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Ok after having the i4M50 for 10 days now I think I can give a reasonably good opinion on how I now feel about the switch from the M5 Competition and whether it was the right move or not. I will touch on how the car drives, some of the tech which might be different depending of whats allowed in your country and finally range and cost of ownership.
1: How it drives
The switch from the M5 was made on a financial basis because currently theres tax benefits for business customers and due to shortages of second hand cars my M5 was holding a premium but it still had to drive like a proper BMW for me to be happy with my decision. The most noticeable difference is the instant performance on tap, my M5 was no slouch but compared to this it feels slow, in sport boost the push in the back is brutal theres no other word to describe it, even in ECO Pro its got enough performance for day to day driving to not need either Comfort or Sport and can overtake at the kind of pace one would associate with a top level hot hatch.
Handling, a sticky point for most because at 2.2 ton its a real porker and yet it can tackle corners with surprising composure, I am sure if you really started to push at speeds that would lose you your license its composure would fall apart but you will not experience this on the road at real world speeds, the only real negative I can point at is the steering feel which simply isnt there and I cant quite understand why this should be, its perfectly accurate but you feel nothing. Plus points, the brakes seem to be good and the ride quality to a definitely step up from the M5, its rides more like my 740d did which is amazing considering its size and how it tackles corners.
2: The technology
The contains some pretty cool tech, if you arent on the throttle and approaching a car in front of you thats traveling slower it automatic brakes for you, likewise entering a slower speed zone without throttle it slows the car to within 5 mph of the speed limit before freewheeling again. Then theres the cruise control which allows you to SET the speed to the new speed limit you are approaching and it auto adjusts itself, I am finding myself using this function all the time, its probably been available before but its new to me. Also new to me but probably no to other electric car owners is the departure conditioning function, basically set the time you intend to leave the house on the app and the car pre warms itself cabin etc which is brilliant in cold mornings. Also like how you can set the charging time with the app which is good if you have an EV electricity tariff which is cheaper at night.
3: Running costs and range
Of course we are in difficult times with regards to fuel prices and energy prices so this could vary but I am basing this on present day prices and compared to me M5 which in my opinion is a good comparison because the real world performance of i4M50 is very similar to that of the M5.
I reckon I was probably getting very good mpg out of my M5, I was getting 20mpg (imperial gallons) from mine and based on this figure and the cost I am paying for my electricity (currently dont have an EV tariff) the i4M50 is working out to be costing my a third of what the M5 cost per mile, so based on my yearly mileage that works out at £2K per year saving. When I switch to an EV tariff this figure will increase by quite a bit so for anyone debating the switch I say its a no brainer.
Range on 20 wheels, these are the wider 20s which are offered in the UK but I am 100% getting between 236-244 miles in less than ideal operating temperatures for an electric car, most of my journeys are less than 8 miles which would mean the range might drop with longer journeys but one thing I have found is the state of charge it shows is very accurate to the figure of range it shows so the range left before empty you can believe youll achieve.
Conclusion I am over the moon with the car and I cant recall the last time I felt this happy with a car purchase.
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