Let me preface this by stating I did drive the M5 last week but was limited in how I wanted to adjust the settings and push the car. But a good friend is a now in charge of a local BMW store so he let me take the First Edition M5 for a longer test drive where I was able to really push the car and drive it bigger turns and tighter corners as well. I also was able to dissect the interior further for comfort and functionality vs our AMG's.

Here some cliff notes:

Speed/Acceleration/Brakes: My E63S is tuned with a beta tune from November so it feels just a slight bit more aggressive from launch but the M5 is more fluid and linear with its mph gains. I ran the M5 in sport plus settings and MDM Sport for the drive mode which is probably equal to Sport Plus in our cars. I honestly cant tell you what car is faster- the M5 gets there (to 150 plus) quick but in a different way. Since I drove the First Edition, the car has the M Sport Exhaust which all normal 2018 and 2019 M5's do not get so there is a good amount of burble and grumble but the cabin is so insulated its hard to know where you are in the car vs the E with its growl. As all the vids show, its a drivers race. I was able to really open up the M5 in very hot weather and the issues I had with 2016 and 2013 M5's are not there: heatsoak. Stock vs stock the M5's throttle felt just a bit better with a less mushy pedal and more immediate response. I could keep typing here but you get the gist; they are evenly matched. Based on my "butt" feel, I think the M5 might just be a tick quicker to 150 and I have said weight plays a big role. The E has more tq so that helps its cause to offset the weight gain. The M5 I drove has the irons but still great pedal feel and no fade. I have the CCB's in the E and they are brilliant but for regular driving the gain is really in brake dust reduction and a bump in your cost.

Handling/Comfort: Wow this one has me thinking. I have always said I can endure the E63S suspension because of my roads but driving the M5 gave me pause. Its just so much more soft on the same roads and I say this in a good way. None of that "thud" or "bang" like in the E63S. As most of you have owned an M5 in the past, you know that BMW feeling it exudes where the dampers and springs work very well to suck up the road undulations. So from a comfort perspective, the M5 is way better. But, if I want zero roll the E63S is the one that moves closer to that limit. The compression and rebound is so tight and in big bends I found my "non buffet eating" frame to be slightly pushed in the M5. Maybe it was the seats- which are equivalent to the standard E63S ones but there was more lean. It wasnt drastic and there are turns where I actually wanted that feel so I was better connected with the car and I can see why the M5 gets great handling reviews along with our E63S's. Its just a completely different feel when driving down the expressway in triple digit speeds. I am still so utterly impressed with the E63S and how it handles its weight. But I was also impressed with the M and its ability to soak up the crap on the streets.

Steering: I like the M steering better... I felt it had minimal understeer in hard turns and at higher speeds the wheel was just firm and solid with no movement. I have found at time that the electronic steering in the E tries to correct or hold in place and I would rather have my human input here. The E in the same 100 plus big bends has a bit more understeer while the M steering was more on point which is a big change from the F10 M5 steering to me. The M5 steering is more connected with the chassis and suspension for my style of driving. The E is in now way a slouch but for me I liked the M.

Interior/Amenities: OK so this one has come up alot- The E has the better appearance to me but the functionality of the M and its I drive is better. The tech is just fast (or normal) while the E is so slow but i have said before that wasnt a deal breaker and it still is not. I loved the cushy M5 seats with the 18 way adjustments and great cooling capability. I have the Performance Seats in my E so its hard to compare but if im turning over and over then the E seats are where I want my butt planted. The M feels just slightly more luxurious inside but they are both great interior laden cars. I really enjoy the I drive better, I didnt need to read the brochure to even modify anything and the steering wheel controls are good with a wheel and buttons to push versus that stupid finger pad with the E. Im not an audiophile but the Bowers and Wilkins system was good with decent highs and some bass. I dont really care here as long as the system is decent and both cars have good music deliveries (for me).

Transmission/Gearing: I am a big fan of the ZF tranny having had it on two of my RS7's, Jag F Type R, and Bentley GT3R. Some may think BMW lost their way leaving the DCT but the shift speed changes and fluidity is negligible in change. No one is on these cars 10/10ths, they are not race cars. The ZF holds the gears well and up shifts at higher rpms while not down shifting while cruising; I liked it and it serves it purpose with the electronics M added in. The E63S tranny is a bit wild as we all know with its thud downshifts and more violent pushes. But I like that, it makes me feel like the car is just ripping and some may hate it but its got that race car feel while the M is so fluid that you dont even feel the shifts all the way past 150mph. I think from an efficiency standpoint, both hold their weight with limited drive train loss. The performance numbers are key here where both run higher 12X traps and sub 3 second zero to 60 romps. So I cant really say anything is definitely better here but instead its a drivers' choice. Some might think in manual mode the E63S has too many gears and one can get lost in the wrong gear; I can see why but thats why I really just trust Sport Plus and D mode.

Exhaust: LOL--- thank god I drove the First Edition because it has the M Sport Exhaust. It needs it as the E63S owns this category. The M sounds good, really good, but I cant hear it always as much while the E63S noise is always in my face even with my ACP option. But I have heard Quickburns Sport Exhaust with the resonator pulled and its a nice blend of higher decibels and growl with some LeMans shreiking. I am one that must have exhaust noise to match up with speed and deceleration into turns... its part of the driving process so the M5 needs this Sport Exhaust or I would be swapping out the factory one asap (it was on the first car I drove last week and the exhaust was boring). I had my buddy rev the M5 while I was outside and it sounded really good which made me happy. I would need just a little more sound though so the resonator would go.

