BMW M5: The latest prolific performance sedan by BMW has power unforgivingly and luxury refinement by the bucket load, but gravity still wins in two of the major works.
In May of 1961, when Kennedy announced that America was headed for the moon, no engineering road map existed. Vision preceded execution and was thus invented out of necessity.NASA’s ingenious, light-efficient solution was a shot in the arm in making Apollo 11 a success. Every gram was of consequence, as it meant consuming extra fuel and spiraled into a recurring cycle: more weight, more fuel, more weight. Finally, lightness encouraged the feasibility of sending a mission to the moon.
That is where BMW takes the M5 in 2025 for more miles.
No, really: It’s not just BMW. Almost all brands have ever produced heavier cars. The flagship models, such as M5-the heavy-lit ones from BMW-were simply supplemented by a stretched line of other smaller-named cars. However, M5 has metamorphosed into something far from the almost featherweight E39 M5 with its early 2000 cousins, weighing 5251 pounds-usually, it’s even heavier than a 2019 BMW X5. The xDrive50i carries more weight in comparison with another model from 2024, the Mercedes-AMG GLE53. But this M5 is still lovable-not in the same way for what it used to be, but for what it has become.
Chariot of Doom: Then there is a rocket-flame powertrain and unlimited luxury.
The double-faced 2025 M5 (G90) would unceremoniously write an account on its own. A sucker of the 577-hp twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 engine finds assistance by an electric motor with another 194 hp in the overall generation of 717 hp. While on the roads, the M5 scores the performance of 0-60 mph in only 3.0 seconds, 0.98 g cornering grip, and 300 ft stopping distance, from 100 mph to zero. It surely is world-class performance, weighing little to shadow the numbers.
Otherwise, it’s a true straight-line monster, it rides the M5 comfortably around the corners. The adaptive dampers ration shock travel to suppress the rattle of the irregular pavement; the myriad adjustments the seats can achieve, including massage. Comfort-oriented through and through! So much so that it deserves the M7 badge, and anyone who summons the courage to challenge this assertion would not be home and dry.
Lowlights: It is heavy and large in urban settings, not quicker than its predecessor, and comes with a confusing infotainment system.
Though the new M5 is all-powerful, it is unable to outrun its predecessor, M5 CS, since that particular car completed the quarter mile in 10.6 seconds, which is three-tenths faster. Even the base model of the older M5 was quicker. It is, however, likely that BMW will squeeze some more performance from future eau trims.
The G90 is better because it’s 2.8 inches wider than a standard Series 5. But around town, this is killing it. There was a pleasant vista to speak of, and you just sit so far back that it feels as if you’re stretching across a small chasm in reaching for the passenger door; thank heavens for cameras and sensors.
A bit less pronounced is the steering feel, especially when the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing rivals are in comparison. Yet, grip is huge thanks to the wide Hankook Ventus S1 Evo Z tires, which have genuinely sharp handling for this kind of weight. The optional carbon-ceramic brakes, which cost $8,500, are phenomenal in their strong, confident feedback.
Tech Trouble
Having introduced innovative dashboard technology starting with the first version of the iDrive control, BMW has a record for revolutionary cabin tech. But the current infotainment system feels over-engineered. It’s loaded with options, but navigating it on the move is frustrating and unintuitive, as if it were built in a lab and never tested behind the wheel.
Price and Perspective
One might assume that the new M5 costs a lot of money since the gauge hits $123,275 if they include destination and gas guzzler tax. Until the price is adjusted for inflation. Then it’s cheaper than the 1991 or 2000 M5s were when new. Still, alternatives like the CT5-V Blackwing and Audi RS7 offer fierce competition at lower prices. The M5 has a unique advantage- it’s the only plug-in hybrid in the segment.
But even with all its power and polish, this M5 isn’t a purebred driver’s car like its predecessors. For purists, something like a manual Blackwing might still hold more charm.
Conclusion: BMW M5
The 2025 BMW M5 is a modern engineering marvel that is speed demonically swift, refined elegantly, and at least functionally engulfed in gadgets. Its plug-in hybrid powertrain brings breathtaking performance and everyday drivability to what is probably the most flexible super sedan on the market today. But it’s heavy; the digital interface is off-putting; and the car lacks that basic connection that comes from raw-performance driving. After all, performance is about more than numbers.
This M5 isn’t the E39 on steroids, but the sculpted design- much more powerful, much softer, and certainly a lot less visceral. Should they find a way to keep the spirit of innovation with the soul of the driving experience deluded into the past creations of designers, well, who knows, then, possibly the next M5 might drive us to the moon.
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