2025 BMW M5 First Drive Review: A Heavyweight BMW That Bullies Other BMWs

On its Munich turf for a media drive of the 2025 M5 (and M5 Touring), BMW couldn’t resist pulling out six previous generations of the super sedan. Seeing all seven generations of M5 lined up for test drives reminded me of those drawings of man’s evolution from hunched-over Neolithic types to upright Homo sapiens.

This Bavarian epoch covers 40 years, starting with a charmingly antediluvian E28 M5 in 1984 and ending with a big-brained, plug-in plunderer that researchers might barely recognize as a member of the same species.

Even before this event, I’d driven all six previous M5s. Another go in my third-gen favorite—a 2002 E39 with its throaty 400-horsepower V8—underscored what’s been lost, and gained. The handsomely skinned, relatively modern E39 is plenty fast to hold your attention. But it’s not so fast that you constantly risk arrest, cardiac or otherwise. The new M5 is fun to spank through eight paddle-shifted speeds and rocket through corners at SpaceX velocities. Yet the E39’s tall, wobbly saddlehorn shifter let me heel-and-toe through green velvet German farmland, and I miss that feeling.

I even (accidentally, I swear) booted the E39’s back end out around one country lane, going no more than 25 mph. The new M5 would need to be sideswiped by a bus to lose traction on public roads.

But enough nostalgia. That E39 was the first M5 to top 4,000 pounds. Today’s muscled-up freak carries 5,390 pounds on its steel-and-aluminum bones, more than a Bentley Flying Spur, or—get this—the all-electric BMW i5 with which it shares an architecture. Plug-in hybrid tech aside, this sedan is just big, stretching 4.2 inches past the previous M5 Competition. It’s 2.7 inches wider, 1.6 inches taller. The Touring wagon I drove weighs nearly 5,500 pounds, on par with a base-model Chevy Tahoe. At this rate, an X7 PHEV might challenge a Hummer EV for the heavyweight title.

The sedan’s optional M Carbon roof, however, saves 66 pounds and lowers the center of gravity. Hey, every little bit counts.

Fortunately for the M5, you’d never win a “guess my weight” game from behind the wheel. In giveth-taketh style, the M5’s electrified power and chassis wizardry both add to and disguise its bulk. Speaking of dominant species, the Predator weighed vastly more than Schwarzenegger but had no trouble chasing him down and backhanding him across the jungle. Here, the scaly armor includes an M5-high of 717 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque. Here’s where someone reminds us that a Tesla Model S Plaid or Lucid Air Sapphire has more power, losing points for originality.

Most of that two-handed thwack comes from BMW’s twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 making 577 hp and 553 lb-ft on its own, which sends old-school ICE cannonades through four large-bore, dual-flap tailpipes. (Euro-spec models we drove have an additional exhaust particular filter, so they’re a skosh quieter than U.S. versions.)

A permanently excited electric motor will do the same for drivers and passengers, helping zap this five-passenger sedan to 60 mph in a company-claimed 3.4 seconds. Consider that signature BMW sandbagging: The previous M5, with about 100 fewer horses and no electric assist, scorched 60 mph in 2.9 seconds. Yank the left-hand shift paddle for one second, and a Boost function—you can’t miss the all-caps “BOOST” flashing in the head-up display—switches every powertrain and chassis system to maximum ferocity.

A fifth-generation BMW eDrive motor, with 14.8-kWh of usable battery capacity, contributes up to 194 hp and 207 lb-ft. With that weight-saving (ha) motor integrated into the eight-speed M Steptronic transmission, a patented pre-gearing stage can boost electric torque to 332 lb-ft at the shaft input during automated launches. BMW says the entire powertrain is closely related to that in the M Hybrid V8 endurance racer.

On the fairy-tale roads of the Black Forest, only a troll could scoff at the M5’s incredible elasticity of power. The electric motor fills every gap in the ICE armor. The full 738 lb-ft is available anywhere from 1,800 to 5,400 rpm. The peak 717 horses are yours between 5,600 and 6,500 rpm, with a fierce 7,200-rpm redline. Mash the throttle in fourth gear at 50 mph, count just past two seconds, and the M5 is now traveling 75 mph. My, where have those other cars gone? Even in fifth gear, where most pure-ICE engines would loaf, the BMW gushes from 50 to 75 mph in 2.9 seconds.

On an unlimited stretch of the Autobahn, I test these theories and spur the M5 to an effortless 170 mph. In the rain. Only traffic ahead prevents a responsible run to its 190-mph top speed. That top speed, by the way, is only unlocked with the M Driver’s Package; the standard top speed is 155 mph. As ever, I envy a European’s ability to make this kind of time with passengers and luggage in a vast 16.5-cubic-foot trunk. The all-weather security of the latest M xDrive AWD system, the unfathomable grip of staggered 20- and 21-inch tires, and roughly 25 miles of electric driving range are objective gains for this M5.

This is also the first production car I’ve driven with Michelin’s Pilot Sport S 5 tire, including 295/35 ZR21’s at the rear. Its improvements over an already industry-leading Pilot Sport 4 S include BMW’s spec of F1-based compounds near the sidewall for improved stiffness and wear.

This M5 also wears its twin kidneys in the right place. A horizontal gloss-black grille offers a tracing of “Iconic Glow” LEDs so people can ID your BMW from far away. That grille houses big air intakes and driver-assistance sensors, atop a motorsport-inspired front apron with a racy split partition and triangular outer intakes. M double-spoke wheels double-stuff their arches, highlighting a hugely widened track versus a standard 5 Series: 3.0 inches wider up front, 1.9 inches rear. Every side body panel is exclusive to the M5, no posthoc wheel flares required.