Looks/Appearance: I drove the First Edition and it has a unique look with the Frozen Red paint and Pearl White interior. The E, in my matte black paint, is more aggressive but the M5 carries itself well. Its bit more muted to me but this FE car is pretty wild. I think I like the E just a bit better with its more aggressive lines but this is not a deal breaker for me and the M.

So would I change cars? Sure. But not because the M is better on an absolute level because its not- they are so evenly matched its all going to boil down to personal preference on drive feel, usage, road situations, and at times brand loyalty. I have had 8 M's so Im not a just a Benz Fanboy. I think because I personally like to drive new cars and own them for a while the M will be in my garage soon. The E is coming up on a birthday and that says alot about what it means to me. Its so wonderful to have choices like this and I know you all appreciate it at the end of the day. There are so many cliches to describe these cars- I think I would just say the M is now the sleeper while the E63S is the "in your face, wideawake" machine. Both are beasts.

Here are a few cheesy cell shots I took:

 

nice review, thanks.
both are amazing machines and i think it mostly comes down to personal preference more than anything else.
one is not wildly better at anything than the other, except perhaps as you mentioned, the suspension on the AMG is a bit harsher than it needs to be.

 

 

I dont like that horrendous red color, but i do think that the M5 stance/shape looks more aggressive than the more curvaceous E63s design.

 

Stock vs stock I would say the E lags just a small amount more but thats due to the electronics. Ive always felt that BMW has/had very responsive throttle settings, sometimes almost too touchy. I could also the attribute the difference to the amount of "push" needed on the E (more imput) than the M IMO.

 

LOL Its an acquired taste but I liked it because of how it changes in the lighting from bright red to deep red to dark dark red in the shade. Its definitely unique.

 

Nice!!! will you be trading in the E for the M or adding the M to the already ridiculously impressive stable?

 

 

I just hate how BMW hasn't rolled out all the options for the m5 yet like sport exhaust or competition package...wtf bmw.

Also, I hate the berry colored paint with light interior...the bmw interior is kind of busy too...


Thx for the review tho!

 

Didn't the infotainment get a update (hardware) about halfway through 2018MY? I say that because I test drove the M5 my local BMW dealer just got (almost base-optioned) and the nav, stereo, etc. just as fast as my April '18 produced wagon.

 

That might be the case for my Feb 2017 E63S build... its slow but I dont really mind it. I like the M5 accessibility and ease of operation better but again this is all subjective.

 

Its ironic as I felt that way on the first drive but then again, the sales guy wouldnt let me run MDM Sport with all the aggressive settings ticked. I had this one for 2 days so I got so much more out of it. This is why when I buy a car, and I buy alot, that I do more than one test drive as the first can either be too good or not good enough. Placebo effect usually comes to mind.

 

So do you really see anything the competition version is going to improve upon? Seems your only nitpick was the exhaust and the FE has the same exhaust as the CE.

 

@VIC55 How much $K for the M5 FE?

 

The CE will get a small bump in hp up top but I hear in the real world the testers cant discern the difference. And a tune will get you way past that. It gets slightly more taut dampers and all the black out bits but I would lower mine with KW anyways. The CE will have a terrible 15k 3 year residual of 48; thats Audi territory. And while I did nitpick the M5 exhaust that was more aligned on the car without the M Sport version.

I think the 2018 M5 is the deal right now, you can get a 61% residual and work the store for a nice discount on a sitting unit and there is about 12% from msrp to holdback which means room to move.

The FE retails at 128595 but no CCB's--- you do get the upgraded stereo that the Edition 1 doesnt grant us. Plus soft close doors, heated steering wheel, and a few other things.. stuff I dont really care about.

 

Easier to find a deal on an M5 right now anyway, 280 listed for sale compared to 38 E63s. Just stay away from dealers that think they can charge over sticker looking to fleece an impulse buyer. Local dealership has the darker blue over brown with just two packages, listed for $105k.

 

BMW always seems to reward patient M5 buyers lol.

 

Not pushing BMW here but just a tip. For anyone remotely interested in any BMW purchase, be sure to join the BWM Car Club of America (see BMWCA.org) first. There's an annual fee (I think $48) that includes monthly magazine about BMW, parts discounts at dealer, but most importantly a Rebate program for any New or CPO BMW bought at the dealer that is independent of the deal you do with the dealer. This its year round and independent of any dealer program. You just send in a copy of your PO and your member number to BMWCA and (for the 5 series) they send you a check for $1000, no strings attached. The only requirement is that you be a paid member first. Again...not pimping for BMW here just a tip for anyone who's thinking about buying one in the future. I've done it at least 5-6 times...easy money.

 

 

Yes...the roofline and (famous) rear quarter window trim called the hofmeister (sic) hook thats been around since the E34 and carries over for successive generations makes the 5 series recognizable at a glance. That they can keep the heavily spec'd F90 M5 within 100 lbs of the original E39 M5 is amazing. Again, I'm not pimping for BMW...just saying.

 

 

 

One caveat here, to get the 1k rebate you have to be a member for at least 1 year or now you can just buy the 3 year membership up front and get the rebate right away. Also if you lease and have a BMW in the family you can get a 2k loyalty add on and another 1k via the Conquest program (these 2k and 1k rebates are exclusive of the BMWCCA)


Its got a flashback look, no doubt. I think this is your car.

 

if BMW will make m5 wagon .......i came from M cars to AMG for wagon.