want to "drive" it in sport mode. The "expressive" and "digital art" modes are gimmicky and dumb. Still, you never have to activate them--and that's true of several little things in the car's software, but some people may find them a bit of fun. There was a learning curve to figure out the car and get it set the way I wanted. The effort there surprised me. It took about a week or so for most of it and about three weeks to make peace with the driver-assist mode (which I hated in the beginning but now like and find useful). The UX is ok, but not great from a "learnability" and setup perspective. Once you're through the learning curve though, it's great. I'm through all of that now, and, as I said, I love the car. It's very natural and easy to operate. CarPlay/Siri integration is good, and that matters to me. This is one of my favorite cars I've ever had. As to the negatives in the comments re: EV's in general, it's important to note that I use this as a commuter car in Southern California. So, range isn't a concern for me as I'm in a temperate climate, and it gets plugged in every night in my garage. For me, it's a super car. But if someone wants to take road trips or lives someplace that gets really cold and asks me what I think, I'd tell them they might want to wait on an EV until the next gen of batteries comes out in a few years, which many are saying will deliver up to 1000 miles a charge. Someone I was talking to last week said that a friend drove his EV to Las Vegas and was stuck waiting to charge his car for seven hours on the way home! But longer range and improvements in public charging will make EVs an obvious choice over gas at some point. Right now and for some time to come, however, this (or any other EV) isn't a complete replacement of gas cars. I think people should stay practical (as oposed to ideological) with their evaluations, and governments should be careful with laws and incentives that push EVs. Taking a high-level worldview and unthinkingly applying it to EVs (or anything else!) doesn't do much good. Lastly, I appreciated this review, but have to say that people might be right to file at least some of Harry's comments under "grumpy guy who doesn't like things that aren't as he was expecting." ;) But I understand them a bit because, as I said, there was a learning curve I had to get through before I really loved it.
Sober comment. One is wondering if Harry’s review is targeted at UK people or global market. Cost of living has worsened in the UK and to me a bigger luxurious car from a reputable manufacturer like BMW that can do 0-100km/h in 3,8 sec cannot be cheap. Well I respect his review but I think it’s too one sided towards efficiency and not fun. Also the roads the car was being driven on did not look very good and were too narrow.
Great counter review…. but price and drive range of this model are problematic and do need a rethink. I’m guessing the 3 year depreciation will be horrendous too. I think the Idrive system is good having used it in the I4 … overall there are too many red flags for this BMW not least the poor value for money and driving range. In the UK demand for electric cars is slowing and the EV second hand market is struggling due to high depreciation, however charging networks are increasing so range anxiety is becoming less of an issue. I think the next generation of battery technology with a 600 mile range will restore the appeal of EVs which appear to be losing their edge. As for BMW they need to get the cost of production down and be thinking of at least a 30- 40% list price reduction across their entire EV line up to be competitive as well as value for money
I love how they add distractions galore, then put on an unneeded safety feature
That's the EU for you. Coming this year to EVERY new car sold.
Safety features needed, distractions not.
That infotainment or whatever it is.. more dangerous than clicking on your phone
@@christianburch479 Safety features are not automatically needed. It's the blanket "safety always good" sheep thinking which leads to stupid shit like this.
Isn’t it better that there’s more safety features when there are also more distraction’s? Why would you want less safety but more distractions. If there are more distractions, more safety is a plus. Feel’s like common logic but hey, I’m just a crazy pizza mascot!
What sets Harry apart: He's not like most TH-cam'ers who would review this lump by sitting at a charger for an hour. He drives the damn thing then takes the piss out of BMW who have lost their way.
they pretty much "lost it" when they failed to make engines that last at least while in guarantee+ charging for heated seats 😂🤡🚩
They lost their way 20 years ago
Most TH-camrs need cars from manufacturers for content i.e. to make $$$
Harry's made his money, so he can speak freely
If we all drove normal-sized cars with a ~150-200bhp engine, weighing ~1,500kg, with a small electric motor that would do 40 miles on a charge, our personal transport environmental problems would be largely sorted. (And it would be safer for cars/pedestrians we hit.) 40 miles covers most journeys and means a small battery - less pollution from heavy metals.
Most of us could do that. We don’t need pointlessly heavy SUVs/crossovers (you can have an estate for extra space). We don’t need 500bhp in a family car. Or even 300.
And we could still have sports cars, etc. for occasional fun.
The current situation is what happens when you let people selfishly do whatever they want - and allow big businesses to propagandise them through advertising to ‘choose’ to drive needlessly large vehicles.
And the government have no intention of improving the charging network because rich people have driveways and garages, so they’ll be fine. That is the key problem with electric cars - or do you have spare hours a week to ‘fill’ your car? Electric cars are still the preserve of the rich - the poor will be shafted once they’re forced into them.
@cjb514Partly down to EU regulations...
