2026 BMW M5 Touring: Assessment, Costs, and Specs | The Day by day Drive

Textual content by Tom Appel

2026 BMW M5 Touring

Specs

Class: Premium Midsize Automobile

Nation of Manufacture: Germany

Coloration: Frozen Deep Gray

Seating Capability: 5

Miles pushed: 110

Actual-world gas financial system: 26.1 mpg

Driving combine: 65% metropolis, 35% freeway

EPA-estimated gas financial system: 54 MPGe/13 mpg (metropolis/freeway mixed)

EPA-estimated battery vary: 25 miles

Gas sort: Premium fuel

Base worth (2026): $125,000 (not together with $1450 vacation spot cost)

Choices on take a look at car: Particular paint ($5000), Government Bundle ($1600), M Drive Skilled ($900), M Carbon Ceramic Brakes ($8500), Carbon Fiber Silver Thread Excessive Gloss ($300), M Drive Bundle ($2500), Fuel Guzzler Tax ($2600)

Worth as examined: $148,500

Execs and Cons

The nice: Outrageous efficiency, gas environment friendly if charged

The nice: Room for 4 adults, wagon practicality

The not so good: Dear to begin with, expensive choices, too

Assessment

Social media made it worse. When this editor was a youthful man, he would learn the letters-to-the-editor column within the likes of Automobile and Driver, Street & Monitor, and Motortrend, and snigger on the expectations of fanatics screaming for unsellable options to be made obtainable on fascinating sporty automobiles.

The wailing was loudest for wagon variants, and AWD. Extra energy was at all times in demand as effectively. Handbook transmissions have been additionally scorching in fantasy demand, although in these days stick shift was fairly frequent.

Particular Requests

The issue, then as now, was that whereas these options would have actually made most automobiles extra attention-grabbing, they might have additionally added to the price of the automobile in query, and complex manufacturing and seller ordering.

It’s value remembering that if a cool function, say AWD, which could see some purchaser demand, was supplied on a sporty Euro-style sedan, a few of that demand can be cannibalized from customers already intent on buying stated car.

And, so it goes for carmakers. Balancing the options that customers actually need and want, with those who make journal covers and on-line headlines, and maintaining followers serious about—and speaking about–the product.

As famous above, social media has made the scenario worse. Right this moment, fan boys can clamor for an orange Subaru BRZ with AWD and a 7-speed guide shifter with out even having to entrance the value of a postage stamp.

M5 Touring: Coming to America

However, despite the fact that vehicles have grown dearer, and gas financial system and security rules have restricted what carmakers can truly—profitably—carry to market, an organization will often shock and delight its fan base with one thing actually exceptional.

The BMW M5 Touring is such a car. And it’s actually extraordinary.

New for 2025, the Touring is a wagon model of the German carmaker’s storied M5 high-performance midsize sedan. The information right here is that that is the primary time a wagon M5 variant has crossed the pond and been bought right here within the States.

BMW has constructed wagon variations of the M5 on two earlier events, again between 1992 and 1995, and once more between 2007 and 2010, and as famous right here, neither was supplied to the model’s North American viewers.

Fan-Boy Fantasy

However now, for the primary time, Individuals now have entry to a wagon variant of the M5, getting their whiny, social-media calls for met on quite a lot of seemingly unbelievable fronts. Contemplate the next:

The BMW M5 Touring…

…is a station wagon

…boasts greater than 700 horsepower

…comes normal with torque-vectoring AWD

…returns higher than 25 mpg (when charged usually)

…may be had with eye-searing purple or orange cabin trim

Have been the M5 obtainable with a guide transmission, it will reply practically each fan-boy prayer.

Commerce-Offs

However as we urged earlier: Watch out what you would like for.

Right here’s what’s lacking from the 2026 M5 Touring:

• Reasonably priced worth (begins over $120,000)
• Modest curb weight (clocks in over 5500 kilos)
• Handbook transmission (incompatible with plug-in hybrid setup anyway)
• Glove-box soft-serve ice-cream dispenser (was by no means going to occur)

5-Collection Costs and Trim Ranges

For 2026, the BMW 5-Collection trim-level lineup appears to be like like this:

• 530i ($61,950)
• 530i xDrive ($64,250)
• 540i xDrive ($69,150)
• 550e xDrive ($76,950)
• M5 $126,850
• M5 Touring $129,350

Engines

Fashions ending in “30” are powered by a 255-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine and can be found with rear-wheel drive or AWD (xDrive). The “40” fashions include a 375-horsepower 3.0-liter turbocharged six, and are available solely with AWD. Each the 530 and 540 are augmented by a mild-hybrid system and include an 8-speed automated transmission.

The 550e is a plug-in hybrid that includes the above talked about 6-cylinder engine mated to an electrical motor for a mixed system output of 483 horsepower. The 550e additionally mates to an 8-speed auto. The 550e will journey an EPA estimated 34 miles completely on electrical energy when absolutely charged.

