Dwelling with BMW’s First Hybrid Tremendous Sedan

As a longtime BMW fanatic and automotive journalist, I’ve at all times had a specific delicate spot for the M5. Over time, I’ve pushed and lived with almost each era, 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 every day driving in Chicago, I’ve rather a lot to say about what it’s prefer to stay with this plug-in hybrid powerhouse.

Design Impressions: The Daring Look Grew on Me

After I first noticed the G90 M5 in individual in 2024, I wasn’t positive the way to really feel about its squared-off, aggressive styling. It appeared daring, perhaps too daring, and positively bigger than life. However because the miles racked up, so did the compliments. Random folks would stroll as much as ask about it. I even received thumbs-up in site visitors which doesn’t occur rather a lot recently with BMW automobiles. No matter hesitation I had in regards to the design shortly 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 seems like a sportier, barely smaller 7 Collection—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 foul factor.  The seats are glorious, supportive over lengthy hauls and delicate sufficient for on a regular basis errands. Even with two baby seats within the again, area was by no means a difficulty.

However I gained’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 seems to be sharp for precisely 5 minutes earlier than it begins amassing fingerprints and hairline scratches. For a automobile pushing six figures, BMW ought to actually rethink that materials alternative. Fortunately, my M5 got here with the Carbon Fiber Bundle 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.

Each day Driving and Know-how: The Greatest 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 grasp 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 Stage 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 should 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 continues to be a driver’s automobile, so I assume completely 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 depart it in Hybrid mode and let the automobile type out the easiest way to get round. However in stop-and-go site 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 instantaneous torque and silence. Then, whenever you need to wake it up, Sport Plus transforms the M5 into a distinct animal. The throttle sharpens, the V8 barks to life, and all of a sudden you’re gripping the wheel a bit of tighter. That duality—whisper-quiet one second, brutally quick the subsequent—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, however it’s there. Nonetheless, this method is smoother and faster than within the XM, which regularly felt prefer it was pondering too onerous.

Suspension and Trip High quality: Chicago Exposes the Flaws

Chicago isn’t precisely a suspension improvement paradise. Or perhaps it needs to be. Potholes, development zones, and tough pavement make for a continuing problem. On these streets, the G90’s trip could be hit and miss. On smoother pavement, it’s unbelievable. 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 trip 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 automobile can really feel overly stiff over fast vertical modifications, and mid-corner bumps can upset the rear in a approach that feels un-M-like. I discovered that Sport mode supplied the very best stability—Consolation was too floaty, and Sport Plus felt too inflexible for every day use. My spouse disagrees, although. She thinks the Consolation mode is ideal on this automobile, particularly when hauling youngsters round. Who am I to disagree together with her?!

Dealing with: Surprisingly Succesful for a Heavyweight

Although 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 super proving floor. It was there that I totally appreciated what this chassis is able to.

Sure, it’s heavy—almost 5,400 kilos—however one way or the other, BMW has found out the way to cheat physics. On a twisty highway, you’re feeling the mass, however the automobile simply handles it. Preserve your nook entries clear and the M5 rewards you with spectacular grip and exit velocity. The AWD system and rear differential do a unbelievable job placing the facility down, rotating the automobile, and supplying you with that M automobile magic, even when Newton would say in any other case.

It’s not razor-sharp like a smaller M2 and even an outdated E60 M5, however 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 automobile with this a lot functionality, is not only spectacular—it’s sensible.

The Drivetrain: Clean, Responsive, and Addictive

I’ve stated it earlier than, however it’s value repeating: this drivetrain is an enormous 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 outdated SMG automobiles from the E60 M5 days—however now it sounds and feels higher. From a roll, the electrical torque fill is unimaginable. 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 although 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 every day drivable M5 that also does M5 issues whenever you need it to. After all, should you’re coming from an F90 or F10 M5 even, you is likely to be dissatisfied. This new M5 feels and drives utterly completely different. The earlier iterations had been actually extra of a driver’s automobile, together with on the monitor, however much less of a every day driver. It’s additionally BMW M’s fault in a approach as a result of the F90 M5 Competitors was almost the right automobile. 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. It’s important to recalibrate your footwork—brake a bit of earlier and extra gently than you’d within the F90. It’s not unhealthy, simply completely different.

Charging is the place issues fall a bit quick for me. The usual 7.4 kW onboard charger is sluggish, taking on three hours at a public Stage 2 station. The brand new 11 kW unit for Mannequin 12 months 2026 ought to have, actually, been there from the start. That stated, 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 whenever you don’t need to wake the neighborhood.

A Totally different Type 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 rules. However BMW pulled it off, and we needs to be grateful. Sure, it’s heavy. But it surely’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’ll stay with day-after-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 every day driver, this is able to 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 (critically, these names…), the 2025 BMW M5 is extra inexpensive and, for my part, extra well-rounded.