The newest generation of the BMW M5 was not immediately a popular car. As review after review rolled out, there were no shortage of clicky headlines alluding to the car’s weight or, even worse, comparing the new car to the best of the last generation, the M5 CS. The Touring was not immune to these criticisms. It’s faring a bit better these days — perhaps its perceived shortcomings are more easily overlooked in a world shared with the Ferrari Luce — but there will always be a vocal community quite opposed to hearing anything positive about the car. Pick your poison: it’s heavy, it’s hybrid, it’s heinous, all of the above.
To that end, I’m decidedly more old-school-leaning. My ideal M car involves hydraulic power steering, and 400 horsepower is more than enough for me. But despite the M5’s deeper philosophical implications and decidedly more empirical downsides, which we’ll get to, I strapped into the M5 Touring with an open mind. After all, I’ve nothing against hybrids, don’t find the car particularly ghastly, and have driven plenty of heavy, excellent cars (ALPINA B8 Gran Coupe, for one). As a bit of foreshadowing, one of the first things I did when I got home from my trip was measure my garage to see if an M5 Touring of my own would fit in it. Yes: it really is that good.
BMW M5 Touring Leaves the Big City
Picking up the M5 Touring from the Newark airport made for a convenient and easy drive to the town I grew up in. Or, it would have, if the town I grew up in was really anywhere close to the airport. An hour and a half later, I made it “home” for the week and already had a lot of thoughts on the M5 Touring. But since the angle for my review was “how does the M5 Touring fare in a small town,” I needed to find some errands to run around town to get more accurate intel.
There are two ways into town. One is a wide, two-lane highway with some pretty good sweepers and usually quality pavement. The path less traveled is a narrow two-lane back road that made the M4 Competition feel like a semi-truck. In the spirit of testing, I decided to shove the M5 Touring down the smaller arterial road. Now, at 200.6 inches (510 cm) long and 77.6 inches (197 cm) wide not counting the mirrors, the M5 Touring is almost the same size as the three-row BMW X7; it’s significantly larger than the M4 Competition that already felt brutish.
Strangely, though, I didn’t feel like the M5 Touring felt any more or less out of place than the M4. Both feel big for the smaller roads, but the M5 Touring didn’t feel proportionately worse. It’s also worth mentioning that the Touring and Sedan version of the M5 share the same measurements; so the car is no harder to park than its sedan counterpart. And thanks to the vast array of sensors and cameras, the parking isn’t difficult at all, even in tighter, older parking situations that sometimes accompany small town centers.
Other Benefits in Small-Town Living
And while you’re in town, you’ll make friends. For one, the car’s hybrid powertrain can kick into electric mode and silently glide to your destination. It’s decidedly a more community-minded way to greet your (presumed) neighbors and community members compared to the snarling M4 Competition or the M5’s own throaty V8. While we’re on the subject, the M5 Touring’s regenerative abilities cannot be undersold.
Charging infrastructure in rural parts of the U.S. still leaves a lot to be desired. Thankfully, the M5 Touring effortlessly replenished charge and I never had to plug the car in once. If you are plugging this car in, you’re doing it wrong: the car makes it easy to stack range on short or long drives just by setting the drive mode to “eControl,” or even simpler by putting braking regen to “MAX.” In that way, this M5 Touring requires a bit of restraint to get the most out of. Doubtless, it’s a different kind of M car, which we’ll also address later.
The M5 Touring also starts conversations. People are curious in small towns, and my M5 Touring was finished in Techno Violet metallic, a shade of purple that definitely stands out among a sea of black, white, and silver. But regardless of color, nothing like the M5 Touring exists on U.S. roads, save a handful of similarly uncommon superwagons (Audi RS6 Avant, some AMG stuff). Of course, the usual wagon selling points apply here: the cargo area is spacious and (more importantly) usable.
More Good News
It may feel like I’m being very easy on the M5 Touring. If so, I apologize, because I have more nice things to say. The usual wagon party line applies here: it’s nearly as spacious (and usable) as an SUV without any of the dynamic drawbacks. I even managed some (very light) off-road adventures alongside a buddy’s Toyota Tundra. Rear seat passengers report excellent comfort even on an hour-ish car ride, although had slight niggles with the climate control. The car’s performance is amazing but frankly not something to dwell on: you don’t really need me to tell you that a 717-horsepower car is fast. I was significantly more impressed with the car’s balance.
