2019 BMW M5 Review

　　

zzdcar' Expert Review

byJonathan ElfalanDirector, Vehicle Testing

　　Jonathan Elfalan has worked in the automotive industry since 2005. As a director of vehicle testing at zzdcar, Jonathan has tested and reviewed thousands of cars and written thousands of car-related articles over the course of his career. Jonathan got his start testing cars for Road & Track magazine as a newly minted mechanical engineer grad from University of California, Irvine, and has also contributed to Motor Trend and the Associated Press. He likes to say he learned to drive a manual transmission in a rear-wheel-drive mid-engine vehicle but often omits it was his family's 1991 Toyota Previa minivan.

　　

What's new

New Competition version gets a small power bump and sportier handlingApple CarPlay (subscription-based) is now standardPart of the sixth M5 generation introduced for 2018

　　Since 1988, the BMW M5 has intrigued driving enthusiasts in the United States with its combination of power, handling precision and four-door practicality. The latest generation of M5 introduced just last year is the most powerful version yet, and it could also be one of the best.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2019 BMW M5 4dr Sedan AWD (4.4L 8cyl Turbo 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.78 per gallon for premium unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$267/mo  for M5 Base

　　M5 Base

　　4dr Sedan AWD (4.4L 8cyl Turbo 8A) (Most Popular) - $102,700 MSRPCompetition 4dr Sedan AWD (4.4L 8cyl Turbo 8A) - $110,000 MSRP

　　vs

　　$197/mo

　　Avg. Large Car

　　The 2019 M5 packs a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 that develops 600 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque. This year's new Competition version ekes out another 17 hp and has a slightly wider torque band, giving it a slight edge in straight-line performance. The sole transmission for the M5 this go-around is an eight-speed automatic. It's as adept at snapping off quick, crisp gear changes as it is at making nearly imperceptible shifts during the daily commute.

　　A special all-wheel-drive system helps put all that power to use, rather than go to roasting the rear tires all day long. But just in case you're someone who likes to indulge in a roasted tire every once in a while, the M5 has a special rear-drive mode that'll make it readily apparent why BMW decided to make the switch to all-wheel drive. Those familiar with the previous M5 generation should know that this new model is much more dynamically pleasing and engaging to drive. It's still a big sedan, but it hides it pretty well.

　　The interior is typical BMW — smartly designed and comfortable, but with fewer frills than what you'll find in luxury sedans from Audi and Mercedes-Benz. The seats offer wonderful levels of support and adjustment, and there's no shortage of buttons and switches with which to configure the dizzying amount of system settings. Plenty of features are standard, though BMW still gives you the choice of adding on through a couple of option packages and a handful of extras.

　　Bottom line: If you'd like to have your sports car and commute in it, too, the M5 is one of the best around. You could even argue it's like two cars in one, if it helps justify the price.

　　Notably, we picked the 2019 BMW M5 as one of zzdcar' Best Luxury Cars for this year.

　　

zzdcar' Expert Rating

8.6 / 10

　　

Trim tested

　　Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of the BMW M5 (turbo 4.4L V8 | 8-speed automatic | AWD).

　　

Scorecard

Overall	8.6 / 10
Driving	9.0
Comfort	8.5
Interior	8.5
Utility	8.0
Technology	8.5

　　

Driving

9.0

　　Performance is the name of the game with the M5 and, hoo boy, does it deliver. It accelerates, brakes and handles with as much exhilaration as it does with ease. You can count on one hand how many cars perform on this level without sacrificing refinement — and still have fingers left.

　　

Acceleration

9.0

　　In one word: impressive. In routine conditions, the M5 accelerates smoothly and is as docile as any other luxury sedan. But when you wood the gas pedal, this 4,300-pound luxury sedan blasts to 60 mph in just 3.2 seconds. It's a very impressive result and shows it's marginally quicker than its AMG E63 rival.

　　

Braking

8.5

　　Our test M5 had the carbon-ceramic brakes and, in our testing, came to a stop from 60 mph in 99 feet. That's an appropriately short distance for a high-performance car with summer tires. The brake pedal is appropriately weighted and feels smooth and predictable around town, with none of the squeal or grabbiness that can plague carbon-ceramic brakes.

