Driven: 2025 BMW M5 Is Bigger, Brawnier, And Better?

BMW can’t seem to avoid controversy lately. Whether it’s the giant grilles or heavy hybrids, fans of the German automaker seem to find fault with each new vehicle as they are revealed. The 2025 BMW M5 was no exception, as enthusiasts quickly zoned in on the car’s weight, which is significantly higher than the previous generation due to the addition of a plug-in hybrid system. We can empathize with shoppers who complain about new cars getting bigger, heavier, and less connected, but it’s hard to argue that they aren’t also getting faster, more refined, and more efficient.

A short stint in the new M5 during a BMW event in South Carolina made us think that any criticism of the car might be unfounded. It’s still comfortable for a daily commute and fast for a racetrack. Ultimately, that’s what an M5 is all about; it’s not supposed to be a Lotus Exige competitor. Our limited time with the M5 had us thinking positively about it, but a complex car like this requires a longer test drive to truly understand. That’s why BMW sent us a lovely Daytona Violet example to drive to Amelia Island – and to get to know over the course of a week.

Exterior Looks: A Colorful Bruiser

The new M5, thankfully, is not plagued by the giant kidney grilles that grace the front of other recent BMW vehicles. It does, however, have a large mouth area to suck in air, which has a gloss black finish along with the kidney grilles, which can light up as part of the $1,850 Executive Package. This new M5 is more aggressive than the outgoing generation, which might deter buyers who want a stealthy sports sedan.

That being said, we think it can still blend in without standing out too much, assuming you order a discrete color. If you don’t like how the M5 looks, BMW is already working on a facelift. Our tester was anything but subtle, sporting a $5,000 BMW Individual Daytona Violet Metallic paint job. We highly suggest splurging on an Individual color, but there are nine free options, including some great ones, such as Marina Bay Blue Metallic and Isle of Man Green Metallic.

The new M5 (G90 generation) is larger than the outgoing model (F90). It’s 200.6 inches long, 4.2 inches longer than the old car, and has a 118.3-inch wheelbase, nearly an inch longer than before. The car also grows 2.7 inches wider and 1.6 inches taller with this new generation. Weight is the biggest concern, with the new M5 tipping the scales at 5,390 pounds, which is heavier than many pickup trucks.

Interior & On-Board Technology: Fewer Buttons, More Lights

Thanks to its large exterior dimensions, the new M5 is roomier than the outgoing model, but minimally so. Rear space is nearly identical, but front passengers get more headroom and legroom. Just like the 5 Series on which it is based, the latest M5 forgoes most of its physical buttons and knobs on the dash in favor of touch controls. This is a direction we have not been fans of, but BMW at least leaves plenty of buttons on the center console surrounding the iDrive knob.

bmw m5

BMW is starting to compete with Mercedes-Benz in terms of ambient lighting with an Interaction Bar that can glow in different colors and play animations when you get a phone call or change drive modes. While the cabin is more visually spectacular than before, there are a few spots where the materials feel less premium than the outgoing model.

Being the pinnacle of the 5 Series, the M5 is chock-full of features, such as: a heated steering wheel, M Multi-function seats, rain-sensing wipers, Interaction bar, and four-zone climate control. The $1,850 Executive Package adds more features, including front and rear heated seats, front ventilated seats, Parking Assistant Plus, and an interior selfie camera. A panoramic glass roof comes standard, or you can opt for a carbon fiber roof to reduce weight, which seems like a fruitless effort in such a heavy vehicle.

Infotainment: Super Computer

The 2025 M5 features BMW iDrive 8.5, software that relies a bit too heavily on the touchscreen for many functions. Want to adjust the fan speed? You need to pull up a menu. Want to put on your heated seat? Get ready to click a tiny zone on the button of the screen. It’s pretty distracting, and a button would be superior. You can execute most of the functions using the rotating glass iDrive controller and the button surrounding it, but even those take a while to memorize.

BMW needs to better group menus, especially for the drive modes. Otherwise, it’s difficult to remember which settings belong behind the M Hybrid, Setup, and My Mode buttons. Once you figure out how to set up the car, you can save those settings to the M1 and M2 buttons on the steering wheel. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are here to make the experience a bit easier, and BMW’s built-in voice control works quickly. A Bowers & Wilkins audio system comes standard, and sounds good, but not BMW’s best.

