2025 BMW M5 Sedan First Drive Review: The Beast Is Back – And It’s Smarter

Sure, the M5 has become an anachronism in its own time: Who buys a big sedan with hypercar aspirations anymore? That’s the realm of big SUVs, some would smirk. But not in Munich, where BMW has just about sent its first batch of G90 M5s to those people who yearn for Ferrari-esque performance, while still being capable of loading the family on the way.

The new, seventh-generation M5 arrives with a bit of a hush around it. Could this be the very last ICE M5 we ever encounter? It’s electrified – a plug-in hybrid, to be precise. And that may very well be the start of things to come. But till then, this big daddy of the super-sedans which started the trend 40 years ago, is again a showcase of what the ridiculous merging of a big, powerful engine, lots of exhaust noise, and a four-door family car body means to us, the fans. The new M5 has arrived with all the necessary numbers – even though it’s a hybrid.

First Drive events provide our initial impressions of a vehicle in a restricted environment under limited time constraints. The BMW M5 driven was a South African specification model fitted with the Competition Pack. As such, this First Drive is only indicative of what to expect. Keep an eye on DrivingOnRoad for our comprehensive Test Drive review which will follow as soon as the M5 arrives stateside.

What Is It: Paving The Way For All-Out Electric Drive

Sitting on the cusp of a new, possibly non-ICE-era, Munich is tiptoeing its way ahead, not wanting to disrupt a loyal fan base used to V8’s and noise. At the same time, the brand is also aware of how the rules of the game may change in ten years’ time. So, BMW has decided to go the hybrid way: A decent e-motor and big battery pack stuck to a traditional V8, to power the car with all four paws at once, and give it a lot more power as a bonus. Although that comes with a caveat, which we’ll touch on a little later.

That makes this version of the classic super-sedan a milestone of sorts, because it straddles two eras. It needs to keep the traditionalists happy, but also woo the new generation – and still give oodles of power to a three-box family car, with sportscar handling, as we always expect from an M5.

Design: ‘Hans, Don’t Ruffle The Feathers’

How do you improve on a classic design? You polish it. This is the mantra Munich’s designers went about by modernizing the seventh generation of the M5. The three-box shape is still there, but it’s now aided at the front by big air inlets, prominent wheel-arch extensions to give the car a powerful stance, and some extra side-skirts as well.

At the back, we see a large air diffuser with four blackened tailpipes, two on either side and four inches in diameter. There’s also a sports exhaust system fitted, featuring continuously adjustable flaps to enhance sound and performance.

The rear bumper features two vertical indents, each on the extreme edge of the bumper, with an LED red light fitted inside. The bulky rear end does give the M5 a bit of a Nascar feel to it, which may not be to everyone’s liking. Black, carbon accents on the tail lid, the side skirts, the nose and mirrors enhance the purposeful look of the M5. The highlight, though, is a nice, retro touch with the M5 embossed logo sitting right in the bottom corner of the classic Hofmeister kink in the C-pillar. It’s something BMW also tried with the X2, a while back, where the BMW logo was perched on the broad C-pillar.

Interior: Fit For Five

Bulky two-tone seats are standard, and there’s a prominent center console which opens length wise. You also get a beefy sports steering, now with a flat bottom and red strip at the twelve o’clock mark, in front of the driver. As is the style nowadays, the doors and instrument panel all feature an LED strip for ambient lighting. In our test model, there were also copious amounts of carbon fiber trim which gave the black-and-orange interior a sporty feel.

Standard feature items include four-zone air conditioning, heated front seats, ambient lighting and a panoramic glass sunroof, along with a Bowers & Wilkins surround-sound system, a wireless charging tray and automatic tailgate operation.

In the back, knee room is sufficient, although there’s not much space underneath the seats ahead of you to slide your feet far forward. The electric trunk lid reveals a cavernous space big enough for a small family’s belongings – 16.5 cubic feet, which is a little less than what the regular 5 Series has, but still sufficient for the family’s luggage on a weekend away. If you anticipate you’ll need more practicality, there’s also the M5 Touring.

Interior Technology And Infotainment: Modern, For The Sake Of It?

Whereas BMW Group wowed us with the latest graphics on the Mini infotainment system, the massive horizontal screen in the new M5 looks – and feels – a tad clunky in comparison. As is the norm today, all instrumentation is digital, comprising the driver’s instrumentation and the infotainment setup.

