The G90 M5 – and hotly anticipated G99 M5 Touring – are about to begin making waves as reviewers get their palms on them. However for the car-buying public, getting one is likely to be a bit more durable. Its older brother, nonetheless – the F90 M5, produced from mannequin years 2018 till 2023 – is sort of straightforward to search out. And, because of a nonetheless spectacular 600 or so horsepower, xDrive all-wheel drive, and fast depreciation, it’s changing into fairly the efficiency cut price in the event you’re looking for a used tremendous sedan. Throw in sensible – and delightful – proportions and loads of top-tier facilities, and the F90 M5 is ideal in the event you solely have room for one automotive in your life.
The Specs
All F90 M5 sedans get a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 engine below the hood – the S63B44T4. It’s probably the most refined, potent, and most dependable iteration of the S63 V8 engine. Customary output is 600 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque, and vehicles geared up with the Competitors Package deal developed 617 horsepower. It hardly issues which you select; thanks to straightforward M xDrive all-wheel drive, the OG M5 flew from zero to 60 mph in a Automotive and Driver examined 2.8 seconds. It went on to finish the quarter-mile in 10.9 seconds at 129 mph. That’s round as fast as a McLaren 720S, and half a second faster from a standstill to 60 than the BMW-quoted time for the brand new G90 M5.
The F90 M5 additionally arguably will get the most effective period of BMW iDrive, too. All fashions supplied Apple CarPlay compatibility, and all utilized iDrive 6 or iDrive 7 – the intuitive “tile” show that rapidly made BMW a frontrunner in in-car software program UI. Pre- or post-LCI (a mid-life-cycle refresh occurred for mannequin 12 months 2021), the F90 M5 had entry to all of the most interesting facilities, too; whether or not you want hands-free driving help or massaging seats, it’s accessible on the F90 M5.
The Worth
Because the educated purchaser, die-hard fanatic, or semi-professional window shopper you possible are, you most likely already knew a lot of the highlights the F90 M5 affords. What you may not notice is which you can choose up an early F90 M5 for round $52,000. And in the event you don’t thoughts a automotive that’s had a crash or two, you may snag an F90 for lower than a base Dodge Durango. That’s an insane worth in a world the place the typical new automotive transaction worth hovers slightly below $50,000. There’s worth for consumers on the prime finish of the dimensions, too. Examples of the collectible and ultra-desirable M5 CS with a couple of miles on them – round 20,000 – are buying and selling across the $135,o00 mark. That’s a bit greater than the $120,000-ish the G90 M5 instructions, however nonetheless shy of the automotive’s unique $145,000 unique MSRP.
The drawbacks of entering into this cruise missile of a luxurious sedan are the same old pitfalls of shopping for a used BMW M automotive. Elements are costly, and there’s no scarcity of crappily-modified examples littering the web itemizing websites – particularly in the event you’re looking for a very whole lot. That mentioned: in the event you can wrench, have the elements hookup, and/or just know what you’re entering into, you’ll be onerous pressed to discover a higher efficiency cut price than the F90 M5. Oh, it’s additionally hardly what we might environment friendly; count on to replenish with high-test ceaselessly, because the F90 M5 tops out at 21 miles per gallon on the freeway, in response to the EPA.
The F90 M5: Final One-Automotive Answer
It’s actual straightforward to say one thing is a “efficiency cut price” – however within the F90’s case, it’s ludicrously straightforward to again up. Due to its turbocharged engine, it’s receptive to modifications and is definitely able to churning out 800+ horsepower. If, for some cause, the usual automotive isn’t sufficient. The automotive was the primary to supply switchable all-wheel and rear-wheel drive. In actual fact, the all-wheel drive even makes it an amazing candidate for every day driver responsibility even in the event you reside in a snow-prone locale. Throw in a usable trunk, 60/40 split-folding rear seats, and spectacular consolation, and also you’ve bought the proper one-car resolution.
The F90 M5 is a bit too heavy to be the proper canyon carver or observe weapon, and perhaps a little bit dated in the event you want the most recent and biggest tech. Regardless of being a grasp of none, its compelling worth on the secondhand market – and with costs nonetheless falling over time – makes it excellent for lovers that want a one-car resolution with out feeling like they’re compromising. Maintain your eyes peeled as LCI costs begin to fall within the coming months and years – you may not discover a higher general automotive.
