2020 BMW M550 Road Test and Review

2020 BMW M550i Dark Blue Driving Side Profile ・ Photo by BMW

BMW M550i. Five letters. Three numbers. One serious high-performance luxury sedan. Tuned by its M division, which is the German automaker's in-house hot-rod shop, the M550i xDrive debuted back in 2018 and it remains one of the quickest, fastest, and best-handling sedans in the world. Its impressive performance is the result of applying an age-old hot-rodding formula: increase power and traction. It works every time.

Built in Germany, the all-wheel drive 2020 BMW M550i xDrive isn’t the most powerful, most expensive, and the most enviable version of the BMW 5 Series. That honor goes to the legendary M5. But the M550i isn’t too far behind that icon, and this year it gets a healthy increase in power, narrowing the performance gap between the two sedans. The M550i competes with the Mercedes-Benz AMG E 53 and the Audi RS 5 Sportback.

Developed on the Racetrack

In the BMW food chain, M Performance models live a notch above the M Sport Packages available on cars like the 330i, but a rung below all-out M machines like the M3 and M5. M Performance models first appeared in 2012, and today there are 10 available, including coupes, convertibles, sedans, and SUVs. Some of our favorites include the M240i, M850i, and M760i.

M’s special team of engineers tunes these vehicles on the world’s racetracks, including Germany’s legendary Nurburgring, which is universally considered one of the most challenging and dangerous in the world. To create the M550i, they didn’t start with M5 and work their way down. Instead, they reengineered the standard BMW 5 Series sedan into a high-performance luxury muscle car — one that can be driven every day in complete comfort while offering the handling, braking, and horsepower high-performance drivers expect from M.

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A Heck of a Lot Cheaper Than an M5

Well, you might be thinking, “I don’t get it. If you want a fast all-wheel drive M-engineered 5 Series, why not just get an M5?” The answer is price. Although the 2020 BMW M550i xDrive costs $2,200 more than it did last year — with a base price of $77,645, including a $995 destination charge — it’s substantially less expensive than the M5, which starts at over $103,000. Moving the other direction on the BMW price ladder, a 540i with all-wheel drive costs about $63,000.

Aside from the M5, the 2020 BMW M550i xDrive is the only V8-powered 5 Series available. And one of the greatest engines in the world resides under its aluminum hood. It’s the same smooth 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 that powers the M850i. It’s similar to the engine the M550i used last year, but it packs more punch with an additional 67 hp and 73 lb-ft of torque for totals of 523 hp and 553 lb-ft. That’s nearly 100 more horsepower than you get in a Mercedes AMG E 53 and Audi RS 5 Sportback, which are powered by turbocharged six-cylinders.

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Serious Acceleration

BMW’s engineers have tuned the xDrive all-wheel drive system specifically for this M550i. The system splits power among all four wheels as the situation demands and with a rear-wheel bias, so the sedan feels more like a rear-wheel drive machine. As they have in the M5, those engineers have also equipped the M550i with launch control. It allows you to rev the engine to 3,000 rpm while holding the car stationary with your left foot on the brake pedal.

Lift off the brake and the fun begins. With zero wheelspin, the M550i pins you to the leather through the V8’s entire rev range and at 6,500 rpm, right on the tach’s redline, the eight-speed automatic delivers a firm upshift to second. Sixty comes quickly, and at full throttle the transmission — which has also been tuned specifically for this model — clicks off positive gear changes every few seconds. Triple-digit speeds arrive with third gear. BMW says the M550i will shoot to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds. That’s a full second better than a 540i, but more importantly, it’s just a half-second behind the M5, which is packing 600 hp.

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Awesome High-Speed Stability and V8 Rumble

The 2020 BMW M550i is governed to 155 mph. Although we didn’t drive it that fast, we did stretch its legs a bit, and its high-speed stability is extraordinary. Thanks to its sleek aerodynamics, optional 20-inch Michelin Pilot Super Sports high-performance summer tires, and all-wheel drive, the M550i feels locked in at any speed. The car is incredibly smooth, even at velocities that would land you in jail. We’re told the M550i xDrive could reach 180 mph if it were allowed to run free.

