Review: 2025 BMW M5 Hybrid Delivers the Punch of a Heavyweight

bmw The M5 is the world’s most famous sleeper; It’s a sensible-looking sedan that can outperform many sports cars on twisty road turns and transform into a refined work express once the bends smooth out. But the seventh-generation M5 is even more versatile.

For 2025, the super sedan is all new and it’s not just a sedan anymore. Wagon option returns bmwAfter a 15-year hiatus, the Touring is now available in the United States, this time to make up for BMW NA’s decision not to import the M3 Touring.

The other big news is the $119,500 M5’s first hybrid engine. The plug-in hardware offers a big boost in power and the chance to drive in EV mode, but leaves the M5 with a curb weight of 5,390 lb (2,435 kg). Does this spoil the driving experience? We got behind the wheel of the sedan to find out.

Quick Facts

What’s under the hood?

M5s have been powered by a variety of different types of engines over the years, but the last two models featured a bi-turbo V8 and the format will continue for 2025. The 4.4-liter combustion engine is rated at 577 hp (585 PS). 617 hp (625 PS) of the old M5, but this shortcoming is made up for by – and even more electric The engine is housed in an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Adding 194 hp (197 PS) and 207 lb-ft (290 Nm) of torque (upgraded to 332 lb-ft / 450 Nm via the front stage gearbox) gives a total of 717 hp (727 PS) and 738 hp (738 lb-ft) ) system output is obtained. lb-ft, that’s a whopping 1000 Nm of metric torque. In the M5’s default mode, power is shared between all four wheels, but you can send more, or even all, of the torque to the rear wheels by fiddling with the menu options on the iDrive screen.

How does this new hybrid engine feel and sound?

Much has been made in online forums about the new M5 taking 3.4 seconds to reach 60 mph. ex M5 Competition completed the job in 3.2 seconds. That’s certainly disappointing given the power and torque gains, but on the road the new car feels even quicker, or perhaps it should. rabiesthan the model it replaced. While electric boost improves outright torque, it also improves response time, making the M5 feel urgent even while the turbochargers are still working.

Stab the throttle at 80km/h and the M5 lunges forward, and it feels even more explosive if you set the scene by holding the left-side gearshift lever (marked boost) for a second to prime the powertrain for maximum assault. But it’s a shame that most law-abiding American drivers don’t get to experience the way the M5 keeps traction almost non-stop until the 150 mph limiter intervenes. You can boost that to 190 mph (305 kmh) by paying for the optional $2,500 Driver’s package, but there’s no point in that unless you live in Germany, where we drove the M5.

Less impressive than the performance is the rather flat engine noise, which BMW tries to mask by pumping synthesized sounds through the speakers. You can turn them off, but whichever way you change the switch you’ll be disappointed. EV mode likewise doesn’t deserve the M5 badge. It’s got enough power to deal with city traffic and will hit 140km before the limiter is due, but you’ll only want to use it when navigating through snarls.

What happens when the road gets wavy?

We were all shocked when BMW announced the 5,390 lb curb weight of the new M5, and doubly shocked when we realized that means the 2025 car carries a penalty of more than 1,200 lbs (544 kg) over the sedan it replaces. It’s hard to read these numbers and not imagine. M5 as an underdamped, understeer mess. The reality is very different.

The M5 takes corners with an athleticism that’s hard to believe considering this weight figure. The steering feels quick and responsive as well as precise, aided by the addition of rear axle steering for the first time in an M5; That’s just as well because, at 77.6 inches (1,970 mm), this is a roomy car. Whether you’re throwing the M5 through some tricky left-right transitions or needing to get off a mph load in a hurry, you never feel like weight is an issue.

And there’s no shortage of grip. The size of the rubber has been increased by 10mm at both ends, giving the M5 the same 285 and 295mm cross-section footprints as the old CS, but this time with a wider track. You have to push hard at road speeds to push the nose wide, and in the default configuration of the all-wheel drive system the rear end has no interest in moving either. This makes it easier to cover ground at big speeds without getting your palms too sweaty, but the more rear-facing 4WD Sport mode and the less intrusive ESC setting that comes with it are more fun without requiring as many bold pills as the one right at the rear. -requires driving mode.

Of course, life with the M5 is not all about going fast and smoking the tires. At the same time, it has to sail well, and it does. Ride quality is a little firmer than you’d get in a dedicated luxury car that doesn’t need to be doubled. Cayman hunter, but there are no problems on everything except the worst broken asphalt.

How’s the interior?

A dedicated sports car can outrun the M5 on a really narrow road, but it can’t cover daily miles or long distances like a super sedan, and the M5 feels much more capable than the last car in this respect.

The sport seats offer enough support for cornering power, but they’re not heavily bolstered enough to make getting in and out difficult in daily use, and we can’t imagine many people struggling to find a good driving position. But they may have difficulty reaching the extreme right of the perfect class. infotainment To cope with the endless driving mode combinations, as with the last M5, you can store your favorite combinations ready to be accessed via the M1 and M2 buttons on the flat-bottom steering wheel.

Space in the rear seats is good, but the battery under the rear floor results in slightly shallow legroom. Although you can fold the seatback down to increase the available space in the boot, if you’re thinking of needing this feature you should look to the much more practical (and in our eyes, more attractive) version. M5 Tour.

What else do I need to know about the new M5?

We mentioned that this is the first hybrid M5 and the first time a Touring model has been offered in the US. But the G90 also marks the first appearance on an M5 of flared rear fenders like you’d expect from the M2 and M3.

Another thing worth knowing is that this single M5 model replaces both the base and Competition versions of the old car. There’s no CS in the lineup yet, but we expect BMW to add those two letters to a lighter, more powerful version of this M5 in the next two or three years.

BMW says crossbreed The battery is rated for 43 miles (69 km) of electric range on the European WLTP cycle, but we doubt you’ll see much more than 20 miles (32 km) in real-life driving. You can charge it while driving using the V8, or top it up from zero to full in 3 hours and 15 minutes using the 7kW onboard charger, but there’s no fast charging feature.

What are the M5’s competitors?

The M5’s most obvious rivals are the Audi RS7 and Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, of which we take the Caddy. It’s slightly less powerful than the M5 at 668 hp (677 PS), but it’s also much lighter, 0.1 second quicker to 60 mph, costs $94,890, and comes with a six-speed manual transmission.

Next year BMW will also have to face a new Mercedes-AMG E63. The hot E-class also has a PHEV engine, but Intel claims a V8 for the inline-six, unlike the M5.

Decision

Now that we’ve driven the M5, we can safely say that the ride is still great, despite the added weight. and fast experience SUVThese vehicles, which are even heavier and have a higher center of gravity but are still fun to push, should have told us to expect this.

We’re a little sad that BMW felt the need to go the PHEV route instead of making another pure V8 model with more power, because hybrid power doesn’t have as many benefits in the US as it does in other countries. and wealthy enthusiast drivers don’t really care about EV modes and saving a few bucks on fuel.

You have to wonder what a non-hybrid M5 would feel like. But the reality would be a car that was slower than the outgoing model and failed to meet BMW’s emissions targets (which are important to automakers and lawmakers, like it or not). As a result, this M5 doesn’t let its badge down and has much more versatility. We can’t wait to try the Touring and see an M5 CS down the road.

Photos BMW by Chris Chilton / Carscoops