{"id":85721,"date":"2026-06-09T07:21:41","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T11:21:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=85721"},"modified":"2026-06-09T07:21:41","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T11:21:41","slug":"bmw-m5-touring-phev-review-road-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=85721","title":{"rendered":"BMW M5 Touring PHEV Review: Road Trip to Key West"},"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 M5 Touring PHEV weighs 5,500 lbs and produces 727 hp, making it both the heaviest and most powerful M5 wagon ever built.<\/li>\n<li>At $140,775 as tested, it costs nearly $43,000 less than an equivalently equipped model in Germany \u2014 tariffs and all.<\/li>\n<li>Despite 40 miles of electric range and an 11 kW charging cap, most buyers will never plug it in; the V8 is the point.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<p>Following the great SUV craze that began in the 1990s, the US seemingly bade farewell to the station wagon. Yet some are making a comeback \u2014 less as practical family haulers and more as high-performance lifestyle vehicles. Standing out from the crowd is the new mantra \u2014 as a tour through the Southeast in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2026\/05\/26\/five-things-loved-bmw-m5-touring-review\/\">BMW M5 Touring<\/a> demonstrates.<\/p>\n<h2>A car That Mirrors Its Country<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-05.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-514330\" title=\"BMW M5 TOURING ROAD TRIP 05\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-05-830x623.jpg\" alt=\"BMW M5 TOURING ROAD TRIP 05\" width=\"830\" height=\"623\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-05-830x623.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-05-1365x1024.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-05-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-05-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-05.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>America has always had a taste for things that are large, loud, and unapologetically powerful. The country that made the muscle car its own, that still buys full-size trucks by the millions, and that never met a V8 it didn\u2019t like \u2014 this is the natural habitat of the BMW M5 Touring. With its flared wheel arches, it looks not only menacing but also decidedly sporty \u2014 and it carries some extra weight \u2014 and quite a lot of it.<\/p>\n<p>But does this bother anyone? Not really; for the engineers at M GmbH in Garching \u2014 who for years fought to shave off every last ounce, prioritized driving dynamics above almost all else and sought to develop only vehicles truly suited for the racetrack \u2014 have allowed themselves to be convinced otherwise, acting entirely in the spirit of their affluent clientele.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2024\/09\/05\/2025-bmw-m5-g90-weight-hybrid\/\">A curb weight of 5,500 pounds<\/a> is a bold statement \u2014 one that even the imposing plug-in hybrid powertrain (a turbocharged and hybridized 4.4-litre V8 delivering a staggering 535 kW \/ 727 hp) can barely make you forget when cornering with agility. Yet precisely in the country of trucks and SUVs, the BMW M5 in its station wagon guise is a bestseller.<\/p>\n<h2>Built In Bavaria, Tariffed In America<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/2025-BMW-M5-production-start-5-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-480040\" title=\"2025 BMW M5 production start-5\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/2025-BMW-M5-production-start-5-830x553.jpg\" alt=\"BMW M5 production in Dingolfing\" width=\"830\" height=\"553\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/2025-BMW-M5-production-start-5-830x553.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/2025-BMW-M5-production-start-5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/2025-BMW-M5-production-start-5-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/2025-BMW-M5-production-start-5-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/2025-BMW-M5-production-start-5-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The fact that the tour begins at the BMW production facility in Spartanburg is pure coincidence, for this high-powered beast is not actually manufactured here in South Carolina. Instead, it makes its way via transporter and ship from Lower Bavaria; and \u2014 as if the combined weight of its two engines, all-wheel-drive and battery pack weren\u2019t heavy enough already \u2014 it is also saddled with a few punitive tariffs simply because neither its manufacturing nor its components originate in the USA.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks to numerous options, delivery charges and the \u201cGas Guzzler Tax\u201d of $2,600, the base price of $121,500 climbs to $140,775. This represents quite a bargain compared to its home market, for in Germany, a similarly equipped model starts at \u20ac147,200 \u2014 a difference of nearly \u20ac43,000.<\/p>\n<h2>The Station Wagon Americans Didn\u2019t Know They Wanted<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-02.