Engaging Sport+ mode, using a button on the console, cranks up the V8’s voice substantially. The M Sports exhaust system is unique to this model and includes a throttle valve for more sound. And it sounds good. It’s not so loud to be rude, but it’s a proper V8 soundtrack, like a small-block Chevy with a lumpy cam. BMW also continues to pump the V8’s roar into the cabin through the audio system.

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Smooth Ride

Sport+ mode also firms up the M550i’s suspension, adds considerable weight to its steering, and sensitizes its throttle response. Its Steptronic eight-speed transmission also wakes up, holding gears longer and delivering even firmer gear changes. Use the paddle shifters and it matches revs on the downshifts perfectly. The ride remains comfortable in Sport+ mode, but the M550i feels more alive, more alert, more athletic. It feels like it wants to be driven — hard. This is the fun side of the M550i’s personality.

But the BMW can also back it down and show off its mellow side. In Comfort mode, it feels like a 7 Series. More luxurious. More relaxed. The ride is plush, the engine subdued, although no less potent. Also, the steering is lighter. Even the eight-speed backs off, delivering silken shifts that are almost undetectable.

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A Ton of Traction

Traction seems infinite in the M550i. And to our surprise, the sedan feels like it's rear-wheel drive. There’s no indication in its feel or behavior that it’s also being driven partly by its front tires. It just has a Kung Fu Grip on the road and it makes you look like a phenom behind the wheel. Unlike the M5’s all-wheel drive system, which actually offers a rear-wheel drive mode for smokey tire-frying powerslides, the system in the M550i always sends some power to the front wheels. But this year, the M550i does get the M Sport Differential, which improves handling by distributing the engine’s torque evenly to both rear wheels while compensating for their difference in rotational speed.

The available Adaptive M Sport suspension is also unique to the M550i. It sits 10 millimeters lower than a 540i and has active roll stabilization. Body roll is minimal, even during hard cornering, but there’s just enough to give you a little feedback.

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Special Inside and Out

Also impressive are the M Sport brakes, which are dressed with M badged blue calipers. They’re strong, and they offer enough feel and a firm pedal. Although there could be more steering feel, there’s enough to satisfy; some may even think the effort is unnecessarily heavy in Sport+.

Exterior upgrades are mild but striking. The tailpipes are black chrome and there’s a small rear spoiler. BMW is proud of the titanium finish on the front fender vents, mirrors, and grille surround, but I like the high-gloss black trim around the glass. Inside, BMW adds 20-way power multi-contour seats, contrasting stitching, a meaty M Sport steering wheel, aluminum pedal trim, illuminated door sills, and a sweet set of M floor mats. The seats are firm but well-bolstered and very comfortable. The quality of the interior materials and fit and finish are exceptional. Like its exterior, the M550i’s cabin won’t feel dated in a few years. The latest version of BMW’s infotainment system is easily navigated using either the large touchscreen or a big dial and buttons on the console.

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Copious Cargo Capacity

Storage inside the BMW’s interior is generous. The M550i’s center console bin and door pockets are large. Unfortunately, its two front cupholders are a bit small, and they’re questionably placed ahead of the shifter where tall drinks can interfere with or block the climate controls.

The trunk is large as well. The 2020 BMW M550i offers 18.7 cubic feet of cargo space, which is considerably larger than the Mercedes AMG E 53. However, the Audi RS 5 Sportback is a hatchback and offers more space. The BMW’s rear seat does fold to expand that capacity and it’s split 40/20/40. A power-operated trunk lid is standard.

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Thirsty But Worth It

Fuel economy probably isn’t a big priority if you’re shopping for an $80,000 hot rod sedan with over 500 hp, but you should know what you’re getting into. The EPA rates the M550i's fuel efficiency at 18 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway. So it’s no Prius. But it is impressively fuel-efficient when you consider its incredible performance. For comparison, the less powerful 540i is rated at 21 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway, while an M5 is rated 15 mpg city and 21 mpg highway.

Whatever its fuel costs add up to, the 2020 BMW M550i xDrive is worth it. BMW basically invented the sports sedan and this simply one of the world’s best. If you’re looking for luxurious high-performance four-door with big power and all-wheel drive, the M550i is a very desirable choice.

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