Wagon lovers rejoice because, for the first time ever, BMW will bring one of its high-performance M Touring models to the United States. The 2025 BMW M5 Touring will arrive stateside next year, a few months after the M5 Sedan hits dealer showrooms. CarBuzz had an early opportunity to drive the long roof M5 on American soil at BMW’s Performance Center in South Carolina, giving us a chance to compare it to the sedan and render an early verdict on which one is superior.
Base MSRP $121,500
Base Trim Curb Weight 5,530 lbs
Engine 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8
Horsepower 717 hp
Transmission 8-speed automatic
Drivetrain All-wheel drive
0-60 MPH 3.5 Seconds
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Let’s get this topic out of the way before the angry comments flood in; the 2025 M5 is a heavy car. The Touring weighs approximately 5,550 pounds according to BMW – 160 pounds more than the sedan and only slightly less than one of Jupiter’s moons. Without going into too much detail, these are measured on a European test that often results in higher curb weights, so the actual numbers should be significantly lower once American publications get the car on a scale.
The more important question to ask is this; should you be concerned about the weight? This new G90/G99 generation M5 is the most powerful one yet, powered by a twin-turbocharged V8 mated to a hybrid system, delivering 717 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque. Is the latest M5 Touring the car that will finally convince young people that station wagons are cool? Or, to use their vernacular, does it slap?
Exterior & Interior: Long Roof, High Curb Appeal
Compared to some other recent BMW designs, the M5 feels much less controversial. Some critics might say that the deep gloss black chin looks a bit weird, but anyone who hates it can always opt for a darker exterior color to hide that detail. Speaking of colors, the M5 arrives with nine standard paint options, including a few flashy options like Marina Bay Blue, Isle of Man Green (pictured), and Vegas Red. For buyers who want to break the mold, BMW offers nearly 150 Individual colors, meaning there’s almost no limit to how bold you can make your M5. The wheel options are less impressive, with only two styles available, one of which comes in all black or a silver/black combination. Blue, red, or black brake calipers are available for no cost, while M Carbon Ceramic Brakes ($8,500) get gold calipers.
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The M5 Touring looks mostly the same as the M5 Sedan at the front; it’s only when you move past the C-pillar that it starts to change. Though the wagon looks longer to the naked eye, it’s actually the exact same length as the sedan (200.6 inches). The M5 Touring is a tenth of an inch taller, but that extra height is entirely due to the wagon’s roof rails. Aside from the obviously longer roof on the Touring, the only other difference is the roof. BMW offers the sedan with a choice of a carbon fiber roof or a glass one, while the Touring is only available with the latter.
Inside, the M5 Touring feels like a premium and sporty place to spend time. M Multifunction seats come standard wrapped in Full Merino Leather, which are available in Silverstone/Black, Red/Black, Kyalami Orange/Black (pictured), or all Black. Heated and ventilated front seats plus heated rear seats are insultingly locked to a $1,850 Executive Package. These colors can be paired with Find Wood Dark Oak High Gloss, Aluminum Rhombicile, or Carbon Fiber Silver Thread High Gloss ($300) trim. We’ve previously discussed our annoyance with BMW iDrive 8.5, which forgoes its predecessor’s physical climate controls in favor of a menu on the 12.3-inch touchscreen. This system has a high learning curve, but it’s not a dealbreaker.
Practicality: Deceptive Numbers
We love station wagons because they pare the practicality of an SUV with the low-riding handling of a sedan into one vehicle. On paper, however, the M5 Touring does not appear to outcarry its sedan counterpart by a significant margin. BMW says the M5 Touring holds 17.7 cubic feet behind the second row, which is only slightly larger than the sedan’s trunk. This discrepancy is due to how the Touring’s trunk is measured, not counting the space above the cargo cover. In reality, the wagon has significantly more space, which expands even further to 57.6 cubic feet with the seats folded. For comparison, the X6 M only boasts two more cubes in total.
BMW M5 Touring Practicality Comparison
BMW M5 Touring
BMW M5 Sedan
BMW X6 M
Audi RS6 Avant
Behind 2nd Row
17.7 ft³
16.5 ft³
24.7 ft³
30 ft³
Behind 1st Row
57.6 ft³
N/A
59.6 ft³t
58.6 ft³
Performance: Hot Hybrid
The G99 breaks new ground as the first hybrid M5, using the same powertrain found in the XM SUV. A 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 contributes most of the oomph, 577 hp and 553 lb-ft, while an electric motor pitches in with 194 hp and 207 lb-ft. Working in concert, the M5 Touring delivers a gut punch with 717 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque, more than any of its competitors. That seismic power is sent to an M xDrive all-wheel-drive system with selectable rear-drive mode via an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Jared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/Valnet
Though we didn’t have a chance to measure the M5 Touring’s full acceleration, we did record times for the sedan. 0-60 came in just 3.25 seconds, besting BMW’s 3.4 second estimate. BMW says the M5 Touring should hit 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, so you could estimate a 3.35-second run based on our time in the sedan. This time is competitive, but the Audi RS6 Avant Performance and Mercedes-AMG E63 Wagon are capable of similar times with less power and no hybrid assist (and the E63 wagon is two years older, too). If you keep the throttle pinned, the car will accelerate to a limited 155 mph top speed or 190 mph with the M Driver’s Package ($2,500).