This is why we value Harry as a reviewer, he’s happy to give his honest knowledgable thoughts on cars he tests without fear. He will simply tell it as it is. Personally I would say he’s 100% correct in his sum up of this car 👍
he is a cool customer.
Couldn’t agree more. He clearly wants to be enthusiastic, failing that he wants to be helpful. But regardless he is honest. He reminds me of that line from Almost Famous, “if you want to be a true friend to these guys, be honest, and unmerciful.”
Have you driven it ?
it is sad all these reviewers get the M60 though. eDrive40 is so much better it is insane you would ever get the M60
yeh hope Harry stays impartial in his review not like carwow clearly German sponsored marketing machine
thanks for being totally transparent. Manufacturers are really struggling with EVs it seems. Range, quality, depreciation, styling...this car is just negative after negative.
Watching Harry's eyes darting around the cabin as he's trying to change settings with the control systems tells you everything you need to know how unsafe these tech monstrosities are on the road. For the one simple reason: that these controls are not intuitive and you have to take your eyes off the road.
Overly complicated and dangerous I thought the same thing
are you an OAP? Shall we go back to one dial, temp and oil or would that be too much to handle for you?
@e36man328i as it happens, yes. Which also means I've a wealth of experience and many miles under my wheels. Also, having taken four driving tests; car, motorcycle, armoured car and tank, in Northern Ireland, England and West Germany, I can attest that anything that distracts from the business of DRIVING the vehicle is not clever. Consider me an analogue man in a digital world if you must but my favourite car was a Golf GTi Mk1 1600. As analogue as they come and all the better for it. Sorry but BMW has lost the plot with this one. Oh, wait. They did that with the X6.
You're meant to talk to iDrive 8 and above not touch the screen. Ideally name your car to make interaction easier
Yet, depending on your country, you can be fined and get points on your licence for operating a smartphone when driving. Even if it is in a holder on your dashboard. I do not advocate the use of a smartphone whilst driving, but fail to see how the law allows essentially the same thing if is an integrated screen on your dashboard. The lunacy is most obvious when you can't use your smartphone directly, but can operate CarPlay/Android Auto if is displayed on your car's screen, regardless of how large or small that screen is.
It's a good job they optioned the carbon wingmirrors to help reduce the weight to only two and a half tonnes for this "M" car 😁 Also, shout out to the old Morris Minor out of nowhere at 13:57 !
Yep, she was a beauty
I'd rather have the Morris Minor, such simplicity, than any modern car with all its computers and gimmicks. How distracting is trying to do things on a touch screen whilst driving.
A much greener car.
This Minor was cool wasn’t it??
😂
I like the subtle integration of the radar in the front that just flows with the design.
Room for a second reg plate
Just as subtle as BMW's design and marketing departments' descent to insanity
🤣
how do they find such skilled designers......
I would rather have an E34 or E39 with ANY engine and no-options with 150.000km rather than this new!!! Come to think of it E60 too!
My gosh BMW managed to make their grills even worse without a combustion engine behind it... Hard to think of another car brand that has drifted so far from it's heyday.
I stopped considering BMW once they put the hideous grills on their cars a few years back.
When did we say was the last time you walked past a BMW dealership? I won't ask when was the last BMW you ever owned because I already know the answer - never. Here we have one more manifestation of a major problem of our times: Internet sofa experts confidently and proudly expressing absolute convictions!
Keep crying and moaning. The company is living its best days ever, and their sales numbers are skyrocketing
@@hassanger8128 Business fleets are huge part of modern sales numbers. 38% of sales are either financed through BMW's own bank or just plain leasing cars. Not to mention all the plugin hybrid tax advantages of cars that rarely get plugged in.
@@uslaserguideddemocracyseed1039 he is talking about looks. You don't need to drive, own or even sit in a car for that. You only need 1 eye, vision and have one in your eyesight. It doesn't even need to stay there for long ...
Anyone can make something complicated, only a genius makes things simple.
Exactly, make it as simple as possible and only as complicated as needed
I think I'll keep my 10-year old, 140,000 miles 530D thanks... its still drives like a dream!
10 year old 530D, nice. Before Munich Waivered......
And I’m gonna keep buying parts for my manual E39 528i and my E46 330i sport. Even if I could afford a modern bmw, there are hundreds of better ways to spend the money.
So does my Jag XF. 15 years old this year and drives like new. I wonder how many new EVs will still be around in 15 years?
Ditto with my 15 year old 550i. This obsession with tech is simply ridiculous. BMW need to simplificate and add lightness!
Love my 2018 535i. Easily can hit 260kmh
I absolutely agree with you Harry having run an EV for 4 years.
My Jaguar I Pace is a brilliant, sporty drive & I cannot fault it but as for EVs in general….. When I purchased mine in 2020, public rapid chargers were 38p kWh they are now 79p kWh !!! You can’t get anywhere near 200 miles at a constant 70-75mph & it then costs you £50 to do another 150 odd miles!! Ridiculously expensive & a no go as a touring car.