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-514333\" title=\"BMW M5 TOURING ROAD TRIP 02\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-02-830x580.jpg\" alt=\"BMW M5 TOURING ROAD TRIP 02\" width=\"830\" height=\"580\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-02-830x580.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-02-1465x1024.jpg 1465w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-02-768x537.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-02-1536x1074.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-02.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>During the SUV boom, Americans largely bade farewell to the family station wagons that had been so immensely popular in the 1960s and 70s \u2014 vehicles that often featured three rows of seating and room for up to eight passengers. And it is no wonder: today, a car like the BMW M5 PHEV \u2014 especially in its Touring guise \u2014 is truly a showstopper.<\/p>\n<p>It has abundant power, a muscular, \u201cbodybuilder\u201d physique, and sporty DNA underscored by a V8 soundtrack \u2014 all topped off with a spacious rear cargo area ready to swallow any amount of luggage. Small wonder, then, that whenever it stops to refuel or park, smartphone cameras start clicking \u2014 and that it isn\u2019t just children pressing their noses flat against the windows of this dark-red M5 Touring.<\/p>\n<p>Its performance figures are spectacular, its acceleration nothing short of shameless, and \u2014 despite all that dynamic prowess \u2014 its level of ride comfort is simply sensational. It is no wonder, then, that no one here misses having an SUV \u2014 be it a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/category\/models\/x5-m\/\">BMW X5\/X6 M<\/a>, an XM, or even a competing model \u2014 perhaps even one manufactured right here in North America.<\/p>\n<p>The fact that the BMW M5 Touring is so successful on both sides of the Atlantic is due to a multitude of details and a throbbing exhaust note from four round tailpipes \u2014 and has surprisingly little to do with the fact that it is a hybrid capable of being charged at a power outlet and reaching speeds of 80 mph in near-total silence.<\/p>\n<h2>700+ hp And Nobody Asking About The Battery<\/h2>\n<p>The nearly 19 kWh battery pack enables an all-electric range of around 40 miles. For many Americans \u2014 just as in Europe \u2014 this is largely irrelevant, as for most, it is all about performance; and with over 700 horsepower and a mind-boggling 1,000 Nm of maximum torque, that performance is simply colossal.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, when a fuel stop becomes necessary on the Jasper Highway near Savannah, the Escalade driver at the adjacent pump proves surprisingly knowledgeable about the powertrain concept: \u201cA hybrid \u2014 isn\u2019t it? What a car!\u201d He is right; the first 250 miles behind the grippy leather steering wheel have flown by, thanks to perfect sports seats, laid-back country music, and a sporty-firm suspension \u2014 riding on 20- and 21-inch wheels \u2014 that never becomes jarring, even on the occasionally battered surface of Interstate 95.<\/p>\n<p>The M5 Touring\u2019s excess weight? What excess weight?<\/p>\n<h2>Heading South Past Jacksonville And Orlando<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-03.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-514334\" title=\"BMW M5 TOURING ROAD TRIP 03\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-03-830x623.jpg\" alt=\"BMW M5 TOURING ROAD TRIP 03\" width=\"830\" height=\"623\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-03-830x623.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-03-1365x1024.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-03-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-03-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-03.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>With a mere brush of the accelerator, this burly, 717-horsepower show-off finds every gap for overtaking; and as we pass Jacksonville and Orlando, continuing our southward journey, the question of why SUVs outsell everything else \u2014 while station wagons play such a minor role \u2014 grows ever louder in my mind. Drivers in passing full-size trucks \u2014 such as the Ford F-250 or Chevrolet Silverado Super Duty \u2014 look down upon the M5 from their thundering, elevated perches. Is it incomprehension? Admiration? Or simply the question of whether a vehicle without an open cargo bed serves any useful purpose at all?<\/p>\n<p>The answer is a resounding yes; for thanks in part to its powerful 145 kW (197 hp \/ 280 Nm) electric motor \u2014 cleverly tucked away within the transmission tunnel \u2014 the M5 Touring delivers not only performance on par with a high-powered Corvette, but also a level of everyday practicality that would impress even those Americans who dream of one day pushing a BMW M5 over the 300 km\/h mark on the German Autobahn.<\/p>\n<p>For beyond its spectacular performance figures, this behemoth from Dingolfing is also a perfect family companion. Behind the electric tailgate \u2014 which, unfortunately, no longer features a separately opening rear window \u2014 lies 17 cubic feet of cargo space; by folding down the rear seats, this can be flexibly expanded to over 56 cubic feet. Golf bags, tennis totes, small inflatable boats, four suitcases \u2014 and should you ever need to haul something even larger, most Americans in this income bracket likely have a pickup truck sitting in their driveway anyway.