The M5’s optional Silverstone Leather buckets are outstanding. They fit the driver’s frame nicely, providing considerable bolstering for on-track antics as well as plenty of back and butt support for long-distance driving. There is a good 40.7 inches of headroom and 41.4 inches of legroom, respectively. Comparing those numbers to cross-shopped alternatives like the Audi RS7, Dodge Charger Hellcat, and Mercedes-AMG E63, only the Charger offers a little more space for feet (41.8 inches).
The back bench provides excellent long-term support and is just as plush as the front buckets. None of the vehicles in this class excel in rear passenger space, but the M5’s second row is strong; its 38.5 inches of headroom and 36.5 inches of legroom are marginally better than those of the Charger and E63. However, with 40.1 inches of legroom, the Charger continues to reign supreme.
The M5 Comp’s ride quality is the only thing we find lacking. Even in Comfort mode, the ride can be rough because of the basic M5’s lower ride height, stiffer springs, and stronger anti-roll bars. It also doesn’t help that the optional 20-inch wheels and Pirelli P Zero tires are quite thin.
In This Article...
So I can’t Purchase a Regular M5?
No, my friend, not here. It was an unusual move from BMW, not least because its main rival, the Mercedes-AMG E63, persisted with two power outputs and an entry point below PS 100,000 (barely), something the M5 Competition couldn’t provide. The year 2020 surely brought us trickier disclosures. The M5 Comp’s starting price in 2022 is PS107,520 before options. You’ll also include alternatives. We’ll discuss those shortly.
But it’s important to keep in mind that BMW did offer us another M5 choice for a short while. When the full-fat PS140,780, 626 horsepower M5 CS debuted in Spring 2021, it was the most potent M vehicle ever produced. Despite not being a limited edition, BMW only ever intended to produce it for a year. By clicking on these blue words, you can read our entire review.
Performance – Engine, Transmission, and Other
The base model of the M5’s twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 produces 600 horsepower. This number rises to 617 horses in the Competition, which is more track-focused. We took the Competition’s V-8 to a dynamometer since we thought it had considerably more power than that; there, our concerns were confirmed. Additionally, we’ve fastened our testing equipment to both the standard M5 and the Competition version. Both exceeded our expectations because to their incredible stopping power, sports-car-like cornering grip, and brutally rapid acceleration. The Competition also demonstrated its superiority over the standard M5 during the 2019 Lightning Lap competition on the Grand Course at Virginia International Raceway. The M5 faithful will bemoan the removal of the manual transmission and all-wheel drive, but this BMW features a high-tech drivetrain that can direct all of the torque to the rear wheels for thrilling performance. Here, lively, precise steering and a well-controlled, albeit harsh ride improve driving enjoyment. This does not imply that the M5 cannot serve as a luxury sedan as well: It travels serenely on Comfort mode, the interior being eerily quiet.
The Finding
In just 3.1 seconds, the 2021 BMW M5 Competition can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph. There is no denying that the super sedan from BMW is a fast vehicle.
You know how the M5 feels, though, when you’re behind the wheel? It resembles the quickest, prettiest, and most costly Honda Accord in the planet. I also mean that in the kindest possible terms, despite the fact that it might sound slight. The Accord is great. The Accord is a fantastic vehicle. Lots of these are sold by Honda. It drives comfortably in all circumstances, seems agile for its size and genre, and has a respectable appearance. It is also a family car for grownups. However, it’s not the kind of car that kids fantasize about and hang images of on their bedroom walls.
And that’s okay in the case of the Accord. That car wasn’t intended for it. If taken at face value, the M5 serves the upper class in the same capacity. It appears to have been designed for the mid-level executive to lazily cruise around in peaceful luxury and, when he or she is in the mood for it, Autobahn-crushing speed. Even if there is nothing fundamentally wrong with a car like that, especially in terms of BMW’s financial health, I’m not sure I would still classify it as an enthusiast’s vehicle.
Briefly said, the BMW M5 Competition is a tool—a sensationally capable, finely constructed tool—but it is still a tool. Perhaps where the Competition fails, the M5 CS succeeds, but that will be the subject of another examination.
I dislike
To put things in perspective, the previous M5 Competition’s suspension was so rigid that it made this performance sedan practically unlivable on a daily basis. Every lump and imperfection in the suspension could be felt, even at the Comfort setting that is by default. It was quite terrifying.
The Competition sports 10% stiffer front and rear springs, a firmer rear anti-roll bar, higher negative camber in the front tires for improved cornering grip, and a 0.2-inch lower body to the ground than a standard M5. In order to soften the ride, BMW upgrades the shocks and calibrates the damper control system for the 2021 Competition.
Does this all function? Yes, oh my. The chassis is no longer completely unbalanced while rolling over highway expansion joints, and you won’t grind your teeth when hitting an errant pothole. The ride quality is substantially improved over before, even with the Competition’s larger 20-inch wheels and summer tires (the basic M5 has 19s).
Furthermore, none of this is done at the expense of poise. In fact, now that the default Comfort option really does what it’s supposed to do, I’m not afraid to switch to Sport or Sport Plus for a bit extra stiffness when the situation calls for it, like when I’m driving down an exceptionally smooth California canyon road. With active all-wheel drive and an electronic rear limited-slip differential, the M5 Competition maintains a level surface while turning. The best.
The BMW M5 is useful, right?
