Living with BMW’s First Hybrid Super Sedan

As a longtime BMW fanatic and automotive journalist, I’ve all the time had a selected comfortable spot for the M5. Over time, I’ve pushed and lived with almost each era, 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 evaluate. After greater than 4,000 miles and three months of day by day driving in Chicago, I’ve loads to say about what it’s wish to dwell with this plug-in hybrid powerhouse.

Design Impressions: The Daring Look Grew on Me

After I first noticed the G90 M5 in individual in 2024, I wasn’t certain methods to really feel about its squared-off, aggressive styling. It appeared daring, perhaps too daring, and definitely bigger than life. However because the miles racked up, so did the compliments. Random individuals would stroll as much as ask about it. I even bought thumbs-up in visitors which doesn’t occur loads these days with BMW vehicles. No matter hesitation I had concerning the design rapidly pale. 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 wanting of the 2.

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

Sliding into the cabin, the M5 seems like a sportier, barely smaller 7 Sequence—which actually is sensible. 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 foul factor.  The seats are wonderful, supportive over lengthy hauls and comfortable sufficient for on a regular basis errands. Even with two youngster seats within the again, area was by no means a difficulty.

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 seems to be sharp for precisely 5 minutes earlier than it begins gathering fingerprints and hairline scratches. For a automotive pushing six figures, BMW ought to actually rethink that materials alternative. Fortunately, my M5 got here with the Carbon Fiber Bundle 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 Know-how: The Finest 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 sophisticated 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 Stage 2+ autonomy at arm’s size. The hands-free Freeway Assistant solely works underneath 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 for those who do numerous freeway driving, the additional self-driving options would have been nice. I’ve a pal who has a G90 M5 and he disagrees with me. He feels that the brand new M5 continues to be a driver’s automotive, so I assume completely different strokes for various of us.

Three Personalities in One Automobile

The great thing about this new 2025 BMW M5 is the way it morphs relying on the way you configure it. More often than not, I go away it in Hybrid mode and let the automotive kind out one of the simplest ways to get round. However in stop-and-go visitors, I flip it to EV mode and dial up the regenerative braking. It’s excellent for metropolis crawls—quiet, clean, and environment friendly.

What shocked me most was how good EV mode feels. Round city, it glides like an i5 M60. No engine noise, simply immediate torque and silence. Then, if you wish to wake it up, Sport Plus transforms the M5 into a distinct animal. The throttle sharpens, the V8 barks to life, and all of a sudden you’re gripping the wheel a bit of tighter. That duality—whisper-quiet one second, brutally quick the subsequent—is what actually makes this M5 particular.

After all, the transition from electrical to gasoline isn’t all the time excellent. 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, but it surely’s there. Nonetheless, this method is smoother and faster than within the XM, which regularly felt prefer it was considering too exhausting.

Suspension and Experience High quality: Chicago Exposes the Flaws

Chicago isn’t precisely a suspension improvement paradise. Or perhaps it needs to be. Potholes, building zones, and tough pavement make for a relentless problem. On these streets, the G90’s trip could be hit and miss. On smoother pavement, it’s incredible. 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 trip 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 automotive can really feel overly stiff over fast vertical adjustments, and mid-corner bumps can upset the rear in a manner that feels un-M-like. I discovered that Sport mode provided the very best steadiness—Consolation was too floaty, and Sport Plus felt too inflexible for day by day use. My spouse disagrees, although. She thinks the Consolation mode is ideal on this automotive, particularly when hauling children 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 may discover to check the M5’s limits. And just lately, I had the chance to drive the G90 M5 within the Alps—a perfect proving floor. It was there that I absolutely appreciated what this chassis is able to.

Sure, it’s heavy—almost 5,400 kilos—however by some means, BMW has discovered methods to cheat physics. On a twisty highway, you are feeling the mass, however the automotive simply handles it. Maintain your nook entries clear and the M5 rewards you with spectacular grip and exit pace. The AWD system and rear differential do a incredible job placing the ability down, rotating the automotive, and supplying you with that M automotive 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, but it surely’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 automotive with this a lot functionality, isn’t just spectacular—it’s sensible.

The Drivetrain: Clean, Responsive, and Addictive

I’ve stated it earlier than, but it surely’s price 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 historic. 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 although it won’t match the F90 on the ragged fringe of monitor efficiency, I’d argue this G90 offers you one thing much more helpful: a day by day drivable M5 that also does M5 issues if you need it to. After all, for those who’re coming from an F90 or F10 M5 even, you could be disenchanted. This new M5 feels and drives utterly completely different. The earlier iterations have been definitely extra of a driver’s automotive, together with on the monitor, however much less of a day by day driver. It’s additionally BMW M’s fault in a manner as a result of the F90 M5 Competitors was almost the right automotive. Robust 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 a bit of earlier and extra gently than you’ll within the F90. It’s not dangerous, simply completely different.

Charging is the place issues fall a bit quick for me. The usual 7.4 kW onboard charger is gradual, taking up three hours at a public Stage 2 station. The brand new 11 kW unit for Mannequin Yr 2026 ought to have, actually, been there from the start. That stated, with about 35–40 miles of real-world EV range, I used to be capable of deal with most of my commuting with out burning gasoline. It’s additionally excellent for quiet morning departures if you don’t wish to wake the neighborhood.

A Totally different Type 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. Nevertheless it’s additionally extremely succesful. Some would argue a mild-hybrid V8 would have been okay additionally…

Ultimately, this isn’t the M5 for monitor days and ten-tenths driving. It’s the M5 for individuals who need luxurious, tech, effectivity, and sure—efficiency—wrapped in a bundle they’ll dwell with day-after-day. It’s not excellent. 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 day by day driver, this could be on the high of my listing. 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 (critically, these names…), the 2025 BMW M5 is extra inexpensive and, for my part, extra well-rounded.