Performance: Heavy Hitter

The M5 borrows its plug-in hybrid system from the XM SUV, pairing a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 with a 14.8 kWh battery and a rear electric motor. This is the most powerful M5 ever, producing 717 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque combined. Power goes out to an M xDrive system, which can send power to all four wheels or deactivate the front axle to run as a full rear-drive car.

Performance Impressions

Launching this car feels absolutely bonkers. It spins all four tires on its way to 60 mph in 3.22 seconds, besting BMW’s estimate. Though we never conducted an acceleration test on the outgoing M5, independent outlets recorded that car quicker than the new one, despite having less power. That discrepancy is likely due to the M5’s immense weight gain, though we can still confirm it feels just as quick from the highly scientific ‘butt dyno’. In fact, the torque fill from the electric motor helps this new car pull harder at the top of the rev range and makes gear changes feel like they don’t slow down the car at all.

Drivers also get the usability of the battery pack, which is rated to cover 27 miles before the engine kicks on. The electric motor only delivers 194 hp on its own, which is quick enough to merge on to the highway gingerly. We registered a 9.07-second 0-60 time in electric only mode, which was tricky because the V8 will kick on automatically with too much throttle. The only other PHEVs we’ve tested to 60 mph in EV mode are the McLaren Artura and Lexus TX 550h+, which recorded times of 14.87 and 10.84 seconds, respectively. When you accelerate in EV mode, the car can play an enhanced sound, which we found to be annoying during normal driving. Unfortunately, shutting this feature off also makes the V8 engine quieter, revealing that the M5’s booming exhaust note is nothing more than a facsimile.

Ride and Handling

By now it’s obvious that the M5 is a heavy car, but you shouldn’t let that deter you. The current M3 weighs more than the E39 M5; were you really expecting a featherweight? Besides, what is the point of an M5? It’s a daily cruiser that could be used on the track if you truly desire, but there are (and have always been) better M cars to use for that purpose. We drove the new M5 at BMW’s test track in South Carolina, and you could certainly feel the weight around those tight corners as the car pushes wide and the tires scream in agony.

On the road, however, you will not notice the extra pounds. The steering is sharp, arguably more so than the outgoing model, and the front end darts wherever you point it. This is actually one of the first recent M cars where we prefer the Sport steering setting to Comfort Mode. The chassis can be a bit bouncy at lower speeds, especially over rough pavement, but the Adaptive M suspension is brilliant at highway speeds, cushing all occupants as they cruise at ballistic speeds. After spending a week with the car, we learned the M5 is a highway missile, a stellar daily driver, and a brute that doesn’t mind rushing around a corner.

Fuel Economy, Range, and Battery Info

Despite being a PHEV, the M5’s fuel economy is rather lackluster, so bad it actually gets it with a $2,600 gas guzzler tax. The EPA rates it at 12/17/14 mpg city/highway, which is actually lower than the outgoing model. Even the V8-only Audi RS7 achieves 17 mpg combined. In our experience, the real-world numbers are much higher, especially if you can take advantage of home charging and drive up to 27 miles on electric power. In a week of driving, including a drive to-and-from Amelia Island, we averaged 24.5 mpg, handily besting the EPA rating.

Verdict & Pricing: Do-Everything Brute

The BMW M5 is a jack-of-all-trades kind of car; it can run the kids to school, perform the daily commute, then rip down the autobahn at 190 mph. Such a wide breadth of ability doesn’t come cheap, which is why the 2025 M5 starts at $119,500. That’s significantly less than the Audi RS7 performance ($128,600) but more than the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing ($95,595).

Our tester came loaded with options such as Driving Assistance Professional ($1,700), the Carbon Package ($3,100), Executive Package ($1,850), M Driver’s Package ($2,500), M Carbon Ceramic Brakes ($8,500), and BMW Individual Paint ($5,000). All in, our tester runs $146,225 including a $1,175 destination charge.

In our opinion, the weight gain should not deter anyone from wanting an M5. The powertrain is both smoother and more ferocious than before, and the sharpness reminds us of the outgoing M5 CS but without the back-breaking lunacy. BMW almost certainly has a more powerful, more track-focused version in the works, and we can’t wait to see and drive it. But for now, the M5 is a stellar daily driver that delivers sensational speed. If it was our money, however, we’d spend $2,000 more to get the M5 Touring ($121,500), which has a larger trunk and looks better, at least to our eye.