Review: BMW M5

Introduced almost 40 years ago, the original BMW M5 arguably set the template for the modern performance sedan. It combined a comfortable, spacious four-door with a sophisticated suspension and a race-car engine to create something the world hadn’t yet seen. It was a luxury car that could accelerate, brake, and handle like a sports car – a car, basically, that did it all. Every successive generation of M5 has gotten a little bigger, a little faster, and a little more sophisticated. 2025 sees the introduction of the seventh generation, which brings the biggest change yet to the formula. Because the BMW M5 is now a plug-in hybrid.

That’s right. Now, in addition to chasing Porsches on a racetrack and bombing at high speed down the autobahn, the M5 can also run silent and smooth in zero-emissions mode. But has the addition of plug-in hybrid tech, and all of the complexity and weight that’s come with it, dulled the appeal of the M5? Or is it better than ever?

Much of the criticism that has been leveled at the new M5 has to do with its weight – which has increased several hundred pounds over the prior model. Much of that weight comes from the addition of plug-in hybrid technology: an AC motor that provides an extra 194 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque, as well as a 14.8-kWh battery pack. They augment the existing 4.4-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 to produce a staggering 717 total hp and 738 lb-ft of torque. The electric motor integrates with the eight-speed automatic transmission to drive all four wheels, and the 0-100 km/h time is a claimed 3.4 seconds.

Interestingly, that time is slightly slower than the previous M5, which just had a gasoline engine; the new car’s extra weight doesn’t help when jumping off the starting line. But once you are rolling, the new car easily eclipses the old car: put your foot down, or even twitch a toe, in any gear, and the new M5 surges forward, the massive instant torque from the electric motor augmenting the powerful V8. In fact, it’s so fast that in most situations, you really need to keep an eye on the speedometer, because if you’re not careful, you find yourself going a lot faster in every situation than you might have intended.

Speed has always been part of the M5’s repertoire, of course. What’s interesting – and really cool – about the M5 is the extra dimension that electrification has added to its abilities. The relatively large hybrid battery provides an electric-only cruising range of 40 km, meaning that drivers who are able to charge at home or at work will be able to do most of their commuting without using any gas, if they want. That also includes freeway sections, because the M5 can cruise at up to 140 km/h without using the gasoline engine.

In day-to-day use, it’s actually pretty amazing to notice how much driving can be completed without gasoline. Stop and go traffic is dispatched in total silence and refinement, allowing you to enjoy the excellent Harman/Kardon stereo, or simply the calm of full-electric driving. If you choose, BMW has also provided a distinctive “M sound” that adds some emotion to electric driving, but I preferred the silence when cruising as an EV.

Of course, should you be in the mood to drive more aggressively, the M5 is a firecracker. Choose one of the more aggressive drive modes – you can even program your favorite settings into two steering wheel buttons, just like radio presets – and the M5 becomes a snarling, screeching, beast of a car, with the power, grip, and performance to keep up with most high-performance sports cars. The turbocharged V8 has a hard metallic edge, and it just keeps pulling hard no matter what the speed.

The EV torque smooths out shifts and makes quick work of corner exits, while rear-wheel steering makes this big car far more agile than it ought to be, effectively shortening the wheelbase and helping the M5 behave like a much smaller car in the corners. You really don’t feel all of its weight, except in a couple of specific conditions. Undulations, either in a straight line or in a corner, can cause the M5 to heave, reminding you of just how much mass and momentum you’re carrying. Short, sharp bumps at low or high speeds can also upset the big sedan – but for the most part, it just behaves like a powerful, nimble sports car that happens to seat five in comfort.

Speaking of seats, the front thrones in the M5 are among the finest you’ll find in any car – endlessly comfortable for long drives, but with deep, supportive side bolsters for the corners. The interior is beautifully finished in a combination of high-quality materials, with dazzling nighttime LED lighting and all of the features you’d expect of a high-end sedan: four-zone climate controls, heated seats and steering wheel, wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging, and a large-screen infotainment system. While it’s frustrating that the climate controls are now integrated into the touch screen, kudos to BMW for retaining some physical controls, making the car easier to operate on the move.

While there’s plenty of luxury and comfort inside the M5, neither the cabin nor the trunk area are quite as spacious as you’d expect. The floor is relatively high compared to most gasoline sedans, as the M5’s platform is also designed to accommodate the large EV battery for the all-electric i5 sedan. As such, headroom is fine but not generous, and the trunk has a relatively high floor. This is still a big, spacious, and practical car – but maybe about 95 percent as spacious and practical as you might expect.

With a starting MSRP of $135,000 in Canada, the 2025 BMW M5 certainly isn’t cheap, but this big, powerful plug-in hybrid offers a range of abilities that is virtually unmatched. It would be tough to find two cars that cover all of the bases that the M5 does in one – the power, the speed, the handling, the luxury, the technology, plus the zero-emissions driving and the ability to commute in EV mode.

Sticking exclusively to gasoline, something like the Audi RS6 wagon and RS7 hatchback arguably come closest. Both feature twin-turbocharged V8 motors and over 600 horsepower – 100 or so less than the M5. The latest Performance models are also more expensive than the M5, with a starting MSRP of $139,750 for the RS6 and $145,150 for the RS7.

Or you could go fully-electric, with the amazing Porsche Taycan. The Taycan does all of its driving emissions-free. With its big EV battery, it weighs about the same as the M5, while offering a much sleeker silhouette, but also a more intimate, more minimalist interior. The Porsche is as quick off the line as the BMW, but the M5 has more top-end power, and is arguably a more practical package. Drive the Taycan hard and range anxiety may be an issue for you.

The M5, then, sits in the middle of this pack, combining the benefits of electrification with the flexibility and charismatic sounds of a powerful gasoline engine – all with supercar-baiting performance and handling.

Some would argue that the new plug-in hybrid approach makes it a compromise, but providing a unique balance of attractive attributes has always been what the M5’s been about. In that context, the new M5’s breadth and depth of capability make it the best one yet.