When BMW launches a new generation of M5, the automotive world attracts attention. But this time, there’s an extra reason to be excited: it’s the availability of a Touring variant. BMW has offered M5 Tourings in the past, but not since 2010 and never in the United States.

We’ll probably have to wait until early next year to test drive one in North America, but we had the chance to get behind the wheel of a wagon in Germany where we recently drove this car’s sedan sibling. And almost everything we liked and disliked about the $120,675 sedan is replicated here in the $122,675 Touring.

Which isn’t really a surprise considering they share the same 4.0-liter PHEV V8 drivetrain that produces the same 717 hp (725 hp) and 738 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) of torque. But we fell for the Touring even if it loses ground to the sedan in certain areas.

QUICK FACTS

Slower, but you won’t have time to notice

Related: We drove the 2025 BMW M5 hybrid sedan

Areas where it is losing ground include its zero-to-60 mph (97 km/h) performance, which, at 3.5 seconds, puts it a tenth behind the sedan (itself two tenths behind the old M5 Competition ). And an electric stove that BMW North America estimates the same distance at 25 miles as the sedan with the conventional trunk, but Munich headquarters estimates it’s about a mile worse. These two minor drawbacks are directly linked to a 140 lb (64 kg) increase in curb weight to a whopping 5,530 lb (2,475 kg).

But on the road, there’s nothing about the way the Touring handles that makes you feel like the poor relation. It still has the same extremely precise steering, the shocks have almost the same ability to grab that mass when you throw the thing through a series of tricky corners, and the structure feels rock solid. An Audi RS6 or BMW X5 M is nowhere near as fun to drive around on a good road.

And when you bury the right pedal, the kick in the back feels just as immense, no matter what the spec sheet says. The 194 hp (197 hp / 145 kW) engine inside the eight-speed automatic transmission works as a warm-up for the two turbochargers, then stays in place once they’re engaged to make the scenery truly blurry. The stock limiter tells the time at 155 mph (240 km/h) and the M5 gets there so quickly that you can understand why some German buyers might be tempted to pay for the 190 mph (305 km/h) limiter in option. You can also get the same option in the United States, although it’s hard to see the point.

More stylish than the sedan?

The areas in which the Touring is outclassed by its sedan sibling don’t include its looks. We love the flared fenders on the new M5 sedan, something never seen on the model before, and a feature that ensures it’ll never be confused with a regular 5 Series again. But the Touring looks just as good, with those stretched arches working just as well on the shooting brake body. And you just know it’s going to turn heads because M5 is the only 5 Series/i5 car offered in America with long-roof styling.

Rivals are more spacious

The trunk opens to reveal a wide cargo area with no stepped lip and a perfectly flat floor, save for a small, potentially annoying hump on either side, adjacent to each rear wheel. The rear seats split and fold, lowering them entirely, increasing the typically available cargo space from 17.7 cubic feet (500 liters) to approximately 57.6 cubic feet (1,631 liters). An Audi RS6 and BMW’s X5 M both offer a bit more space, but it’s still a versatile enough package to make you think BMW should offer non-M 5 Series wagons.

From the driver’s seat, you’re almost completely unaware of the reconfigured rear bodywork. The dashboard, with its combination of curved instruments and touchscreen, is no different from what you might get in a regular vehicle. Series 5but the M5 is distinguished by an M steering wheel, an M-specific red start button, and an M-branded iDrive dial. You also get an excellent set of sports seats that provide enough support for a day on the track and enough comfort to handle a six-hour interstate business trip.

Not a direct replacement for the M3 Touring but an excellent all-rounder

These two generally very opposing characters are what BMW has always tried to offer with the M5. The new M5 sedan pushes the limits further in each direction, while the Touring adds a third trajectory thanks to the Touring’s cargo hold. It’s a different and more luxurious type of car to the smaller and lighter M3 Touring so this might not completely appease American drivers still worried about BMW’s decision not to introduce this model in North America.

But as a do-it-all family rocket that’s more entertaining, more distinctive, and less expensive than a performance SUV, the M5 wagon seems like the perfect answer to the “if you could only have one car” question to which Car enthusiasts love to think.

BENEFITS>> Fast and powerful, rare appeal of the M5 wagon, supports its weight well, stylish design with practical cargo space

DISADVANTAGES›› Heavy and expensive, limited EV range, not as agile as the sedan, cargo space lags behind some competitors