They are overweight with a massive purchase price.
I expected after a very large initial deposit on my I Pace to make up to £10k on the RV thinking I was ahead of the curve at the end of the PCP but instead, it is worth £7k less than the final balloon!
I have no choice but to hand it back & buy a big petrol or diesel of comparable size & performance..
It’s absolutely criminal, unjustifiable & I’ve lost a lot of money! Never again will I buy an EV. It’s been a very expensive & bitter pill to swallow.
Ooof... This will all come out in the wash. I expect a BBC Breakfast report about the 'Sea of unwanted electric vehicles' will be incoming in the not too distant future
In 3 years time who is going to want to buy that car? You’d have to be clinically insane.
It appears no one wants to buy one now looking at the discounts available!
Dear Harry, from the bottom of my heart: Nevre, ever grow up. We all love your enthusiasm, your joy and your curiosity. You are so darn good at putting us beside you in the car, and we all know you are doing your darnest to give us that thrill. Thank you for making my Sunday a Sunday!
Grille now looks like a Skoda 🤭
Tbf it looks like a skoda because skoda copied BMW
Great review once again…. £40k resale in 2 years time and it would still be a no from me..
I drive a bunch of cars from 1999-2019 model years. My daily driver is a 2008 NA V8 Lexus LS, owned since new. This review makes me feel that I am missing NOTHING by avoiding all these tech laden, over priced modern cars. Will keep driving ICE cars, and even used ones (eg Gen 2 Flying Spur for less than half the price of this BMW), for as long as possible!
We get to see, for the first time, a slight expression of anger in Harry's face.
Well done BMW!!
A really nice touch of Clarkson while operating those stupid modes😁
Thank you, Harry for keeping four solid driving wheels firmly on the ground throughout all the madness we are currently having to endure. The voice of sanity and reason - may you never be silenced, lest we forget (as so many manufacturers seem to) that cars are actually meant to be enjoyed.
When Sabine took the wheel of my E36M3 and smiled, that was a BMW. This car should be marketed by Zanussi. Oh how the world has changed. And the politicians are in charge!
Glad i grew up in an era of exciting cars. Keep up the good work Harry, this is spot on. When I drove a Twizzy on the launches they made more sense than this. How can movong 2.4 metric tonnes with no matter what power source be a sensible option???
It's NOT Politicians....read that again. Its those Unelected and Unregulated Eurocrats in Geneva - exactly the same people who developed CBDC'c. Politicians are only puppets (think Tony B.Liar and WMD in Iran)
This is why Harry is the best. He doesn’t hold back on giving an honest review, unlike so many other TH-camrs up the back side of manufacturers.
I'd like to see Clarkson in the passenger seat 😂
What a wonderful review!!!
2.5t, 240 mile range if lucky, £115k price tag, lose 10% energy when you fill up. And not even enjoyable to drive!
Harry says it as he sees it - courteous but bitterly honest!!!
The 10% thing will happen to literally ANY electric device... everything from your toaster, TV, microwave, Laptop etc
And it will break all sales records. As usual with any new BMW
@@hassanger8128 yes, you’re probably correct!!!
you know your car is shit when the stripes on seatbelts are the only thing that makes Harry smile
2.5 tons , barely 200 miles range, a nanny computer and 10% losses when you charge it..... All for over £100k ...... Where do I sign ? Sounds awesome !!! It's a ridiculous car for ridiculous people. What is going on a BMW these days. They have lost the plot !!
Great honest review as always Harry . I wonder if BMW will be so quick to lend you another car to review in the future 😂
I loved seeing the old Morris Minor drive past at the intersection
I'm increasingly concerned that the 90s was peak humans and it's all downhill from there
Completely agree... I long for yesteryear and feel bad about the level of human stupidity my kids will have to endure.
Basically, the western world went downhill after 9/11. The 2000s caused the proliferation of consumer technology for technology's sake (rather than asking if it actually benefitted consumers).
Something, especially after 2015 it got really obvious.
@@dibrom6981the 456 was the last Ferrari with pop up headlights and cars in general i think there were the lotus esprit and the c5 corvette. Great engine on the 355 though, and looks, and size, and noise...
I would say peak car happened between 2012-2020 when DSG and automatic transmissions grew refined and diesel and petrol engines reached excellent economy levels. Tech was great with ABS but without the utterly disgusting lane keep assist. Nice interiors made of genuine leather - sigh
I've driven BMWs my whole life, and I just can't seem to find anything coming out of the company that I like any longer. The 5 series used to be a pretty safe bet... but not only have they messed it up with all that's been mentioned, they've also made it flat out ugly. What a shame for the whole company.
I feel exactly the same. I cannot even fathom an idea of buying a BMW anymore.