<\/p>\n<h2>Fort Lauderdale To Key West<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-01.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-514331\" title=\"BMW M5 TOURING ROAD TRIP 01\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-01-830x623.jpg\" alt=\"BMW M5 TOURING ROAD TRIP 01\" width=\"830\" height=\"623\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-01-830x623.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-01-1365x1024.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-01-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-01-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-01.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>After an evening stopover in Fort Lauderdale \u2014 and an encounter with a valet parker who was absolutely thrilled by the M5 Touring \u2014 we continued our journey the next day toward the Florida Keys. After some initial rain, the sun streamed through the panoramic roof into the cabin for a drive that remains, to this day, one of the most beautiful in all of North America.<\/p>\n<p>Depending on traffic \u2014 particularly on the perpetually congested I-95 in the greater Miami area \u2014 the drive to Key West takes about four hours, continuing via the Turnpike, Dixie Highway, and the Overseas Highway of Route 1. It is a route perfectly suited for an open-top convertible, yet it proves to be an equally stunning experience in this 201-inch-long sports wagon.<\/p>\n<h2>Where The Driver Assistance Earns Its Asterisk<\/h2>\n<p>One of the few details of the BMW M5 that fails to impress is its driver assistance system. Even with the optional \u201cDriving Assistant Professional\u201d package \u2014 a $1,700 upgrade \u2014 the driver is required to touch the steering wheel every few seconds; otherwise, the car begins to flash and beep in an annoyingly persistent manner. This offers precious little in the way of genuine relaxation \u2014 and certainly none that justifies the hefty price premium. Eyes must remain on the road, and hands on the wheel.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, with stops along the way at Islamorada \u2014 and continuing on through Conch Key and Big Pine Key all the way to the bustling streets of Key West \u2014 there is an abundance of ocean views, boats, and vibrant colors to enjoy. It may come as something of a surprise, however, that on the tourist-filled Duval Street, the M5 behemoth ultimately garners just as much attention as local landmarks like Sloppy Joe\u2019s, the Sponge Market, or the colorful flower-bedecked Sandy\u2019s Cafe close to the beach.<\/p>\n<h2>Charging: Still An Afterthought Down Here<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-00.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-514335\" title=\"BMW M5 TOURING ROAD TRIP 00\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-00-830x623.jpg\" alt=\"BMW M5 TOURING ROAD TRIP 00\" width=\"830\" height=\"623\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-00-830x623.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-00-1365x1024.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-00-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-00-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BMW-M5-Touring-Road-Trip-00.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, the situation at the local charging hotspots looks just as bleak as it did during the drive through South Carolina and Georgia. Charging stations are few and far between; when they can be found, they are typically located in parking garages or in front of shopping malls \u2014 places where the underbody battery pack can top up with a bit of extra energy.<\/p>\n<p>The fact that this powerhouse is limited to a maximum charging rate of 11 kW is, however, hardly an issue \u2014 many available charging stations deliver significantly less than that anyway. But then again, who would actually want to drive the BMW M5 PHEV Touring on electric power \u2014 and thus in near-silence \u2014 especially here in the USA, where a V8 combustion engine still reigns supreme?<\/p>\n<p><em>Stefan Grundhoff; press-inform<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"specs-container\">\n<h3>BMW M5 Touring<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Article Summary The BMW M5 Touring PHEV weighs 5,500 lbs and produces 727 hp, making it both the heaviest and most powerful M5 wagon ever built. At $140,775 as tested, it costs nearly $43,000 less than an equivalently equipped model in Germany \u2014 tariffs and all. Despite 40 miles of electric range and an 11 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":85722,"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-85721","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\/85721","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=85721"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85721\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/85722"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=85721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=85721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=85721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}