BMW F90 M5: Best Model Years, Ranked

Over the last few decades, BMW has established itself as one of the top dogs in the luxury car segment. However, it’s the M division that is of most interest, as it’s these cars that bring the epic performance needed to challenge other German performance sedans, such as the likes of Mercedes-Benz’s AMG division. The BMW M division takes ‘regular’ BMW luxury sedans and turns them into performance monsters that obliterate bona fide sports cars, all while remaining spacious, comfortable, and luxurious.

Of all the BMW M sports sedans you can buy, the M5 is arguably the best. The M5 has always been one of the best BMW M cars to buy if you’re seeking the perfect combination of looks, practicality, luxury, and performance. For this article, we decided to zero in on the latest and greatest generation of the M5 – the F90. The F90 M5 has had a great run from 2018 to 2023, and this article ranks its model years from worst to best.

How we got our model selections: HotCars analyzed all BMW M5 F90 model years. Ratings were awarded in three key categories: Edmunds Consumer Ratings (Edmunds.com), price (Edmunds.com), and the number of recalls (NHTSA). We used a combined average from each of the categories to determine our HotCars Rating and sort these BMW M5 F90 model years in order from least to highest rated model.

Additional information, such as new features added and special edition releases were added for reference but not factored into the ratings.

Best BMW M5 F90 Model Years: Scoring Methodology

6 2022 BMW M5: 7.7/10

2022 BMW M5 Ratings

Here’s how our team rated the 2022 BMW M5 in three key categories:

Fresh off a facelift in 2021, the 2022 M5 didn’t need any changes as it was already as close to perfect a sports sedan as BMW could possibly make it. However, the crazy guys at BMW M still wanted to up the ante, which is why they decided to build the most insane version of the F90 M5 – the 2022 M5 CS. BMW had already left many gearheads impressed with previous ‘CS’ versions of the M3, M4, and M2, which is why everyone had high expectations for the first-ever M5 CS.

Thankfully, the M5 CS met and exceeded those expectations. For starters, the M5 CS had a unique paint job and elegant bronze-gold Y-spoke wheels. It also received a 10 horsepower increase over the M5 Competition to bring it up to 627 hp, making it the most powerful BMW production car ever. The M5 CS also lost 230 pounds in comparison to the M5 Competition, thanks to the extensive use of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic in the roof, hood, mirror caps, front splitter, rear spoiler, and rear diffuser. Additionally, the M5 CS came standard with carbon-ceramic brakes and Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires as a no-cost option. Inside, the M5 CS had a rare seating-for-four configuration where each passenger had individual seats wrapped in black Merino leather. Other visual upgrades include illuminated M5 logos, red ‘CS’ badging on the instrument panel, illuminated ‘M5 CS’ badges on the door sill finishers, and a map of the Nürburgring imprinted on the seat headrests.

5 2023 BMW M5: 7.7/10

2023 BMW M5 Ratings

Here’s how our team rated the 2023 BMW M5 in three key categories:

2023 was a bitter-sweet model year for the M5. On one hand, many gearheads were sad as 2023 was the final model year of the superb F90 generation of the M5, which is possibly the last pure-ICE version of the super sedan. On the other hand, other gearheads were happy as it means that the next generation is in the works and coming soon, especially with reports that BMW is developing a ‘Touring’ variant.

The 2023 M5 received subtle equipment changes. Instead of a separate model, BMW offered the M5 Competition as an upgrade for buyers who purchased an optional equipment package. BMW also discontinued six exterior color options, replacing them with two new ones – Skyscraper Gray metallic and San Remo Green metallic. Nothing changed on the mechanical side of things, as it was still one of the most powerful luxury sedans.

4 2021 BMW M5: 8/10

2021 BMW M5 Ratings

Here’s how our team rated the 2021 BMW M5 in three key categories:

2021 was a huge year for the F90 M5, as it was the year that BMW unveiled the facelifted model. On the outside, the 2021 M5 had upgrades like a new kidney grille featuring M-specific double bars finished in high-gloss black, newly-designed LED headlights with L-shaped daytime running lights narrowing towards the kidney grille, new taillights design, restyled front and rear bumpers, and five new color options.

