BMW M550i

The 2023 BMW M550i is a trim level of the BMW 5-Series that stays on the top of the lineup. Being the top trim of the BMW 5-Series, it gets all the bells and whistles that the car has to offer. You get a long list of standard features with the car and there are also many advanced technologies inside the cabin of the BMW M550i. It gets 19-inch wheels as standard and some other changes to enhance the driving dynamics of the car. It gets sports suspension, retuned sport steering wheel, and also gets aerodynamic upgrades for better performance. The Parking Assistance package is available as an option with the car but is limited to the M550i trim level only.

Packages

Parking Assistance package 

• Parking Assistant Plus
• Active Park Distance Control
• Drive Recorder
• 360-degree surround-view camera 

Executive Package

• Rear sunshades
• Ceramic-trimmed controls

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The 2023 BMW M550i sedan is the top trim of the 5-Series sedan which means you get all the premium features offered with the car. You can get the optional Parking Assistance package exclusive to the M550i trim level. The executive package is also available as an option that adds rear sunshades and ceramic-trimmed controls for a better experience in the cabin. Other than that, it offers most features that you need as standard. But the main focus remains the performance which is already spot on and you do not need any additional features to enhance the performance of the car.

The 2023 BMW 5-Seres M550i is known for its excellent performance and it gets a completely different powertrain compared to the standard BMW 5-Series. The heart of the BMW M550i is a 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine that produces a maximum power output of 523 horsepower and a peak torque of 553 pound-feet of torque. The engine comes mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission which sends power to all four wheels. The performance is quite impressive and it responds quickly to driver inputs. The BMW M550i can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds which is quite impressive for its segment. The quarter-mile run takes 11.5 seconds which is pretty quick considering the segment standards. The top speed of the BMW M550i is limited to 130 miles per hour but you can get it unlocked to 155 miles per hour by paying extra. 

The BMW M550i is the quickest car in the competition taking only 3.6 seconds to complete the 0 to 60 mph sprint. It is also the quickest car in the quarter-mile run taking 11.5 seconds. The Mercedes-AMG E53 takes the second spot taking 3.9 seconds to complete the 0 to 60 mph sprint. The top speed of the AMG E53 is also limited to 130 miles per hour. The Audi S6 comes next taking just slightly more time than the AMG E53 at 4 seconds to complete the 0 to 60 mph sprint. The Genesis G80 3.5T Sport is the least powerful car in the competition and that reflects in its performance figures too. It takes 4.7 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph which makes it the slowest car in the competition. 

2023 BMW 5-Series M550i Ride and Handling

BMW is known for its excellent balance between ride and handling but the main focus of the Bimmers has always been on better driver involvement. But that trend has started to shift in recent years, and even performance-focused cars have started to focus more on comfort. The same can be seen for the BMW 5-Series M550i. The steering wheel of the car feels quite light and weighs up as you gain speed. But it never gets to the level that you expect from a Bimmer. 

The steering wheel of the BMW 5-Series M550i offers decent feel and feedback but it lacks the engagement that you want from a performance-oriented model. But that is not the only downside and even when you look at the suspension setup, it is focused more on comfort than performance. It gets a comfortable suspension setup that soaks all the road imperfections pretty well to offer excellent ride quality. The car does not feel floaty at high speeds but you do not have confidence while making turns at high speeds either. 

2023 BMW 5-Series M550i Braking Performance

The braking performance plays a crucial role for any performance car. Even the regular BMW 5-Series comes with an excellent braking system for its segment. But the BMW M550i makes things even better with a more capable braking system. The size of the brake rotors is not published by BMW as of now. But the BMW M550i comes with M Sport brakes that are known for even better braking performance and feedback. The braking system is capable of stopping the car from 60 mph to a standstill in just 108 feet. The brakes offer good bite from the pedal initially and it gives you good confidence even in the case of panic braking. You can comfortably rely on the brakes of the BMW M550i and it performs better than most rivals. 

The 2023 BMW M550i is known for its excellent performance and leads the competition in terms of acceleration. The same story continues in the braking performance of the car and it leads the table with the best braking performance in the competition. The BMW M550i takes an impressive 108 feet of distance to stop the car from 60 mph. The lighter curb weight of the Bimmer also helps the car with its braking performance. The Mercedes-AMG E53 takes the second spot taking 115 feet of distance to stop the car from the same speed. The stopping distance is not available for the other two cars in the competition.

