Dwelling with BMW’s First Hybrid Tremendous Sedan

As a longtime BMW fanatic and automotive journalist, I’ve all the time had a specific mushy spot for the M5. Through the years, I’ve pushed and lived with practically each technology, 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 evaluation. 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 dwell with this plug-in hybrid powerhouse.

Design Impressions: The Daring Look Grew on Me

Once I first noticed the G90 M5 in particular person in 2024, I wasn’t certain how one can really feel about its squared-off, aggressive styling. It appeared daring, possibly too daring, and definitely 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 acquired thumbs-up in site visitors which doesn’t occur rather a lot these days with BMW vehicles. No matter hesitation I had in regards to the design rapidly light. It has actual presence, and I discovered myself appreciating the sharp edges and muscular stance an increasing number of. But, I nonetheless really feel that the M5 Touring is the higher trying of the 2.

Contained in the G90: Acquainted BMW Vibes, Simply Not as Premium

Sliding into the cabin, the M5 appears like a sportier, barely smaller 7 Collection—which truthfully is smart. 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 nasty factor.  The seats are glorious, supportive over lengthy hauls and mushy sufficient for on a regular basis errands. Even with two little one seats within the again, house was by no means a problem.

However I gained’t sugarcoat it: some inside particulars disenchanted me. The switches really feel cheaper than what I’ve come to count on from an M5, and the Piano Black trim appears to be like sharp for precisely 5 minutes earlier than it begins gathering 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 Package deal and the afferent roof. However I do know there are some clients who complain about the usual glass roof which provides weight and raises the middle of gravity.

Day by day Driving and Expertise: The Greatest M5 But?

Day-to-day, that is probably 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 dangle 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 adjustments are extra pure.

Nonetheless, BMW retains Degree 2+ autonomy at arm’s size. The hands-free Freeway Assistant solely works beneath 40 mph for brief durations. I do want BMW provided the upgraded model, aka the Freeway Assistant. I get it that the G90 M5 is supposed to be pushed, however if you happen to do a number 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 remains to be a driver’s automobile, so I suppose completely different strokes for various of us.

Three Personalities in One Automobile

The fantastic 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 kind out one of the simplest ways to get round. However in stop-and-go site visitors, I flip it to EV mode and dial up the regenerative braking. It’s good for metropolis crawls—quiet, clean, 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 prompt torque and silence. Then, once you need to wake it up, Sport Plus transforms the M5 into a unique animal. The throttle sharpens, the V8 barks to life, and out of the blue you’re gripping the wheel just a little tighter. That duality—whisper-quiet one second, brutally quick the following—is what actually makes this M5 particular.

In fact, the transition from electrical to gasoline isn’t all the time good. 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, nevertheless it’s there. Nonetheless, this method is smoother and faster than within the XM, which frequently felt prefer it was pondering too laborious.

Suspension and Journey High quality: Chicago Exposes the Flaws

Chicago isn’t precisely a suspension growth paradise. Or possibly it needs to be. Potholes, building zones, and tough pavement make for a relentless problem. On these streets, the G90’s journey could be hit and miss. On smoother pavement, it’s implausible. 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 journey feels composed and calm.

However hit a pointy bump or a pace 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 adjustments, and mid-corner bumps can upset the rear in a method that feels un-M-like. I discovered that Sport mode provided one of the 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

Despite the fact that Chicago doesn’t provide many nice driving roads, I nonetheless sought out the few corners and sweepers I might discover to check the M5’s limits. And lately, I had the chance to drive the G90 M5 within the Alps—a super proving floor. It was there that I absolutely appreciated what this chassis is able to.

Sure, it’s heavy—practically 5,400 kilos—however by some means, BMW has discovered how one can cheat physics. On a twisty street, you are feeling the mass, however the automobile simply handles it. Preserve your nook entries clear and the M5 rewards you with spectacular grip and exit pace. The AWD system and rear differential do a implausible job placing the ability down, rotating the automobile, and providing 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 previous E60 M5, nevertheless 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: Easy, Responsive, and Addictive

I’ve mentioned it earlier than, nevertheless it’s value repeating: this drivetrain is a large 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 adjustments, virtually just like the previous SMG vehicles from the E60 M5 days—however now it sounds and feels higher. From a roll, the electrical torque fill is unbelievable. You get this clean, unbroken surge of energy that makes conventional turbo lag really feel historical. 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 one of the simplest ways.

And though it won’t match the F90 on the ragged fringe of observe efficiency, I’d argue this G90 provides you one thing much more helpful: a every day drivable M5 that also does M5 issues once you need it to. In fact, if you happen to’re coming from an F90 or F10 M5 even, you is likely to be disenchanted. This new M5 feels and drives fully completely different. The earlier iterations have been actually extra of a driver’s automobile, together with on the observe, however much less of a every day driver. It’s additionally BMW M’s fault in a method as a result of the F90 M5 Competitors was practically the right automobile. Powerful 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. You must recalibrate your footwork—brake just a little earlier and extra gently than you’d within the F90. It’s not dangerous, simply completely different.

Charging is the place issues fall a bit brief for me. The usual 7.4 kW onboard charger is gradual, taking up three hours at a public Degree 2 station. The brand new 11 kW unit for Mannequin Yr 2026 ought to have, truthfully, been there from the start. That mentioned, 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 good for quiet morning departures once you don’t need to wake the neighborhood.

A Completely different Form of M5—And That’s OK

Instances 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. However it’s additionally extremely succesful. Some would argue a mild-hybrid V8 would have been okay additionally…

Ultimately, this isn’t the M5 for observe days and ten-tenths driving. It’s the M5 for individuals who need luxurious, tech, effectivity, and sure—efficiency—wrapped in a bundle they will dwell with on daily basis. It’s not good. 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 might be on the high of my record. 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 (severely, these names…), the 2025 BMW M5 is extra reasonably priced and, in my view, extra well-rounded.