Dwelling with BMW’s First Hybrid Tremendous Sedan

As a longtime BMW fanatic and automotive journalist, I’ve at all times had a selected mushy spot for the M5. Through the years, I’ve pushed and lived with practically each technology, from the analog precision of the E39 to the brute-force drama of the F90. So when BMW handed me the keys to the 2025 M5 G90—the primary electrified M5 ever—I knew this was going to be extra than simply one other overview. After greater than 4,000 miles and three months of day by day driving in Chicago, I’ve quite a bit to say about what it’s wish to stay with this plug-in hybrid powerhouse.

Design Impressions: The Daring Look Grew on Me

Once I first noticed the G90 M5 in particular person in 2024, I wasn’t positive easy methods to really feel about its squared-off, aggressive styling. It seemed daring, possibly too daring, and positively bigger than life. However because the miles racked up, so did the compliments. Random individuals would stroll as much as ask about it. I even bought thumbs-up in visitors which doesn’t occur quite a bit recently with BMW automobiles. No matter hesitation I had concerning the design rapidly pale. It has actual presence, and I discovered myself appreciating the sharp edges and muscular stance increasingly more. But, I nonetheless really feel that the M5 Touring is the higher wanting of the 2.

Contained in the G90: Acquainted BMW Vibes, Simply Not as Premium

Sliding into the cabin, the M5 appears like a sportier, barely smaller 7 Sequence—which actually is sensible. BMW’s by no means made a correct M7, and this G90 feels just like the closest they’ve come. That is I’ve been calling my M5 a mini-M7, and that’s not a nasty factor.  The seats are glorious, supportive over lengthy hauls and mushy sufficient for on a regular basis errands. Even with two youngster seats within the again, house was by no means a problem.

However I received’t sugarcoat it: some inside particulars dissatisfied me. The switches really feel cheaper than what I’ve come to count on from an M5, and the Piano Black trim appears to be like sharp for precisely 5 minutes earlier than it begins amassing fingerprints and hairline scratches. For a automotive pushing six figures, BMW ought to actually rethink that materials selection. Fortunately, my M5 got here with the Carbon Fiber Package deal and the afferent roof. However I do know there are some prospects who complain about the usual glass roof which provides weight and raises the middle of gravity.

Day by day Driving and Expertise: The Finest M5 But?

Day-to-day, that is essentially the most livable BMW M5 I’ve ever pushed. iDrive 8.5 lastly feels dialed-in—responsive, quick, and comparatively intuitive when you get the hold of its difficult layers. The Driving Help Skilled system is a standout too, particularly for lengthy freeway slogs. The adaptive cruise is smoother than within the F90 M5, and the lane modifications are extra pure.

Nonetheless, BMW retains Degree 2+ autonomy at arm’s size. The hands-free Freeway Assistant solely works below 40 mph for brief durations. I do want BMW supplied the upgraded model, aka the Freeway Assistant. I get it that the G90 M5 is supposed to be pushed, however in case you do plenty of freeway driving, the additional self-driving options would have been nice. I’ve a good friend who has a G90 M5 and he disagrees with me. He feels that the brand new M5 remains to be a driver’s automotive, so I assume totally different strokes for various of us.

Three Personalities in One Automobile

The great thing about this new 2025 BMW M5 is the way it morphs relying on the way you configure it. More often than not, I go away it in Hybrid mode and let the automotive type out the easiest way to get round. However in stop-and-go visitors, I flip it to EV mode and dial up the regenerative braking. It’s excellent for metropolis crawls—quiet, easy, and environment friendly.

What stunned me most was how good EV mode feels. Round city, it glides like an i5 M60. No engine noise, simply prompt torque and silence. Then, if you wish to wake it up, Sport Plus transforms the M5 into a special animal. The throttle sharpens, the V8 barks to life, and out of the blue you’re gripping the wheel just a little tighter. That duality—whisper-quiet one second, brutally quick the following—is what actually makes this M5 particular.

After all, the transition from electrical to fuel isn’t at all times excellent. In chilly climate, the V8 wake-up can really feel a bit tough—a gentle vibration and a barely delayed response. It’s not jarring, nevertheless it’s there. Nonetheless, this method is smoother and faster than within the XM, which frequently felt prefer it was considering too laborious.

Suspension and Journey High quality: Chicago Exposes the Flaws

Chicago isn’t precisely a suspension improvement paradise. Or possibly it needs to be. Potholes, building zones, and tough pavement make for a continuing problem. On these streets, the G90’s experience might be hit and miss. On smoother pavement, it’s incredible. The Michelin Pilot Sport 5S tires are a lot quieter and extra refined than the Hankooks I drove on a earlier G90 M5, and the experience feels composed and calm.

