Living with BMW’s First Hybrid Super Sedan

As a longtime BMW enthusiast and automotive journalist, I’ve always had a particular soft spot for the M5. Over the years, I’ve driven and lived with nearly every generation, from the analog precision of the E39 to the brute-force drama of the F90. So when BMW handed me the keys to the 2025 M5 G90—the first electrified M5 ever—I knew this was going to be more than just another review. After more than 4,000 miles and three months of daily driving in Chicago, I have a lot to say about what it’s like to live with this plug-in hybrid powerhouse.

Design Impressions: The Bold Look Grew on Me

When I first saw the G90 M5 in person in 2024, I wasn’t sure how to feel about its squared-off, aggressive styling. It looked bold, maybe too bold, and certainly larger than life. But as the miles racked up, so did the compliments. Random people would walk up to ask about it. I even got thumbs-up in traffic which doesn’t happen a lot lately with BMW cars. Whatever hesitation I had about the design quickly faded. It has real presence, and I found myself appreciating the sharp edges and muscular stance more and more. Yet, I still feel that the M5 Touring is the better looking of the two.

Inside the G90: Familiar BMW Vibes, Just Not as Premium

Sliding into the cabin, the M5 feels like a sportier, slightly smaller 7 Series—which honestly makes sense. BMW’s never made a proper M7, and this G90 feels like the closest they’ve come. This is I’ve been calling my M5 a mini-M7, and that’s not a bad thing.  The seats are excellent, supportive over long hauls and soft enough for everyday errands. Even with two child seats in the back, space was never an issue.

But I won’t sugarcoat it: some interior details disappointed me. The switches feel cheaper than what I’ve come to expect from an M5, and the Piano Black trim looks sharp for exactly five minutes before it starts collecting fingerprints and hairline scratches. For a car pushing six figures, BMW should really rethink that material choice. Luckily, my M5 came with the Carbon Fiber Package and the afferent roof. But I know there are some customers who complain about the standard glass roof which adds weight and raises the center of gravity.

Daily Driving and Technology: The Best M5 Yet?

Day-to-day, this is the most livable BMW M5 I’ve ever driven. iDrive 8.5 finally feels dialed-in—responsive, fast, and relatively intuitive once you get the hang of its complicated layers. The Driving Assistance Professional system is a standout too, especially for long highway slogs. The adaptive cruise is smoother than in the F90 M5, and the lane changes are more natural.

Still, BMW keeps Level 2+ autonomy at arm’s length. The hands-free Highway Assistant only works under 40 mph for short durations. I do wish BMW offered the upgraded version, aka the Highway Assistant. I get it that the G90 M5 is meant to be driven, but if you do a lot of highway driving, the extra self-driving features would have been great. I have a friend who has a G90 M5 and he disagrees with me. He feels that the new M5 is still a driver’s car, so I guess different strokes for different folks.

Three Personalities in One Car

The beauty of this new 2025 BMW M5 is how it morphs depending on how you configure it. Most of the time, I leave it in Hybrid mode and let the car sort out the best way to get around. But in stop-and-go traffic, I flip it to EV mode and dial up the regenerative braking. It’s perfect for city crawls—quiet, smooth, and efficient.

What surprised me most was how good EV mode feels. Around town, it glides like an i5 M60. No engine noise, just instant torque and silence. Then, when you want to wake it up, Sport Plus transforms the M5 into a different animal. The throttle sharpens, the V8 barks to life, and suddenly you’re gripping the wheel a little tighter. That duality—whisper-quiet one moment, brutally fast the next—is what really makes this M5 special.

Of course, the transition from electric to gas isn’t always perfect. In cold weather, the V8 wake-up can feel a bit rough—a mild vibration and a slightly delayed response. It’s not jarring, but it’s there. Still, this system is smoother and quicker than in the XM, which often felt like it was thinking too hard.

Suspension and Ride Quality: Chicago Exposes the Flaws

Chicago isn’t exactly a suspension development paradise. Or maybe it should be. Potholes, construction zones, and rough pavement make for a constant challenge. On these streets, the G90’s ride can be hit or miss. On smoother pavement, it’s fantastic. The Michelin Pilot Sport 5S tires are much quieter and more refined than the Hankooks I drove on a previous G90 M5, and the ride feels composed and calm.