Only took a few years too. Once the current 8 series and 3/4 series are gone, can’t imagine they will make a single car I’d really want to own.
e60/f10 will never be beat. This new thing is an abomination
My (first gen) BMW M2 will probably be the last BMW I ever bought new. The only new BMW I still really like (design and how it drives) is the Alpina B3 Touring. That's it...
BMW M340i is alright although missing a stick shift and rwd. 8 series is cool and the M2. Apart from that straight up awful.
I loved the morris going by as you’re pulling out of a junction in the alleged “future” of motoring. Fantastic.
Also I’m a watch lover and you have quite a collection. Can we have a mention of what watch you are wearing at the start of the videos. 😂
A 2.5 ton 5 metre £115k non-M 5 series - the answer to a question that nobody would ever bother to ask…..
It’s a car to satisfy bureaucratic demands, nothing more
Then you get BMW reliability and bills lol.
At least it is quiet. Let us be thankful for that.
@@Jadawin-kk3fzIf only it was invisible as well……
10/10 review. This is a prime example of why "Harry's garage" is a cut above the rest. Thank you going deeper into the analyse of EV charging flaws, as to why nobody else comments about or measures the charging inefficiencies, I suspect the rest of the journalism world simply don't understand the engineering behind it or are afraid to say critically negative things about the manufacturers and their products, which in this case would harm the general marketing push of an EV world. Without these critical opinions formed from actual data and test results, unrefined and low effort products are allowed to be passed off as a normal product. This is a vehicle designed by a feel good marketing department with the engineering team in shackles, a vehicle fit for people with more money than sense. I applaud you for highlighting this. 👏
you only like his review because you agree though
Ah yes, the classic rich people don’t have taste argument lol
Do you not understand the importance of objective testing data?
Thanks to Harry we know that this car weighs 600kgs more than ICE variants, costs almost 2x more than those variants but doesn't have quality reflective of that price, wastes 10% of the charging electricity to the atmosphere and has less range than advertised.
Whether or not people like it is irrelevant, these are hard facts that automotive consumers should be more concerned with, lest we want OEMs to continue produce subpar products for the sake of marketing nonsense. @@Astke
Rich people wouldn't touch this car with a 20foot pole. Only upper middle class fools on a lease (or corporate fleets) are the sorry targets of this product @@therpope
@@therpope That's not the argument he made, at all. The car isn't distasteful because it's for "rich people" - it's objectively distasteful because it's an ugly monstrosity with poor range, a horrible user interface, dull driving dynamics and a massively inflated price.
I’ve never seen Harry upset before .
I was in the crowd that would always be excited by the new BMW 3 or 5 series and the progress compared to the previous generation. I look at this and think the pinnacle was somewhere around the Bangle E60? I'm Harry's age and the more I think about it the more I believe we were fortunate to have been in our peak when ICE cars peaked. The engines were powerful, suspensions sorted, fun to drive, safe, roads were reasonably empty and unrestricted, exhaust fumes were catalysed. We also weren't spending Sunday afternoons fiddling with carbs, points and ignition like our dads. The Russians weren't threatening us with nukes every other day either. You can probably add multiple points around property prices, safety, state of infrastructure and cost of a pint to the list.
Oh Wow! I can't remember a review from Harry, when he gets to the 'likes' and 'dislikes' so early, so he can list all the problems with this car!
The usual honest review, but rarely will you see Harry dislike a car more, I think!
Crazy to buy a car with a tyre profile of less than 55 with the state of the roads especially with a EV that weighs 40% more than the equivalent ICE car.
way good point - beyond significant and so very telling.
To be fair, 35% profile of a 345mm section width is actually more sidewall (120mm) than 55% profile of a 205mm section width (112mm), so it's not that simple. The rear 15" tyres on Harry's Lamborghini Countach are technically a 35 profile (345/35 R15), but it's 35% of 345mm which is quite tall actually!
I quite like it when harry gets grumpy 😂
Once again, a very balanced and informative real world review.
Weight is a problem when the reason is electrification. However, when the reason is safety and comfort, weight is not a problem at all. Harry could explain to the viewers why electrification is an issue, but not these other aspects. Why doesn’t everyone just buy a 1000 kg Lotus? If the problem is that we don’t need electrification, then you need to prove that. Electric petrol might be a solution for racing and hobby use, but not for transforming the masses.
The reason BMW’s electric models are heavier than Tesla’s is that they are also designed as ICE (internal combustion engine) cars.
The mad rush to net zero has taken away one of the finest cars ever made - the BMW 530d Xdrive. I used to regularly drive from the Pyrenees in the south of France to Hampshire in the UK in a single day in mine - I used to get 1,100km from a single tank of diesel.
This new I5 is a MASSIVE step backwards.
And over 600 kgs heavier !!
Net zero is fake
Evs are far worse in carbon footprint than modern diesel engines
Nail on head Richard. Looking at this new model and comparing it to my g30 530d xdrive, it offers nothing more and in some ways it’s a backward step. Looks like I’m going to be keeping the g30 for a while longer.