I question those who claim “you don’t feel the weight:” I certainly do and I’m far from a pro driver. But the car hides it well. Oodles of horsepower aside, the car’s suspension is shockingly well-tuned, even if the steering feel is a B when graded on a moderate curve. I have no doubt that Sport and Sport Plus are great on the track, but Comfort left nothing to be desired on the street. Balance is the continued theme when discussing handling and ride quality; turn in is precise, in-cabin comfort is superior — far more refined feeling than the car’s predecessor, the F90 M5.
Some of that is likely a credit to the Michelin Pilot Sport 5s our car wore. Braking? Excellent, courtesy of six-piston front and single-piston rear calipers gripping dinner-plate sized discs. Whether a twisty, pothole-ridden backroad or highway trek to the nearest major city, the M5 Touring was unflappable.
Touring the BMW M5’s Flaws
By now we’ve more or less satisfied the brief: the M5 Touring is a great car even if you live in the woods and/or don’t have access to charging. It exceeds even lofty performance expectations, which all great M cars also accomplish. You’ve now read 1,000 words, give or take, talking about what a great car the M5 Touring is. They’re all true, but that doesn’t make the M5 Touring perfect.
In no particular order, my qualms. The G99 M5 Touring is the most insulated M car I’ve ever driven. In driving experience, it shares more with the ALPINA B8 than the F90 M5. Arguably, the M5 has always skewed a bit more GT car than smaller Ms. But it’s immediately apparent to me that this car is most at home being exactly that, rather than confidently playing the role. Prior M5s always felt closer to the M3 than the 7 Series. In a very good way. That’s not the case with the G99 M5 Touring.
Unfortunately, combined with the good-not-great steering, this speedbump snowballs into a larger, overarching issue. The M5 Touring always feels a bit sedate. The F90 always felt like it was wearing one of those suits that come undone with a zipper; refined at first glance but you knew within a second there was a party animal ready and willing at the drop of a hat. I can honestly say the same goes for every preceding M5. If the F90 M5 was wearing running shoes, the G99 traded ‘em for something involving Velcro. It’s entirely possible that my wildly different experiences and familiarity with each car brings me to this conclusion. Is this where I ask for some M5 Touring track time, BMW?
Final nit to pick: moving the climate control to the screen is not an improvement. I still have to look away from the road to adjust climate control settings. I’m not going to stop talking about it because it’s simply worse, functionally, than physical buttons. This isn’t an M5-specific problem, though. It’s more of an industry problem, which does sort of bring us to the conclusion of my M5 Touring review.
Looking Forward: on BMW and the M5 Touring
If you were wondering, the M5 Touring does not fit in my garage. Physically, or I guess, metaphorically. I was not surprised. It hardly mattered anyway: I can’t afford one. Our M5 Touring review car’s tested price came out to very nearly $150,000. Granted, that includes Individual paint and $8,500 brakes made of solid gold. Kidding, it’s just paint. Even if I could afford it, though, I’m not at the stage in my life when I’m willing to forego the more “laissez-faire” driving character of my BMW M Coupe. I’m not sure I ever will be. But depreciation (and age) come for us all…and, well, you never know, right?
Unfortunately, the auto industry today is chock full of exactly that sort of uncertainty. Trade agreements and oil supply are day-by-day conversations. Chinese automakers taking their home market by storm have made every single legacy OEM millions poorer seemingly overnight. Electrification could mean the end of driver enjoyment altogether, if you believe some influencer types. In that context, the M5 Touring serves as a glimmer of hope. It’s much more than a glimpse of where BMW M’s future lies; rather, it’s the genesis of the next generation.
Sure, manual transmissions and hydraulic racks are out. But, M can still enrich its legacy by building cars like the M5 Touring. There’s still a lot of character here — after all, driving “too close to a 7 Series” is hardly a bad thing for the vast majority of drivers. Based on my driving experience, the M5 Touring has me cautiously optimistic that BMW M knows how to avoid entirely engineering the fun out of its cars.
Does It Feel Special?
I know the M5 Touring is purchasable, today, with a special feeling and sounding V8 engine and true daily-driver usability. It also works as a family hauler, grocery getter, mobile office, weekend driver, Grand Tourer, and even off-the-pavement explorer. I know the G99 M5 Touring keeps the magic alive for at least one more generation. If you ask me whether the generation the comes after will — or even could — feel just as special, I’d shrug. Because really, these days…who knows?
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com
