Living with BMW’s first hybrid super -limousine

As a long -standing BMW enthusiast and automotive journalist, I always had a certain weakness for the M5. Over the years I have driven almost every generation and lived from the analog precision of the E39 to the brute force drama of the F90. When BMW handed over the keys to me to the 2025 M5 G90 – the first electrified M5 ever -, I knew that this would be more than just another rating. After more than 4,000 miles and three months of driving in Chicago, I have a lot to say what it is like to live with this plug-in hybrid power package.

Design impressions: The brave look grew on me

When I personally saw the G90 M5 in 2024, I was not sure how I felt about his square, aggressive styling. It looked courageous, maybe too brave and certainly bigger than life. But when the miles appeared, including the compliments. Random people would go up to ask about it. I even have my thumb up in traffic, which has not happened much recently with BMW cars. Whatever I had to hesitate to have the design faded quickly. It is really present and I appreciated the sharp edges and the muscular attitude more and more. Nevertheless, I still have the feeling that the M5 touring is the better looking of the two.

Within the G90: Confidden BMW -Vibes, simply not as a premium

The M5 slips into the cabin and feels like a sportier, somewhat smaller 7 -series series – which honestly makes sense. BMW has never made a real M7, and this G90 feels like you are closest. I called my M5 a mini-M7, and that’s not a bad thing. The seats are excellent, supportive over long distances and soft enough for everyday errands. Even with two child seats in the back, space was never a problem.

But I will not gloss over it: some interior dutal has disappointed me. The switches feel cheaper than what I expected from an M5, and the black piano cladding looks sharp for five minutes before collecting fingerprints and hair systems. For a car that presses six figures, BMW should really rethink this material selection. Fortunately, my M5 came with the carbon fiber package and the afferent roof. But I know that there are some customers who complain about the standard glass roof, which gives weight and increases the focus.

Daily driving and technology: the best M5 so far?

Everyday life is the most livable BMW M5 I have ever driven. IDRIVE 8.5 FLAYS FAST THE ALLICATIONAL, FAST and relatively intuitive as soon as you get the complicated layers. The professional system for driving aid is also an outstanding inventory, especially for long motorway las. The adaptive cruise is smoother than in the F90 M5, and the lane changes are more natural.

Nevertheless, BMW Level 2+ holds the arm length autonomy. The hands-free assistant only works under 40 miles per hour for a short duration. I wish that BMW was offered the improved version, also known as the motorway assistant. I understand that the G90 M5 should be driven, but if you drive a lot of highway, the extra self -driving functions would have been great. I have a friend who has a G90 M5 and he does not agree with me. He has the feeling that the new M5 is still a driver car, so I think that different strokes for different people.

Three personalities in a car

The nice thing about this new 2025 BMW M5 is how it morphers, depending on how you configure it. Most of the time I leave it in hybrid mode and let the car find out the best way to continue. But in stop-and-go traffic I turn it into EV mode and choose the regenerative brakes. It is perfect for city crawls – high, smooth and efficient.

What surprised me the most was how the EV mode feels good. In the city it glides like an i5 M60. No engine noise, only immediate torque and silence. If you want to wake it up, Sport Plus turns the M5 into another animal. The gas sharpens, the V8 barks to life and suddenly you pack the bike a little narrower. This duality-a moment, which is brutally fast at a moment, is really something special.

Of course, the transition from electrically to gas is not always perfect. In cold weather, the V8 awakening can feel a bit rough-a mild vibration and a slightly delayed reaction. It’s not shocking, but it’s there. Nevertheless, this system is smoother and faster than in the XM, which often felt like it is too difficult.

Suspension and driving quality: Chicago reveals the defects

Chicago is not exactly a paradise for suspension development. Or maybe it should be. Potholes, construction zones and rough plasters are a constant challenge. The G90 trip can be hit or missed on these streets. It is fantastic on a more smooth sidewalk. The Michelin Pilot Sport 5S tires are much calmer and more sophisticated than the Hankooks that I drove with an earlier G90 M5, and the journey feels composed and calm.

