I started experimenting with my regenerative braking setup after I started leasing my i5. It is probably the biggest learning curve I noticed while making the switch from ICE to EV.
I used “Auto” for the first couple thousand miles but found the braking to be a little more sudden and abrupt than I was expecting.
On top of this, I decided I would try Progressive Insurance’s in-app “Snapshot” service in an attempt to drive safely and save more money. Well, the app definitely picks up sudden brake “events” when I use “Auto” mode but far fewer such events when I use i-Pedal.
In this mode, it feels a lot more like driving an oversized go-kart, in a good way. It seems like there’s more fine-tuned braking control with i-Pedal than in pure Auto, at least in a 2026 RWD.
Driving an i5 after too many years in my former vehicle, a hatchback with way-too-tight suspension for bad roads, is a wonderful experience on the whole. There are quite a few ways to drive it, I’m very pleased with just how customizable it is, and i-Pedal simply is my favorite.