After a 15-year hiatus and for the first time in the U.S., BMW is selling an M5 wagon. This is the 2025 BMW M5 Touring and, yeah, it’s here to make the new plug-in hybrid M5 just a little heavier than it is already, but also a whole lot cooler.
Parsing through BMW’s literature, there really isn’t much of a mechanical difference between the M5 Touring and the sedan other than, of course, a bigger rear end. It’s still powered by a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 and an electric motor making a combined 717 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque. A 14.8-kWh plug-in hybrid battery lets the Touring travel around 25 miles on electricity only and at speeds of up to 87 mph.
However, the Touring weighs 5,530 pounds—140 pounds more than the already-chunky 5,390-pound sedan. The wagon M5 gets from zero to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, 0.1 seconds slower than the sedan, but boasts the same top speeds: 190 mph with the M Driver’s Package, 155 without it. Naturally, the M5 Touring is more practical. Cargo capacity grows to 17.7 cubic feet (the sedan’s trunk is 16.5 cubic feet) with the rear seats up. Folding the second row down, there’s 57.6 cubic feet of room back there.
Much has already been said about the new M5’s weight, so I won’t beat a dead horse, but the thing I’m not sure about looking at these pictures is the red seats. Super wagons like this are about understated, almost homely performance. There’s an air of sophisticated, old-money, I-know-better-than-you-about-cars vibe about them, but these hot red seats that would come across as flashy on an esports tournament stage don’t fit the image.
The 2025 BMW M5 Touring starts at $122,675 and is scheduled to go on sale in Q4 2024.
In any case, here’s a handy chart summarizing how the M5 Touring differs from the sedan on specs:
| 2025 BMW M5 Specs | Sedan | Touring |
|---|---|---|
| Base Price | $120,675 | $122,675 |
| Curb Weight | 5,390 pounds | 5,530 pounds |
| Cargo Volume | 16.5 cubic feet | 17.7 cubic feet behind second row | 57.6 cubic feet behind first row |
| 0-60 mph | 3.4 seconds | 3.5 seconds |
In case you were curious, the X5 M SUV offers 33.9 cubic feet with the seats up and 72.3 with ’em down. Look, I like a good wagon too, but let’s not pretend they offer practicality in truly equal amounts as SUVs like I’ve seen some people suggest on the internet.
Here’s how it stacks up on paper against its closest wagon competitor, the Audi RS6 Avant.
| 2025 BMW M5 Touring | 2025 Audi RS6 Avant Performance | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Price | $122,675 | $127,895 |
| Powertrain | 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 with electric motor | 14.8-kWh battery | 8-speed automatic | all-wheel drive | 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 | 8-speed automatic | all-wheel drive |
| Horsepower | 717 @ 5,600-6,500 rpm | 621 @ 6,000 rpm |
| Torque | 738 lb-ft @ 1,800-5,400 rpm | 627 lb-ft @ 2,300-4,500 rpm |
| Seating Capacity | 5 | 5 |
| Cargo Volume | 17.7 cubic feet behind second row | 57.6 cubic feet behind first row | 29.9 cubic feet behind second row | 69.5 cubic feet behind first row |
| Curb Weight | 5,530 pounds | 5,016 pounds |
| 0-60 mph | 3.5 seconds | 3.3 seconds |
| Top Speed | 155 mph (190 with M Driver’s Package) | 155 mph (190 optional) |
Got a tip or question for the author about the M5 Touring? You can reach him here: chris.tsui@thedrive.com