2009 BMW M5 Review Summaries

What reviewers liked most about the BMW M5:

Tear away from a city stoplight and run the V-10 to its 8250-rpm redline, and you'll leave nascent car enthusiasts in your wake.

-- Car and Driver

Braking gets an upgrade to keep the M5 in check. Big 14.7-inch rotors in front and 14.6-inchers in back slow the M5 from top speed quickly and without drama.

-- Car and Driver

...an extremely balanced machine that can handle aggressive driving maneuvers as well as it does dilapidated highways.

-- Edmunds.com

Supportive seating is provided in both the front and rear, and even adults won't mind sitting in the backseat.

-- Edmunds.com

What reviewers liked least about the BMW M5:

...iDrive system still more hassle than it's worth...

-- Edmunds.com

the M5 will understeer -- especially when pushed through low-speed corners. Mind you, that's at lateral G-force levels that would challenge a Corvette.

-- Edmunds.com

BMW M5 Comparisons:

...buyers will have to choose between luxury (wood and more leather) and sport, which features aluminum accents in place of wood. Both cabins are a huge improvement over the regular 5-series interior and make you feel as if you were in a four-door Ferrari.

-- Car and Driver

..expensive, but the next-cheapest four-seater that provides the M5's dynamic thrills is Ferrari's 612 Scaglietti, and it goes for $260,000.

-- Car and Driver

Best one-liner about the BMW M5:

First and foremost is the new engine...it is rare for an automaker to design an engine that is entirely new, but the 90-degree, 5.0-liter V-10 is an engine that must have skipped kindergarten because it doesn't share any of its parts.

-- Car and Driver