BMW M5 Touring: The Family Wagon That Embarrasses Supercars

There is a particular kind of madness that only BMW M understands. Take a practical estate wagon, the kind of car people buy for school runs and weekend trips with the dog, and stuff a 727-horsepower plug-in hybrid V8 underneath the bonnet. Add all-wheel drive, air suspension, and a 0 to 60 time of 3.5 seconds. Call it the BMW M5 Touring and watch the automotive world lose its mind.

The BMW M5 Touring returned to the lineup after a lengthy absence and arrived not just as a performance wagon but as arguably the most capable all-round performance car BMW has ever built. That is not a small claim. It is one the car earns with remarkable ease.

Presence Without Pretension: The M5 Touring Design

Stand beside the BMW M5 Touring and the first impression is one of controlled aggression. The estate body sits low on its air suspension, with wide M-specific front and rear bumpers that flare outward to cover the broader track. Quad exhaust tips emerge cleanly from the rear diffuser, and the overall silhouette is one of purpose rather than showmanship.

M-specific badging is restrained compared to what you might expect from a car of this performance level. The kidney grilles are large in the manner of current BMW design language, and opinion on them remains divided, though the M5 Touring wears them with more authority than smaller models simply by virtue of its sheer physical presence.

The roof rails and practical estate proportions are still present, reminding anyone who looks closely that this car genuinely hauls luggage on Monday and embarrasses sports cars on Saturday. That duality is the entire point.

Inside the M5 Touring Cabin: Space, Speed and Screens

Open any of the four doors and the interior wraps around you with the kind of quality that justifies the asking price before the engine even starts. The M5 Touring seats five in genuine comfort, with rear passengers enjoying substantially more legroom than any performance coupe rival can offer. The boot swallows 500 litres with the rear seats in place, expanding to 1,630 litres with them folded.

BMW’s curved display setup dominates the dashboard, pairing a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with a 14.9-inch infotainment touchscreen running the latest iDrive 8.5 system. The interface is fast, logical, and loaded with M-specific features including configurable drive modes, lap timing, and real-time power distribution readouts.

M sport seats with pronounced bolstering grip front passengers firmly through corners without making long journeys uncomfortable. Heated and ventilated options, a panoramic roof, Merino leather upholstery, and a Bowers and Wilkins surround sound system are available to buyers who want the full luxury specification alongside the performance.

The cabin genuinely occupies two worlds simultaneously. It is luxurious enough to satisfy buyers coming from an executive saloon background and focused enough to satisfy genuine performance car enthusiasts. Finding a car that does both this convincingly is rarer than it sounds.

BMW M5 Touring Performance: 727 Horsepower of Organised Chaos

The powertrain in the BMW M5 Touring is unlike anything previously offered under the M5 name. A twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 is paired with an electric motor integrated into the eight-speed automatic transmission, producing a combined system output of 727 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque delivered through the M xDrive all-wheel drive system.

Those numbers translate into a 0 to 60 miles per hour time of 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 189 miles per hour with the M Driver’s Package. What they do not fully convey is how the power arrives. Floor the accelerator from a standstill and the surge is immediate, silent for the first fraction of a second as the electric motor fires before the V8 joins in with its signature baritone, and then relentless as both sources of power combine into a wave of acceleration that pins every occupant firmly into their seats.

The chassis management is extraordinary. Air suspension adjusts continuously to road conditions, the rear axle steering improves low-speed manoeuvrability and high-speed stability simultaneously, and the M xDrive system splits power between front and rear axles with a speed and precision that makes the car feel lighter than its considerable 2,400-kilogram kerb weight suggests.

Car and Driver’s hands-on test of the 2025 BMW M5 Touring confirmed what early drives suggested: the M5 Touring is not just fast in a straight line but genuinely capable through corners, with a balance and communication that rewards skilled drivers while remaining accessible enough for enthusiastic beginners to enjoy safely.

Sport mode sharpens throttle response and firms up the suspension noticeably. Sport Plus takes everything further, with faster shifts, a more aggressive stability control envelope, and exhaust flaps that amplify the V8’s note into something genuinely theatrical. Comfort mode transforms the car into a serene, near-silent luxury estate that could pass for a standard 5 Series Touring to any unsuspecting observer.

Electric Range and Fuel Economy: The Hybrid Advantage

The PHEV powertrain brings a genuine electric-only range of approximately 35 to 40 miles from the 18.6 kWh usable battery capacity. That is enough for most daily commutes to be completed entirely on electricity, which changes the ownership proposition meaningfully for buyers with home charging access.

In EV mode, the M5 Touring is eerily quick and completely silent. The electric motor alone produces enough torque to feel brisk in urban traffic, and the transition to hybrid mode when the battery depletes is seamless enough that most passengers will not notice it happening.

On a full tank with a depleted battery, real-world fuel consumption in mixed driving lands around 22 to 28 miles per gallon. Push hard consistently and that figure drops toward 16 to 18 miles per gallon, which is entirely expected for a car of this performance level. Buyers who charge regularly at home will find running costs considerably lower than those figures suggest on paper.

Safety and Technology: Intelligent by Design

The M5 Touring arrives with a comprehensive active safety suite that includes adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, lane keeping assist, automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a surround-view camera system that makes parking a car of this size considerably less stressful than it might otherwise be.

BMW’s Personal CoPilot semi-autonomous driving system is available as an option, handling steering, acceleration, and braking on compatible motorway sections. The system is smooth and confidence-inspiring, reducing fatigue on longer journeys without removing the driver from the experience entirely.