However hit a pointy bump or a velocity hump, and the phantasm cracks. Low-speed damping is agency to the purpose of being harsh. The automotive can really feel overly stiff over fast vertical modifications, and mid-corner bumps can upset the rear in a means that feels un-M-like. I discovered that Sport mode supplied the very best steadiness—Consolation was too floaty, and Sport Plus felt too inflexible for day by day use. My spouse disagrees, although. She thinks the Consolation mode is ideal on this automotive, particularly when hauling youngsters round. Who am I to disagree together with her?!

Dealing with: Surprisingly Succesful for a Heavyweight

Despite the fact that Chicago doesn’t provide many nice driving roads, I nonetheless sought out the few corners and sweepers I may discover to check the M5’s limits. And not too long ago, I had the chance to drive the G90 M5 within the Alps—a perfect proving floor. It was there that I totally appreciated what this chassis is able to.

Sure, it’s heavy—practically 5,400 kilos—however by some means, BMW has discovered easy methods to cheat physics. On a twisty street, you are feeling the mass, however the automotive simply handles it. Hold your nook entries clear and the M5 rewards you with spectacular grip and exit velocity. The AWD system and rear differential do a incredible job placing the ability down, rotating the automotive, and providing you with that M automotive magic, even when Newton would say in any other case.

It’s not razor-sharp like a smaller M2 and even an previous E60 M5, nevertheless it’s competent, composed, and surprisingly keen. Throughout spirited driving in Austrian mountain roads, I averaged over 40 mpg, regardless of driving the M5 like I stole it. Effectivity like that, in a automotive with this a lot functionality, is not only spectacular—it’s sensible.

The Drivetrain: Easy, Responsive, and Addictive

I’ve mentioned it earlier than, nevertheless it’s value repeating: this drivetrain is a large enchancment over the XM’s. The hybrid transition is quicker, the shifts are smoother, and it feels extra pure. There’s nonetheless that satisfying pause-thump within the gear modifications, nearly just like the previous SMG automobiles from the E60 M5 days—however now it sounds and feels higher. From a roll, the electrical torque fill is unbelievable. You get this easy, unbroken surge of energy that makes conventional turbo lag really feel historic. We timed the M5 to 60 mph in about 3.2 seconds (with 1 foot rollout) utilizing full Sport Plus mode and launch management. It’s brutal—in the easiest way.

And regardless that it may not match the F90 on the ragged fringe of monitor efficiency, I’d argue this G90 provides you one thing much more helpful: a day by day drivable M5 that also does M5 issues if you need it to. After all, in case you’re coming from an F90 or F10 M5 even, you is likely to be dissatisfied. This new M5 feels and drives fully totally different. The earlier iterations had been definitely extra of a driver’s automotive, together with on the monitor, however much less of a day by day driver. It’s additionally BMW M’s fault in a means as a result of the F90 M5 Competitors was practically the right automotive. Robust to high that one…

Braking and Charging: Thoughts the Mass

Braking takes a little bit of psychological adjustment. The nostril dives greater than I anticipated, at each high and low speeds. You need to recalibrate your footwork—brake just a little earlier and extra gently than you’d within the F90. It’s not unhealthy, simply totally different.

Charging is the place issues fall a bit brief for me. The usual 7.4 kW onboard charger is gradual, taking up three hours at a public Degree 2 station. The brand new 11 kW unit for Mannequin 12 months 2026 ought to have, actually, been there from the start. That mentioned, with about 35–40 miles of real-world EV vary, I used to be in a position to deal with most of my commuting with out burning gas. It’s additionally excellent for quiet morning departures if you don’t wish to wake the neighborhood.

A Totally different Form of M5—And That’s OK

Occasions are altering, and the M5 needed to change too. Making a twin-turbo V8 something in 2025 is already a miracle because of emissions laws. However BMW pulled it off, and we needs to be grateful. Sure, it’s heavy. Nevertheless it’s additionally extremely succesful. Some would argue a mild-hybrid V8 would have been okay additionally…

In the long run, this isn’t the M5 for monitor days and ten-tenths driving. It’s the M5 for individuals who need luxurious, tech, effectivity, and sure—efficiency—wrapped in a bundle they will stay with every single day. It’s not excellent. The suspension nonetheless wants fine-tuning, and a few inside decisions baffle me. However would I purchase one?

Completely. If I had $140,000 to spend on a day by day driver, this may be on the high of my listing. In comparison with different high-performance hybrids just like the AMG GT 4-Door 63 S E-Efficiency or the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid (severely, these names…), the 2025 BMW M5 is extra inexpensive and, in my view, extra well-rounded.