As the automotive landscape undergoes electrification in some form or other, the question is inevitably asked: ICE or EV?

Is one truly better and more advantageous than the other? Are EV’s a silver-bullet solution to everyone’s personal mobility when considering cost, ownership and efficiency concerns? Is it the way forward? Or is it just some political narrative?

From experience, the answer to these type of debates are never straightforward. In a theoretical, sterile and ideal environment, devoid of real-world external factors, the choice is apparent. But the real world is dynamic and ever-changing. Plus, our own individual comfort and confidence levels vary.

Take BMW’s current G60 5-Series, available in ICE (internal combustion engine) or EV (electric vehicle). Both are excellent vehicles, both possess BMW’s finely honed driving dynamics, giving you that joie de vivre for driving.

Crucially, both also carry so much expectations to carry the brand’s legacy forward, and to bring in the profits as the 5er is a core model, with well over 10 million sold since its inception in 1972. It treads the fine line of profit and volume. Hence, it HAS to be exceptional.

Both ICE and EV 5er’s share the same Cluster Architecture (CLAR), the Live Cockpit Plus instrument cluster and infotainment system curved dash display,

the Veganza leather upholstery and the 8 or 12-way form-hugging seats (depending on variant).

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard too, as is a 12-speaker Harman Kardon surround-sound system plus a plethora of USB Type C sockets all part of BMW’s Connected Drive Services.

Both of course drive exceptionally well, the 5er losing none of its brilliance and polish transitioning from internal combustion to electric, the double wishbone-front ands multi-link rear underpinnings another common trait shared by both vehicles, as are the powerful brakes.

The i5 eDrive40 and the 520i though, shine their brightest in different conditions. Same same, but different as they say.

The sole downside, regardless of powertrain ? Steering isn’t as crisp nor as organic as the previous F10 5er which (for me) was peak BMW 5er. It’s a bit wooly, especially on-center.

Then there’s the polarizing looks. The oversized kidney grill is a huge turn-off for long-time fans. I find the front particularly staid; it lacks the visual impact of again, the F10 5er decked-out in M-Sport trim.

Dark colors seem better while white makes the 5er appear more mundane. Thankfully, the white i5 eDrive40 in M Sport trim I tested in Singapore gained back a lot of its confident “brute in a suit” demeanor thanks to its aggressive black and white trims on the M Sport bumpers and sideskirts,

plus the  massive (20-inchers with staggered 255/40R20 fronts and wider 285/35R20 rears versus the regular 5er’s 19-inch wheels and 245/45R19 tires all around) avant-garde M5-esque wheels.

The all-electric i5 in eDrive 40 trim packs a healthy 340 horsepower and 435 Newton-Meters of torque. Acceleration is brisk, response is immediate but at 2,205kg, it’s anywhere from 300 to almost 500kg heftier than the previous F10 generation 5er. Performance will be dulled for sure. But despite the weight, (comparable to a G05 X5 SAV) the i5 still feels like a proper BMW: fast, feelsome & flowing through corners with poise and confidence.

The BMW 520i on the other hand, makes do with a more modest 208 horses and 330 Newton-Meters of twist action. It feels adequate, the 8-speed automatic transmission compensating for the 520i’s lack of outright grunt and pace very well. But the 520i is also lighter: it weighs in at 1610kg, almost a whooping 600kg LESS than the i5 which helps its agility and athleticism significantly. In particular, the 520i felt light in the nose so braking is less of an effort and turn-in is more fluid. Small corrections and bumps mid-corner don’t faze the 520i, building your confidence to press-on harder, faster.

While the i5 has most of its heavy bits (the 81.2kw/h battery in particular) down low to aid handling, at the end if the day, weight is weight regardless of where it’s placed, acting as a handicap. And weight is the enemy of performance. It doesn’t like continuous quick transitions like overtaking numerous cars successively (not that you should) nor the esses on a racing circuit’s technical section as the chassis and suspension struggle  bit keeping the body movement in check. The i5 is best on the daily commute, in cut and thrust traffic conditions, and if you just want to get things done, to get on with your day with a minimum of drama behind the wheel. It’s also nigh on unbeatable at the stoplight Grand Prix so be mindful of errant motorcyclists who do a jersey slide from the opposite lane to turn the other way. The i5 wil out-accelerate these motorcyclists as they dive-bomb ahead of you.

The 520i feels a bit overwhelmed when you need short sudden bursts of acceleration to overtake or get ahead in traffic. It struggles against even hybridized cross-overs and especially CRDi-powered PPV’s. But the 520i all comes together when you get into your groove, find your rhythm and an undisturbed stretch of winding tarmac. The 520i is the perfect B-road blaster for elderly gentlemen who prefer a more genteel driving experience even when approaching the limits of the car and their own. On my drive down south and back, I got a decent 11.5km/liter round-trip, with my grin ear-to-ear. In the city, driving the 520i saw an equally decent 7.7km/liter. The 48-volt mild-hybrid architecture helps with a bit of grunt under hard acceleration, lengthens your distance while coasting and aids in stopping through regenerative braking.

So the question that really matters is, which 5er is best for you?

If you do the vast majority of your driving within the city, trundling through traffic a lot, with a very predetermined, consistent route and mileage or follow a rigid driving routine every week (home-office-home), the i5 is best for you. Its tomb-like silence due to the absence of noise and vibration from an internal combustion engine makes it even more relaxing to be in, whether as driver or passenger.

You can easily work inside the i5 if you are driven around. Additionally, you can map out all the public chargers along the way, unless you already have access to a home-charger outlet. I drove the i5 eDrive40 M Sport in heavily regulated Singapore for an entire day and a big part was being stuck in rush-hour traffic. The battery state of charge hardly changed after ~6+ hours driving to various locations across the island nation to take photos.

If however, you do a lot of highway miles, have a very erratic and irregular driving routine, live in a place with no outlets to plug in your home charger and public chargers are far and few in your area, the 520i makes better sense for you. Additionally, if you love going on long drives with no particular destination in mind, and EV charger availability is a big question mark, the 520i is your only option. I brought the 520i to Tagaytay and while it struggled against bullying PPV-based 7-seat diesel SUV’s, the 5er was sublime and superior on the twisty and bumpy sections, easily allowing me to overtake and leave behind the aforementioned ‘utes, flowing from corner to corner.

Both are efficient but in different ways too. The i5 will happily sit in traffic, AC, multimedia-system and lights on for what would seem like an eternity. But travel past ~85-90kmh and efficiency drops; you’ll see the battery state of charge dwindling if you tried cruising at the same speed as the 520i.

If you need to be somewhere far and fast, the i5 is not the smart choice. The 520i on the other hand seems to become even more efficient the faster you go. Thank the 0.23 drag co-efficient which allows the 520i to slice through the air. In Germany, cars regularly cruise between 130-170kmh on the Autobahn’s slow lane and the 520i would feel at home at those speeds. It’ll do its best to be efficient in traffic by shutting off the engine, but there’s only so much that can do.

Both are exemplary, both share the same basic strengths, but both excel in different areas. In the ideal world, one would have BOTH. Or a BMW M5 Touring PHEV.

So with these considerations in mind, what would YOU pick?