Performance cars are not known for excellent fuel economy figures in usual cases. But the BMW 5-Series M550i comes as a surprise in terms of fuel economy figures too and comes with efficient engines for the segment. You can not expect the V8 engine to deliver great fuel economy figures but for the segment, it does a pretty good job. The BMW M550i can return an impressive 17 mpg in the city, 25 mpg on the highway, and 20 mpg of combined fuel economy figures. The fuel economy figures might differ based on the driving situation. It comes with a maximum fuel tank capacity of 18 gallons which helps the BMW M550i deliver a maximum highway driving range of 450 miles on a full tank. 

The BMW M550i is the only car in the competition that comes with a V8 engine under its hood. The fuel economy figures are not the best in the class but considering the V8 powertrain, it delivers quite impressive mpg figures. It gets the smallest fuel tank capacity which restricts the driving range of the car too. The Genesis G80 3.5T Sport offers similar efficiency and gets a slightly bigger fuel tank capacity. The Audi S6 also delivers better fuel efficiency figures and delivers a driving range of more than 500 miles. The Mercedes-AMG E53 returns the best fuel economy figures in the competition and also gets the largest fuel tank capacity. It is the only car in the competition that can go more than 600 miles on a full tank of fuel. 

The BMW 5-Series M550i offers a spacious and functional cabin. It gets plenty of features as a part of the standard package. The front row gets 6-way adjustable front seats which offer a good amount of adjustment and comfort. You can also get the optional 20-way multi-contour front seats that offer even better comfort. The interior of the M550i comes loaded with multiple technologies and there is also a long list of standard features in the car. But some materials in the cabin feel subpar compared to the rivals. The rear seats of the BMW M550i also feel quite spacious with enough space to stretch your legs. It lacks storage spaces inside the cabin which comes as a downside. But the cargo area of the BMW M550i is quite spacious and on par with its rivals. 

The 2023 BMW M550i comes with a spacious cabin for the driver and the passengers in the rear seats too. It also gets the most spacious cargo area in the competition. The Audi S6 offers even better space for the passengers in the rear seats. It gets the second-highest space in the cargo area of the car. The Genesis G80 3.5T Sport comes with the most spacious rear seats in the competition. It also gets the most spacious front row in the cabin. The Genesis G80 3.5T Sport gets a decent space in the cargo area too. The Mercedes-AMG E53 on the other hand gets the least spacious rear seats in the competition. The AMG E53 also gets identical space in the cargo area as the AMG E53. 

Standout interior features:

• 6-way adjustable front seats
• 20-way power-adjustable front seats (Optional)
• 40-20-40 split-folding rear seats
• Power tilt/telescopic adjustable steering wheel
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Cruise control

2023 BMW 5-Series M550i Infotainment 

The 2023 BMW 5-Series M550i offers a long list of technology inside the cabin. The BMW 5-Series M550i comes with a 12.3-inch touchscreen system mounted on the center console of the car. It is a high-resolution display that gets multiple ways to control the screen. The BMW M550i also gets a digital instrument cluster that shows all the driver-related information. You can use the BMW's iDrive rotary knob to control the infotainment system in a classic style. But you also have the option to use the touchscreen option and voice commands. You do not get the gesture control this time which irritated many buyers in the past. The infotainment system supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity as standard. It also gets a 16-speaker Harmon/Kardon surround sound system for an immersive music experience. 

Standout infotainment features:

• 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment display
• BMW’s iDrive rotary knob control
• SiriusXM satellite radio
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Navigation system
• 16-speaker Harmon/Kardon surround sound system

The BMW 5-Series M550i comes with a no-nonsense exterior design that looks quite basic when you compare it against its rivals. It does not look as aggressive as some of its rivals from the outside. You can easily confuse it with the regular 5-Series unless you keep an interest in the automotive industry. The front of the car gets the sleek LED headlights with LED daytime running lights. The more conservative styling of the BMW’s kidney grille looks quite impressive. The side of the car gets a distinct M-sport wheel design looks quite attractive and the overall side profile looks quite decent. The rear of the car gets LED brakelights and twin exhausts at both sides where you can hear the astounding V8 sound. 

