2022 BMW M5 Sedan Review: Inching Closer To Perfection

Still fresh from a facelift it received last year, the 2022 BMW M5 is the familiar high-performance midsize sedan we know and love, and it remains one of the segment's benchmarks. While there is a new and even more powerful M5 CS, the regular M5 provides more power and performance than most will ever need. Its twin-turbocharged V8 produces 600 horsepower to enable the heavy sedan to cover the 0-60 mph sprint in just 3.2 seconds. If that's not enough, you can still get a Competition version that throws in another 17 horses. Although it isn't a visceral sports car that communicates freely with the driver, it flawlessly switches between mile-munching luxury sedan and tire-shredding M car depending on your mood. Then again, the Mercedes-AMG E63 S possesses the same duality of character and its interior is a more exciting place to sit, while the Audi RS7 cuts a dashing figure and is also brutally quick. While past M5s like the E39 may have strolled their way to easy victories against the best of the rest, two decades have passed and the 2022 M5 has its work cut out trying to maintain its edge.

2022 M5 Sedan Exterior

Dimensions

2022 M5 Sedan Performance

Handling and Driving Impressions

There's a lot to unpack here, so let's start with the main criticism against the M5. The exhaust note is simply too soft, but that's okay because the 4.4-liter twin-turbo doesn't sound particularly good. A magical exhaust note plays a massive role in a performance car, and it's particularly relevant in an M5, so we're a little disappointed with this compared to previous iterations.

As part of the M5's 2021 facelift, BMW fitted new shocks and recalibrated the damping. Not to make the M5 more hardcore, but rather to soften it up a bit. In this mode, it feels more like a normal 5 Series - comfortable, effortless, and luxurious on all surfaces. But since this is an M5, we're more interested in the dynamic stuff. The M5 has an annoying number of modes, but luckily you get two M switches on the steering wheel that immediately set the car up in one of two pre-programmable modes, allowing you to choose a mid-point and a hardcore setup that suits you.

The various modes include Comfort, Sport, and Sport+ for the suspension and three modes for the M xDrive AWD (4WD, 4WD Sport, and 2WD). The latter is more commonly known as drift mode. In all the years that the M5 has been around, this is the first time you have to press a button to make it RWD. After that, you select how much stability control you want, which means if you tinker enough, you can find the perfect setup for your driving style. We prefer the engine and gearbox in Sport, suspension in Comfort, the AWD system in 4WD Sport, and the dynamic stability control either on or partially off depending on road conditions.

It's genuinely remarkable that BMW managed to make a 4WD system that feels like rear-wheel drive. You'd expect it to understeer, but it doesn't, and it's remarkably willing to get its tail out in 4WD Sport without things getting too lairy. 2WD mode is a bit of a gimmick as with that much power available, you either have to be a real pro or it'll eat you for lunch. There's no practical real-world application for it other than bragging rights.

Once classified as a trim, M5 buyers can now specify the Competition Package. It does more\ than just up the power to 617 hp as it comes with a model-specific Track mode, firmer engine mounts, a stiffer suspension setup, 20-inch alloy wheels, and an M Sport exhaust. The latter unleashes a bit more of the V8 fury, but it's still a bit muted for our liking. These changes make the M5 less forgiving on-road and a little more suited to track use, particularly in the everything-off Track mode, which even blanks out the infotainment display and turns the audio system off. The digital instrument cluster and head-up display both go into M View, only providing track-related information.

2022 M5 Sedan Interior

2022 M5 Sedan Trunk and Cargo Space

Warranty

Verdict: Is the 2022 BMW M5 Sedan A Good car?

The M5 will always be a highly-respected member of the automotive industry. It kick-started an entire genre of cars and BMW's respected M division. You see, it exists because a few enthusiastic engineers bolted the engine from the M1 supercar into the humble body of the E28 5 Series. What resulted was the fastest sedan in the world at the time. Obviously, Mercedes couldn't let BMW get away with that. Without the M5, the performance sedan as we know it wouldn't exist. So even if you're a Merc or Audi fan, you have to respect the M5.

Whether an M5 is good or not depends on one crucial question: Is it a supercar slayer in a comfortable, luxurious sedan body? The answer is yes. It has enough straight-line power to give an Audi R8 a headache, yet it can carry four people in sheer comfort. On a track, it's bizarrely nimble and vast amounts of fun as a result. Adding all-wheel drive has done nothing but improve the original spirit of the M5. We'll summarize by stating that the M5 could very well be the answer to that one question automotive geeks always argue about. If you had to choose one car to live with for the rest of your life, what would it be? We'd be delighted to spend the rest of our existence on this floating space rock in a BMW M5.

2022 BMW M5 Sedan Comparisons

2022 BMW M5 Sedan vs Audi RS6 Avant

The world is split into two groups - those who dig wagons and those who think they look like hearses. Since most automotive enthusiasts seem to fall into the first category, the Audi RS6 is a proper rival to the M5. First, Audi must be feeling quite smug. It has been right about quattro all these years, waiting for its German rivals to catch up. Its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with mild-hybrid assistance delivers 591 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. By comparison, the Audi is down on power but has an additional 37 lb-ft of torque. The Bimmer is faster to 60 mph (3.2 seconds vs 3.5), but both top out at 190 mph. In the BMW, you have to attend class for a day, while the Audi requires the $9,000 ceramic brakes to unlock its true top speed.

Being a wagon, the Audi is more practical. Its 30-cube trunk easily beats the BMW's 14 cubes. Although Audi has spent more time developing AWD, the BMW's system feels more sorted. You can switch the BMW between 4WD and RWD, but the drift mode isn't suited for road use as we mentioned earlier. The RS6 brings something fresh to the table with its stunning exterior. To our eyes, it looks a lot better than the Bimmer. Then again, looks aren't enough of a reason to win a battle. We recommend a test drive in both before you buy and that's not a cop-out - it's just how good these cars are at the moment.

2022 BMW M5 Sedan vs Mercedes-AMG E63 Sedan

It's fascinating that two completely different manufacturers came up with the exact same recipe for the blistering executive express. Both have twin-turbocharged V8s and AWD that allow you to disengage the front axle. On paper, the E63 has the M5 beat. Its hand-assembled twin-turbocharged V8 produces 603 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque. That's just three horsepower more than the BMW, but you will notice the additional 74 lb-ft of torque. Still, the claimed performance figures are incredibly close. The BMW sprints to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds, while the Mercedes takes 3.3 seconds. At the top end, the BMW is faster (with the M Driver's package included), but only because the Merc is limited to 186 mph.

Dynamically speaking, this battle has historically been one-sided, with BMW often coming out on top. The current cars are too close and modern AMGs can go around corners as effectively as they accelerate in a straight line, however. Both are talented enough for us not to base a verdict relying on ride and handling. So, we have to turn to less exciting aspects to separate the two. The BMW has a bigger trunk (14 cubes trumps 13.1 cubes) and a complimentary maintenance plan. We refuse to make this call based on practicality and logic. In fact, we won't even make a call because you already have. Allow us to explain. If you're in the 30 to 50 age bracket, the E39 M5 and 2003 E55 came along during those highly formative years where you wish you could afford one, but you could only read about them in magazines. Back then, you chose one, and you will defend it to the death. And that's most likely the one you'll end up buying once you've made enough money.