On the acute aspect of the mannequin lineup are the super-car-like M-edition 5-Collection vehicles, the M5 and M5 Touring. Mechanically equivalent, every is powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 mated to a single electrical motor for a mixed system output of 717 horsepower. When absolutely charged, the M5’s 15-kWh battery delivers an estimated 25 miles of electric-only vary.

Take a look at Automobile

Although Client Information hung out with a 2025 M5 Touring, the automobile is unchanged for 2026, so we shall be reporting on the latter’s costs and options availability.

Client Information’s take a look at automobile (a 2025, as famous above) was loaded with expensive choices and extra-cost options. Seen right here in Frozen Deep Gray, our take a look at M5 wagon got here to $144,375, together with vacation spot cost, and Fuel Guzzler Tax. We’ll discuss extra concerning the guzzler tax momentarily.

The equivalent car priced as a 2026 mannequin involves $148,500. Word that 2027 editions will start arriving at BMW shops pretty quickly.

Room and Consolation

So far as midsize automobiles go, the 5-Collection will not be among the many roomiest. By design, the automobile’s door openings usually are not particularly giant, this to maintain the sporty BMW’s construction as inflexible as potential. For most people this is not going to be a difficulty, however this huge editor struggled a bit to enter and exit the automobile.

Cabin Appointments

As soon as inside, nevertheless, the M5 Touring is just about superior. The cabin is appointed richly in high-quality materials, and assembled to obvious exacting requirements. Our take a look at automobile was outfitted with the obtainable—and no value—purple and black inside theme, one thing we might by no means have ordered on our personal. The Purple, although arguably cool, is searingly, shockingly, purple, and one thing that, over the course of per week, we by no means bought used to. There may be additionally an orange inside choice, however we’d go for the Silverstone or black upholstery, thanks very a lot.

Connectivity

Alternatively, we discovered fundamental connectivity easy to handle and the touchscreen-driven infotainment system agreeable sufficient. We don’t want practically the variety of instrument panel customization choices as can be found, however we’re comfortable to report that after we Bluetooth related a cell system it stayed related, one thing we will’t say about most German vehicles we take a look at drive.

Dealing with

However all of these items turns into largely irrelevant when you begin rolling. Sure, the M5 Touring is, at 5500 kilos, a bit porky, however this 4-passenger tremendous automobile hides its weight effectively.

Outdated-school automobile lovers usually lament the lack of steering really feel to fashionable, electrical power-steering techniques, however BMW appears to recall how old-school firmness and suggestions remodel the drive expertise. The M5 Touring feels as related to the highway as any sports activities automobile, and corners with spectacular confidence.

Sadly, Chicago is a great distance from any meaningfully curve mountain roads, however we’re fairly sure the M5 would make simple work of such routes.

Trip High quality

Trip high quality could also be a difficulty for the uninitiated, as issues by no means actually settled into a real “consolation” scenario. We discovered the agency chassis to be a part of this superb car’s allure, however of us who fail to fall underneath the M5’s spell might need to take into account the 550i xDrive as a substitute. (Order one with an M dealing with package deal and also you’ll doubtless be very comfortable.)

Energy and Efficiency

After which there’s the ability. A lot energy. The large V8, augmented by appreciable electric-motor increase, launches from a cease with easy however alarming drive, and reaches 60 mph is a BMW reported 3.5 seconds. Frankly, that quantity feels conservative to us.

The 8-speed automated by no means missed a beat, and may be shifted manually by way of paddle shifters situated across the steering wheel. That stated, this automobile is so quick—and the transmission so efficient—it by no means actually crossed our minds to shift for ourselves.

Drive Modes

We experimented with the obtainable drive modes, however given our unhappy, traffic-heavy commuter existence, we spent most of our time in Consolation, dabbling solely briefly in Sport. Sport Plus appeared like loopy discuss throughout rush hour.

Plug-in Hybrid

As famous earlier, the M5 Touring is a plug-in hybrid, and advantages each in effectivity and efficiency from operation with a charged battery. With one full cost—and no others—over 110 miles of routine driving, we averaged 26 mpg, which appears fairly frugal to us.

That stated, uncharged, the EPA charges the M5 Touring at a dismal mixed 13 mpg. That quantity qualifies the M5 sedan and wagon for a Fuel Guzzler tax of $2600, which is added on to the vehicles’ backside line (see costs on the prime of the web page).

There are additionally 4 hybrid modes to select from, every with a really particular function. We suggest having your salesperson transient you on the choices earlier than a severe take a look at drive.

Rarity

Whereas BMW claims it isn’t limiting M5 Touring gross sales within the U.S., many sellers inform a special story. Most BMW outlets are reporting annual entry to only one M5 Touring per mannequin yr, although others have claimed to have acquired as much as three. If these numbers are near correct, that’s simply 700 examples a yr, or simply 2800 over the anticipated four-year run. So, in order for you one, possibly begin wanting now.

Worth

The M5 Touring is gorgeous to take a look at, a delight to drive, and a contemporary rarity that solely whiny on-line automobile followers might have dreamed up. In case you have this sort of cash, and also you respect what’s taking place right here, by all means, take one for a take a look at drive—even when there isn’t an ice-cream dispenser within the glovebox.

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2025 BMW M5 Touring Photos

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