Finally got my test drive last week, after the press had let the car go... Dont know if anyone cares how an ex E39 M5 owner, who has had AMG cars and now a PTT with the powerkit, thinks of the new M5, but here goes anyway.
Where do I start? The car was a gorgeous lightning blue, but sadly the tires were very worn after the press. It affected my test a little, but luckily it was dry when I drove it and only started to rain at the end of the test drive. Yes, we get a lot of rain and snow here.
Back to the car, did I allready mention it is a HOOLIGAN! There is a saying, or atleast there should be a saying, test drive the car yourself before making up your mind, magazines can give you a very wrong impression. Calling this car too refined is BS, it totally convinced me. The blue color suits it very well and is the best color with the blue brake calipers. I walked past the black showroom car earlier, without noticing its an M5 and didnt really like its red seats. But if you like to be really stelthy, black is your color. This blue car was visible from a long way in the parking lot. The center console I didnt like with the red interior, but somehow it looked much better with the black interior in this car. It is a very modern and sporty place to be. This car had comfort seats, which I found to be adequate, very comfortable, but they still offered some lateral support and I managed to get a very good driving position. I also liked the steeringwheel feeling.
Power and Performance: I have a hard time understanding people who would want more power in a family sedan, 560bhp is ENOUGH! This a very powerful car. It didnt have a noticable turbo lag. I am very surprised by this. The power came instantly, and although there is somekind of lag, it is not noticable as you get instant action when mashing the throttle. Very different than my old 997TT for example. I experienced extreme traction issues though and it was very hard to launch from a dig. On the highway its a different story. The power is almost instant and there is enough of it. Yes, there is really a lot of power in this car. I tried driving in the sportiest settings in the city stop-go traffic. Its undrivable. The same car that behaves like a 1.0l VW Polo with the comfort mode, feels like you are trying to hold a bear using dental floss. I havent experienced bunny hopping for many years now, actually not since the E39 M5, but managed it with this car. Its an insanly cool and stimulating car this. In the Panny you can easily drive it in sport plus mode and it totally obays your every move. It is a more obedient subordinate! Hence I think the M5 is a hooligan, but one that puts a smile on your face.
About the equipment. This test car had the self sealing doors. I really dont think this is an option I would pay for. The head up display is really cool. I have polarized sunglasses and the system didnt work with those, but it is a really cool feature and think all cars should have this.
I liked the lane change and depart systems. They worked without being intrusive. It also had standard audio, which I found to be adequate. I was listening to the sound with an open roof for most of the time anyway. Boy was it fun to mash the throttle in a tunnel. Actually in the tunnel with the sunroof open, it is the only time I hear my Panny. Why does it have to be so quiet inside even with sport exhaust on? Dont hate sound sympozers, love them. If they work like in the M5, I dont care what or who makes the sound. I also liked it in the A6 biturbo. Bring it on! WHo cares where it comes from.
Plusses: Sound, sound and sound. Maybe coming from an überquiet car it made me smile. The car has insane amounts of power. The turbos are virtually lag free and the gear changes are really quick and seemless. This is a truly fantastic M-car and brings me back memories of the E39 M5. -It also looks very nice, they really succeeded in the looks. I think it actually looks as good as the 6 series, in the previous models I think the &-series was clearly a better looking car.
-The car has an insane amount of power, and to those waiting for the tuning I really dont get why anyone would ant more power on a RWD car, but of course this is a personal opinnion.
-Fuel consumption. In the PTT I managed 11.8 l/100km on the way to the shop and the same route with the M5, 8.7 l/100km!!!!!! All I can say is wow. I even got 6.7l/100km when driving 90km/h!
Minuses (relative):
-I think although the gear change lever looks nice and the reverse mode resembles a manual gearbox, I found it a little hard to use. I prefer a setup more resembling an automatic. I think they made it this way just to make people feel more like its a manual gearbox. For example throughout the test drive the car shouted at me that it is not in P when I stopped, but there is no way you can select P. I believe it is automatic and engages when you turn the engine off? The car deliverer actually stepped out of the car and it started rolling until he jumoed back in, so it isnt just me.
-The blinker thing is just not logical, I had to turn it off manually to stop blinking constantly. Didnt bother to read the manual how it should be operated, dont think one should.
-WHy does the start stop thing work in sport plus mode?? In my Panny it only works when the car is in comfort mode
-Why doesnt it have AWD as an option for those who need it?
Compared to the Panny:
-This car lets you be more unnoticed in the city. Other BMW drivers went crazy and drove past me at insane speeds with their thumbs up when they saw it, but others didnt notice it that much. This I like. The Panny gets amateur photographers everywhere and if you try to change the lane in the city, other drivers are sure to try to block the move.
-The seating feel makes the Panny feel like a sportscar, but...and I never though I would say this... I got more of a sportscar feeling from the M5. The Panny is extremly quiet and you only get the sense of speed from other passangers shouting. The M5 growls and makes bang noises when downshifting. Simple speedo coparison seemed to be similar in both cars, but boy did you feel it in the M5. The back end slides as you almost lose it and the exhaust shouts the V8 sounds. Very exciting! That said the Panny with its PDCC turns a little better in corners, without any leaning. In the sound segment the M5 wins 6-0.
-I like the Panny interior more, but somehow I think they made the car too luxurious at the expense of sportiness. I think the M5 interior would be enough for me, its very modern and I kind of liked the idrive system. Little mixed feelings on the dotted aluminum.
-The M5 seems to pull more the faster you go, there is a lot of power available and the chassis really follows your moves, but I feel there is a traction control. It was very hard to get moving from stop, there is so much slipping and sliding going on. In my opinnion in the sport plus, fastet gearchange mode, it was honestly a little scary at times. The torque kicks in instantly feg. in corners when you throttle it and sometimes makes the back behave a little unexpectedly, a little like when motorcycles get the shakes. In the Panny you never get this feeling and you fell like you could tune it forever and in a similar situation the back end just slides easily. I think this was mostly due to the worn out tires though. Still, I think there is a limit to how much power there can be in a RWD family sedan and this is close to it.
-The Pannys standard paddles on the steering wheel are not logical and dont feel right. The extra cost paddles are perfect, but you lose the multifunctionality. The M5 paddles are a perfect combination of both.
To end my writing, I really liked the car. It is very hard not to. I was hoping Id hate it, as I really cant live without AWD, unless I move back to the city. If you dont need AWD, this really is the car for you who likes REALLY FAST sedans. I think the M5 is intended at younger customers than the Panny, but I definately dont feel too old for the M5. For some reason when I drove the RS5 I felt a little embarassed by the throttle blips etc. and felt old, the RS6 was more refined, but lacked the exhaust noise, resembling the Panny actually. However, the RS6 also had a numb steering feel. The M5 is now a very good combination of everyday usability and a monster waiting to be unleashed. I really would like to buy this car, but the winters here are long and snowy and I just cant seem to get myself back to a RWD car anymore. I think if you wouldnt get home at all minimum x2 in a year you would get my point. Then the M550d will probably be too refined for my taste.
I honestly think this is the best M5 so far by a long way. And if you compare it to all of the AMG's I have driven? I still think BMW makes cars with probably the best steering feel in the world, the AMG's cant match it. You feel really connected to the road. BTW those thinking of a manual gearbox, please try the dct, its very good.