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2018 BMW M5 Road Test and Review

Scott Oldham
by Scott Oldham
June 4, 2018
5 min. Reading Time
2018 BMW M5 Blue Sunset Hero ・  Photo by BMW

2018 BMW M5 Blue Sunset Hero ・ Photo by BMW

1985. New Coke came and went. Back to the Future owned the box office. And the first BMW M5 began to rule Germany’s Autobahn. Then powered by a 3.5-liter inline six-cylinder borrowed from the BMW M1 supercar, the '85 M5 was the fastest sedan in the world.

Now in its sixth generation, the 2018 BMW M5 remains one of the world’s quickest, fastest, and best-handling sedans. It’s also the most powerful, most expensive and the most envied version of the BMW 5 Series. BMW’s M division, which is the German automakers in-house hot rod shop, completely redesigned and re-engineered the M5 for 2018. With 600 horsepower, it’s the most powerful M5 ever, and the first time the M5 has all-wheel drive and a traditional automatic transmission with a torque converter. Along with this year's other upgrades, these changes have improved the M5’s performance, safety, comfort, and drivability.

Developed on the World’s Racetracks

Larger and more powerful than the equally iconic M3, the 2018 BMW M5 competes head-to-head with the Mercedes-AMG E63, the Cadillac CTS-V, and the Porsche Panamera Turbo. Like all of BMW’s high-performance M models, the new M5 was tuned on the world’s racetracks, including Germany’s legendary Nurburgring, which is universally considered one of the deadliest circuits in the world.

M’s special team of engineers started with the sporty and capable BMW 5 Series sedan and then transformed it into a high-performance luxury muscle car, adding an aggressively tuned suspension, larger brakes, bigger wheels and tires and, of course, serious horsepower. Under the hood is a 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 with direct injection, variable valve control, and over 550 lb-ft of torque. It’s truly one of the greatest engines in the world.

 Photo by BMW

Photo by BMW

Six-Figure Base Price

Not including its $1,000 Gas Guzzler Tax and a $995 destination charge, pricing for the 2018 BMW M5 starts at $102,600, which is competitive for this class. The all-wheel drive Mercedes-AMG E63 S costs a few grand more and the Porsche Panamera Turbo, which is also all-wheel drive, starts at $150,000. With 640 hp and a base price around $85,000, the Cadillac CTS-V is the most powerful and the least expensive of the group, but it’s rear-wheel drive only.

Our loaded M5 test vehicle included pricey options and packages that drove its sticker price up to $129,795. Its $4,000 Executive Package added a long list of luxuries including soft-close automatic doors, front and rear heated seats, and an onboard Wi-Fi Hotspot. Its carbon ceramic brakes cost another $8,500. Nineteen-inch wheels are standard, but our test vehicle included the available 20-inch wheels, as well as a $3,400 Bowers & Wilkins premium audio system. But the most unique optional extra on our tested M5 was the $2,500 M Driver’s Package, which includes a unique one-day high performance driving class on a racetrack in either South Carolina or California so you can learn how to drive your new super sedan properly.

 Photo by BMW

Photo by BMW

Fast, Forgiving, and Comfortable

Compared to the fifth-generation M5, the new 2018 model isn’t just quicker and faster, but it's also more forgiving, easier to drive, and more comfortable. The previous version, sold from 2012 to 2017, was a bit rough around the edges and was a handful to drive at its lofty performance limits. The 2018 M5 is a true high-performance luxury sedan that can be driven every day in complete comfort and with complete confidence.

The suspension is adjustable with stiffer Sport and Sport Plus settings. You feel the road, even in Comfort mode, but the ride is never harsh. BMW has done a wonderful job adding both refinement and speed to the M5, which feels sporty and responsive in the city. The steering and throttle are also tunable, as is the performance of the transmission, which can also be manually shifted with well-placed paddle shifters. The V8 is extremely smooth, and its rumble can be adjusted using a button on the console. Its torque peaks at just 1,800 rpm, so turbo lag is never a problem. And the upper-rpm surge of horsepower is never a letdown, as the power peaks at 6,600 rpm as the engine runs toward its 7,200-rpm redline.

 Photo by BMW

Photo by BMW

Rear-Wheel Drive Mode

BMW also allows you to tune the M5’s all-wheel drive system. There are three settings, including a rear-wheel drive mode, which allows for high school parking lot-style burnouts and tire-shredding powerslides. Rear-wheel drive mode not only makes the M5 more fun to drive, but it also keeps the traditionalists from squawking about the M5’s switch to AWD, which adds complexity and 140 lbs to the sedan. For now, it’s the only all-wheel drive BMW with this unique feature.

