BMW M5 Review & Prices

The announcement of a new BMW M5 is always an exciting day for performance car enthusiasts. The M5 is one of those cars that defines a sector - every fast saloon car on sale is judged by it, and for any newcomers it’s always the one to beat.

That means that a brand-new model is closely scrutinised and very carefully judged. It’s like being a member of the Royal Family - you’re in the spotlight and highly regarded, but if you put a foot wrong everybody knows about it.

The new M5 will also be available as an M5 Touring - the first time BMW’s applied the M treatment to the 5 Series Estate. As a result, those two models can count among their competition the Audi RS6 Avant, Mercedes-AMG E53 (and upcoming 63) saloon and estate, as well as other practical performance cars such as the Porsche Panamera.

For perhaps the first time in the M5’s history there are credible electric alternatives as well - the Porsche Taycan, Audi RS e-tron GT, Mercedes-AMG EQE 53, even the Tesla Model S Plaid - all vying for the same sort of buyers as this new M5.

Based on the regular BMW 5 Series, you can tell the M5 apart from its more everyday sibling with its bespoke bodywork. Wider wheel arches at the front and rear give a confident stance, with new air intakes, reprofiled bumpers and four exhausts giving both ends some visual drama. The wheels are now staggered, like they are on the smaller BMW M3, coming in at 20-inches on the front and 21-inches at the rear.

The M5 starts to create controversy immediately with the adoption of a plug-in hybrid engine. It’s not the first plug-in hybrid BMW M car - that honour goes to the XM SUV - but it’s a big move for the M5, which didn’t even get turbocharging until 2011.

The result is, BMW says, greater performance and even more driver engagement than before. The numbers certainly back that up, with 727hp and a mind-boggling 1,000Nm of torque, numbers to make plenty of supercars stand up and take notice.

The benchmark 0-62mph sprint takes just 3.5 seconds, while top speed is limited to 155mph but can be raised to 189mph with an optional M Driver’s package. Both of those numbers are actually slightly worse than the old BMW M5 Competition, though (3.3s and 190mph respectively), which can be blamed on the new car’s vast weight. 

It’s more than 500kg heavier than the old car, and at 2,435kg it’s only 5kg off the weight of a Bentley Bentayga. That means that BMW is really going to have to cheat physics with the new M5’s suspension and driving aids if it’s to make it corner with the agility you’ll be hoping for.

Under the skin, the M5 has a completely reworked suspension system with adaptive dampers. There’s also rear-wheel steering, a first in an M5 and a feature which should improve both agility in corners and stability at high speed. Power is sent to all four wheels, but if you want drama and powerslides you can send it to just the rear wheels.

Despite being a plug-in hybrid, you probably shouldn’t expect the M5 to be very efficient to own - but if you are in the mood for sensible commuting, BMW claims up to 43 miles is possible on a full charge of the battery. That should also bring CO2 levels down tremendously, and possibly mean the M5 is an almost borderline-sensible company car choice.

Does the new plug-in hybrid BMW M5 appeal to you? If so, keep an eye on this page, where we’ll bring you our driving impressions as soon as we’ve had a chance to get behind the wheel.

In the meantime, you can check out the best BMW M5 deals on Carwow, or look for other great BMW deals here. Shop for a used BMW M5 for sale, or take a look at other used BMWs for sale. And remember, Carwow can even help you sell your old car when the time comes for car-changing.

The BMW M5 is not a cheap car, coming in at more than £110,000. That’s a little cheaper than the Audi RS6 Avant - though the gap will narrow when the comparable M5 Touring launches. The Mercedes-AMG E53 is quite a bit cheaper, but is a step down in performance - the upcoming E63 will be closer in price and pace.

The M5 does at least come with loads of equipment. You can add a few options, or bundle them together into the ‘Ultimate Pack’ - though this does cost nearly £20,000.