@@MIK23458 and your G30 is stunning design. Way better than the new model
Yep, my father has a 2018 x3 3.0 diesel. Covers 25-30k miles per year in it and he cannot get it to return any less than 500 miles to 3/4 of a tank of diesel. He drives fast, with no regard to efficiency.
The tail pipes are still silver and have never been cleaned. Their 3.0 diesel is an incredible engine.. fast, powerful, efficient, clean. Massive shame when they stop making it.
I hate these new interiors with no buttons and just and extended tablet from China. It feels cheap because it is cheap. It appears that the best of automotive industry is behind us and 2015-2020 cars are simply the ones to get today with their plush and luxurious interiors. Thank you for the review, I totally agree with the statements and their assessment and hope, really hope that customers will vote with their wallets. So far it doesn't seem to have any effect for example judging by how all of these carried on with "glued" tablets in recent years. I'm glad that I can keep watching and keep subscribing Harry's videos with pleasure.
The grille fail is a thing of wonder in itself.
I like how it seems like they forgot they had to include all the radar stuff, and just whacked a big rectangle in the middle of it. "Job done"
I really wonder what will happen say, 10 years down the line.....when all the tech has started to fail and requires repair/replacement at huge cost. My daily is a 121K miles 2012 tdi and I can drive the 250 miles to see our son, potter around for a week and then return home on a single tank of the black stuff.
No hurry to change it for one of these crazy machines....besides my previous tdi managed 320K miles @ 50mpg...so its hardly run in....
Great video- your honesty and sensible thoughts are appreciated. DC
These screens with multiple menus are a real concern. They're taking too much attention away from the road. Great video as always.
This makes me appreciate my M340i from late 2019 even more. I test drove the i5 M60 and while it was fast and comfortable it just felt cheap somehow. The interior is just huge slabs of screens. Gone is the sporty inside-the-cockpit feeling I've got from the G20. The most annoying thing is the abundance of ugly piano gloss plastic on the surfaces you touch the most; there's piano black on the door handles where your window controls are and there is piano black on the main center control which is probably the most annoying thing. It just feels cheap! And here in Switzerland the price is even more absurd than in Germany and the UK.
This makes me appreciate my F-Type even more! Plenty of physical switches and buttons that I can operate with my eyes closed, or at least with them on the road, looking where I'm going.
I own an i4 M50 and it’s just better in every way than a 340i.
@@Bimmer_i4_M50 It's cool if you can charge at home but I have my care in a a rental garage and I only make around 7k km a year. I commute by train. If I'd commute by car and could charge at home I'd definitely get an electric. But for now the 6 cylinder is awesome!
@@Bimmer_i4_M50 Sorry but the M50 is way too heavy, especially in the front. The eDrive 40 drives a lot better and is more fun.
@@Bimmer_i4_M50 worse* but on the positive it is half the price of this i5 while being indistinguishable (apart from being even more ugly), so that's nice.
This is the first electric car review that I enjoyed. Thanks for calling out the gimmicks and all the shortfalls. We need more motoring journalists to be honest and say it like it is.
News
This car is multi-platform, not just EV. These ‘gimmicks’ are found on all new cars now - EV, petrol or diesel.
You enjoyed it because he was negative right?
The shortcomings here have almost nothing to do with it being an EV; it’s another BMW design failure that has spread to the entire brand.
@@VideoAmericanStyle but a lot.
of people will proably still like it because it feels new and drives well to normal people who are not deep into the old school car enthusiasm.
Wow, well that could not be clearer and the 5 Series is their flagship. On looks alone the E Class has it for me but the whole EV thing is a disaster, mainstreaming technology before it is commercially viable. Once again the state backing the wrong horse at vast expense.
The lack of feelable switches or buttons, so common in modern cars, is deplorable. Searching around on a touch screen is a massive and dangerous distraction. And I agree with Harry about the speed and lane keeping functions. My car tells me that any country road without white lines in the middle has a 30 mph limit. and constantly bleeps at me to stay in the centre of the road.
that frau does not intend for anyone to be driving ever in future - and she's there to tell you right now - can't you hear? why, that was one long-winded frau - no wonder our guy got annoyed - jeez, it is just so blatant!
If we can't use mobile phones or tablets while we're driving because they're too distracting, how is using a screen in a car any different? I heard that to turn the wipers on or off in a Tesla 3 it has to done through the touchscreen - my informant said he had to actually stop to do it as he felt so unsafe doing it while in motion. Madness.
@@stevemawer848the screens can be hugely distracting. On a model 3 current version you can do the wipers via a button on the stalk, although the auto setting never seems to get it quite right. The new model 3 doesn’t have any stalks so no idea on that one. Agree that the touchscreens are distracting while driving vs conventional controls
I totally agree with all the above. This is a downwards spiral for motoring. We have already seen the best days of the car, the future looks very bleak 😳
@jfw5358 you complain about the car yet you still bought it? That's why manufacturers don't care what we think, because we hand over our cash regardless.
