2025 BMW M5 Touring (Wagon) Quick Spin: Practical Performance

There’s been a resurgence of wagons for U.S. buyers in recent years, but there’s a catch. These are $100,000-plus, 600-horsepower-plus ultra-high-performance wagons like the Audi RS 6 Avant, Mercedes-AMG E63 wagon, Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo Turbo and now the BMW M5 Touring. I recently spent a short amount of time in the M5 Touring at the Midwest Automotive Media Association’s 2025 Spring Rally where, having previously reviewed the two prior generations of the M5, I was excited to test the new electrified plug-in hybrid M5 with its combined 717 hp and EPA-estimated 25 miles of all-electric range. Even after a short drive, it was clear that the new M5 is a very different beast than its predecessors, and doubly so with its new wagon body style.

Related: 2025 BMW M5 Touring: A 717-HP Station Wagon for $122,675

Size and Heft

While the previous two generations of M5 weren’t small by any measurement, the M5 Touring has a dominating presence with its long roofline, chiseled exterior styling and full-size SUV-like curb weight of 5,530 pounds. The M5 sedan and wagon are the same length at nearly 201 inches long overall, making them 5 inches longer than the 2018-23 M5 and 7 inches longer than the 2013-16 M5.

Electrified Engine

The powertrain does the M5’s hulking appearance justice with 717 hp that zaps the tires instantly. It combines an electric motor housed in the transmission that makes 194 hp and 207 pounds-feet of torque with a 577-hp, twin-turbocharged V-8. There’s no delay in acceleration like previous gas-only turbo V-8s, and it’s a thrilling wallop when the go-pedal goes down.

Unfortunately, the roads were damp and it was cold (mid-40s Fahrenheit ambient temp) during my drive, which made for a hairy experience with the M5 Touring’s Pirelli P Zero R tires. The P Zero R is a maximum-performance summer tire that fits between Pirelli’s P Zero summer tire and the P Zero Trofeo RS track-oriented tire. In the wet and cold, they seriously struggled, with even a light prodding of the accelerator pedal sending the wagon-butted rear end wagging back and forth. Interestingly, an M5 sedan was also available for drives, and its Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 tires (also a max-performance summer tire) were less susceptible to slipping and sliding. This was with the drive settings in sport-oriented configuration, of which there is an overwhelming number of individual settings for various adjustable controls like the steering, suspension, transmission, etc. Like in other BMWs, I prefer to set up the M1 and M2 steering-wheel buttons with one for the most comfort-oriented setting and the other in the raciest setting for easy switching of drive modes.

Handling

Other impressions from driving the M5 Touring, like handling characteristics, will have to wait for drier roads, but there are a couple things to note: If you couldn’t tell, this isn’t a dainty vehicle; it drives with heft and brute force versus delicacy and balance. Think sledgehammer instead of scalpel. And that’s not uncommon at all, with most mid-size luxury performance sedans and wagons trending the same way. I will say, however, that the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo Turbo S is an exception  that defies all physics with its agility and Porsche-ness despite being a fully electric wagon that weighs 5,200 pounds. The one I tested was over $200,000, however.

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M5 Cargo Room and Interior

On to the wagon bits. What defines this vehicle is something relatively ordinary: its normal cargo area. The M5 wagon’s 27.2 cubic feet of cargo space puts it between the subcompact BMW X1 SUV and the compact BMW X3 SUV, according to BMW specifications. A couple of interesting features include cargo area backseat releases and a two-position cargo shade that can cover the full cargo area or only part of it for larger items.

BMW Vehicles With the Most Cargo Space Behind the Second Row

1. 2025 X7: 48.6 cubic feet
2. 2026 X5: 33.9/33.1 (40i, M60i/50e)
3. 2025 X3: 31.5 cubic feet
4. 2026 X6: 27.4 cubic feet
5. 2025 M5 Touring: 27.2 cubic feet
6. 2025 X1: 25.7 cubic feet
7. 2025 X2: 25.3 cubic feet
8. 2025 X4: 18.5 cubic feet

That interior is dominated by a combined digital instrument panel and center touchscreen that are massive and high-quality but also contain important climate and vehicle controls that replace traditional buttons. You can’t simply jump in and intuitively use the system; it takes acclimation and exploring to find everything you need. During my drive, I needed my co-pilot’s assistance to turn on the defroster. The interior is nicely styled, however, with fun textures and ambient lighting that give it a very modern and techy feel.

The Unmeasurable Wagon Effect

BMW’s head of the M Division recently told a BMW publication that current demand for the wagon is outpacing demand for the sedan in the U.S. (The M5 wagon hasn’t previously been available in the U.S.) It’s a strange trend to hear for the U.S. market, especially because it’s the other way around in Europe. Is it really because the M5 is more practical as a wagon than a sedan? Perhaps, but it could also be that the M5 Touring is something of an ironic sports car. Or, it could be an anti-SUV statement. Or, maybe a 717-hp all-wheel-drive wagon that does 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds and up to 190 mph is pretty damn cool, and who knows if we’ll ever get it again. It’s certainly not cheap, however, with an as-tested price of $144,375.

More From Cars.com:

• 2025 BMW M5 Touring: The Hellion Wagon Is Coming to America
• 2025 BMW M5 Review: Tech. Heavy.
• New Milestone, New Benchmark: 2025 BMW M5 Surpasses 700 Horsepower
• 2023 BMW XM Review: Indulge if You Dare

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