i xDrive 4dr All-Wheel Drive Sedan
2021 BMW M550

The 2021 BMW M550i is the stepping stone to an M5, and yet in many ways, it’s the more enjoyable sports sedan to drive. BMW updated the 5 Series lineup for 2021 — we sampled the 540i first — adding more tech and revised exterior styling among other refinements. The M550i takes advantage of these changes and makes a case for itself as the 5 Series to get.  The M550i is a long and low sedan that is seemingly designed with restraint and class in mind. Unlike many other new BMWs, the 5 retains its classy and subdued classic kidney grille nose, making it one of the best-looking cars in the brand’s lineup. The M550i M Sport variant adds a touch of aggression with grey accents, an aero kit with a subtle trunk lid spoiler, modified front intake trim and dual trapezoidal exhaust outlets. My tester’s optional 20-inch wheels (19-inch wheels are standard) complete the package beautifully. I find it dashing in Aventurin Red Metallic, a deep red that verges on purple in certain lighting situations. This fashionable BMW is one I’d want to be seen in at the hotel valet, unlike some others. Styling isn’t what makes it more desirable than an M5, though. No, what makes the M550i so attractive is how balanced and livable it is while still offering M-like performance. The beast under the hood is BMW’s 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, which is essentially a slightly de-tuned version of the M5 engine. Output in M550i guise is 523 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque, meaning it’s down just 77 horsepower compared to the M5, while torque is the same. The M5’s version of this engine has the edge at the top end, but the massive smack of torque and mid-range hits similarly.  The 0-60 mph time of 3.6 seconds trails the M5’s 3.2-second run, but that seems mostly the fault of a lackluster Launch Control program that likes to gently ease off the line for a split second before shoving you in the back. Acceleration is relentless and doesn’t have any let-up at street-legal speeds. With the available Michelin Pilot Super summer tires, top speed is limited to 155 mph, but is limited even lower to 130 mph with all-seasons. BMW’s eight-speed automatic transmission is quick and smart, just like the same transmission in the M5. It’s velvety smooth when you want it to be, but exhibits swift reflexes in Sport Plus mode. Upshifts and downshifts come with very little delay from the paddle shifters — if only the paddles themselves were better than these hard-to-reach, cheap-feeling plasticky things.  I’ll take points away from the M550i for its exclusively all-wheel-drive drivetrain. You can disconnect the front axle in the M5, but the M550i will always be all-wheel drive. That doesn’t prevent you from doing big drifts in the snow with all the systems turned off, though. It just makes the car feel more buttoned-up on the road. This BMW’s 4,275-pound curb weight (just 385 pounds more than …
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