Harry is damn near roasting this car, good, calling it out like it is, good job 👏
The old morris was a delight to see. Cheers from Adelaide 🇦🇺
Why on earth are BMW not selling the BMW 520d in the UK? - They currently selling the new 5 series RHD 520d in other RHD countries, so why have they left the UK out when this was their best selling engine here, the mind just boggles. Looks like we’ll have to go to Cyprus now and drive back for people wanting the 520d …..
Cant imagine how quick this will get through a set of tyres.
Be expensive as well at 21” 😱
So glad you mentioned about lane assist! Merc are just as bad - mine tried to swerve me back TOWARDS the cyclist I was passing - straightforwardly dangerous.
Golf 8 lane assist is just dangerous! Harry has hit the nail on the head again. Lane assist just doesn’t work in the UK!
Ooof! Harry, you NAILED IT! 👍🏻 BMW used to be known as 'The Ultimate Driving Machine'. Now they seem to be for people who do not know how to drive for themselves! What a load of over-priced, heavy, nanny-state, non-premium material quality, GARBAGE! Where are the ergonomics, driver involvement, premium feel, and excitement? AWFUL MACHINE! BRILLIANT & FRANK video Harry. Thank you for being so honest...You have restored my faith in motoring journalism. 👍🏻
Wait till "Dave takes it on" sees this, Harry wont be popular just another EV hater 🤣
Last time i went to a Bimmer dealership the only shoppers there were 60+ with failing eyesight. Perfect demographic seeing as you would have to a bit slow and blind to want one.
they have the discretionary $ - that is a much-admired car for this boomer set. makes them feel hip & young. and they care about the natural world and life on earth being preserved for their grandbabies. @@benbennit
Thank goodness for Harry, Straight talking guy. Thank you Harry. ☘️
Excellent review Harry, can't tell you how much I appreciate seeing your honest opinions on these things. As a 3x BMW owner (and someone who assumed they'd be buying BMWs for life) - it has saddened me incredibly to watch the direction of the company over the last 5 years or so. It's hard to describe how much I dislike their current range of products, it's very clear the West is no longer of much interest to them, their primary interest will be selling hyper-digitized EV appliances to Asian markets going forward. Of course, much of this has been forced by massive gov't intervention which has, once again done nothing but hurt the consumer. Really not sure how the whole industry can course-correct at this point, but I don't see myself buying many cars made after 2020, and by 2025 it seems there will hardly be anything left in production that I will have any interest owning at any price. Sad to think about.
I had seven BMWs in a row and now they don’t even produce anything I would put my money after
My sentiment exactly! I'm with you all the way. I grew up driving BMW's and I am gutted with what they have become - building mostly rubbish and fad cars!! I will also not be buying anything older than 2019/2020!
@@utinirhino7658My 4-Series GranCoupe with the 20d engine was a autobahn missile! Could cruise over 1.000 km on a tank of diesel at around 160 km/h
@@DeeKay1911 And that’s what it means to be a ECO car!
True. Everyone reading this must consider when was the last time you bought a brand new BMW, Audi or Merc? Chinese middle class are buying these like mad. Middle class people in the UK can hardly pay their heating bills, let alone pay for brand new premium cars. Sad.
Harry sounding just like Clarkson, made me chuckle. Excellent review, thanks Harry. This thing is a far cry from the highly desirable and memorable cars that visited my garage in past years - 540i touring, 525i touring with added Schnitzer, M3 evo. And then Bangle interfered……
Compared to BMW's latest styling efforts, the Bangle era cars are quite dignified and understated.
Loved this one Harry.
Sick to death of the monster price hikes manufacturers have bestowed on us since COVID and a little before. The rise of EVs has seemingly given car people the right to 'charge' outrageous money for their products. Kia have gone from an ice pricing range of £9k to £39k. Now with their EV range its £30k upto nearly £80k. This from one of the best, lowest priced car manufactuer/s. it bonkers. It really is.
Oh and this need for uber power too? . What is this about? mid to low range car manufacturers offering EVs with a 0-60 of 3 or so seconds. Fun, but really not needed. Again, its a crazy thing.
I’m not sure if BMW live in a parallel universe or they’re just thick in the head but the target audience they’re trying to attract with this gimmick-infested car (young people) can only afford to spend £115, not £115k, on a car.
@@Fc-cb3tn Yes, if you look around, it feels like there has been a massive money grab by car makers since COVID. its pathetic and so blatant.
You only to look at the Civic Type-R. £35k 1 year and practically £50k the very next for a car with a few tweaks. The previous gen had similar tweaks for improvement but went up in price by around £2k. Its just so blatant.
