After more than 4,000 miles and three months of daily commuting, errands, road trips and a spirited trip through the Alps, one thing is clear: The 2025 BMW M5 G90 is not just a new chapter for BMW M – it is a completely new book. For long-term enthusiasts and newcomers, this plug-in hybrid M5 offers a new perspective on what it means to be the ultimate limousine of daily performance. But it’s not without quirks. Here are the most important lessons from a long time behind the steering wheel.
1. Design can convince you – possibly
The first impressions can be polarizing, especially if a legendary type shield takes on a braver, more bulky design. The square, muscular styling of the G90 M5 may not have landed perfectly at first glance, but it grows on them. It is made aware of the traffic and collects unsolicited compliments – something that not every modern BMW can claim. While the M5 sedan is certainly present, many still find the upcoming M5 tour the better looking siblings.
Lesson: Do not judge the M5 according to its photos. In the metal it has street presence in spade.
2. It is a mini -m7 – for good and worse
Inside, the G90 M5 feels less like a track focus monster and more like a sporty executive lounge. Think of 7 series vibes, simply converted into a more aggressive silhouette. The seats are excellent and there is enough space, even with two child seats. It is plush, luxurious and equipped for family life. However, there are failures: piano-black trim is a fingerprint magnet, and some switchgear feels expensive.
Lesson: Comfort and technology have expired; The perceived inner quality is a mixed bag. Check the option list carefully.
3. The new iDrive 8.5 is finally a victory
Tech was a wound topic in the last BMWs, but the latest version of Idrive hits a sweet spot. It is quick, reaction quickly and makes navigation more manageable in the multi -layered menus. Add the improved professional system for driving aid and you have a real luxury cruiser. But there is a catch: BMW’s full hands-free assistant for motorway is not yet available on the M5 and limits its half-autonomous skills to short stints under 40 miles per hour.
Lesson: The daily tech is a strength, but BMW has to make up for autonomy offers – especially at this price. In the end, this is more of a daily cruiser.
4. Three personalities, a car
The G90 M5 is really a car with many moods. In EV mode, it glides in silence like a premium electro sedan. In hybrid mode, it combines V8 stream and electric torque with impressive smoothness. Flip in Sport Plus, and it becomes a growling street.
This flexibility is the new superpower of the M5. Regardless of whether you sneak through the city traffic or cut alpine passes, the car adapts seamlessly. The transition from electrical to combustion performance is not always flawless – especially in cold weather – but there are leagues in front of the chunky system in the XM.
Lesson: Versatility is the greatest strength of this M5. Depending on the mood, it can be a whisper or a cry of war.
5. Driving quality still has to be refined
The streets of Chicago are not nice and they have revealed a weakness: a low speed quality. The M5 is composed and self -sufficiency on smooth roads. But sharp bumps, potholes and mid-corner acquisitions show stiffness that undermines comfort. Sport mode offered the best middle ground. Ironically, the comfort mode felt too soft and floating. It is a question of taste – your passengers cannot agree.
Lesson: The adaptive suspension is good, but not perfect. BMW must finish the dampening damping at low speed for real conditions.
6. Despite the weight, it still drives like an M car
At almost £ 5,400, the G90 M5 could have been a disaster with the handling. But the engineers from BMW have worked on their magic. On mountain roads, the car contradicts its mass with balanced handling, massive handle and excellent torque distribution. It is not a M2 in the spring weight, but it is far more capable than suggesting the specifications. Even better? Spirited Mountain Driving returned over 40 MPG in hybrid mode and pressed for a V8 sports sedan.
Lesson: The laws of physics still apply, but the G90 M5 bends them impressively.
7. The new drive train is a triumph
This time BMW nailed the plug-in hybrid setup. Transitions between electrical and gas performance are smoother, shifts are powerful, but clever, and the electrical torque filling eliminates the delay. The starts are brutal in the best way – 3.2 seconds to 60 miles per hour are not a joke. This M5 may not feel as good as the F90 M5 competition, but is better suited for everyday life. This is the compromise: more user -friendliness, a little less border.
Lesson: This is the most sophisticated M5 drive train that does not yet expect to defeat the F90 on the route.
8. Brakes and cargo need more work
The brakes work well, but require mental re -calibration mental. The additional weight means more nasal diving and earlier brake points than before. Regenerative brakes helps, but does not compensate for the mass fully.
Lading is now a missed opportunity. The 7.4 kW charger is too slow for a car of this caliber. The upcoming 11kW unit for the 2026 model is a step in the right direction -but it should have started by car.
Lesson: The plug-in system is ideal for the daily EV use-the hardware delays behind the competition in a way.
Last judgment: a new type of M5
The G90 BMW M5 is not a raw on a track-oriented beast like E39 or F90. It doesn’t try to be. Instead, it is a deeply capable, luxurious and surprisingly efficient performance sedan for modern era.
Yes, it’s difficult. Yes, it has quirks. But this M5 can go to school in silence and cry down a Mountain Pass later in the afternoon. It is not the ultimate driving machine in the old sense – it is the ultimate machine.
Professionals:
- Exceptionally versatile hybrid drive train
- Smooth, powerful and reaction fast in all driving modes
- Excellent efficiency of the real world
- A tech-forward cabin
- M -DNA retains despite the weight
Disadvantages:
- Seating still too hard at low speeds
- Inner materials don’t always feel “six digits”
- Slow load on board
- No autonomy of the motorway assistant
- The pure driving edge of the past M5S is missing