But hit a sharp bump or a speed hump, and the illusion cracks. Low-speed damping is firm to the point of being harsh. The car can feel overly stiff over quick vertical changes, and mid-corner bumps can upset the rear in a way that feels un-M-like. I found that Sport mode offered the best balance—Comfort was too floaty, and Sport Plus felt too rigid for daily use. My wife disagrees, though. She thinks the Comfort mode is perfect on this car, especially when hauling kids around. Who am I to disagree with her?!

Handling: Surprisingly Capable for a Heavyweight

Even though Chicago doesn’t offer many great driving roads, I still sought out the few corners and sweepers I could find to test the M5’s limits. And recently, I had the opportunity to drive the G90 M5 in the Alps—an ideal proving ground. It was there that I fully appreciated what this chassis is capable of.

Yes, it’s heavy—nearly 5,400 pounds—but somehow, BMW has figured out how to cheat physics. On a twisty road, you feel the mass, but the car just handles it. Keep your corner entries clean and the M5 rewards you with impressive grip and exit speed. The AWD system and rear differential do a fantastic job putting the power down, rotating the car, and giving you that M car magic, even when Newton would say otherwise.

It’s not razor-sharp like a smaller M2 or even an old E60 M5, but it’s competent, composed, and surprisingly eager. During spirited driving in Austrian mountain roads, I averaged over 40 mpg, despite driving the M5 like I stole it. Efficiency like that, in a car with this much capability, is not just impressive—it’s practical.

The Drivetrain: Smooth, Responsive, and Addictive

I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating: this drivetrain is a massive improvement over the XM’s. The hybrid transition is faster, the shifts are smoother, and it feels more natural. There’s still that satisfying pause-thump in the gear changes, almost like the old SMG cars from the E60 M5 days—but now it sounds and feels better. From a roll, the electric torque fill is incredible. You get this smooth, unbroken surge of power that makes traditional turbo lag feel ancient. We timed the M5 to 60 mph in about 3.2 seconds (with 1 foot rollout) using full Sport Plus mode and launch control. It’s brutal—in the best way.

And even though it might not match the F90 at the ragged edge of track performance, I’d argue this G90 gives you something even more useful: a daily drivable M5 that still does M5 things when you want it to. Of course, if you’re coming from an F90 or F10 M5 even, you might be disappointed. This new M5 feels and drives completely different. The previous iterations were certainly more of a driver’s car, including on the track, but less of a daily driver. It’s also BMW M’s fault in a way because the F90 M5 Competition was nearly the perfect car. Tough to top that one…

Braking and Charging: Mind the Mass

Braking takes a bit of mental adjustment. The nose dives more than I expected, at both low and high speeds. You have to recalibrate your footwork—brake a little earlier and more gently than you would in the F90. It’s not bad, just different.

Charging is where things fall a bit short for me. The standard 7.4 kW onboard charger is slow, taking over three hours at a public Level 2 station. The new 11 kW unit for Model Year 2026 should have, honestly, been there from the beginning. That said, with about 35–40 miles of real-world EV range, I was able to handle most of my commuting without burning fuel. It’s also perfect for quiet morning departures when you don’t want to wake the neighborhood.

A Different Kind of M5—And That’s OK

Times are changing, and the M5 had to change too. Making a twin-turbo V8 anything in 2025 is already a miracle thanks to emissions regulations. But BMW pulled it off, and we should be thankful. Yes, it’s heavy. But it’s also incredibly capable. Some would argue a mild-hybrid V8 would have been okay also…

In the end, this isn’t the M5 for track days and ten-tenths driving. It’s the M5 for people who want luxury, tech, efficiency, and yes—performance—wrapped in a package they can live with every day. It’s not perfect. The suspension still needs fine-tuning, and some interior choices baffle me. But would I buy one?

Absolutely. If I had $140,000 to spend on a daily driver, this would be at the top of my list. Compared to other high-performance hybrids like the AMG GT 4-Door 63 S E-Performance or the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid (seriously, those names…), the 2025 BMW M5 is more affordable and, in my opinion, more well-rounded.