Car Review: 2026 Lincoln Aviator Black Label

Occasionally, people ask me what’s the best vehicle for their needs. Sometimes, the question comes without a few essential considerations, including budget, family needs, and specific requirements — like driving not just to the beach, but on it. BMW’s 550e can’t possibly satisfy every desire, but it offers a remarkable combination of efficiency and performance.

Here’s an interesting scenario: Assume your heart is set on a super-quick sports sedan like BMW’s M5, with its turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 along with an electric motor that combines to deliver 717 HP and 738 lb-ft of torque. That’s enough oomph to reach 60 MPH in just 3.4 seconds, but perhaps the M’s $124,750 base price is above your budget. On the other hand, the 550e model starts at $73,400, reaches 60 in four seconds flat, and during my 200-mile travels, averaged 73.6 miles per gallon. To achieve that fuel frugality, I simply plugged the car in at night so my local driving chores were all electric with the BMW’s 34 miles of battery range. And its smooth turbo 3.0-liter I-6 only fired up once on a 104-mile round trip drive to attend a business meeting.

Since the new BMW M5 is also a plug-in hybrid, I’m betting that a strategic motorist could come close to my fuel economy boast in that growling M sedan. But with just 29 miles of EV range and average fuel economy of 13 MPG, that would take an intentional, less fun light touch on the throttle. And let’s not forget that $51,350 difference in MSRP.

BMW’s new 550e is a smart looking sedan with ample room for five adults, or four in comfort for long trips. The Vegas Red Metallic exterior offered a dramatic contrast with the gloss black trim that replaced chrome ornamentation, and BMW’s kidney grille sported an Iconic Glow, part of an M Sport decoration package. The rear of the 550e didn’t display exhaust pipes — they were tucked away out of sight, perhaps to disguise this BMW as an electric model. And while the sweeping glass roof could warm the cabin when the car was parked, the 550e can pre-cool the interior remotely with a MY BMW app or when a door is opened. My wife was quite fond of that feature.

Like so many cars today, our BMW’s interior was resplendent with display screening while the steering wheel and center console offered a variety of knobs to address. I didn’t try to engage all of these access portals nor did I have a conversation with BMW’s virtual assistant, who seemed anxious to engage with me. Perhaps a week is just not enough time to come to grips with today’s automotive schemes. (We have a friend who returned to his dealership three times for switch and screen schooling and he’s a retired software executive.) 

BMW did get the hardware nicely balanced and that’s clearly what makes the 550e a perfectly fun sports sedan. Our test sample added a Dynamic Handling Package, a $2,200 option that included adaptive suspension for better road control, and the $1,050 M Sport package promised superior braking along with M badging. Even staggered tires on the 19-inch alloy wheels are included.

Personally, I’d like to see more plug-in vehicles that can fill up with either petrol on trips or electricity at home. That helps the transportation budget since electric fill-ups on the road are often more expensive than gasoline while plugging in at home is quite a value. 

For drivers who want electric efficiency around town without giving up range, convenience, or the pleasure of a proper sports sedan, the 550e makes a persuasive case for the plug-in hybrid sweet spot.

TYPE: Plug-In Hybrid, all-wheel-drive
ENGINE: 3.0-liter twin-turbo I-6
HORSEPOWER: 483 @ 5,000 RPM
TORQUE: 516 lb.ft. @ 1,750 RPM
BASE PRICE: $73,400
AS TESTED: $82,600
FUEL CONSUMPTION, GAS: 22 city; 28 highway; 25 combined
FUEL CONSUMPTION, ELECTRIC: 68 city; 73 highway; 68 combined
EV RANGE: 34 miles