BMW M5 Touring Performance Comparison
BMW M5 Touring
Audi RS6 Performance
Mercedes-AMG E63 Wagon
Engine
4.4-liter twin-tubo V8 hybrid
4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 ICE
4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 ICE
Horspower
717 hp
621 hp
602 hp
Torque
738 lb-ft
627 lb-ft
627 lb-ft
0-60 mph
3.5 seconds
3.3 seconds
3.3 seconds
Fuel Economy
14 mpg | 50 MPGe
17 mpg
18 mpg
A 14.8 kWh battery stores enough electricity to drive 27 miles without using gasoline. Drivers can use the M Hybrid button to control when the M5 runs on gas or electric. In fact, we ran a 0-60 test in Electric mode with the M5 Touring, completing the task in 9.9 seconds. It’s certainly not fast, but you could merge onto a highway without worrying. The EPA has not released full fuel economy figures for the new M5, but a glance at the window sticker reveals a rather poor 14 mpg combined when running on gasoline only – three mpg lower than the outgoing model. Things get a lot better when running on gas and electricity with a 50 MPGe rating. Your fuel efficiency (or lack thereof) will depend on how often you can plug in the M5 and how much you can rely on the battery.
Driving Impressions: An Ideal Balance
Nearly all the online discourse surrounding the new M5 leading up to its arrival has been about the curb weight; at this point we have to ask… were you expecting a Lotus Exige? It’s a large, heavy sedan, but the previous generation wasn’t exactly petite, so we didn’t expect the wagon to be less bulky. Despite its heft, the M5 wagon moves with remarkable precision, sticking to the ground as if it were glued and delivering rapid changes of direction on-demand. The steering feels sharper than the outgoing base M5, closer to the feel of the sportier CS model.
As we played around with the car on local South Carolina roads, it became clear that the M5 Touring can get its rear end loose, even without putting the car in its rear-drive setting. Even on imperfect back roads, the M5’s Adaptive M suspension system straddles a fine line between enthusiastic handling and executive comfort. It’s firmer than the Audi RS6 Avant, but far more compliant than the Mercedes-AMG E63 Wagon, which is exactly what we want from a sporty wagon.
Related Why The 2025 BMW M5 Plug-In Hybrid Is Actually The Cheapest M5 Ever
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As we mentioned, electric mode is far from eye widening in terms of acceleration, but it’s fine for a commute to work. BMW has worked on the transmission from electric to gasoline power, so it’s less jolting than it was in the XM. When the engine does kick on, you become well aware not just due to the noise, but also because of the change of pace. With both propulsion systems working in concert, the M5 delivers a gut punch that can take your breath away. Even with xDrive, all four wheels struggle for grip before finally hooking up and rocketing away. The acceleration feels uninterrupted thanks to the electric assist between gear changes, delivering an extra thump just as you expect a brief reprieve from being pinned to your seat. You can’t have this type of acceleration with dinosaur juice alone.
Since this car can launch its driver to license-losing speed faster than most people can say “station wagons aren’t cool,” it’s best to enjoy the M5 Touring’s full potential on a racetrack. On the BMW Performance Center test track, the M5 quickly showed its propensity to get sideways on-throttle. You can feel the weight on tighter corners as the front end pushes wide and the car understeers, but it’s easy to pitch the rear end out with a quick burst of acceleration. The car rides on either Michelin Pilot Sport 5 S or Hancook S1 evo Z tires, neither of which is grippy enough to send over 700 hp to the road at track speeds. For setting the best lap times, we recommend a sticky set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s (not offered from the factory), unless your goal is to slide around with a huge grin on your face. It’s best to remember that the M5 Touring is a comfortable family vehicle that can also handle track duty, not a race car that happens to have five seats and a huge trunk.
Pricing & Verdict: Vote With Your Wallet
The 2025 M5 Touring marks the first time BMW has sold an M-badged station wagon here in the US, and if you’d like to see more long roof models come statewide, we’d highly suggest voting with your wallet. Arriving at dealerships a few months after the sedan, the M5 Touring will start at $121,500 (not including a $1,175 destination fee), but options can make it far more expensive. That’s only a $2,000 premium over the sedan ($119,500), which, at this price, likely means having one fewer designer belt in the dresser. It also represents a slight savings over its closest competitor, the Audi RS6 Performance ($126,600).
This is a rare opportunity for enthusiasts to tell BMW directly that wagons can sell well in the US. The M5 Sedan is a great vehicle, but when the Touring only costs marginally more, delivers more practicality, and zero drawbacks, why wouldn’t you get the wagon? This is only speculation, but we predict the Touring will have better resale value due to the rarity of go-fast wagons in the US. The RS6 is a visual stunner and a phenomenal daily driver, but it’s a bit boring to drive at the limit. While we wait for Mercedes-AMG to respond with its own hybrid performance model of the E-Class All-Terrain, the BMW M5 Touring emerges as our favorite all-around performance wagon. Buy one now while BMW is generous enough to test the waters; if it doesn’t sell well, this may be a one-and-done in the US.