The Genesis G80 3.5T Sport is the longest cars in the competition and it is also the widest car in the competition. The G80 3.5T Sport also gets the longest wheelbase compared to all its rivals. The BMW M550i takes the second spot and is the second-longest car in the competition and it is also the highest car in the competition. The Bimmer also gets the longest wheelbase in the competition. The Mercedes-AMG E53 is also marginally longer than the Audi S6 and also gets a slightly longer wheelbase. The Audi S6 is slightly wider than the Merc and Bimmer but remains the most compact car in other dimensions.

Standout exterior features:

• 19-inch wheels
• LED headlights with LED daytime running lights
• Sunroof with power sunshade
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Lip spoiler
• LED Brakelights

The 2023 BMW 5-Series M550i is not tested for its safety by any agency. But since it is pretty much the same car as the last year, you can apply the safety ratings of the previous model year of the car to this year’s car too. The BMW 5-Series sedan god an impressive safety ratings and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) also gave it the Top Safety Pick+ award last year. But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not tested the BMW M550i for its safety ratings as of now. But based on the evaluation of the IIHS and its build quality, it is a pretty safe car. The 2023 BMW 5-Series M550i also offers a long list of standard safety features and it also gets some advanced driver assistance technologies as a part of the standard package.

Safety features include:

• Traction control
• Electronic stability control
• Blind-spot detection
• Lane-keeping assist
• Front and rear collision mitigation
• Back-Up Camera

2023 BMW 5-Series M550i vs. 2023 Audi S6

The BMW 5-Series M550i comes with a V8 powertrain and it comes with a significantly more powerful engine compared to the Audi S6. That shows in the acceleration figures of both these cars too, and the BMW M550i is quicker than the Audi S6. The BMW M550i gets a long list of standard features in the cabin. But when you talk about the overall look and feel of the cabin, it fails to beat the Audi S6. The Audi S6 uses more premium quality materials in the cabin and also feels more opulent than the two. The exterior styling remains a subjective thing. You can get the one that appeals better to you.

2023 BMW 5-Series M550i vs. 2023 Mercedes-AMG E53

The BMW 5-Series M550i and the Mercedes-AMG E53 are close rivals in every aspect. Although the BMW 5-Series M550i is slightly quicker than the AMG E53, the difference is not that significant between the two. It comes as a surprise that a Mercedes feels more engaging to drive compared to a Bimmer. The BMW M550i focuses more on comfort than driver performance. The AMG E53 on the other hand finds a better balance between the two and offers a more engaging drive. The interior of the Merc also feels more luxurious. But the BMW M550i comes with a more spacious cabin compared to the AMG E53. The choice boils down to your personal preference. 

2023 BMW 5-Series M550i vs. 2023 Genesis G80 3.5T Sport

The Genesis G80 3.5T Sport comes with the least powerful engine in the competition. It is significantly less powerful than the BMW M550i. You can also feel the same in the acceleration figures of these cars as the Genesis G80 3.5T Sport is almost a second slower than the BMW M550i in the 0 to 60 mph sprint. The difference in the performance is quite expected considering the difference in the powertrain option. The interior of the Genesis G80 3.5T Sport feels quite premium for its price. But you will have to consider that the Genesis G80 3.5T Sport is also significantly more affordable than the BMW M550i. 

The 2023 BMW 5-Series M550i is quite an interesting product that offers impressive performance for the segment. The BMW M550i is the only car in the competition that comes with a V8 powertrain and it also gets the most powerful engine in the competition. The BMW M550i is the quickest car in the competition as it takes only 3.6 seconds to complete the 0 to 60 mph sprint. You have to compromise on the driving dynamics of the car compared to what you expect from a Bimmer. It focuses more on comfort than driver engagement which disappoints the fans of BMW. However, for those who want great performance, decent driving dynamics, and excellent ride quality, the BMW M550i is an excellent choice. The BMW M550i gets a tech-loaded cabin with multiple features as a part of the standard package. But there are some compromises with the quality of the cabin for sure. You can check the 2023 BMW M550i if you are considering a performance-oriented mid-size luxury sedan.