I’ve heard it whispered that the BMW X5 M is the way BMW should have built the brand new 2025 (G90) M5, and that the M5 would have been better skipping hybridization and just sticking with a twin-turbo V8. While we’ll never know how this imaginary M5 would have turned out, I do have the unique opportunity to drive the 2025 BMW M5 and 2025 BMW X5 M Competition back-to-back, and I’ll tell you how the cars compare.
(You may want to read my test-drive review of the 2025 BMW M5 first.)
Let’s start with the numbers.
The $130k X5 M makes 617 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque from its 4.4L twin-turbo V8. That is a good bit less than the 717 HP and 738 lb-ft that the new $122k M5 produces from its hybridized version of the same 4.4L V8. The kicker is that the X5 M weighs 5,498 lbs, so even though it’s EV-free, it hasn’t saved an ounce over the 5,390 lb M5. It goes to show that BMW knows how to build a chunker even in pure ICE form!
Both the X5 M and M5 are midsize vehicles, capable of comfortably hauling four adults—five in a pinch—and their weekend luggage. As a tall back-seat passenger, I’d prefer to ride in the X5 M, as the SUV has better headroom. The X5 M’s trunk also can haul bulky furniture that won’t fit in an M5 sedan. If high-speed antiquing is your hobby, there is only one right choice.
The X5 M’s power-to-weight ratio conspires against it. The super SUV runs 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds and the quarter mile in 11.8 seconds, while the M5 does the same sprints in 3.0 seconds and 10.9 seconds, respectively. The M5 is much, much quicker, and it feels so from the driver’s seat, too.
But maybe the X5 M Competition is more fun to drive?
Driving my short test loop, I loved the X5 M’s burbly V8 noises, which were richer and more natural than the M5’s electronically augmented soundtrack. In response to throttle lifts, the rumble of distant thunder could be heard from the X5 M’s tailpipes. The V8 sounded as righteous in the X5 M as it did in the 2024 M8 Competition, and it was sufficiently chest-thumping that it could have been plucked from a Dodge.
However, without the M5’s 194 hp electric motor, the X5 M was slower to respond to pedal presses and felt under-muscled. When I dipped into the X5 M’s throttle from 25 mph and 2k rpm, the large displacement V8 leapt into action, but there was a moment’s wait before full boost and thrust arrived.
Coming directly out of the M5, I sorely missed the sedan’s hybrid torque fill. The M5 was much more alert to accelerator inputs, as it leaned on its ever-ready electric motor for an instantaneous shove when the turbos were napping.
Through my test route’s twists, the X5 M had uncommon grace and body control for a 5,498 lb SUV. It pointed eagerly into corners, allowing only a hint of lean, and cut cleanly through the turns thanks to its 4WD Sport system with torque vectoring. Yes, in Sport Plus, 4WD Sport and MDM, the X5 M was point-and-shoot easy to steer! But I felt like I was hooning from a bar stool, as the X5 M is a high-riding truck.
While the X5 M handled impressively, the M5 matched its dance moves and added a few more. Best of all, the M5 offered tail wagging antics. In 4WD Sport with MDM activated, the M5 sent so much power to its rear tires that the car required corrective steering inputs. Would the X5 M have offered the same shenanigans if I had defeated the stability control? Maybe, but I wasn’t in an appropriate environment to find out!
The worst road on my route was cracked and undulating, but free of potholes. Over this deteriorated street, the X5 M clearly relayed the crack impacts through the floor boards and seat, but its steering was devoid of surface communication. I preferred the M5’s chattier steering.
With its suspension Comfort mode, the tall X5 M was slightly stiffer than the M5 over the bumps. Both vehicles’ taut suspensions delivered firm rides, but the M5’s softer seats gave it an edge in comfort.
Ultimately, the X5 M drove like the big, powerful ICE vehicles we know so well. I enjoyed its fruity V8 noises and honest mechanical sensations. Its cabin is more traditional, with the buttons and controls we all know well from the last ten years of BMWs. But the X5 M was neither sportier nor more comfortable than the M5. In fact, thanks to its e-hybrid tricks, the M5 was significantly faster than the X5 M, much more alert to driver inputs, and a better hoon.
So, if you hear anyone whispering that enthusiasts should skip the new M5 and by a X5 M instead, send them this way. Having driven both Ms, I can confidently say the new M5 is the play!
Mike's Steering Column 