The cluster is slightly curved towards the driver, and houses virtually all the functions one needs in the car. There is a slight nod to tradition with the two red M1 and M2 memory buttons behind the steering wheel. But other than that, you’ll have to use either a voice command or flick and touch the screen to get something done.

BMW has designed an M specific control panel. This is where your traditional iDrive wheel sits between the seats, comprising a host of buttons with which you access settings for dampers, throttle control and driving modes. It’s all well laid out, though, featuring a flat surface and small LED’s to indicate which button is activated. Driving modes are pre-programmed (Comfort, Sport, Sport+), but you can toggle around and find your own ideal setup with a combination of what’s available, and then memorize that with one of the M-buttons on the steering wheel for easy access (such as an everyday mode, and a sporty racing mode). Nice touches are the red start button and the crystal iDrive selector with embossed M logo.

The instrument system works with BMW’s latest Operating System 8.5, which means you can swipe between screens, but it does also imply that you sometimes have to search for a function. And no, there are no separate control buttons for the the cliamte control system. We feel that BMW missed an opportunity here. The new OS 8.5-system is powerful, as we’ve seen in the latest Mini, but the graphics in the M5 could’ve been more emotive and expressive.

Performance: Into A New Era

The headline news with the new M5 is, of course, its plug-in hybrid system, which is not a dissimilar route to what Mercedes-Benz followed with its new AMG C63. The M5 features a model specific version of the XM’s drivetrain, which combines a high-revving, twin-turbo 4.4-liter gas V8, which redlines at 7 200 rpm, with an electric motor integrated into the eight speed automatic transmission, and an 14.8 kWh battery pack in the body floor. The V8 on its own produces 577 hp and 553 lb-ft, while the electric motor’s extra shove helps with 194 hp and 207 lb-ft, making this the most powerful M5 yet.

BMW says you can drive on EV power alone for around 25 miles up to a speed of 85 mph. Drive modes allow you to either hold your current charge level, or to recharge it again. As is expected when you combine the torqueyness of an e-motor with the high-revving capabilities of a big ol’ V8, the headline performance figures of the hybrid M5 are – on paper at least – simply mouth watering: 0-60 mph is dispatched in a brisk 3.5 seconds, while top speed is limited to 155 mph, or 190 mph if fitted with the M Driver’s Package.

But how does all that extra weight and complicated systems influence the driving experience?

Driving impressions: Brutal Fun – If Conditions Allow

Automakers are in a bit in a conundrum: They want to improve on performance with each model, but also stick to the limits of what the lawmakers dictate. This results in engineering decisions which aren’t normally the most logical or efficient. By adding an e-motor and a big, 1,200-lbs battery pack to already bulky of the M5, you end up with a performance car which weighs nearly 5,500 lbs.

That’s a lot of heft to be carrying around, especially when you have to accelerate frequently. The e-motor does its job in giving a huge extra shunt when you put your foot down, and it is all immediately there. But on our race track experience, we were only allowed one and a half hot laps before cool down was necessary. Ostensibly to save the tires and brakes, but also to allow for a bit of battery regeneration. Because as long as you have all the battery’s power available, the fun is immense. But it soon results in dead weight if it is not accessible, and you always have the presence of lots of weight when you dive into a sharp corner.

For this, BMW has equipped the M5 with loads of electronic trickery to keep the car on track and help it turn in sharper. One of these tricks is rear-wheel steering. This does help, because the big M5 gathers speed faster than a bad trend on TikTok. Approaching a corner, you can feel the weight loading up the front wheels as you turn in. But surprisingly, the 20-inch fronts and 21’s at the back bite with measurable grip, and the nose goes where you point it.

In Sport Plus mode, all nanny systems are shut off and it allows you to both hear the V8 rumble as you speed up, or let you slide into a drift if you give the steering wheel an extra flick. As always, it takes some time to find your ideal setup, but by toggling the suspension and gear shift speed along with the throttle response, at least on a race track, one can let the M5 do its own thing and that’s to thunder down the road while you brace yourself for the first corner.

Conclusion

The M5 has a lot of power, and it always feels as if there’s still more to come. It’s now more brutal than ever, but with a surprising extra finesse and poise at straight line speeds. The extra heft comes at a price though, one that you’ll have to negotiate either by plugging in every night to keep the battery charged, or learn to work with extra weight. The Big Five is still king, in our opinion, just with some adaptation required. The 2025 MW M5 has a starting MSRP of $119,500.