Name: BMW M5 (2018 - present) | Expert Rating | The Car Expert
Item: BMW M5
Rating: 57.0

Summary

Described by Top Gear as “perhaps the most complete and composed super saloon of them all”, the BMW M5 was a four-door performance saloon – the ‘M’-tuned version of the 2017 to 2023 BMW 5 Series executive car.

This M5 is the sixth generation, launched back in 2018, ending production in 2023 ahead of an all-new model launching in 2024. It was a continuation of a long line of acclaimed BMW super saloons, which have all been hailed as benchmarks for their combination of performance, comfort and relative subtlety.

Here in the UK, we got the M5 Competition model, which was powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 engine (a bit more powerful than the standard M5 in Europe) to produce 617hp. The range also included the limited edition M5 CS (Competition Sport), which BMW said was the fastest ‘M’ performance model ever produced due to its lighter bodywork and few extra horsepower.

Carwow suggested that the M5 range was just as usable day-to-day as a regular 5 Series saloon, with the first-class interior build quality and finish that we have come to expect from a BMW executive car. At the same time, Autocar said that the car had “remarkably high standards of handling poise and driver engagement”.

“Its has all the performance and dynamic ability of a supercar”, Evo explained, “and supercars simply don’t come cheap, even when they’re clothed in a saloon body.” An entry-level BMW M5 Competition came with a six-figure price tag, which What Car? called a “shame”.

Adding that the M5’s engine soundtrack lacks the audible drama of the Mercedes-Benz E63 S, Autocar concluded that the super saloon “lacks a bit of authentic V8 hotrod charm, but it’ll be a driver’s car of many facets for the few who can afford it.”

One point to consider is that the 5 Series in general, and the M5 in particular, has had plenty of reliability concerns. In August 2022, the M5 was ranked tenth in a list of the least reliable used cars (up to ten year old) on sale in the UK by Warrantywise. The 5 Series range overall also has a very poor reliability score according to our own data. Full details in the ‘Reliabilty rating’ section below.

As of January 2024, the BMW M5 holds a Used Car Expert Rating of E, with a score of just 46%. Despite the high praise bestowed on the M5 by motoring journalists, the ownership data is somewhat less glowing. The safety score is only average, with a Euro NCAP rating that expired due to age, while reliability is historically poor and running costs are very expensive.

M5 highlights

First-class build quality
As practical as a standard 5 Series
Exceptional performance and driving dynamics
Comfortable cabin

M5 lowlights

Rival brands offer more practical estates
Expensive, entry-level and up
Rather subdued engine soundtrack
Uprated M5 CS is a strict four-seater

Key specifications

Body style: Four-door saloon
Engines: petrol
Price when new: From £107,520

Launched: Summer 2018
Last updated: Spring 2021
Replacement due: 2024

Image gallery

Media reviews

Reviews, road tests and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

Auto Express+

Model reviewed: M5 CS
Score: 10 / 10
“It’s easy to be cynical about cars such as the M5 CS. A lightweight, track-orientated saloon that’s five metres long and weighs more than 1,800kg is neither light nor a track car in the traditional sense. But the most powerful BMW road car is also a thoroughbred M model, and the detailed changes made to the M5’s chassis make it a standout super saloon. Bravo BMW.”
Read review

Model reviewed:
Score: 10 / 10
“The legendary executive express, the BMW M5, adds even more power and four-wheel drive to its arsenal.”
Read review

Autocar+

Model reviewed:
Score: 9 / 10
“Supreme handling dynamism and versatility take the BMW M5 close to perfection.”
Read review

Model reviewed: M5 CS
Score: 10 / 10
“The M5 Competition certainly eclipses the regular M5’s already remarkable high standards on handling poise and driver engagement. However, what it gains in those terms isn’t quite worth what it surrenders compared with the standard M5 as regards ride suppleness and general suitability to the full gamut of road surfaces on which you might drive it in the UK.”
Read review

Model reviewed: M5 Competition
Score: 8 / 10
“Revised super saloon has pace, poise, purpose and adaptability in spades. Still lacks a bit of authentic V8 hotrod charm, but it’ll be a driver’s car of many facets for the few who can afford it.”
Read review

Car+

Model reviewed: 4.4-litre petrol automatic M5 Competition
Score: 10 / 10
“The new 2020 BMW M5 Competition is still one helluva super-saloon. We already rate the regular M5 very highly and this addition just adds more drama, more finesse, more outright muscle to make it even better.”
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Carbuyer+

Model reviewed:
Score: 8.4 / 10
“Buyers in the market for a supersaloon will find it hard to look past the BMW M5”
Read review

Carwow+

Model reviewed:
Score: 8 / 10
“The BMW M5 Competition is a ferociously fast, yet practical and comfy saloon.”
Read review

Evo+

Model reviewed: M5 CS
Score: 10 / 10
“Nonsensical on paper, but sublime in practice. Never has a modern supersaloon been more tactile or more engaging.”
Read review

Model reviewed: Competition F90
Score: 9 / 10
“The BMW M5 is now only available in Competition trim in the UK, but this is no bad thing as it remains a finer-honed version of the standard M5.”
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Heycar+

Model reviewed:
Score: 9 / 10
“BMW sorted out what few criticisms there were of the M5 with the Competition model, and, sensibly in the UK it’s the only offering. It’s a shame it’s only a saloon, rivals offering estate versions, but if you need, and want, a saloon that really can do everything then the M5 is a compelling solution.”
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Honest John+

Model reviewed:
Score: 10 / 10
“The BMW M5 is that rarest of things in the car world, more than just a flagship model it’s become an icon, a car that gives performance car buyers a family five-seater without compromising on the sort of pace they’re used to.”
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The Telegraph+

Model reviewed: CS
Score: 10 / 10
“The BMW M5 CS has all the performance and dynamic ability of a supercar – yes, it really is that good. And supercars simply don’t come cheap, even when they’re clothed in a saloon body.”
Read review

Top Gear+

Model reviewed: M5 CS
Score: 9 / 10
“A collector’s item? Not immediately. History tells us that M5 prices tend to drop a long way before picking back up. But one day we will look back on the M5 CS and remember it as being perhaps the most complete and composed super saloon of them all.”
Read review

Model reviewed: Competition
Score: 8 / 10
“The quickest M5 ever is also the comfiest M5 ever. Maybe the most complete super saloon of them all.”
Read review

What Car?+

Model reviewed:
Score: 8 / 10
“For the last word in driver interaction, the M5 Competition is still the king.”
Read review

Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: April 2017
Date expired: January 2024
Read the full Euro NCAP review

Adult protection: 91%
Child protection: 85%
Vulnerable road users: 81%
Safety assist: 59%

Notes on safety rating

The BMW 5 Series was originally crash tested by Euro NCAP back in 2017 and awarded a five-star rating. The M5 shared this rating as it is structurally identical to the regular 5 Series models.

However, the rating expired in January 2024 and is no longer valid as the car no longer meets the standards required for such a rating. This is normal practice, as Euro NCAP reviews its ratings on most cars annually with most ratings expiring after about six or seven years.

However, if you are comparing a used M5 (or any 5 Series) to vehicles of similar age, whose ratings will have probably also expired, its safety rating score is still useful.

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

No eco rating

The BMW M5 was not lab tested by Green NCAP during its production life.

Reliability rating

Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy

Total claims: 1066
Average repair cost: £857.13
Last updated: January 2024

Reliability score

All data based on MotorEasy average workshop costs for extended car warranty claims

The BMW 5 Series range (including the M5) has a poor reliability score of 47% as of January 2024, according to workshop and warranty data provided by our commercial partner, MotorEasy. This covers both the current (2017 onwards) model as well as earlier generations of 5 Series.

The most common problems reported for the 5 Series relate to the suspension, which account for nearly a third of all warranty repairs. It’s also worth noting that engine problems make up more than a quarter of all problems, and they’re expensive to fix with an average repair cost of nearly £1,500. Gearbox problems are even more expensive to fix, although they are somewhat less common.

However, it’s not just our data that has flagged reliability issues with the BMW M5. In 2022, warranty provider Warrantywise ranked the M5 tenth in a list of the least reliable used cars (up to ten year old) on sale in the UK.

So if you own or are considering buying a used BMW M5, it’s certainly worth considering a used car warranty that covers all of the potential trouble spots shown in the charts above.

Running cost rating

Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data

Fuel consumption	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Petrol models	25 mpg	E	25 – 25 mpg	E – E

CO₂ output	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Petrol models	254 g/km	D	252 – 256 g/km	D – D

Insurance group	Average	Score	Variation	Score
All models	50	F	48 – 50	D – F

Service and maintenance	Cost	Score
Year 1	£669	D
Year 2	£1,587	D
Year 3	£3,244	E
Year 4	£4,090	E
Year 5	£5,435	E
Overall	£15,025	E

As well as its £100K-plus price tag, the BMW M5 is an expensive car to run, according to data provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our commercial partner, Clear Vehicle Data.

It probably won’t come as any great surprise to know that fuel consumption and servicing costs are very poor, while the M5 automatically cops a maximum Group 50 rating for insurance from the UK assessors, Thatcham Research. That earns it the worst-possible insurance score of ‘F’ from us.