{"id":85650,"date":"2026-05-28T13:39:59","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T17:39:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=85650"},"modified":"2026-05-28T13:39:59","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T17:39:59","slug":"bmw-m5-touring-proves-the-xm-wasnt-such-a-bad-idea-after-all","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=85650","title":{"rendered":"BMW M5 Touring Proves the XM Wasn\u2019t Such a Bad Idea After All"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"post-summary-wrap\">\n<h3 class=\"post-summary-title\">Article Summary<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"post-summary-list\">\n<li>The BMW XM and M5 Touring have more in common than their reputations suggest, sharing a plug-in hybrid V8 powertrain, xDrive, similar EV range, and major braking hardware.<\/li>\n<li>The XM\u2019s issue was never really the hybrid M formula. The M5 Touring proves the concept can work when the package has clearer intent, better proportions, and more cohesive tuning.<\/li>\n<li>With a softer brief, smaller wheels, a less confrontational design, and a lower price, the XM might have landed as a compelling X8 M60e instead of a polarizing flagship M SUV.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<p>It\u2019s a bit of a clich\u00e9, but it\u2019s also true: the BMW XM is one of the most controversial BMWs ever produced. Narrow that down to BMW M models and it probably moves up to the number one spot \u2014 I can\u2019t think of a more polarizing model to wear the M badge. Between its otherworldly aesthetic and hybrid powertrain, even forward-facing enthusiasts had a lot to scrutinize. For purists \u2014 at least the ones that didn\u2019t immediately dismiss the car and\/or brand\u2019s direction immediately \u2014 it\u2019s an even more bitter pill to swallow. It only became even more of a choking hazard when reviews and drive impressions trickled out: lo and behold, the \u201cflagship M vehicle\u201d was less of an M and more of an \u201cum.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Now, I have always been fairly lenient \u2014 even more so than my constituents \u2014 with the XM. The SUV drove pretty great, all things considered. After all, there\u2019s only so mad you can be with 717 hp (535 kW) (738 hp \/ 543 kW in the Label model) under your right foot. Like most of the writers here at BMWBLOG, I think the XM\u2019s problems stem from the car\u2019s apparent identity crisis. It could\u2019ve been so much more \u2014 all it took was commitment. I\u2019m even more confident of that statement after spending a week with a car much more well-received (although still controversial) in the enthusiast community, the M5 Touring.<\/p>\n<h2>The M5 and XM: More Similar Than Different?<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G99-m5-touring-hero-front-quarter.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-513877\" title=\"G99 M5 TOURING HERO - FRONT QUARTER\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G99-m5-touring-hero-front-quarter-830x467.jpg\" alt=\"G99 M5 TOURING HERO - FRONT QUARTER\" width=\"830\" height=\"467\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G99-m5-touring-hero-front-quarter-830x467.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G99-m5-touring-hero-front-quarter-1820x1024.jpg 1820w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G99-m5-touring-hero-front-quarter-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G99-m5-touring-hero-front-quarter-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G99-m5-touring-hero-front-quarter.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Despite their differing reputations, both the XM and M5 are\u00a0 built around the same core. At their core, both make do with a plug-in hybrid M powertrain pairing BMW\u2019s 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 with an electric motor, xDrive all-wheel drive, and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Both make around the same power and both offer around the same electric-only driving range (30 miles \/ 38 km or so). That complex powertrain comes with the high price of a high curb weight; both are heavy. The M5 Touring weighs in at 5,530 pounds (2,508 kg), and the XM tips the scales at 6,091 pounds (2,763 kg).<\/p>\n<p>Similarities carry on elsewhere, too: when specified with carbon ceramic brakes, the M5 shares the XM\u2019s massive 420 mm front brake discs. Dock 10 mm for the steel stoppers. Regardless of brake choice, you get six-piston fixed-caliper brakes up front and single-piston floating-caliper brakes at the rear. Rear rotor diameter is a shared 398 mm. Both cars utilize a steel suspension rather than an air suspension setup favored by rivals (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2026\/01\/16\/bmw-m5-touring-audi-rs6-avant-u-drag-race\/\">Audi RS6 Avant<\/a>, various AMG SUVs). The Touring and XM share almost the same length and width (510\/511 cm, 197\/200 cm, respectively). Decidedly more obvious, the same iDrive system controls 90-95% of the vehicle functions for both vehicles. How can two similar vehicles behave \u2014 and be viewed \u2014 so differently?<\/p>\n<h2>What Went Wrong?<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/bmw-xm-label-red-sepia-blue-07.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-463491\" title=\"bmw-xm-label-red-sepia-blue-07\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/bmw-xm-label-red-sepia-blue-07-830x553.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"830\" height=\"553\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/bmw-xm-label-red-sepia-blue-07-830x553.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/bmw-xm-label-red-sepia-blue-07-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/bmw-xm-label-red-sepia-blue-07-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/bmw-xm-label-red-sepia-blue-07-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/bmw-xm-label-red-sepia-blue-07.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>With so much in common, the XM and M5 (particularly the Touring) should drive nearly identical. But the XM\u2019s higher center of gravity (it\u2019s taller) and 500 extra pounds (226 kg) do no favors to it, dynamically speaking. Then there\u2019s the ride quality, which also suffers thanks to massive 22-inch (or larger 23-inch) wheels; the M5 gets to work with a staggered 20\/21-inch setup. Obviously, BMW M opted to trade \u201chandling benefits\u201d of larger diameter wheels for comfort. And the XM is markedly worse off for it. The M5 Touring both rides better and performs better; all while fulfilling a similar \u201cSUV-y\u201d goal of being wonderfully practical.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve said it before, but we\u2019re doing it again. The XM could\u2019ve been great. Had it been dubbed the X8 M60e or something similar, its purpose becomes much clearer. Imagine smaller wheels, plusher suspension tuning, and a minor design tone-down \u2014 even just 5% or 10% less alien. While no fan of the car\u2019s looks, as I alluded to in my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2023\/07\/17\/bmw-xm-review\/\">BMW XM review<\/a>, they\u2019re subjective and I understand there\u2019s a segment interested in standing out. Factor in a light price drop \u2014 maybe something mirroring the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2025\/03\/25\/bmw-xm-22500-dollars-discount\/\">ludicrous discounts<\/a> offered to U.S. customers regularly \u2014 and the car would\u2019ve been an incredible success. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2026\/05\/26\/five-things-loved-bmw-m5-touring-review\/\">M5 Touring<\/a> proved \u2014 to me and many others \u2014 that hybrid\u2019s not a four-letter word when it comes to M and performance. But even more, it proved that the XM\u2019s concept was sound. Execution, sadly, left so much to be desired.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Article Summary The BMW XM and M5 Touring have more in common than their reputations suggest, sharing a plug-in hybrid V8 powertrain, xDrive, similar EV range, and major braking hardware. The XM\u2019s issue was never really the hybrid M formula. The M5 Touring proves the concept can work when the package has clearer intent, better [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":85651,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-85650","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85650","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=85650"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85650\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/85651"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=85650"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=85650"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=85650"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}