Why BMW M5 is the best?

Is there any other saloon car in a quarter of a century that could’ve bested the E39 M5? Not according to you lot

By John Howell / Sunday, 30 April 2023 / Loading comments

Well, thanks a bundle everyone. Talk about making my life as hard as possible. Last year we made a PH Heroes video about the E39 M5. Now, I poured my heart and soul into that film. In it, I put all the stories about when I used to own an E39 M5, so it wasn’t a car review as such, but more a love letter to a wonderful car that I used to own.

Basically, then, I left nothing on the table, thinking that was it. That was going to be ο E39 M5 video for PH. It had so much detail that at one point I even got the rechargeable torch out the glovebox and told you about how that might save your life. Actually, that was probably the least valuable part of the video, but there was a lot more besides that. And what did you go and do? You only went and voted the E39 M5 your favourite saloon car of the last 25 years.

I agree, of course; it’s a brilliant car. But the E39 M5 video was done, and then some. What the heck else can I tell you about it now? Why couldn’t a few more of you have voted for the E46 M3 instead, or the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrafoglio, which ended up coming in second? Either of those two would’ve made my life so much easier because I’d have had something new to say.

Still, how upset could I be? It’s hardly surprising that so many of you voted it the best saloon car of the last 25 years – I called the E39 peak M5, so we’re definitely all singing from the same hymn sheet. And to create something new for this video, we’ve decided to focus on the main areas that made – and make – the car so special. We also decided to bring the Giulia Quadrifoglio along on the day we filmed the video. We did this for two reasons.

Firstly, it was your second choice, and only by a whisker was it pipped by the M5. The latter took 32 per cent of the vote and the QF just under 30 per cent. From that point of view, it seemed wrong not to acknowledge it in some way. The other reason was context. To show how these mega saloons have morphed over a quarter of a century. I remember when I first drove an E39 M5 and, genuinely, I couldn’t believe how fast it was at that time – we’re talking about 1999. Back then, the idea that saloons would get any faster seemed ridiculous. But by crikey they have, and then some.

Just look at the stats. The BMW E39 M5 has 400hp and 369lb ft. It does 0-62 in five seconds, depending on who’s counting, and hits a limited 155mph. The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrafoglio has 510hp and 443lb ft. That fires it to 62mph in 3.9sec and it tops out at 191mph. To have knocked more than a second off the zero to sixty time of an already quick car is astonishing, and this is the second rung of performance saloons, remember. The current M5 has 625hp horsepower and will do the nought-to-sixty dash in 3.3 seconds. The difference that marks out the Alfa from the F90 M5 and makes it feel more like the spiritual successor to the E39 is size. The F90 feels huge on the road, while the Alfa is surprisingly compact and more like the old-timer BMW – more so even than the current M3, as it goes.

Another trait that the QF shares with the E39 is its docile handling. Sliding the E39 really is one of its standout qualities, because few other high-performance cars are as easy to go sideways in as safely. Even with the QF’s huge turbo-induced torque, it feels just as playful. That’s a great strength it has over its contemporaries. The Alfa also steers more sweetly than the E39, and the lightness and delicacy of its rack is another thing that adds to its flyweight feel on the road. However, it doesn’t rise to the challenges of a British B-road as well in other ways.

Over crests and dips the Alfa bucks about and loses composure in its bumpy road mode, which sets the dampers at their softest. Throw in a few odd-beat cambers and there’s plenty of side-to-side sway in the car as well – at one point I was following the Alfa and could see its driver’s head being whipped from left to right like it was some sort of rollercoaster ride. If you shove the dampers into sport it hunkers down, but then feels unnecessarily stiff. The E39, meanwhile, was an absolute joy across the same section road. There’s no adjustability for its suspension – this is an old-school, analogue car, with a one-size fits all passive set-up – but it doesn’t need multiple modes. It always flows down the road beautifully, absorbing everything thrown its way. So while I watched my colleague’s discomfort through the Alfa’s rear window, I was completely cosseted in the M5.

And that’s the thing. The E39 M5 was, and still is, such a well-rounded car. Its ride comfort is supreme, its cornering potential mega, and, despite the advances in power and torque, its performance remains mighty. That fantastic S62 V8 also sounds so joyful. It can be both woofly and angry, depending on how far down the throttle is pinned and how high the revs are. It’s not as flamboyant sounding as the QF, yet I prefer the honesty of the M5’s engine note. You know there’s no trickery going on to falsify it; this is a natural wind instrument playing a beautiful, soulful tune. And honestly, despite the charm of the Alfa, I walked away from my day filming both feeling that the right car had won. The best saloon car of the last 25 years is the E39 M5. You may have made my life hard, but you absolutely made the right decision.

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Byl to BMW M5 the genesis for the modern performance car? While the Golf GTI pioneered the idea that small hatchbacks could transform into something a bit more fun and desirable for the masses, the M5 was perhaps the first car to truly showcase that family cars could deliver supercar-baiting levels of pace with thrilling handling, setting the template for future M models and a flood of imitators from BMW’s key rivals.

The M5 is very nearly knocking on the door of 40 years on sale, and its future in BMW’s increasingly electrified line-up is a topic likely to ignite in the coming months. BMW is poised to reveal a new 5 Series later in 2023, and so a fresh chapter in M5 history will be written not soon after.

So before then, we’ve put our collective M-branded thinking caps on to come up with an unofficial, Goodwood Road & Racing ranking of every version of Munich’s iconic super-saloon. Agree with our choices? Or have we gravely underestimated some underrated entries?