But beat a sharp bump or a speed hump and the illusion. The damping at low speed is so firm that it is hard. The car can feel excessively stiff through fast vertical changes, and the bumps with a medium corner can annoy the rear in a way that does not feel like M-like. I found that sports mode offered the best balance – comfort was too floating and Sport Plus felt too rigid for everyday use. However, my wife disagrees. She believes that the comfort mode for this car is perfect, especially when you carry children around. Who am I not to agree?!

Handling: surprisingly capable of a heavyweight

Although Chicago does not offer many great roads, I was still looking for the few corners and sweepers that I could find to test the borders of the M5. And recently I had the opportunity to drive the G90 M5 in the Alps – ideal proof. There I fully appreciated what this chassis is capable of.

Yes, it is difficult – almost £ 5,400 – but somehow BMW found out how to cheat on physics. You can feel the fair on a curvy road, but you only process the car. Keep your corner entries clean and the M5 rewards you with impressive handle and output speed. The AWD system and the rear differential do a fantastic job to reduce the electricity, turn the car and give them this M car, even if Newton would say something else.

It is not razor -sharp like a smaller M2 or even an old E60 M5, but it is competent, composed and surprisingly eager. During the spirited driving on Austrian mountain roads, I had an average of over 40 MPG, even though I drove the M5 as if I had stolen it. Efficiency like this, in a car with so much ability, is not only impressive – it is practical.

The drive train: smooth, fast and addicted

I have already said that it is worth repeating: this drive train is a massive improvement compared to the XMS. The hybrid transition is faster, the shifts are smoother and it feels more natural. There is still this satisfactory break in the equipment, almost how the old SMG cars from the E60 M5 days-but now sounds and feels better. The electrical torque filling is incredible from a roll. You get this smooth, unbroken effort, which feels the traditional turbo delay ancient. We coordinated the M5 to 60 miles per hour in about 3.2 seconds (with 1 foot rollout) with the Full Sport Plus mode and the start control. It’s brutal – best.

And although it may not match the F90 on the ragged edge of the track, I would argue that this G90 gives them something more useful: a daily driving behavior M5 that still does M5 things if they want it. If you even come from an F90 or F10 M5, you will of course be disappointed. This new M5 feels and drives completely differently. The previous iterations were certainly more of a driver car, including on the track, but less daily drivers. It is also the fault of BMW M in a way because the F90 M5 competition was almost the perfect car. Hard to exceed …

Brakes and cargo: pay attention to the fair

Braking takes a little psychological adaptation. The nose dives more than expected, both at low and high speeds. You have to calibrate your footwork – a little earlier and gentler than in the F90. It’s not bad, just different.

On the charging process, things fall a bit short. The standard charger of 7.4 kW is slow and takes three hours on a public level 2. The new 11kW unit for the 2026 model year should have been there honestly from the start. Nevertheless, I was able to master most of my commuting with around 35 to 40 miles of the range without burning fuel. It is also perfect for calm morning runs if you don’t want to wake the neighborhood.

Another type of M5 – and that’s okay

Times change and the M5 also had to change. To make a Twin Turbo V8 in 2025 is already a miracle thanks to emission regulations. But BMW pulled it off and we should be grateful. Yes, it’s difficult. But it is also incredibly capable. Some would argue that a mild hybrid V8 would have been okay …

In the end, this is not the M5 for track days and ten tenths. It is the M5 for people who want luxury, technology, efficiency and yes – want performance – in a package with which they can live every day. It’s not perfect. The suspension still needs fine -tuning, and some interior selection amazes me. But would I buy one?

Absolutely. If I had to spend $ 140,000 for a daily driver, this would be at the top of my list. Compared to other high-performance hybrids such as the AMG GT GT 4-Türre 63 S E-Performance or the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid (seriously, these names …), the 2025 BMW M5 is more affordable and even more repelled.