Used BMW M5 for sale: everything you need to know
Since 1984 the BMW M5 has offered a hard-to-beat combination of performance, handling, and executive car class, all in one package. The sixth-generation car covered here is the last to be powered by internal combustion alone (a seventh-generation plug-in hybrid model arrives in 2024) and it’s one of the best yet, from a very strong lineage.
The M5 doesn’t have the market all to itself, but supercar-style performance, balanced handling and a spacious, high-quality cabin are all M5 strengths, just as they were in those very earliest M5s in the 1980s. Read on to find out what you need to know before you buy a used M5.
Should you buy a BMW M5?
The BMW M5 is one of the definitive sports saloons - a car that combines executive car luxury with huge performance, just as it has done for more than three decades now. While an all-new model is just around the corner, the outgoing car is deeply appealing as a used buy - not least as it’s the last M5 to be purely combustion-powered, since the new model is a plug-in hybrid.
The regular combustion car lacks nothing in terms of performance. The very quickest variants rush to 62mph in three seconds flat, once the preserve of the very fastest supercars, but the M5 is far more than just a straight-line weapon. The V8 engine feels brawny and cultured even if you’re just rumbling around at slower speeds, while all-wheel drive traction means it can always put its power to the ground. It’s enormously capable in the corners too, with responsive and involving handling that belies its near-two-tonne kerb weight.
Given the BMW’s build quality though the weight doesn’t come as much of a surprise - there’s a real sense of long-lasting quality in the interior, and the feel and appearance of the materials, switches, and details all go a long way to justifying the price. It’ll easily seat four adults too and the 530-litre boot means plenty of luggage space.
The M5’s closest rivals include cars like the estate-only Audi RS6 Avant, the Mercedes-AMG E63, and the Porsche Panamera in various forms, all of which come with V8 power and can handle themselves in the corners as well as down the straights. If a V8 isn’t the be-all and end-all though, all-electric cars like the Porsche Taycan, Audi e-Tron GT, and the Tesla Model S all offer variants with M5-style performance.
What’s the best used BMW M5 model to buy?
Not all BMW M5s are created equal. If you want nothing less than the best then the M5 CS is the one to go for, and hang the hefty premium - brand new, the CS cost around £140,000, or £30,000 more than the Competition, and there’s likely to be quite a gulf with used models too. Not that the Competition, or even the regular M5 available early on, should be ignored, as they’re still fantastic driver’s cars, and equipped like luxury models.
Used BMW M5 fuel economy and performance
- BMW M5: At launch the M5 arrived with a 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 putting 600PS to all four wheels. A supercar-style 3.4-second 0-62mph time was the result, while BMW claimed up to 26.9mpg economy.
- BMW M5 Competition: The Competition eventually replaced the standard M5 and got even more power, at 625PS. 0-62mph is a tenth quicker, while fuel consumption is an even 25mpg.
- BMW M5 CS: In its ultimate CS form the M5 gets 635PS, for 0-62mph in three seconds flat and the same economy as the Competition.
What used BMW M5 trim levels are available?
- The BMW M5 isn’t just a sports saloon but a luxury car too, with equipment including active suspension, adaptive LED headlights, and heated seats, though initially at least Apple CarPlay was still on the options list.
- The BMW M5 Competition got uprated brakes and suspension, plus Merino leather upholstery, and Harman Kardon audio.
- The BMW M5 Competition M Pro Pack included carbon-ceramic brakes as standard, signified by gold-painted calipers. Top speed is also lifted from 155mph to 189bhp, but used buyers miss out on the track-day training event that new buyers were able to enjoy.
- The BMW M5 Competition Ultimate Pack ticks all the option boxes, and includes laser headlights, ventilated and massaging front seats, and a Bowers & Wilkins audio system.
- The BMW M5 CS is a stand-out performance-focused model with lowered suspension upgraded active dampers, several other suspension tweaks, more power, a carbonfibre bonnet, and bucket seats.
Used BMW M5 dimensions and boot size
The BMW M5’s exterior dimensions are:
- Length: 4,983mm
- Width: 1,903mm
- Height: 1,469mm
- Ground clearance: 121mm
The BMW M5’s boot space is:
Used BMW M5 road tax
All M5s get both a flat rate of VED and a surcharge on top of that for costing more than £40,000 when new, for a £600 annual bill. The surcharge applies for the five years following the first year of registration, so cars seven years old or more get a standard rate, currently £190 per year.
How much is it to insure a BMW M5?
All M5s are in either insurance group 49 or 50, out of the maximum 50 groups. Premiums are unlikely to be cheap, but insurance shouldn’t be too different to the M5’s rivals, while technology like a Drive Recorder to capture video footage in a collision, and optional GPS tracking, contribute to the M5’s safety and security.
