There’s a lot to say about the BMW M5 Touring. With this generation M5 being one of the most controversial yet — thanks to a hybrid powertrain and massive curb weight — and the G99 M5 Touring being literally the only BMW wagon for sale in the U.S., the car has no shortage of loud voices on both sides of the fence. After spending another week with the car, we’ve found at least five things that make the car stand out. While sure, there are sprightlier, cheaper options out there, there’s definitely only one M5 Touring. And it’s a force to be reckoned with.
Surprising Overall Comfort
Don’t get it twisted. The M5 Touring is a full-fledged M car, which means it’s set up with an eye to performance rather than the most plush ride possible. But compared to the F90 M5 that preceded it and even more contemporary offerings like the M4, the M5 Touring rides astonishingly well. Of course, it bears mentioning that we rarely ventured into the more aggressive suspension settings — the car’s Comfort setting provided a solid balance of comfort and road-holding. But even the mid-grade Sport level was easy to live with even on less than perfect pavement. Overall, the M5 Touring’s ride quality felt better than many other modern M cars and SUVs.
It’s…a Wagon!
Part of the reason we love the M5 Touring is simply because it’s a Touring model at all! The M5 Touring looks like nothing else in the BMW lineup, or really anything else on the road. There’s also a practical component here; the M5 Touring offers significantly more cargo space than its sedan counterpart. It’s also quite a bit more usable space, when you consider the trunk opens by way of hatch rather than the typical sedan trunk. Between the lower loading floor and more wider load-in area, the M5 Touring’s practicality is obvious as soon as you load your suitcases (or other cargo) in. Really, driving the M5 Touring just emphasized how much we in the U.S. are missing out on when it comes to Roundel-wearing M wagons.
V8 Power
Yeah, we gotta say it. The M5’s lethal S68 V8 engine loses no potency with the addition of electric motors and a battery. In fact, it only gets stronger. But we’ll touch on that a bit later. Strictly speaking on the combustion front, the S68 continues to both sound good and provide rapid acceleration; and thanks to the hybrid bits, it’s not even too terrible to keep fueled up. But let’s be honest: you’re driving this thing for smiles, not miles, per gallon. The S68 is amazing here as it is elsewhere in the lineup; 717 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque is nothing to sneeze at and even feels underrated from the driver’s seat. And — arguably more important — that sound!
Little Details That Matter
No doubt about it, the M5 Touring is a big car. It has a big price tag, starting at $125,300. It’s nearly as long as the BMW X7, and weighs just over 5,500 pounds (2,495 kg). All the same, the little things matter here — arguably more so considering the badge on the back and that base MSRP. In that respect though, the BMW M5 does a fine job. There’s an M imprinted into the B pillar that you’ll only really spot if you’re looking for it. The ambient lighting quietly bubbles away in M color scheme (red/purple/blue). The iDrive controller is chunky and expensive looking, and even wears an M logo on it itself. Even the M color stitching on the seatbelts adds something. The M5 doesn’t sweat the small stuff, and it reminds you every second that you’re in something BMW considers quite sacred.
No Need For a Plug
The other half of the M5 Touring’s V8-based powertrain is, of course, the hybrid system. Controversial for both its real-world usability (or lack thereof) and significant weight add, it’s actually a great system in practice. You never need to plug the car in, thanks to a variety of drive modes that actively work to charge the battery as you drive. Our electric-only range never dipped below 10 miles, and frankly, there were also some occasions where the silent creep of all-electric driving fit in far better than the burbling V8’s churn. Having battery power also left us assured that we had the car’s maximum performance always available to us, which includes instant torque. Overall; despite adding significant weight and some complexity, the hybrid components do not subtract from the driving experience.
The M5 Touring, then, has quite a lot to like. My full review is still in the works; after all, a car this polarizing deserves some special attention. If you really can’t wait, we’ve already driven the G90 sedan (nearly 4,000 miles, in fact) and reviewed a different Touring last year. But regardless of how we feel about the car overall, we’re quite sure that there’s a lot to like about the newest generation of the M5. All this without even mentioning the glass roof that gives the cabin a fantastically open feel; or the car’s physics-defying cornering abilities. Anything we missed?
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com
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