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I Drove The Electric And Gas-Powered BMW X5. I Know Which One I'd Pick.

For the first time ever, the X5 is going electric. I drove the iX5 to see if it's compelling enough to get BMW buyers into an EV.

BMW iX5 First Drive

Photo by: Tim Levin/InsideEVs

Tim Levin

By: Tim Levin

Oct 22, at 3:01pm ET

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The fifth-generation BMW X5 is here, and for the first time ever it comes in a dizzying array of powertrain options: gas, diesel, plug-in hybrid, hydrogen (yes, seriously), and, the subject of today’s review: electric.

All the X5s are identical inside and out: same clean look, same distinctive X-shaped headlights, same screens, same high-class cabin. So why pick one over the other? After driving both the combustion X5 and the electric iX5 for a day in Southern California, I think BMW has made an exceptional case for its buyers to go electric. The iX5 provides gobs of range, super-fast charging, dazzling tech, and a more pleasant driving experience than the gas version.

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Perhaps more than ever, the decision comes down to one simple question: Can you live without the theater of a combustion engine? If so, the iX5 deserves your attention.

[Full disclosure: BMW covered my travel and lodging in Newport Beach, California, so I could drive the new iX5.]

BMW iX5: What Is It?

The iX5 is the latest of BMW’s Neue Klasse vehicles, joining the new iX3 crossover and i3 sedan. It’s one of the most important too; while BMW made its name as a sports-sedan company, the X5 and X3 are its bread and butter in the U.S. So the X5 going all-electric (at least as an option) is a big deal both for BMW and for America’s EV options.

2027 BMW iX5

Base Price $79,800

Battery 144 kWh

Charge Time 10%-80% in 22 min

Drive Type Dual-motor AWD

EV Range 450 miles (est. EPA)

Output 570 hp

Maximum torque 594 lb-ft

Speed 0-60 MPH 4.4 seconds (BMW est.)

The iX5 uses BMW’s sixth-generation EV motors and batteries, and has the biggest battery pack ever fitted to a BMW production car, at 144 kWh. While the iX3 and i3 use 4695 cells—that is, ones that are 46 millimeters wide and 95 mm tall—the iX5 uses 46120s, giving it extra energy capacity and a huge amount of range. The battery uses a cell-to-pack format without bulky modules. (It’s not a cell-to-body design like the other Neue Klasse cars, BMW told me, since the X5’s chassis also has to accommodate other powertrains.)

When BMW first announced the iX5’s specs earlier this year, it targeted an EPA range of 435 miles, but that figure has since grown. At last week’s drive event, BMW reps said they’re now estimating an EPA range of 450 miles, which would put the iX5 in a very small club. Michael Ahlers, the head of the X5 project, told me BMW realized that 400 miles of range was the sweet spot where potential buyers stop complaining about not having enough.

Gallery: 2027 BMW iX5

2027 BMW iX5

Source: Tim Levin/InsideEVs

Pair with that an 800-volt architecture and some of the highest-powered charging in a U.S. production car, and you get—on paper, at least—an EV with far fewer compromises than those that came before it. BMW says the iX5 can charge at up to 460 kilowatts (you’d be hard-pressed to even find a station that can dispense that) and recharge from 10%-80% in 22 minutes. That equates to over 300 miles of estimated EPA range added in not very much time.

Rounding out the EV specs, every iX5 will come with bidirectional charging capability that can be routed through various attachments: a vehicle-to-load adapter with three 110-volt outlets and a vehicle-to-home adapter that turns the SUV into a home-backup battery.

The iX5 60 xDrive will start at $79,800, plus a $1,450 destination charge. That’s $7,700 more than the gas-powered X5 40 xDrive. But for the added outlay you get a more powerful, quicker car with home-backup capability and, I’d argue, a more enjoyable driving experience. The X5 rolls out starting this month, while the iX5 hits U.S. dealerships in early 2027.

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How Does It Drive?

When I drove the iX3 last year, I came impressed with how agile, smooth, and quiet it was. With the iX5, it’s largely the same story, just in a noticeably bigger and heavier package. The SUV’s 570 horsepower and 593 pound-feet of torque give it more than enough zip, helping mask its weight.

Even at highway speeds, the iX5 feels like it has plenty more to give—and unlike in the combustion version, power comes on immediately. Driving the two powertrains back to back gave me that much more appreciation for the effortless, punchy performance you get in the EV at virtually any speed. (On paper, the iX5 is rated to hit 60 in 4.4 seconds, while the xDrive 40 is rated at 4.8 seconds.)

2027 BMW iX5

Photo by: Tim Levin/InsideEVs

Sure, the X5 40 xDrive brings the drama and raucous experience of a gas engine, but you also have to deal with gear changes and turbo lag. Clearly, I’m no gas-car enthusiast and I’m preaching to the choir here, but I’ve come to prefer the electric way—just put your foot down, and you’re off at full beans.

