Don’t buy the new BMW M5, buy these alternatives instead

Very few new cars have attracted quite as much attention as the latest BMW M5. We knew for years before it launched that this much-loved super saloon was going to be a plug-in hybrid, but you may not have expected it to weigh the same as a Bentley Bentayga.

BMW has actually done a very good job of hiding this car’s 2,435kg heft with some clever suspension work. The adaptive dampers work fantastically well to keep body roll in check and the rear-wheel steering makes it feel nice and agile.

Despite all this, our very own Mat Watson was left a bit cold by the new M5, concluding that it is monstrously fast and very comfortable over long distances, but ultimately not quite as engaging as an M car should be. What BMW has accidentally made here is an alternative to the Bentley Flying Spur.

So what are your options if you want a stupidly fast family car which will get the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end? Well we’ve picked 5 potential candidates.

The best BMW M5 alternatives are:

1. Audi RS7 Performance
2. Porsche Panamera GTS
3. BMW M3 Touring
4. Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door S
5. Used BMW M5

1. Audi RS7 Performance

Historically, fast Audis have been ballistically quick and have almost endless grip, but they weren’t the most fun through the corners. Well the RS7 Performance is an exception to the rule, because it’s actually more engaging to drive than the new M5.

This is largely down to the fact it’s almost 400kg lighter than the BMW, making it feel more involved and giving you a better sense of what the car’s doing beneath you. If you want something even more practical, the Audi RS6 Avant Performance is basically the same car in a versatile estate body.

2. Porsche Panamera GTS

The Panamera may not be quite as quick as the M5, but it’s more of a driver’s car. Porsche knows how to make a car handle properly, and this four-door family car feels sublime through the corners.

The Porsche’s interior also feels more upmarket than the BMW’s, it raises the quality bar just that little bit higher, but it is quite a lot more expensive as a result. The Panamera won’t win any beauty competitions either, but then again the new M5 isn’t exactly a looker, is it?

3. BMW M3 Touring

If you want to stick with BMW, why not go for one of the best performance cars it’s ever made? The M3 Touring is not only much more fun to drive than the new M5, it’s almost as practical thanks to the estate body.

It actually has a bigger boot than the new M5, however an M5 Touring is on the way to counter this. The M3 is over £20,000 cheaper to buy though, and it’s available with some sublime carbon fibre bucket seats which you can’t yet get on its larger stablemate.

4. Mercedes-AMG GT 4-door S

The Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door is the car to go for if style is a priority, because it’s a very handsome-looking thing. The interior also feels like a special place to sit, and it offers blistering performance courtesy of a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine.

Now the Mercedes is very expensive to buy, but it’s also properly fun to drive thanks to the clever air suspension which keeps body roll in check, and it’s quite spacious inside as well.

5. Used BMW M5

Of course there’s also the option to pick up the old M5 on the second hand market. For between £70,000 and £80,000 you can pick up the final examples of the outgoing car, and it still has a lot going for it.

It actually has a higher power-to-weight ratio than the new M5, so it feels nearly as quick, and thanks to the low weight it’s as fun to drive as an M car should be. The styling is slightly less challenging as well.

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