BMW M5 Touring Review: Was it worth the weight?

When BMW launches a new generation M5, the automotive world jumps to attention. But this time there is an extra reason to be excited: the availability of a Touring variant. BMW has offered M5 Tourings in the past, but not since 2010 and never in the US.

We’ll probably have to wait until early next year to try one in North America, but we did get the chance to get behind the wheel of one in Germany, where we recently drove this car’s sedan sibling. And almost everything we liked and disliked about the $120,675 sedan is replicated here in the $122,675 Touring.

That’s not really a surprise as they share the same 4.0-liter V8 PHEV powertrain that delivers the same 717 PS (725 hp) and 1,000 Nm (738 lb-ft) of torque. But we fell for the Touring, even though it loses ground to the sedan in some areas.

FAST FACTS

Slower, not that you have time to notice

Related: We drove the 2025 BMW M5 hybrid sedan

Areas where it loses ground include zero-to-60mph performance, which puts it a tenth behind the sedan at 3.5 seconds (itself two-tenths behind the old M5 Competition). And an electric range that BMW North America estimates the same 25 miles (40 km) as for the sedan with the conventional trunk, but Munich headquarters says it’s about a mile worse. Both minor shortcomings are directly related to a 64kg increase in curb weight to a massive 2,475kg.

But on the road, there’s nothing about the way the Touring behaves that makes you feel like it’s somehow a bad relation. It still has the same razor-sharp steering, the dampers have much the same ability to grab that mass as you launch the thing through a series of tricky corners, and the structure feels rock-solid. An Audi RS6 or BMW X5 M is not nearly as much fun to drive on a good road.

And when you dig into the right pedal, the kick in the back feels equally immense, no matter what the spec sheet says. The 194 PS (197 hp / 145 kW) engine in the eight-speed automatic transmission acts as a warm-up act for the two turbochargers, then hangs on once they’re spooled up to really blur the landscape. The stock limiter calls the time at 150 mph and the M5 gets there so quickly that you can see why some German buyers would be tempted to pay for the optional 195 mph limiter. You can get the same option in the US too, although it’s hard to understand.

More stylish than the sedan?

The areas where the Touring is outdone by its sedan brother don’t include looks. We love the new M5 sedan’s flared fenders, something never seen before on the model, and a feature that ensures it will never be mistaken for a regular 5 Series again. But the Touring looks just as good, those stretched arches work just as well on the shooting brake body. And you just know it’s going to turn heads because the M5 is the only 5 Series/i5 car offered in America with a long roof style.

Rivals are wider

The trunk opens to reveal a wide cargo area with no stepped lip and a floor that’s completely flat save for a small but potentially annoying bump on either side next to each rear wheel. The rear seats can be split and folded, lowering them completely, increasing the normally 500 liters of available cargo space to approximately 57.6 cu-ft (1,631 liters). An Audi RS6 and BMW’s own X5 M both offer a little more space, but this is still a versatile enough package to make you think BMW should bring in some non-M 5 Series wagons.

From the driver’s seat you’re almost completely unaware of the reconfigured bodywork at the rear. The dashboard with its curved instrument panel and touchscreen combination is no different from what you normally encounter 5 seriesbut the M5 distinguishes itself with an M steering wheel, an M-specific red start button and an M-branded iDrive dial. You also get a great set of sport seats that provide enough support for a track day and enough comfort for a six-hour interstate business trip.

Not a direct M3 Touring replacement, but a great all-rounder

Those two usually very opposite characters are what BMW has always tried to offer with the M5. The new M5 sedan pushes the boundaries further in every direction, while the Touring adds a third route thanks to the Touring’s cargo space. It’s a different, more luxurious kind of car to the smaller, lighter M3 Touring It may not entirely calm American drivers who are still concerned about BMW’s decision not to bring that model to North America.

But as an all-in-one family rocket that’s more fun, distinctive and cheaper than a performance SUV, the M5 wagon seems like the perfect answer to the “if you could only have one car” question that car people love to ponder.

Pros ›› Fast and powerful, rare M5 wagon look, handles its weight well, stylish design with practical cargo space

Disadvantages ›› Heavy and pricey, limited EV range, not as agile as the sedan, cargo space lags behind some rivals