BMW. Seem to of really lost the plot with the new touch screen tech, I’ve just traded in my 12 month old M240i for a 4 year old 435DMSport couple which I had prior for a number of reasons. Firstly the touch screen tech drove me mad-turn air con on via a menu ? Seat heating plus lane assistant without question the most dangerous system as it pushes you towards the ongoing traffic. As someone who has had BMW’s for well over 30 years can’t believe they would go down the Tesla route . So it’s perfectly fine to look at a touch screen to turn on air con but not to answer your phone? Love my 4 series with its incredible ride and buttons for everything.
I imagine Harry needed a good restorative drive in the XJ12 after filming this.
How beautiful did that XJ look in the background, against this piece of shit
I think this is the closest we'll ever see Harry to incandescent with rage. I get it.
Well said Harry. It's another backward step. Cars peaked a few years ago. I will never part with my own money for a new car - not until the EU driver assistance garbage is revoked.
The driver assistance in a new G Wagon saved my families life! It works much better than in a current BMW (yes, I have driven 2023 X3, X5, and 7 Series).
@@Fluterra Sound like bs.
Oh dear, almost forgot to blame the EU again
ICE cars peaked 2000-2015 with the wailing NA engines. EVs will presumably get better and better and/or progress until you can order a convenient driverless electric taxi pod on demand? 🙂
Hahaha waa waa waaaa 😂
The Prices BMW & Mercedes are putting on their Electrics are insane! Here in the U.S. Mercedes dealer lots are choked full with $100K+ Electrics that No One Wants.
And all the Nanny electronics are completely overdone. My Japanese brand car displays the speed limit & that's all I need. No buzzers, No nanny voice!
And Whoever put the number "5" on the C pillar should be Fired.
One thing I want to know about these high mass cars and truck is: How long do the tires last?? I cant see something with that much mass and torque not utterly destroying the tires (and our roads) in a very short time. Keep up the great work Harry & Co.
Another issue is wear on the drive lines. Tesla cars are breaking axles through heavy footed driving.
@@KevinJones-r3gI’ve not read of one axle breaking on Tesla owner forums……and they really do moan about everything!!
Tesla drive units fail all the time
@@ianjames3078
@@ianjames3078never heard of that myself either
@careycummings9999 Not only that, but they will generate more particles than a non filtered gasoline or even modern diesel engine.
“Expressive mode”? That’s my favourite part of this video. That and the digital art.
I remember a time when you pressed the pedal of a BMW M and heard a race tuned straight six or a V8 😂 now it’s starship enterprise sounds - feels like we are back in that 50’s jet age of cars 😂
EV fan here (and i3 owner) and I think your appraisal is spot on, having an overweight EV plays to its weaknesses. They should be focusing on getting the weight down and improving efficiency then better driving dynamics and range will fall into line
You're so right. After so many BMW's I decided to leave this brand behind me and I switched to an Alfa Rome Giulia, where style and class still exist. So sad, that BMW got the wrong track.
What's wrong with G20?
They didn't get the wrong track though. They sold more cars in 2023 than at any other year in their history. So I am pretty sure they couldn't care less if you got an Alfa or not.
@@N1ckZ Sales numbers isn't the only single thing the businesses should be concerned with, you know. There are other things, oh, like brand image (I know, that's such an outlandish thing to say!).
@@thunderrun1528 I am glad that you mentioned it. BMW's brand image is a modern brand that goes with the times and doesn't remain stagnant, regardless of what some people on the internet say, because it's the real world that matters. And in the real world, BMW is seeing massive success with their new line-up.
@@N1ckZ Well, you see, brand erosion is a thing that does not happen overnight, at least in most cases. There is always some inertia when it comes to total sales numbers, meaning that past success helps sales in the present. But as dubious and brand-eroding practices become more commonplace within a certain brand, that past success becomes more and more diluted and, as a result, you see a company perform worse at what it is known for. But if by "modern, not stagnant brand" you actually mean one that is trading its identity (which is crucial for long term success) for marginal short term financial gains, then sure, BMW does fit into that description.
What a brilliant review. Seeing a journalist like Harry honestly review the new 5 is excellent. "What has happened to BMW?" even my son, who would be the next generation of BMW drivers, has no good impression of their direction and design language, which should be a worry for BMW. The AutotopNL and Joe Achilles review also shows they both have the same frustrations with BMW as Harry. Disappointed, I was really looking forward to this new model. I'll stick with the 545e for the moment. It may be time to look at another marque - I never thought I would say that.
So much for the Ultimate Driving Machine, its more like a video arcade on four wheels. 2400 kg, numb steering, fancy lighted trim on the dash, screens tacked on (instead of integrated into the dashboard), ridiculously expensive (and just wait until its 4 years old!), gadgets and gimmicks galore! At least its not as hideous exterior-wise as many BMW models. Sadly, BMW has certainly strayed a long, long way from its storied past.
