Ours is an era defined by the never-ending war between analog engagement and digital refinement. Few automakers find themselves in the epicenter of this debate more often than BMW. In the same year the U.S. finally got a long-roof M5 of our own, it also happened to be the M5 that weighs as much as a dwarf planet. This is a brand that promises to offer enthusiasts the freedom of working an clutch and shifting their own gears, without entirely grasping why they’d want to. It’s this confluence of conflicting values that also leaves me feeling quite conflicted about the BMW 550e xDrive, the electrified pinnacle of the company’s non-M-badged midsize sedans.
This is objectively a very refined and very well-engineered luxury sedan; the kind of executive German four-door bred to run long distances on the Autobahn in relative—though I wouldn’t say unsurpassed—comfort. I like this car, but I wanted to like it more. And maybe I woul …
Go to Source
Author: Adam Ismail