On the inside, the 2021 M5 also received a new 12.3-inch infotainment display to replace the previous 10.25-inch unit and a new infotainment system with upgrades like Android Auto compatibility, natural speech recognition, and BMW’s cloud-based navigation system.

The 2021 M5 Competition also received some upgrades of its own, including full Merino leather upholstery, and unlike the standard M5, it had mechanical upgrades such as revised shock absorbers and a recalibrated damper control system. The 2021 M5 Competition also had a new ‘track’ mode that shut off the infotainment system and all driver aids for a more focused and enjoyable driving experience. These upgrades helped the 2021 M5 Competition stay fully competitive with rivals like the Porsche Panamera Turbo, Audi RS7, and Mercedes-AMG E 63 S Sedan.

3 2019 BMW M5: 8.3/10

2019 BMW M5 Ratings

Here’s how our team rated the 2019 BMW M5 in three key categories:

The 2019 M5 didn’t have too many changes compared to the 2018 model. It still packed a monstrous 4.4-liter S63 twin-turbo V8 sending 600 ponies and 553 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels, making it one of the fastest four-door sedans ever. For some added fun, BMW added a new rear-drive mode that allowed drivers to send most power to the rear wheels or even all the power, with the Electronic Stability Control system disabled.

One 2019 M5 owner summed it up perfectly on Edmunds,com stating, “This car is brilliant. It has more power than I ever need, handles and drives wonderfully, is a fantastic long-distance cruiser, and with the addition of a set of all-season tires, I can drive it year around and take it skiing”.

2 2020 BMW M5: 8.3/10

2020 BMW M5 Ratings

Here’s how our team rated the 2020 BMW M5 in three key categories:

Like the previous model year, BMW didn’t see a need to change anything in the M5 as it was still putting fear in the hearts of other sports sedans. This was especially true for the M5 Competition model, which had debuted in 2018, a few months after the standard M5. The 2020 M5 Competition had the same engine as the standard M5 but with 17 horsepower extra, making it a beast. According to an Edmunds user who claimed to have gotten rid of a Ferrari California and Mercedes-Benz CLS450 in order to get a 2020 M5, it was the most amazing car he’d ever owned as it was “blazing fast and roomy yet invisible to all but car enthusiasts“.

2020 was also a special year for the M5 as it was its 35th anniversary. To celebrate, BMW unveiled a special edition version known as the ’35 Jahre M5’. Limited to just 350 units, the 35 Jahre M5 is one of the most awesome BMW M5 models ever and also one of the rarest BMW models. It had a unique “Frozen Dark Grey II” paint job, a black Merino leather interior, beautiful gold trim on the dashboard and center console, and “M5 35 Jahre Edition” engravings.

1 2018 BMW M5: 9/10

2018 BMW M5 Ratings

Here’s how our team rated the 2018 BMW M5 in three key categories:

In our article on why the BMW M5 F10 generation had depreciated so much, we highlighted that, despite having a 560-hp twin-turbo V8 under the hood, the F10 felt relatively cold, numb, and lacked character. BMW wanted to ensure that the next generation fixed all these problems, and the F90 didn’t disappoint when it debuted in 2018.

While some gearheads complained about the loss of a manual transmission and the fact that it was now using an all-wheel-drive system as opposed to the tail-happy rear-wheel-drive system, the F90 was an instant hit. It had an updated design, increased power to 600 hp or 617 hp in the Competition model, reduced weight, a new eight-speed automatic transmission, and other key improvements left many gearheads thoroughly impressed. According to one owner who gave it a perfect five-star rating on Edmunds, the 2018 M5 was “a true Apex predator on the road with quickness, speed, and handling”.

Sources: BMW Press, Edmunds, NHTSA