The M-specific electronics package includes ten-stage adjustable traction control, configurable stability control parameters, and a drift mode accessible only when stability control is fully deactivated and certain conditions are met. That last feature is more relevant to track days than public roads, but its presence speaks to the depth of the performance engineering underneath the practical exterior.

Trim Levels and Pricing: Understanding the M5 Touring Investment

The BMW M5 Touring is offered in a relatively streamlined configuration structure compared to some rivals, with most meaningful equipment available as individual options or grouped packages rather than across multiple trim tiers.

Base pricing for the M5 Touring in the United States starts at approximately $117,000 before options and destination charges. Key additions include:

• M Driver’s Package: Raises the electronically limited top speed from 155 to 189 miles per hour, essential for buyers who use the autobahn or attend high-speed track events
• Bowers and Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound: A significant audio upgrade that transforms the cabin acoustic experience meaningfully
• Executive Package: Adds rear seat entertainment screens, massaging front seats, and an enhanced ambient lighting system
• M Carbon Ceramic Brakes: Critical for track-focused buyers, providing fade-free stopping through repeated heavy applications
• Individual Paint and Interior: Access to BMW’s broader personalisation programme for buyers wanting something genuinely unique

A comprehensively optioned M5 Touring can reach $135,000 to $145,000, placing it firmly in the luxury performance segment where it competes against genuinely exotic machinery despite wearing estate bodywork.

How the M5 Touring Fits the Broader M Picture

The M5 Touring sits at the practical, family-friendly end of BMW M’s current performance spectrum, which makes it no less serious as a performance machine than its more focused siblings.

Buyers drawn to the focused, track-ready end of the M range should explore our detailed look at the BMW M2 CS, which delivers a raw, rear-wheel-drive driving experience that prioritises driver engagement above all else. The contrast between the M2 CS and M5 Touring illustrates exactly how broad the M family has become.

For the most extreme expression of M performance in a coupe body, the full breakdown of the BMW M4 CSL covers everything you need to know about BMW’s most focused and exclusive road car, a limited production machine that represents the opposite end of the spectrum from the family-friendly M5 Touring.

Pros and Cons: The Full M5 Touring Picture

Pros:

• 727 combined horsepower from V8 and electric motor
• 35 to 40 miles of genuine electric-only range
• 500-litre boot with full rear seat capacity intact
• Air suspension delivers exceptional ride quality across all modes
• Rear axle steering transforms handling agility and parking ease
• Broadly configurable from serene luxury tourer to aggressive performance machine
• Five genuine adult seats in serious comfort
• Strong long-term resale value supported by M heritage and PHEV desirability

Cons:

• Kerb weight of approximately 2,400 kilograms is significant
• Starting price above $117,000 limits the potential buyer pool
• Large kidney grilles remain a divisive styling choice
• Battery range of 35 to 40 miles is modest against some PHEV competitors
• No manual gearbox exists or is likely to ever exist in this form
• Fuel consumption rises steeply under hard use

Rival Comparison: Nothing Does It Quite Like the M5 Touring

The performance estate segment is small but fiercely contested, and the M5 Touring enters it as an immediate frontrunner.

The Mercedes-AMG E63 S Estate is the most direct and historically significant rival. The AMG offers a naturally aspirated feel to its twin-turbo V8, rear-wheel steering, and an interior that matches the BMW for luxury. The M5 Touring counters with the PHEV advantage, a slight edge in outright power, and arguably superior ride quality from the air suspension system.

The Audi RS6 Avant is the broader market comparison point and has historically been the default choice in this segment. It offers a more conservative design, arguably more interior storage cleverness, and the reassurance of Quattro all-wheel drive. The BMW M5 Touring surpasses it comprehensively on performance and dynamics.

The Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo Turbo S is a fascinating alternative for buyers whose budget extends that far, offering similar performance credentials in a more coupe-influenced estate shape. It costs meaningfully more and offers less boot space, making the BMW a stronger value proposition for buyers who prioritise practicality alongside performance.

Who Should Buy the BMW M5 Touring?

The M5 Touring buyer is someone who has refused to accept that starting a family or needing genuine daily practicality means giving up the driving experience they love. This car exists specifically for that person.

It suits performance enthusiasts with children, growing families who take road trips seriously, buyers who want one car that handles everything from school runs to track days, and professionals who cover long distances regularly and want to do so in luxury without sacrificing the option to be genuinely fast when the road allows.

Home charging access transforms the ownership experience significantly. Buyers who can charge overnight will find the M5 Touring’s running costs surprisingly manageable given its performance level, using electric power for daily urban driving and the full hybrid capability for longer runs.

It is less suited to buyers who prioritise outright driver focus over practicality, for whom the BMW M2 CS offers a more appropriate driving experience, or buyers whose budget sits below $110,000 who will find better value elsewhere in the M range.

Final Verdict: The BMW M5 Touring Redefines What a Family Car Can Be

The BMW M5 Touring is a genuinely remarkable piece of automotive engineering. It carries five people and their luggage in luxury, travels 35 miles on electricity alone for daily commuting, and then covers the quarter mile in times that overlap with genuine supercars when the road opens up and the driver asks it to perform.

No other car on sale today does all of those things simultaneously with this level of polish and conviction. The Mercedes-AMG E63 Estate comes closest but lacks the PHEV architecture. The Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo matches the performance but costs more and carries less. Nothing else is genuinely in the conversation.

Is the BMW M5 Touring worth the asking price? For the buyer it is designed for, the question answers itself. Book a test drive, load the boot with luggage, put two adults in the rear seats, and then find an empty road. The M5 Touring will make the case for itself more convincingly than any review ever could.