　　

Steering

8.0

　　The steering is accurate with the right amount of effort and response in each drive mode. You won't get a whole lot of feedback when the front tires surrender grip, but very few cars do nowadays. On the highway, the M5 tracks straight and requires little attention to maintain a straight heading.

　　

Handling

9.0

　　As the best M5s have always done, this latest M5 provides exemplary handling with seemingly little loss in daily drivability. In the regular all-wheel-drive mode, there seems to be an endless supply of grip. AWD enhances the car's handling rather than compensating for it. Switching to rear-wheel drive reveals that the car is still pleasingly balanced.

　　

Drivability

9.0

　　The M5's main goal is performance, yet the car requires no additional effort to drive it. The engine has no dips or lulls in its power delivery, and transmission shifts are smooth yet quick. The M5 is easy to maneuver into tight spots. Few cars have the kind of range of luxury to sport. It's stunning, really.

　　

Comfort

8.5

　　Considering the impressive performance, sacrifices to comfort are comparably minimal. Very few cars can boast that they're as adept on a racetrack as at transporting passengers in luxury for hours at a time. The M5 personifies the proverbial athlete in a three-piece suit.

　　

Seat comfort

9.0

　　The M5's front seats are aggressively bolstered to keep you firmly anchored when cornering, and the seatback bolsters are adjustable. Yet with massage and ventilation, they are also quite comfortable. This is a car you can drive for many hours on end.

　　

Ride comfort

8.0

　　The M5's ride quality is sufficiently compliant when in Comfort mode. In the Sport setting, it stiffens up more. But even in its most aggressive mode, the M5's ride quality is not objectionable.

　　

Noise & vibration

9.0

　　There's enough sound insulation to maintain the M5's luxury status, but not so much that it isolates you from the car's high-performance goodness. You get a lovely V8 baritone growl with the windows up. Power them down and hit Sport Plus, and the resulting sound is as intoxicating as any sports car's.

　　

Climate control

8.0

　　In everyday driving, the climate control system easily maintains your preferred temperature and requires very little adjustment. But the system's effectiveness seems to drop off when you're driving the car hard, resulting in the cabin getting a bit stifling. The seat ventilation could be stronger, too.

　　

Interior

8.5

　　The metamorphosis from the standard 5 Series to the M5 results in a suitable amount of interior sportiness that doesn't come off as gimmicky. The materials quality is impeccable and meets expectations for a $100,000-plus luxury sedan. Like the exterior, the cabin slyly hides the car's sporting potential.

　　

Ease of use

8.5

　　Buttons and knobs are well placed and labeled for easy operation. It helps that most everything is canted toward the driver. Using advanced functions such as adaptive cruise and lane keeping assist is as easy as it gets. The same goes for the programmable drive mode shortcut buttons on the steering wheel.

　　

Getting in/getting out

8.0

　　Pleasingly, the aggressive side seat bolsters don't intrude too much. The sport seats in other high-performance cars often make it harder to get in than the M5's seats do. The front door openings are wide, and rear passengers won't have to stoop much to clear the sloping rear roofline.

　　

Driving position

8.0

　　Average-sized adults will have no problem finding their ideal driving position. The amount of adjustments and their range should satisfy most, but taller occupants may feel the seat height is just a bit too high for a high-performance car.

　　

Roominess

8.0

　　Your body will tell you that the M5 fits snugly, like a tailored suit, but your other senses will say it's roomy and spacious up front. That's perfect for a sport sedan. The rear seats have room for adults up to about 6 feet tall.

　　

Visibility

8.5

　　The front roof pillars are on the thick side, but their placement minimizes obstruction of your view. Elsewhere, there's enough visibility to give excellent situational awareness around the car. The surround-view camera system takes any guesswork out of maneuvering in tight spots.

　　

Quality

9.0

　　Inside and out, the BMW M5 is top-notch when it comes to quality. We have a difficult time finding fault with anything, which is just what we'd expect from a top-tier midsize performance sedan.

　　

Utility

8.0

　　As you'd expect, the M5 is as good in regard to storage as the 5 Series on which it is based. With this in mind, it exceeds expectations for a vehicle with this sort of performance, giving it a level of convenience that is rare.

