By: Krish Persaud
January 12, 2026
There’s something deeply amusing about a 717-horsepower station wagon. Not funny in a gimmicky way, but in that quietly rebellious way BMW M has always understood. The M5 Touring exists in a space most cars don’t even attempt to occupy. It’s practical, heavy, complicated, and unapologetically excessive. Somehow, that’s exactly the point.
The idea of an M5 Touring sounds like a contradiction. The M5 has always been about excess power wrapped in executive restraint. The Touring adds another layer entirely. It suggests school runs, weekend hardware store stops, dogs in the back, and long highway slogs. BMW then drops a twin-turbo V8, an electric motor, and nearly 740 lb-ft. of torque into it and says, yes, this is still very much an M car.
On paper, the numbers are almost absurd. A 4.4-litre V8 paired with BMW’s fifth-generation eMotor delivers 717 horsepower. That’s supercar output, quietly disguised in a body shape most people still associate with polite European sensibility. There’s a high-voltage battery offering up to 40 kilometres of electric range, which feels both impressive and faintly hilarious when you remember what this thing is capable of when everything wakes up at once.
The M5 Touring isn’t trying to be ironic. It takes itself seriously, and so does BMW. The flared arches stretch wider than a standard 5 Series by a margin you notice immediately. The stance is low, broad, and purposeful in the way large M cars always are. This is not a lightweight weapon like an M3, nor does it pretend to be. It’s a heavyweight bruiser with manners, and it knows exactly who it’s for.
In everyday driving, that contradiction defines the experience. In calmer modes, the Touring moves through traffic with surprising ease. The steering lightens, the throttle softens, and the car shrinks around you in a way a nearly five-metre-long wagon shouldn’t. Stop-and-go driving is effortless. Highway cruising is quiet and settled. The hybrid system plays a meaningful role here, smoothing transitions and adding a layer of refinement that older M5s never quite managed.
Then you ask for everything at once.
The response is immediate and unmistakable. The V8 still dominates the experience, its character intact and unapologetic, while the electric motor fills every gap with instant torque. Overtakes happen with a single, confident push, the car gathering its mass and committing without hesitation. The all-wheel-drive system and M Sport Differential work quietly in the background, translating that output into relentless forward motion with a confidence that feels almost surreal for something this large.
You feel the weight, and that’s intentional. This isn’t a car that encourages you to chase apexes or drive it like a track toy. It prefers authority over agility, momentum over delicacy. Compared to smaller M cars, it asks for smoother inputs and rewards trust rather than aggression. Drive it that way and it becomes deeply satisfying, covering ground at a pace that feels calm, controlled, and borderline unfair.
Inside, the M5 Touring leans deliberately toward indulgence. The Taupe Grey and Deep Lagoon Merino leather sets the tone immediately. This is a cabin designed for long stints, not short bursts. Everything feels solid, considered, and quietly expensive without trying to look aggressive. Heated seats front and rear, a genuinely excellent Bowers & Wilkins sound system, and layers of technology reinforce the idea that this is a flagship first and a performance car second. It’s indulgent, but never careless.
The question, inevitably, is whether this car makes sense.
The honest answer is no. That’s exactly why it works.
This 2025 M5 Touring, internally known as the G99, sits on the shoulders of some very serious history. The original E28 M5 rewrote what a fast sedan could be. The E39 turned the formula into something muscular and emotional, anchored by a naturally aspirated V8 that still defines the nameplate for many enthusiasts. The E60 went all-in with a screaming V10 and unapologetic excess, while the F10 and F90 refined the idea into something brutally fast yet increasingly usable. Each generation pushed the concept forward in its own way, never apologizing for its ambition.
The G99 does the same, just in a very modern context. It adds electrification, weight, complexity, and a level of refinement that earlier M5s could never deliver, yet it never loses sight of what the car is meant to do. It still prioritizes overwhelming power, long-distance comfort, and a sense of authority that smaller M cars simply don’t aim for.
The M5 Touring isn’t about rational decision-making. It’s about wanting one car that can do everything and doing it with a slightly unhinged grin. It’s for someone who wants space, comfort, and composure during the week, then something genuinely outrageous when the road opens up. It’s for drivers who appreciate performance that doesn’t need to shout to be taken seriously.
If you love smaller M cars for their rawness and simplicity, this may feel too big, too complex, and too far removed from that original formula. That’s a fair reaction. What isn’t fair is dismissing it outright.
The M5 Touring doesn’t try to win everyone over, and it never has. In wagon form, it feels like one of the most confident statements BMW M has made in years. It’s excessive, capable, and deeply self-aware. In a world increasingly obsessed with restraint, that kind of confidence still matters.
Vehicle Specs:
Segment: Midsize performance luxury wagon
Powertrain: 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 paired with fifth-generation BMW eMotor (plug-in hybrid)
Horsepower: 717 horsepower
Torque: 738 lb-ft. of torque
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Drivetrain: All-wheel drive with M Sport Differential
High-Voltage Battery: 14.8 kWh
Electric Range (Rated): Up to 40 kilometres
Fuel Economy (City/Highway/Combined): 20.6L/100km / 13.7L/100km / 17.5L/100km (NRCan)
Observed Fuel Economy: 15.4L/100km
Wheels: 20-inch front / 21-inch rear
Brakes: M Carbon Ceramic Brakes (Gold)
Price As Tested: $158,400 + Fees + Taxes