2025 BMW M5 Touring Review: The Fast Family Wagon That Tries to Do Everything

Overview

The M5 Touring is the one BMW fans have been waiting for — the performance-wagon take on the latest M5. It keeps the brutal straight-line pace and the M character while adding a useful load area and the usability of a proper wagon. After a week of living with the car, the consensus is simple: it’s monstrously fast and very usable, but the sheer mass and hybrid complexity blunt some of the delicate things M cars used to do best.

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What it is and who it’s for

If you want a single car that can sprint like a supercar, carry a camera bag or two, and handle a family weekend without compromise, the M5 Touring is compelling. It’s for buyers who need everyday practicality but also won’t tolerate a boring commute. That said, it asks you to accept weight and some awkward interface choices in return for that capability.

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Design and practicality

As a wagon the M5 benefits immediately — the trunk is significantly larger than the sedan’s, and the roofline gives superb cargo flexibility for camera gear, strollers or weekend kit. The Touring looks purposeful in black: quad tailpipes, a wide stance and muscular haunches give it presence. Onlookers — including younger fans — notice it; the wagon body softens some of the M5’s visual bluntness and improves the overall package.

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Interior — bold styling, mixed execution

The interior follows BMW’s current minimalist aesthetic: less visual clutter, large screens, and a pared-back look. In practice the cabin divides opinion. Material and finish feel like a step back from the previous generation for some, and many of the controls and haptic interfaces can be confusing to use day-to-day. The haptics feel underwhelming, and fingerprint-sensitive gloss surfaces attract grubby marks quickly. That said, ergonomics, seating comfort and the driving position remain true to BMW’s strengths.

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Powertrain and performance character

Drive the M5 Touring hard and you quickly remember why this car exists: it is staggeringly quick. The hybrid-assisted powertrain delivers instant torque, fantastic midrange shove and supercar-level pace. In everyday mode the car can be almost civilized — quiet, efficient and electrically assisted around town — then, with the M settings engaged, it becomes ferocious, lighting up the rear tyres and delivering relentless acceleration. The duality is impressive; the car can be a discreet tourer or a full-on performance machine depending on how you set it up.

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Ride, handling and the weight problem

This is where the Touring is most interesting — and where it’s most compromised. BMW has fitted advanced chassis hardware, and in corners the steering and weighting still feel recognisably M: precise, weighted and engaging. But the car is heavy. Over small bumps and mid-corner jolts the suspension can heave, producing a second unwanted movement that undermines composure. In short, the M5 Touring controls its bulk well on smooth surfaces, but bump-influenced body motions expose the challenge of mass and complexity. That extra movement is noticeable enough that some enthusiasts will prefer lighter rivals that feel more delicate at the limit.

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Living with it: daily usability

Spend a week with the Touring and its strengths shine: the cabin is comfortable, the tech (including large CarPlay) works smoothly, and the space is genuinely useful. It’s an excellent practical car for a household that values speed and utility. Yet some ergonomics and menu complexity frustrate — settings can be confusing, and the haptic controls aren’t always intuitive. If you appreciate M drama but also expect seamless day-to-day simplicity, there’s a small learning curve.

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How it compares emotionally to rivals

The transcript compares the Touring to the Audi RS6 — and that comparison tells you a lot. The RS6 often feels more honest and composed in extreme use. The M5 Touring brings raw power and character, but it sometimes postures more than it delivers where finesse matters. For many buyers, the Touring’s straight-line performance, practicality and BMW feel will win; for purists chasing the last degree of delicacy, rivals may hold an edge.

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Pros & Cons

Pros ✅

• Supercar-level straight-line performance in a usable wagon.
• True dual personality — quiet, efficient daily driver; savage when provoked.
• Genuine cargo space and touring practicality compared with the sedan.
• BMW-typical steering feel and driver engagement in many situations.

Cons ❌

• Heavy mass produces unwanted extra suspension movement over bumps.
• Interior materials and haptic controls feel like a downgrade to some users.
• Menus and haptic interactions can be confusing during daily use.
• At the limit it can feel less delicate than some rivals (e.g., RS6).

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Verdict

The 2025 BMW M5 Touring is an extraordinary proposition: a car that can haul gear, seat people, and embarrass supercars at the lights. It’s brilliantly fast, highly usable and emotionally satisfying in many ways. But the compromise is weight and a touch of lost finesse — the Touring doesn’t completely redeem the issues critics raised about the sedan. If you want maximum pace plus real practicality and can live with the added heft and quirky controls, this wagon is a rare and compelling buy. If you demand an M car that’s razor-sharp and feather-light in its responses, look at slightly lighter rivals.