　　

Small-item storage

7.5

　　There are just enough bins and pockets to hold your personal items, and the inclusion of a wireless charging pad means you still get full use of your cupholders. The door pockets are deep but not particularly long because BMW also includes a bottle holder in the doors.

　　

Cargo space

9.0

　　There's plenty of trunk space in the M5, and it's shaped such that there are few obstructions. The 40/20/40-split folding rear seats add a bit more flexibility for longer or bulkier objects.

　　

Child safety seat accommodation

7.0

　　LATCH anchors are easy to locate and access. The front seats are unusually thick, however, and may impede the installation and use of a large rear-facing infant seat.

　　

Technology

8.5

　　Operating the latest technology features is made easy by thoughtful user interfaces and intuitive menus. BMW's latest iDrive deserves a lot of praise. The main drawback is the unavailability of Android Auto. Apple CarPlay users will enjoy the wireless implementation in this car.

　　

Audio & navigation

9.0

　　This latest version of BMW's iDrive is excellent. It has evolved to be easier to read and operate, including a trace pad for alphanumeric input and a touchscreen for more direct control. There are a lot of features packed in, and it doesn't take much effort to operate them all.

　　

Smartphone integration

8.0

　　BMW offers wireless use of Apple CarPlay. You just pair it with the system and drop it in the wireless charging pad. The touchscreen is a huge plus for CarPlay, as well. But there is a similarly huge drawback: Android Auto is not available, and you have to pay an annual subscription to get CarPlay.

　　

Driver aids

9.0

　　The adaptive cruise control functions as smoothly as a human driver and maintains its speed on steep downhill grades. The lane keeping assist is also excellent. The M5 stays in its lane so well that it feels as if the road has a gentle U shape that keeps the car centered.

　　

Voice control

8.0

　　Voice recognition through BMW's native system is as good as any other. Apple users will still likely prefer to use Siri via CarPlay, though, since you can use more conventional speech. But it only works as long as you have an internet connection.

　　

Which M5 does zzdcar recommend?

　　We'd pick the standard M5 over the Competition trim. The standard M5's high level of performance is already hard to fully explore on public roads, and the Competition model trades away some ride comfort for its sharper handling. Rather than buy the pricier Competition, we'd pay the extra for the two available packages: Driving Assistance Plus and Executive. Skip the pricey carbon-ceramic brakes unless you plan to do a lot of high-performance driving events. (If that's the case, you should probably get the Competition.)

　　

2019 BMW M5 models

　　The 2019 BMW M5 comes in two variants: standard and Competition. Both are equipped with a turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 engine. It produces 600 horsepower (617 hp for the Competition) and 553 pound-feet of torque. Putting the power to all four wheels is an eight-speed automatic transmission.

　　Standard feature highlights include 19-inch wheels, a lightweight carbon roof, an adaptive suspension, adaptive LED headlights, a power trunklid, 20-way power-adjustable front seats, a head-up display, heated steering wheel and front seats, ambient interior lighting, Apple CarPlay connectivity and a 10.2-inch touchscreen-based navigation system. The M5 comes with a 16-speaker Harman Kardon surround-sound system. Standard safety features include lane departure warning, blind-spot detection and front collision mitigation.

　　There are two option packages. The Driving Assistance Plus package enhances the onboard safety package by adding active lane keeping assist, front and rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control. The Executive package adds a smorgasbord of luxury features such as four-zone climate control, a power rear sunshade with manual side window shades, upgraded front seats with massage and ventilation, heated rear seats, wireless phone charging, an onboard Wi-Fi hotspot, automatic soft-close doors, front and rear parking sensors, automatic parking and a surround-view camera system.

　　Numerous stand-alone options that span performance, luxury and safety features are available. These include larger 20-inch wheels, carbon-ceramic brakes, a night vision camera, a rear-seat entertainment system, a sunroof and a 16-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system. The M Driver's package raises the top speed of the M5 to 189 mph (from 155 mph) and includes a day of professional track driving instruction.

　　

2019 M5 Highlights

Trim: BaseCompetitionBase

　　

Base MSRP	$102,700
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	17 MPG
Cost to Drive	$267/month
Seating	5 seats
Drivetrain	all wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles