While American appetites for station wagons have been thoroughly supplanted by the SUV, Europeans love wagons for their utility and smaller footprint. When the 2025 BMW M5 Touring showed up in my driveway, it took a while to get past the streamlined exterior, gorgeous flat-grey paint, and big 21-inch wheels to realize ... I was looking at a wagon.

I always thought the Dodge Magnum wagon would never be exceeded for its coolness and muscular performance capability but go ahead and put this M5 Touring right alongside it.

Throughout my weeklong test, I had a lot of folks gazing, gawking, and professing their love for this wagon. And understandably so.

With a 717-horsepower 4.4-liter M TwinPower turbo V8, plug-in hybrid capability, and some of the most impressive cabin tech BMW has ever fitted into a production vehicle, the M5 Touring isn’t your average wagon. the M5 Touring arrives as one of the most compelling performance family haulers on the market.

Sure, there are some tradeoffs to consider, though this level of price tag typically makes those a little less concerning. Fast, capable, luxurious, and delivering utility, it blends exciting performance with practicality as well as anything out there. However, it is at a steep cost for a heavy and thirsty hybrid.

At the heart of the 2025 M5 Touring is a revised version of BMW’s familiar 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, producing a stunning 717 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque, paired with all-wheel drive, courtesy of BMW’s 8-speed M Sport Automatic transmission with Drivelogic and Launch Control, and you’ve got silly speed!

While this BMW will never be mistaken for a Prius, it offers the ability to creep silently through town or leave early in the morning without waking the neighbors. I think it’s what the plug-in hybrid system brings to the party that’s special, not what it might take away from the fun.

The gas-only 13 MPG combined figure is a reminder that big-horsepower, heavy vehicles don’t do well in efficiency, but drivers can expect 54 MPGe when using hybrid electric power strategically. The transition from gas to hybrid is not seamless, but the results far outweigh any presumed downside.

BMW’s M division built has a high-performance reputation that the M5 Touring easily upholds with its massive acceleration and all-wheel-drive system. BMW does allow drivers to tailor the driving experience with the M-specific menus, so you can customize steering weight, throttle response, damping, and shift behavior. While I experienced an overall great impression when pushing this machine into tight corners, the ride is a bit firmer (even in Comfort Settings) than I anticipated. My tester featured the $8,500 M Carbon Ceramic Brakes, which help make high-speed maneuvers quite easy.

From my perspective, regardless of the amazing exterior aesthetic, the M5 Touring shines most consistently within the cabin. Loaded with amenities that walk a fine line between futuristic and comforting, the M5 Touring cabin is nothing short of divine.

In particular, the Bowers & Wilkins Surround Sound System is a standard gem, a rarity at this price point and instantly noticeable for its dynamic clarity and rich audio breadth. Whether commuting or road tripping, this audio experience alone is worth the cost of admission.

For me, the stunning grey leather with red accents on the seats gives this wagon a sporty but sophisticated personality, also reflecting the dual family machine and performance capability. My tester featured the standard Sky Lounge Panoramic Roof, which feels like it runs the length of the cabin, adding daylight, and at night, its LED-lit patterns glow softly across the glass.

While I love the look of the curved display running BMW’s latest iDrive interface, it was not always intuitive. I found some of the drill-down menus require a few more taps than desired. Certain basic functions that used to be simple, like toggling climate settings, now involve navigating multiple menus or using voice commands.

Not surprisingly, cargo space is generous, and unlike many performance cars, the M5 Touring easily handles storage and family duties. While it’s a true utility vehicle, its secret identity starts with that M-badge

The base price of $121,500 feels appropriate given the engineering and features involved, but the options really inflated the price very quickly. My tester landed at $144,375, in part due to the inclusion of these very impressive packages:

• $1,600 Executive Package – Adds convenience features, luxury touches, and impressive comfort tech.
• $8,500 M Carbon Ceramic Brakes – Ideal for track enthusiasts or spirited mountain driving, but overkill for most drivers.
• $2,500 M Driver’s Package – Raises the top speed and includes performance training for enthusiasts.

I found the 8-year/100,000-mile High-Voltage Battery Warranty to be one of the standout value propositions, which helps reduce long-term anxiety about hybrid component reliability. Considering the power and complexity of this system, the warranty adds genuine peace of mind. For buyers who want to be noticed, appreciate BMW’s M pedigree, and want a single vehicle that can thrill and haul gear, the M5 Touring is an undeniably enticing option.

• John Stein is a freelance journalist based in Chicago. He has more than 25 years of experience driving, testing and writing about the automotive industry, its latest innovations and vehicle performance.