Put someone else who’s EV-curious in the driver’s seat of both options, and I think many would come to the same conclusion. It’s why survey after survey show that once someone buys an EV, they’re pretty much hooked.

On twisty mountain roads, I found the iX5 settled around corners and decently engaging to drive. The giant battery in the floor, while making the SUV feel heavier than the gas one, also provides a lower center of gravity. An X5’s real daily duty, though, is puttering around town or cruising casually on the highway, and the iX5 gets high marks for its performance in either environment. On long stints, it was quiet, comfortable, and overall a pleasant place to pass the time.

2027 BMW iX5

Photo by: Tim Levin/InsideEVs

I also got to try out BMW’s latest hands-free driver-assistance tech on this trip, both in the X5 and the new 7 Series. It works great. The system holds a lane confidently, doesn’t nag you unnecessarily, and asks you to confirm automatic lane changes by glancing at the driver-side mirror to double check for traffic. It also features collaborative steering, so you can reposition the car within its lane quite freely without fully taking over.

Let’s Talk About Those Screens

I’ll start with the good. BMW’s Panoramic Vision display, that slim bit of screen running across the entire car just below the windshield, is one of the best new car features I’ve seen lately in an auto industry whose mantra has become “more screen.” We should all be glad it’s not limited to EVs, but rather will land in gas BMWs as well. (And a hydrogen one, if that floats your boat.)

The display is remarkably high-contrast, making it legible even when the sun is streaming into the cabin or when viewed through sunglasses. It puts basic driving info like your gear, drive mode, range, and speed above the steering wheel and right in your line of sight to the road. The iX5 offers a crisp head-up display too, but I’d argue you really don’t need it. The leftmost gauge-cluster bit of the Panoramic Vision display includes turn-by-turn directions, making the most useful part of a HUD redundant.

2027 BMW iX5

Photo by: Tim Levin/InsideEVs

The rest of the screen can be configured to include just about anything else you might want to check at a glance. Those include the date and time, current weather conditions, and power output. Plus, BMW threw in some stuff that’s just for fun. The screen now includes the option of several “art cars,” BMWs from years past with funky designs. So you can have an E30 M3 or a Z1 keep you company from the dash.

The main display is nice enough to use, too, and its off-kilter look lends the cabin a fresher feel than pure rectangular designs do. It’s quick to respond to taps and swipes, and the design is crisp and easy to read. There’s a quick-access menu accessible from the portion closest to your right hand for things like door locks and opening the trunk. The home screen features the map, plus a vertical carousel of key functions lining the left-hand side of the screen. In all, it has a far more modern and Silicon-Valley feel than BMW’s previous iDrive system.

But the UI could use some fine-tuning. For example, the home button at the bottom of the display only appears when you’re not on the home screen. Otherwise, it transforms into the button for the apps menu. The thinking is that you only need a home button when you’re not on the home screen, but the result is frustrating. If you want to jump from one app to another, you need to hit the home button, then the resulting apps button, rather than accessing the app menu in one tap. It’s a pain. Also, while you can adjust the temperature up and down without going into menus, there’s no one-tap method for switching on the heated seats or cranking up the fan speed. With so much digital real estate, you’d think BMW could make room for a dedicated home button and some more seamless climate controls.

2027 BMW iX5

Photo by: Tim Levin/InsideEVs

As for the passenger screen, I could take it or leave it. BMW is keeping up with the times here and with similar offerings from competitors like Mercedes and Audi. But I don’t see much use in a passenger screen and think the trend will—and should—die a slow death.

BMW’s new Alexa Plus-powered AI assistant was also hit or miss in my experience. Unlike most previous in-car voice features, it can actually answer general knowledge questions and handle vague queries, like “tell me some fun things to do around here” or “what’s going on with diesel prices.” But it also was clunky at times and failed at the basic command of “turn off driving sounds,” no matter how I rephrased it. It seems like a step in the right direction, but could use some work.

Early Verdict

When BMW first announced the vast range of powertrain options for the new X5, I thought the plan was surely a recipe for buyers to default to what they know best, leaving the EV for the true believers. After spending some more time with it, I think that was the wrong assumption.

What do you think?

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With enough flashy tech to reel in some would-be Tesla buyers, range and charging speeds to silence the skeptics, and some of the best benefits of EVs, like bidirectional charging, the iX5 is a leader in a new class of more fully fleshed-out EVs from luxury brands. I think BMW has done a very good job of making this a real, tough decision for anyone walking into a BMW dealership—even those who maybe didn’t think an EV was right for them before. I know which one I’d pick.

Contact the author: Tim.Levin@InsideEVs.com

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