2018 BMW M550 review

1. Lots of power 

Whether passing on the highway or navigating an on-ramp, having some extra oomph always helps. The 2018 M550 certainly has it with a turbocharged 4.4L V8 producing 456 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque. That will make short work of any situation you find yourself in on the open road. 

2. Standard luxury 

You would expect the top trim in the 5-Series range to be pretty well-equipped, and you would be correct. Naturally, you'll get standard leather upholstery, but you'll also find comfort and convenience features like dual-zone automatic climate control, power-folding and heated mirrors, automatic wipers, a sunroof, a power-adjustable steering wheel, keyless entry, a power trunk lid, and upgraded front sport seats. So the sporty M550 is a great place to spend a long drive. 

3. Impressive standard tech 

The 2018 M550 has a ton of great integrated technology for you to enjoy. Not only do you get BMW's iDrive^® infotainment interface, but there is also a large 10.2-inch touchscreen display. You'll also get a standard navigation system, voice controls, Bluetooth^®, two USB ports, and a 12-speaker sound system with a CD player. 

4. Performance upgrades 

Having a big engine is great, and the M550 certainly does, but all that power is nothing without control. The "M" stands for "motorsport," and BMW's decades of track experience shine through on the 2018 M550. You'll get an adaptive suspension with electronically controlled dampers, upgraded brakes, aerodynamic bodywork, a rear spoiler, and an M Sport steering wheel. The optional Dynamic Handling package ups the ante with a rear-wheel steering system. 

5. Great upgrades 

There's even more available luxury and convenience tech on the 2018 550. Look out for the Premium package, which adds features like a power trunk, gesture control, and heated front seats. Go with the Executive package, and you'll get things like LED adaptive headlights, soft-close automatic doors, parking sensors, an automatic parking system, a dynamic digital instrument cluster, and a 3-D surround-view camera.