The ultra-planted Bimmer may look best in profile. Edges of side skirts refract light and heighten their clawed-out appearance. A snazzy M5 logo is embossed on D-pillars and their Hofmeister kink. But this thick-necked bruiser never asked to be a runway model. This is the kind of BMW that’s mean to other BMWs. A car that will make Subaru Outback drivers wet themselves with rage, especially in swaggering paint colors like Isle of Man Green or Daytona Violet.

Very little of this is mere show. The M5’s chassis is braced and gusseted like a Berlin dominatrix, for strict control over longitudinal and lateral forces. New hardware includes a strut-tower connector, a rear crossbar, and underfloor girding.

A double-wishbone front axle and five-link rear are heavily modified. The adaptive suspension’s ride quality is less stressful in Comfort mode than the too-harsh F90 but roughly as firm in Sport Plus. Like most M cars, the M5’s steering forms a rigid (rather than elastic) connection with the front axle subframe for high directional accuracy and feedback. One out of two ain’t bad: Feedback is scarce, directional accuracy is phenomenal.

Tech sleight-of-hand includes integral rear steering, which pivots rear wheels up to 1.5 degrees. As in big’uns like the X6 M, the brilliant M Active Differential helps deal with the chunky mass. Its electronic lock shifts power to the outside rear wheel to quell understeer, and acts more decisively the faster I go. As in the previous generation, drivers can switch M xDrive into fully rear-drive mode. But that gimmicky setup elicits wicked axle tramp under hard launches; the suspension clearly can’t manage the extra hybrid weight straddling rear tires. A 4WD Sport mode that biases more power to rear wheels is the smarter choice.

On no-shoulder roads in the Black Forest, the M5 dives into apexes—wet and dry—with unshakeable confidence. Just trust the grip and let go of misgivings. Optional carbon-ceramic brakes soothe this nearly three-ton beast in any situation.

On the elusive subject of fun and feel, it’s about what you might expect: The M5 is far more exciting to drive than the isolated Flying Spur. I’d say it tops an Audi RS7, despite the BMW’s 700-pound weight handicap. But it’s much less vivid and tossable than the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, which happens to be 1,100 pounds lighter.

The M5 interior can get gonzo, especially with optional sizzling red, thick-bolstered seats. A slim dashboard tumbles over a glossy curl of carbon fiber. An “interaction bar” spans the dash and door panels with a crystalline-glass effect and embedded, adjustable lighting. Dial up sportier modes and the red-and-blue effects recall Superman’s cape or Chappell Roan’s stage outfits. Seatbelts flash more red-and-blue stitching, and the flat-bottomed steering wheel adds a red marker at 12 o’clock.

Let’s talk drive modes and interfaces, briefly. The widget-crazy iDrive 8.5 infotainment system represents a sad step back for BMW in usability. That’s especially unfortunate, considering how iDrive had evolved into arguably the best luxury infotainment controller. The M5’s performance settings bring more overkill. Five driving modes include pure Electric (available at speeds up to 87 mph), Hybrid, and an e-Control setting to quickly recharge the battery on the fly. A bit like a Corvette E-Ray, the BMW’s larger battery seems nearly impossible to deplete unless you’re in full electric mode. Dynamic and Dynamic Plus summon extra battery juice for hot laps or Type-A drives. Another button manages Normal, Sport, and Track settings. A third button adjusts the powertrain, transmission, suspension, steering, brake pedal, AWD, and energy recuperation. Fortunately, a pair of illuminated red M steering-wheel buttons can store two groups of mix-and-match settings.

Dynamic modes also reconfigure the striking driver’s display, with a digital speedo and vertical tachometer that spouts red like a bottle rocket. In any mode, BMW’s “Iconic Sounds” can play through the Bowers & Wilkins audio system to duet with the natural engine-and-exhaust note. The digital basso profundo isn’t bad when you crave extra thump, but the V8’s muted thunder usually sounds better on its own.

So why not a standalone V8? With one eye on an uncertain industry future, BMW executives say their PHEV tech not only boosts performance but might glide through future emissions-free urban zones. Yet even in London’s model congestion zone, PHEVs pay the same entry charges as ICE cars. In Europe or America, regulators seem increasingly skeptical of PHEV perks, or potential environmental benefits.

For the M5, any veneer of social responsibility shatters with the first launch. In full attack mode, the Euro-spec M5 slurped premium unleaded at 24 L/100km. American translation: Just under 10 mpg. Layman’s translation: Ram TRX. Let’s hope owners squeeze in as many plug-in miles as possible. Refrain from shenanigans, and the BMW might settle in around 16 to 17 mpg in hybrid operation, no better than the previous, unelectrified M5.

The 2025 BMW M5 starts from $120,675 including a $1,175 destination charge. The Touring wagon, which I’ll review next week, costs $2,000 more. That sounds like a lot, and it is. Yet adjusted for inflation, this is history’s most affordable M5 ever. Say what? In 1987, America’s first E28 M5 started from $48,500 with 256 horses and a now-quaint 6.3-second run to 60 mph. That was nearly $132,000 in today’s dollars. Two years later, the 310-hp E34’s price soared to about $60,000, more than $142,000 today. Am I calling the M5 a fair deal? That’s a weighty question.

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