Mat Watson reveals his new car: living with a controversial performance estate
Car changing is a big deal
Mat Watson has taken delivery of his new daily driver, and it’s a car which has split opinions among enthusiasts. Here’s an introduction to his new, 727hp family wagon.
This is my new daily driver: the BMW M5 Touring. It’s been quite a polarising car since it was launched last year, and I didn’t gel with it straight away when I first reviewed it. The big controversy was the weight, because it tips the scales at a whopping 2,475kg.
And you do notice that mass when you’re flying down a country road, but once you get the settings right the M5 can be a proper hooligan. But now I want to know what it’s like to live with everyday, so let’s take a closer look at my new BMW M5 Touring.
Mat’s new BMW M5 Touring: introduction, price and options
The BMW M5 Touring starts from £116,000, which I think is pretty reasonable considering the performance. However, this car costs £140,000 with options.
My car has an orange interior for £500, as well as some extra carbon fibre interior trim costing £400. This exterior colour is called Fashion Grey, a £5,175 option, and the upgraded alloy wheels are an additional £850.
The most expensive option though is the Ultimate Pack, which costs almost £19,000. You could buy a Renault Clio for that.
Your £19,000 gets you carbon ceramic brakes with gold calipers, carbon fibre mirror caps, a panoramic glass roof, rear sun blinds, ventilated front seats, front and rear heated seats, autonomous cruise control, a self-parking system, alcantara headlining and an M Driver’s pack which increases the top speed from 155mph to 190mph.
Why am I living with the M5 Touring?
You might be wondering how I’ve ended up being given a £140,000 estate car for six months, and it’s because this is a long term test car.
Car manufacturers will lend cars to websites, YouTube channels and magazines for an extended period of time, with the idea being that having the car for up to six months gives you a much greater insight into what it’s like than the usual week-long tests we do for other reviews.
You get to see what it’s like to live with, warts and all, and my M5 Touring isn’t the only long term test car we have at Carwow. We have a fleet of them within the team, 10 cars in total, and you can find out which cars we’re running and how we’re getting on with them in our long-term reviews.
That “living with it” element is the reason I chose the M5 Touring over the saloon, because it’s much more practical. I might only have one child, but she comes with a lot of paraphernalia and the 500-litre boot is really handy for carrying it all around.
BMW M5 Touring: engine and performance
You probably don’t care too much about all this boring practicality stuff – you want to know about the performance.
The M5 Touring has a 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine which is mated to an electric motor, and combined they put out 727hp and 1,000Nm of torque. That’s a lot of power, but it needs to haul around almost two and a half tonnes thanks to the hybrid batteries.
But that hybrid system should make it economical, right? Well BMW claims this car will do 141mpg, but so far I’m getting just 20mpg. To be fair, I’ve only done a few hundred miles in the car so far, and I’ve drag raced it against the rest of our long termers. I’m going to reset the trip computer and see how fuel-efficient it is over the next six months.
BMW M5 Touring: first impressions and my plans for this car
I have a strange relationship with the BMW M5. When I first reviewed it I wasn’t overly impressed, mainly because of the weight. But then I tested it again against the Audi RS7 Performance and the Mercedes-AMG GT Four-Door, and I was surprised at how well the BMW handled in comparison.
Despite the heft, I thought it was the most playful of the three cars. Another thing I’ve already noticed compared to the Audi RS Q8 I had before is that I feel more obliged to drive the M5 like a performance car. I’d often forget that the Audi was the fast model, but a BMW M car always feels like a proper performance weapon.
I always feel engaged with the car, and it feels like more of an experience than an Audi RS model. Is it better? I’m not quite sure yet. I guess I’ll find out over the next six months.
So far I’ve noticed one thing which annoys me about this car, and it’s the fuel filler flap. Because this is a plug-in hybrid, you have to push a button on the dashboard to unlock it. I keep forgetting to do this.
I’ve got plenty of plans for this car. I’m going to see how much I end up actually charging the hybrid system and using the electric-only range, and I’m also going to take it on some track days to see what it’s like when you push it right to the limit.
If you want to stay up to date on my time with the M5 Touring, keep an eye on our Carwow fleet watch page.
Car change? Carwow!
Looking for a new set of wheels? With Carwow you can sell your car quickly and for a fair price – as well as find great offers on your next one. Whether you’re looking to buy a car brand new, are after something used or you want to explore car leasing options, Carwow is your one stop shop for new car deals.
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