2025 BMW M5 Touring Review: The Grown-Up M Car

For a certain kind of automotive enthusiast, the BMW M3 has always represented the dream.

It is fast, sharp, emotional, and just practical enough to justify as a daily driver. But life changes. Maybe there are kids now. Maybe there are family road trips, Costco runs, golf clubs, strollers, luggage, camera gear, and the growing realization that a compact sport sedan no longer fits every part of life.

That is where the 2025 BMW M5 Touring enters the picture.

This is not simply a faster 5 Series wagon. It is a car for the enthusiast who has graduated from an M3 but refuses to give up the things that made them fall in love with M cars in the first place. It is luxurious, wildly quick, surprisingly practical, and still capable of making an ordinary commute feel special.

Exterior Styling

The M5 Touring has the kind of presence that grows on you the longer you look at it.

Finished in Sepia Brown, a $5,000 option, this particular example feels understated but rich. It does not shout for attention the way some performance SUVs do, but the wide stance, aggressive front fascia, muscular fenders, black roof, quad exhaust outlets, and 20/21-inch M Dual-Spoke Bicolor wheels make it clear this is not a normal wagon.

There is something refreshing about seeing a long-roof performance car in a market dominated by large SUVs. The M5 Touring sits low, looks planted, and has a shape that feels both mature and rebellious at the same time.

It is a family car, but it is definitely not boring.

Powertrain and Performance

Under the hood, the M5 Touring uses a 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 paired with an electric motor and an eight-speed M Sport automatic transmission. Total output is 717 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque.

And that torque is the first thing that stands out.

This car pulls hard. Really hard.

The electric motor fills in the low-end response, while the V8 takes over with the kind of relentless acceleration expected from a true M car. Passing power is effortless, freeway on-ramps disappear quickly, and the car always feels like it has more to give.

BMW estimates 0–60 mph at 3.5 seconds, but from behind the wheel, the M5 Touring feels every bit as quick as the numbers suggest. There is a sense of mass, but there is also a sense of endless power. The car never feels strained.

The engine sound is also a major part of the experience. Modern performance cars can sometimes feel muted, especially with hybrid systems involved, but the M5 Touring still delivers a deep, satisfying V8 soundtrack. In Sport and Sport Plus modes, it has enough growl to remind you that this is still very much an M car.

Equipped with M xDrive all-wheel drive, M Drive Professional, and M Carbon Ceramic Brakes, this tester also had the hardware to back up its performance credentials. The carbon ceramics are an $8,500 option, but in a vehicle this powerful and this heavy, serious braking capability feels appropriate.

Driving Impressions

The M5 Touring is not a small car, and it does not completely hide its weight. This is a plug-in hybrid performance wagon with a V8, electric motor, battery pack, all-wheel drive, and a luxury interior. Physics still exists.

But BMW has done an impressive job making it feel composed.

Around town, the M5 Touring is smooth, quiet, and easy to live with. The hybrid system allows for short electric-only driving, and the cabin feels calm enough for everyday use. In Comfort mode, it is more luxury car than track weapon.

Switch into the more aggressive drive modes, however, and the personality changes quickly. The throttle sharpens, the exhaust wakes up, the suspension firms, and the car feels much more eager.

It is not as light or razor-sharp as an M3, but that is not really the point. The M5 Touring delivers a broader kind of performance. It is fast enough for the track, comfortable enough for daily driving, and spacious enough for family life.

That combination is what makes it special.

Interior

Inside, the M5 Touring feels properly luxurious.

This tester featured Silverstone and Black Extended Merino leather, heated and ventilated front seats, M multifunction seats, a heated steering wheel, four-zone automatic climate control, rear manual side window shades, an Alcantara headliner, and the Sky Lounge Panoramic Roof.

It feels expensive because it is expensive.

The seats are supportive without being punishing, the materials are high quality, and the cabin has the kind of refinement expected from a six-figure BMW. The Bowers & Wilkins sound system, curved display, head-up display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging, and BMW ConnectedDrive features add the technology buyers expect in this segment.

The M-specific touches help separate it from a standard 5 Series. The steering wheel, M buttons, drive mode settings, center console controls, and performance displays all remind the driver that this is a serious performance machine, even when it is being used for normal errands.

Practicality

This is where the Touring makes its case.

The trunk is spacious, usable, and easy to load. BMW says the M5 Touring offers up to 57.6 cubic feet of cargo space, which gives it a level of practicality that an M3 simply cannot match.

Golf clubs, luggage, camera gear, groceries, strollers, sports equipment, and road trip bags all fit without drama. The rear seat is usable for adults or kids, and the wagon shape makes the M5 Touring far more versatile than a traditional performance sedan.

For someone who loves driving but also needs one car to do everything, this is the appeal.

You can take it to the track.

You can take it to dinner.

You can take it on a family road trip.

And you can still load the back with enough stuff to make an SUV buyer question their choices.

Efficiency and Value

The plug-in hybrid system gives the M5 Touring an interesting dual personality.

The EPA label rates this car at 54 MPGe when using electricity and gasoline, with an electric range listed at 25 miles. In gasoline-only operation, however, the rating drops to 13 MPG combined.

That is the tradeoff.

Driven as intended, with regular charging and shorter daily trips, the M5 Touring can operate more efficiently than its performance numbers suggest. Driven hard or without charging, it is still a 717-horsepower twin-turbo V8 performance car with a gas guzzler tax.

This particular tester carried a total suggested retail price of $145,475. That is serious money, but the M5 Touring also occupies a rare space in the market. It combines super sedan performance, luxury car comfort, plug-in hybrid flexibility, and wagon practicality in one package.

There simply are not many vehicles that do all of that.

Final Thoughts

The 2025 BMW M5 Touring is not just a fast wagon. It is a statement that growing up does not have to mean slowing down.

It is ideal for the enthusiast who loved the M3 but now needs more space. Someone with a couple of kids. Someone who wants a luxurious daily driver. Someone who still wants to have fun on a back road or at the track but no longer wants to compromise practicality to get there.

It is fast, comfortable, spacious, and special.

Yes, it is expensive. Yes, it is heavy. And yes, the fuel economy in gas-only mode is not great.

But as an all-in-one performance machine, the M5 Touring is deeply compelling.

For the driver who wants one car that can do nearly everything, this may be one of the most complete M cars BMW has ever built.

Growing up does not mean giving up.

The M5 Touring proves it.