6. F10 M5 (2011-2016)

Let’s get one thing straight from the off here – the F10 generation M5 is not a bad car. Not at all. In fact, it could even stand out as a bit of a high-point with its combination of luxurious materials, sky-high build quality and thumping performance, catapulting the M5 into the contemporary era. It’s safe to say that it nailed the M5’s brief and then some. However, while the F10 is a jack of all trades, it lacks a defining characteristic.

The turbocharged S63 4.4–litre V8 chucks out an immense amount of power – 60PS (412kW) – and the dual-clutch gearbox was a big improvement on the SMG transmissions of the past. But it’s a climb down in notoriety from the berserk 5.0-litre V10 of its predecessor, and had a fairly anonymous appearance.

5. E60/61 M5 (2004-2010)

The E60-generation M5 is perhaps the version most likely to entertain a Marmite reputation, blending its scorching appeal with a litany of issues. It represented a high point in terms of BMW’s confidence in the M5 badge, but perhaps a bit of overconfidence, on the back of the strong sales and following the model had developed with the E39.

The divisive styling came straight from BMW’s mid-2000s playbook, and it was with the E60-generation that BMW last offered a Touring variant (E61) for M5. This unapologetic approach to how the M5 appeared – a complete revolution from the cool, late 90s understatement of the E39 – had a perfect match under the bonnet. The 5.0-litre ‘S85’ V10 with a redline exceeding 8,000rpm and power of 507PS (373kW) turned the M5 into a rocketship with the soundtrack to match. But for many, its notorious unreliability and clunky SMG gearbox casts a shadow large enough to eclipse the E60’s trump card.

4. E34 M5 (1988-1995)

Not so much a tricky second album, but more of what went before it. The E34’s effortless elegance and straight-six poise meant that it picked up where the original E28 left off, but with modernisation and more performance at its core.

M resisted the temptation to up the cylinder count to eight for the E34, instead deciding to retain and evolve the ‘S38’ 3.5-litre straight-six of the E28. Initial versions came with slightly increased engine capacity by way of increased piston stroke from a new forged crankshaft, while it also fielded new camshafts and Bosch electronic engine management. The end result was 315PS (232kW) at a heady 6,900rpm, while later versions got a larger 3.8-litre version of this engine producing up to 340PS (250kW). The E34 also introduced a Touring estate to the M5 line-up for the first time, but in very limited numbers – 891 were produced.

3. F90 M5 (2017-2023)

Soon to bow out of the BMW line-up, the F90 should be remembered as the M5 that took the car’s performance to ballistic new levels, as well as being the first of the breed to move away from being exclusively rear-driven in favour of a variable all-wheel-drive system.

Inheriting the 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged ‘S63’ V8 engine of the F10, the F90 took advantage of its new drivetrain configuration and butch eight-speed ZF transmission to make the most of a massive increase in power. The standard M5 makes 600PS (441kW), enabling 0-62mph in just 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 190mph with an optional M Driver’s Package removing the electronic top speed limiter. Further evolutions included the 617PS Competition variant, while the M5 CS (Competition Sport) was at the time BMW’s most powerful car ever at introduction in 2021, with 627PS (461kW) and a claimed 0-62mph of just 2.9 seconds.

2. E28 M5 (1984-1988)

The 277PS (204kW) 3.5-litre M88 straight-six engine developed for the M1 was always bound to end up powering further cars to emerge wearing M badges and the blue, violet and red stripes that have become synonymous with M.

The most obvious place to start would be in the 6 Series, and that’s precisely what happened when BMW revealed the M635 CSI in 1983. However, a year later, the E28 5 Series saloon got the same treatment. An earlier effort in the form of the M535i with a single overhead camshaft version of this engine laid the foundations for the M5’s introduction in 1984, as a full-blown super saloon with supercar rivalling performance.

1. E39 M5 (1998-2003)

The ultimate M5? M-division aficionados might find it impossible to agree on one particular version as being the outright best, but we’d wager almost all of them would say that the E39 was one of the greatest. It’s the late 90s/early 2000s M5’s near-universal appeal that swings it into pole position in our countdown.

This was the M5 that took the badge into the mainstream, over 20,000 of them built on the main 5 Series production line in Dingolfing. It was the first M5 to make use of V8 power, its 4.9-litre S62 engine producing 400PS (294kW) and sending drive to the rear axle exclusively via a superb six-speed manual gearbox. Its handling, performance and long-distance comfort elevated the M5 into more desirable territory than before, while it also piled on the tech, debuting an electronically activated ‘Sport’ mode for sharper throttle response and heavier steering. Selectable drive modes and customisable settings would go on to become an M5 hallmark from this point forward.

What’s next for the M5?

With the G30 generation 5 Series due to bow out this summer, taking the F90 M5 with it, attention has already turned to what we can expect from the seventh version of BMW’s definitive M-car.

The big news for the regular 5 Series, tipped to be codenamed G90, will be the inclusion of a fully-electric model badged i5. And the next M5 is almost certain to adopt electrification in some way, too. In fact, it’s more or less an open secret that the plug-in hybrid 4.4-litre V8 found in the new XM SUV will find a second lease of life in the new super-saloon, unlocking the potential for a 750PS (552kW) M5 capable of scooting around town on electric power only. We’ll likely see the new M5 towards the end of 2023, or early in 2024.