2018 BMW M550i xDrive Sedan

Base Price: $72,100
With Upgrades: $88,985

Wow, just wow. I test drove the BMW 2018 BMW M550i xDrive Sedan for a week. Let me sum up this vehicle: It’s a Luxury Sedan that acts like a sports car. It’s super sleek inside & out and it definitely performs like a race car. For BMW, this is their only V-8–powered 5-series sedan currently available. When my mom heard I was driving this model, her first question was: “What’s the fastest it can go?” My answer: 155mph!! I came by my “speed demon” ways honestly. 🙂 And let’s face it, the M550i is the fastest 5-Series (until the M5 hits the States later this year)

The standard features list is super long: keyless entry, power moonroof, automatic climate control, multi-contour seats, navigation, etc., etc. This model has the M-branded, three-spoke steering wheel, the metal and rubber pedals, and different options with upholstery choices. My tester came fitted with the Cognac Dakota Leather with Contrast Stitching and Piping which was luscious looking. The 20-way seats with two-way memory are super comfortable. The seats, combined with the power-adjustable steering wheel, meaning anyone of any size can get perfectly comfortable.

• The kids loved the backseat! Passenger amenities include a folding center armrest with twin cup holders, heated outboard seats, two air vents, and two 12-volt power ports.
• Modes: comes with 3 power modes: Sport, Comfort & Eco. I tried all and they were fabulous. The Sport mode has tightening side bolsters – basically, the seat belt tightens up which can feel a little odd at first!

UPGRADES!

• All of the upgrades were amazing (about 16K worth – described below)
• Cold Weather Package – $800 – all heat for all butts and hands!
• The $1,700 Driving Assistance Package adds a backup camera while making available the Driving Assistance Plus Package. For another $1,700, the DSPP brings Blind Spot Detection, Daytime Pedestrian Protection, Frontal Collision Warning w/City Collision mitigation, Lane Departure Warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and the Head-Up Display. Basically, if you get into an accident in this car, it’s definitely not your fault if you have all the bells & whistles in these features.
• Dynamic Handling Package – $3,600 – adds the Adaptive M Suspension Plus (it lowers the ride height by 10 millimeters) and active roll stabilization. So equipped, the M550i gunned through turns with mega grip and only a modest amount of understeer.

• Executive Package – $1,200 – Soft-Close Automatic Doors, Ceramic Controls, Wireless Charging, WiFi Hotspot
• Parking Assistance Package – $700 – Hands-free automatic parallel parking – top of the line!
• Apple Car Play – $300 – I know it’s impossible but I do wish BMW would consider getting Android friendly (I heard this is an impossibility)
• Bowers & Wilkins Sound System – $3,400 – the car comes with a Harman Kardon Surround Sound system standard which is also great but this sound system
• NightVision with pedestrian detection – $2,300 – this is quite an upgrade – the system uses thermal imaging to show heat signatures on the main iDrive screen
• Gesture Control – $190 – this was super fun! A lot of people think it’s “gimmicky” but I think it provides a great way to stay even more focused on driving and it makes simple things like climate, sound, phone calls, navigation – it’s crazy! Took me a while to get used to it but for car owners, it is great because it’s programmable. You can even control the images on the 360 camera so you can see around the vehicle in real time.

Only noticeable downsides:

• V8 engine means not great gas mileage I averaged about 19-20 MPG overall.
• It didn’t handle well in really bad weather. We got a fairly wicked blizzard in Denver – the car felt very heavy and slid quite a bit – I was afraid FOR anyone in front of me! The tires on this model were 19″ M Light Alloy wheels. Could have been user error though 😀

Thanks to BMW USA and Automotive Media Solutions for the opportunity to test drive this fabulous vehicle and offer my honest opinion and feedback!

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