In AWD mode, as well as AWD Sport, the M5 is much easier to drive at its limits as the sedan’s 600 hp is put to the ground with no drama. All that traction also radically improves the M5’s behavior in foul weather, which is why AWD sedans have become so intensely popular in snowy big cities like New York, Boston, and Chicago. Change its tires, and this is a four-door, five-passenger supercar that can be driven 365 days a year anywhere in America.

 Photo by BMW

Photo by BMW

The Quickest Sedan in the World?

Although this uber-sedan’s uber-fans have long feared the switch to all-wheel drive and the conventional automatic transmission, the new combination adds traction and speed. Use its launch control, and the 2018 BMW M5 accelerates to 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds and blasts through the quarter mile in 10.9 seconds. That’s some serious thrust.  

This is the quickest M5 ever, and possibly the quickest sedan in the world. Vehicles it can out accelerate include supercars like the Acura NSX, Nissan GT-R, and Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and it matches the performance Ferrari claims for its new V12-powered 812 SuperFast. The M5’s fuel economy is also good for its class. The BMW is rated at 15 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway, which is about the same as you get in its competition. I averaged 16.0 mpg in a week of spirited mixed driving around Los Angeles while often using the V8’s start/stop function.

 Photo by BMW

Photo by BMW

Understated Good Looks

Although your neighbor with the two beige Corollas may confuse the 2018 BMW M5 for a standard 5 Series, any car enthusiast will spot the numerous visual differences that distinguish the two. Aside from its larger wheels and rubber, BMW’s M Division grants the M5 a carbon fiber roof, more aggressive front, and rear bumpers, flared front wheel wells, sizable fender vents, M-specific mirrors, and M’s signature four chrome exhaust pipes.

There’s also plenty of attitude in the M5’s hunkered-down stance. But the M5 isn’t overdressed or overstyled. It isn’t cartoonish. It doesn’t look like it was designed by a bunch of 13-year-olds. BMW didn’t glue some giant rear spoiler to its trunk or cut an enormous scoop into its hood. It’s understated. It looks smart. And like the first, second, and third generations of the M5, which are equally understated, the new version will age well and look right for decades to come.

 Photo by BMW

Photo by BMW

Clean and Comfortable Interior

Most of the M5’s spacious interior is shared with the 550i model. It’s well laid out and well-assembled, and everything feels expensive. There’s an overall feeling of quality inside the M5, from the large screen in the center of the sedan’s dash to the fine leathers on its firm, heavily bolstered sport seats to its carbon fiber and piano black trim.

The M exclusive three-spoke steering wheel is extra fat, as well as heated. It features two configurable M Drive buttons (M1 and M2) to shortcut to your favorite modes for the steering, suspension, drivetrain, stability control, and other settings. Visibility is excellent, and its analog gauges are clear and look cool. Like its exterior, the M5’s cabin won’t feel dated in a few years. The latest version of BMW’s iDrive, which controls all of the car’s infotainment system, is easily navigated using either the touchscreen or a large dial and buttons which are well-placed on the console.

 Photo by BMW

Photo by BMW

Serious Cargo Capacity

Storage inside the BMW’s interior is generous. The M5’s center console bin and door pockets are large. Unfortunately, its two front-seat cupholders are a bit small, and they’re questionably placed ahead of the shifter so tall drinks can interfere with or block the climate controls.

The trunk is large as well. The 2018 M5 offers 18.7 cubic feet of cargo space, which is considerably bigger than the Mercedes and the Cadillac. And its rear seat folds in a 40-20-40 split to expand that capacity. A power opening and closing trunk lid is standard.

 Photo by BMW

Photo by BMW

Best M5 Ever

Despite the M5’s lofty base price, BMW makes you pay extra for desirable features like a surround camera system, which gives you bird’s eye 360-degree view of the sedan and its surroundings, and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration. We also recommend the Active Driving Assistance Plus Package, which adds many safety systems including active cruise control and active lane-keeping assistance, which is one of the smoothest automated steering systems we’ve sampled.

Bottom line: This is the best M5 ever. Thirty-three years after the first BMW M5 invented the high-performance luxury sedan, BMW has reinvented the legend making it faster, smarter, and more luxurious. If you desire a high-performance luxury sedan, the 2018 BMW M5 is a very desirable choice.

 Photo by BMW

Photo by BMW


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