The BMW M5 is useful in addition to having supercar-like performance. The M5, which is based on the regular BMW 5-Series, has five seats, a big trunk, cubby areas to store things, and useful technologies to make life easier.
The Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG and Audi RS6 are excellent competitors, but the new M5 is even more fuel-efficient than the previous generations. Although it doesn’t quite match the M550d’s diesel engine in terms of fuel economy, it does have a pleasant V8 rumbling coming from the exhaust.
How comfy is the BMW M5 Competition?
The M5’s interior is pretty pleasant overall, featuring plush leather surfaces and subtle metal accents. Rear seat passengers enjoy plenty of head- and legroom, and the seats are supportive and comfy.
The quickest BMW is the M5 Competition, right?
The M5 CS, which symbolizes the peak of BMW M’s famous super sedan and is also the most potent and quick-accelerating vehicle the company has ever made, has been formally unveiled.
What rivals the BMW M5?
The last day of operation for Wicked Twister was September 6, 2021. The roller coaster, a centerpiece of Ohio’s Cedar Point amusement park, debuted in 2002 with a novel concept: rather than sending riders around a loop, it would blast them out of a station at zero to 72 mph in 2.5 seconds and up a 215-foot-tall vertical, spiral track using linear induction motors.
The motors on the 32-seat train then propel it in the other direction through the station, propelling it backward up a mirror-image tower on the other side. Instead of looking like the wooden coaster on the preceding pages, the track resembles a pair of enormous, misshapen yellow goal posts. Lines like “Guests must have a minimum of three working extremities” are among Wicked Twister’s warnings. That kind of ride suits us.
And what better way to get there than in a four-door sedan powered by a 600-hp V-8 if you’re going to make the trek to ride a soon-to-be-decommissioned roller coaster? A trio of them, the 2021 Audi RS7, 2021 BMW M5 Competition, and 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing would be even better. In a recent C/D comparison test of raked-roof four-doors, the 591-hp Audi defeated the BMW M8 Competition Gran Coupe and Mercedes-AMG GT63 S, proving its reliability. This time, we chose to compare the Audi against more traditional sedans in its pricing range. The 617-hp M5 and 668-hp Blackwing are now available. For 2021, the M5 received several beneficial updates, such as new Track mode and adjusted dampers, while the Blackwing is a brand-new model that takes the place of the CTS-V. We also invited the Mercedes-AMG E63 S, but Benz was unable to provide a vehicle; as a result, it and other V-8 Mercedes may miss the 2022 model year. Maserati had better judgment than to plunge a Ghibli Trofeo into this grinder.
We somehow made our way into Cedar Point and waited patiently for our time for Wicked Twister, ignoring the drifting and donut possibilities of the park’s enormous empty outside parking lots. It didn’t let me down; you can tell a good ride when the attendant seizes loose-fitting shoes before it departs. We rode a ton of other things after being Wickedly Twisted, such as the 93 mph Millennium Force and the barrel-rolling Maverick, in order to prepare ourselves for the g-forces that were shortly to be given by forced-induction V-8s and enormous, sticky tires. Yes, taking more rides was the sensible course of action.
In a theme park, leaving through the exit gates is typically a letdown. However, we had a car with 24 cylinders and 1876 horsepower in the parking lot, and we had a plan to travel a great distance home via the Hocking Hills region of southern Ohio’s winding highways. It’s not like there are genuinely any losers here, one tester said as they looked at our loaded trio of four-doors. We did, however, all settle on a favorite ride.
Why is the BMW M5 so famous?
Such vehicles shouldn’t cut corners, and the BMW M5 Competition offers a massive 530 liters of luggage space to match its exceptional performance. This four-door supercar can handle daily family life just as well as it can on a racetrack thanks to the spacious rear seats.
dependable new BMW M5?
The BMW M5 F10 may provide anywhere from 150,000 to 200,000 miles of dependable service with the original engine and transmission, according to a number of trustworthy automotive sources. Of course, that assumes you follow the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule.
Among the crucial services are:
- Rotate the tires, top off the coolant, and replace the oil and oil filter after 5,000 miles.
- At 10,000 miles, check the fluid levels in the steering, suspension, cooling system, and all other systems, and replace the coolant if necessary.
- Replace the fuel filter, brake pads, and brake fluid every 30,000 miles.
- Replace the engine and cabin air filters at 60,000 miles.
Many owners have mentioned coping with expensive overhauls well below the 100,000-mile mark on numerous sites. But among BMW aficionados, there are plenty of fanatics who experiment with dangerous music and power levels. There is no need to worry about high repair costs as long as you don’t abuse a BMW M5.
What distinguishes an M5 competition from an M5?
The rear rubber bushings on ordinary M5 vehicles are replaced with solid ball joints and stiffer engine mounts on the M5 Competition. Drivers will receive model-specific floor mats, seatbelts, and a TFT screen in the instrument cluster within the M5 competition’s interior.
BMWs or Audis are more dependable?
Reliability is another area where BMW outperforms Audi. Recently, all BMW models received expected reliability ratings that were above average. The well-known 5 Series received the highest rating, while the 2 Series, 4 Series, X1 and X4 also earned commendable results. Audi’s grades are significantly lower, and the brand received an average overall rating. Only three of Audi’s 12 models—the A5, A7, and A8—have anticipated reliability ratings that are above average, while the other four received below-average ratings.