Hehe, If they would just rebuild the late 80s models with some modest modernization, they would be golden. ^^
Most of those light strips and cheap gimmicks you can buy online from China for 5£ and fit to any car, only here they are a 15k option....
the world also. bigtime. big (very big actually) stray. the dash is a carnival show.
This is what buyers want. The majority of BMW buyers don't actually care about "the Ultimate Driving Machine" (TM). As a BMW representative said "the majority of customer feedback was for less steering effort" and "to remove the bad (steering) feedback".
Shocking difference between watt hours added vs stored, with fully 10% lost in heat during charging.
I knew there must be some losses, but I’d have guessed it was low single %.
I’ve just realised there are some really severe implications.
If you use a really fast charger, your % losses will be larger.
Why? Because the rig gets much hotter than a trickle charger type system.
That seriously erodes the efficiency advantage if you also wish to minimise stops for obligatory charging on longer journeys.
And they’re not that long.
We occasionally blast up to Bluewater, then back. It’s a 100 mile round trip. If I had a 200 mile range, then unless I started at well over 50%, I would not attempt it.
Even if I did, occasionally we’ll divert 50 miles south to visit our daughter, then another 60 miles home.
We’re free agents, and this kind of thing isn’t that rare, maybe once or twice a month. In winter, unless you start fully charged, you’re always going to be feeling concerned about range. The last leg home is cross country, Sussex into rural mid Kent. There’s a route that passes through very few places and you’d not see a charger simply by passing by. I can’t ever see myself being happy with 200 miles, nominal.
It’s more likely 160. It’s just too limiting.
Yep. Try being given an ev to run for work and having that feeling on a daily basis adding to the daily stress.
@@charliehmi76 Nightmare. Quality of life is very consciously being degraded steadily, step by step.
The weather manipulation has multiple objectives. It’s not only to damage food production, which will afford the perpetrators immense power over us through deployment of a rationing system, as I guessed that would be used at some point from as early as 2020.
Additionally, it lowers mood. I’m aware of what’s going on & so I’m no longer surprised by anything & even I find it’s bringing me down.
A wiser friend once observed that the effects of a system, if persistent, are the OBJECTIVE of that particular system. If they were not, things would be changed. Mass immigration fits that description very well as does the state of the roads.
Makes me sad to see how much this misses the mark. I use an i3 daily which addresses every negative Harry mentioned about the i5, and came out nearly a decade ago. Hard to believe the same company made both of these
My dad got one and he actually loves his i3 for an A to B car.
At first he didn't like it and now he's had it for a long time.
This is a perfectly accurate and brutal statement.
Ive been very impressed with the i3
For round town trips its ideal, odd looking but 4 miles per kw aint bad and the range of 180 miles meets most trips
How true. Had my i3 for 4 years and 60,000 miles. And was brilliant and fun.The i3 came out in 2012/13, so OVER 10 years ago. Mental! Was waiting and fully expecting BMW to put more energy dense batteries in it over time but they killed it instead. A 55-60kWh i3 and 100kW + charging speeds would have been perfect. BMW now just turn out boring, stupidly heavy and inefficient and massively over-priced EVs instead.
things are worsening fast - timeline don't you know? where have you been these last 50 years? 🙃
Great honest review. I remember both my father's E39 (the best built car I've ever driven) and E60 (evidence of cost cutting but great tech and optional suspension superb) very fondly. Dad looked at the larger F10 when it was released and decided he might as well get an SUV. After a couple of Lexus (well built but boring) he's currently driving one of the first EQCs. He figured if a car is going to be a bit heavy and lifeless, he might as well have the practicality of an SUV. Such a shame, the 5 series. As a young driver I was proud of Dad for driving 5s and I relished every opportunity to get behind the wheel. The ride handling ballence was unlike anything I'd driven before or since. It's such a shame that 'pure driving pleasure' has gone out the window and now the 5 is a bloated barge with a party trick cabin and a lack of dynamic ability. Not even very efficient. I grew up loving BMW (only owned 1, the first 130i (fun car back in the day for a chap in his mid 20s) but I don't find them in any way appealing now which is a shame. 0:10
I genuinely think the motor industry think the public are stupid. Cars from the big brands, EV or otherwise seem to push the price ceiling to new heights for every model evolution. Just look at JLR with the new Range Rover and Defender, anything from Porsche and now a 5 series over £100k, its utter madness, but while people keep paying, they'll keep increasing the prices. I think you're right though, BMW are going to struggle to shift this one. Why you'd pay a premium for a car that wont go as far as the petrol equivalent, which will force you to stop more than you want for longer than you want, with the inconvenience and damn right awkwardness of trying to establish who is waiting and who is next to use the charger (because they've been installed in the corner of a car park) is beyond me (and I like EV's - lol). Great shout Harry!
Now I've had an EV for 2 years, and whilst it is great for transportation, the driving experience is quite numb. I'll get another EV, but as a "daily" and have decided that I need a fun car in my life, 6 cylinders at the least. Thank you Harry for sharing.