We Might've Just Built the Perfect 2022 BMW 5 Series, It's Not a V8

BMW made sure to not give the new 5 Series an outlandish, extroverted look. The facelifted G30, or, as the fans call it, the life cycle impulse (LCI) model, has been put through a very elegant update. It kept its proportions but took on a bit of a relaxed yet more pragmatic look.

The interior has been changed as well, but iDrive 8 has not been added. Those who aren’t fans of the new software and the updated screen layout can rejoice. Physical buttons for the climate settings are still there, the infotainment display is bigger, and it sheds off a bit of those ugly black borders.

The various powertrains have also been kept. Apart from a fully electric vehicle, customers can choose exactly what they prefer. Be it a gas or diesel four-cylinder, a plug-in hybrid, or a V8, the G30 (or the updated M5 F90) can accommodate all kinds of power units under its hood.

So, now it’s time to figure out which engine option would be the best for the next three to five years. Let’s dive in.

Making the right choice

Right now, gas is getting cheaper. However, this downtrend might not continue after the U.S. decides to stop flooding the market with one million barrels of oil per day from the strategic reserve and China lifts all its health-related restrictions. There’s a real risk of fuel prices climbing up to this summer’s levels sometime next year becomes the demand will grow exponentially, and output won’t be enough to keep the prices low.

And electricity is not far off from this trend too. Energy is getting more and more expensive because we keep using a lot of it, and traders bet the consumption will remain high. Since almost any developed country needs a lot of electricity daily to not be met with disastrous problems, it’s almost guaranteed prices aren’t going to come down anytime soon. They might even increase in some parts of Europe, where natural gas won’t be enough this winter and next spring.

These two aspects tell us an important thing – an all-electric vehicle or an internal combustion engine car won’t be cheap to run in the near future unless the zero-tailpipe emission one is predominantly charged at home or the office.

Inevitably, a choice must be made. If we put logic in front of passion, then the only viable option becomes obvious – we must pick a plug-in hybrid (PHEV). It can run on gas or electricity alone, but it can also combine the two energy sources thanks to the fact that it has both an engine and an electric motor.

Enter the 2022 BMW 545e xDrive

Doesn’t it make a lot of sense? You have a family sedan that hides a three-liter straight-six engine under the hood that puts out 282 HP (286 PS) and 331 lb-ft (450 Nm) and an electric motor that pumps out 108 HP (109 PS) and 195 lb-ft (265 Nm) of torque. When working together in harmony, they help the car put out 389 HP (394 PS) and 442 lb-ft (600 Nm) of torque. Doesn’t it sound delicious?

You get to enjoy the well-known six-cylinder gas engine BMW’s known for, but there’s also a guilt-free option that’ll help you turn the car into a clean vehicle when the time for city driving comes. It truly is the best of both worlds. This is the powertrain that suits the sedan best, given the current macroeconomic conditions we find ourselves in.

If electricity is too expensive, then run it solely on the gas until you find a free charging source. Has gas gotten unexpectedly costly? Make sure your all-wheel drive 545e is charged at home every night, and you’ll never have to worry about turning the engine on. That is, of course, only if you drive short distances of a maximum of 30 mi (48 km) daily.

Now that we know what should be bought, let’s build it. Our vehicle starts from £63,285 ($73,008), but we ended up with a total cost of £82,190 ($94.818) before any other local or national incentives. That’s mostly because we added options like the Aventurine Red III Metallic exterior color, Mokka Nappa leather interior, and the Ash Trunkwood open-pored interior trim.

We also checked the box for the Technology pack that includes the head-up display and gesture control, the M Sport Pro Pack that adds the extended Shadow Line exterior bits, and the Comfort Plus Pack for those ventilated and massage seats. Unfortunately, due to supply issues, options like the Bowers&Wilkins sound system or the camera-based surveillance system Drive Recorder weren’t available. But we have the Laserlight headlamps, which are great for night driving.

The sad thing is that the BMW 545e xDrive isn’t available in the U.S. Americans can only get the 530e xDrive that comes with a two-liter four-cylinder instead of the mighty three-liter unit. The main advantage, however, is the cost – it starts from $58,700 in the U.S.

Finally, if you’re looking forward to owning a 5 Series, then make sure you give the plug-in hybrid option some thought. Considering we’re going through uncertain times, having the possibility to run your car on either gas or electricity is great. What’s even better is that when you’re tired of being a normal driver, you could put this car in Sport Mode, and it’ll give you the thrills. Don’t hesitate to push it because it will respond to your inputs, even though it’s 335 lb (152 kg) heavier than the 540i xDrive that also has the six-cylinder under the hood but misses on the 11.2-kWh net capacity battery.