If you’re in the market for a sports car that’s as light and nimble as possible, you might turn your attention to a Mazda Miata. You’re not likely to go shopping for a BMW M5 as, after all, its mass was never its strongest asset. But you may still want a serious luxury performer like this to be relatively light for its class, bearing in mind its overall brief. In this situation, you might begin to wonder what was going on if it seemed to be packing on too many pounds.
But that’s the type of question that current BMW enthusiasts are starting to ask when it comes to the G90-generation M5. It’s got plenty to brag about in the performance department, but it tips the scales at a staggering 5,390 lbs. of official curb weight. That puts this M5 into full-size SUV territory, and when you consider that the less-bloated F90 M5 is now trading for good money on the used car lot, some enthusiasts are carefully weighing up their options.
The Weight Number Changed The M5 Conversation
A very mellow yellow BMW M5, at speed.BMW
2026 BMW M5 Sedan Specifications
Engine
4.4-liter S68 twin-turbo V8 with electric motor
Transmission
Eight-speed M Steptronic automatic
Drivetrain
M xDrive all-wheel drive
Power
717 hp
Torque
738 lb-ft
It’s quite remarkable to think that the 5,390 lbs G90 M5 is 34 lbs heavier than a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe LS 2WD. After all, one is a purposeful performance sedan, and the other is a body-on-frame, three-row full-size SUV.And even if, to be clear, the current Tahoe is heavier than that at 5,509 lbs., it’s still remarkable to talk about that type of vehicle in this context. This dramatic weight gain has led many enthusiasts to scratch their heads, especially when they look at the weight of the F90 M5.
!!!MODEL TAG!!! Listing Carousel 2026 BMW M5 Sedan
This predecessor appeared in 2018 with M-specific all-wheel drive for the first time, but it only weighed 4,370 lbs. Even the later 2021 M5 Competition circled around the same figures, which showed that BMW could add traction and performance without a comparable explosion in curb weight.
While some enthusiasts didn’t worry too much about the overall weight and just reveled in the car’s drama, others started to question what was happening. Instead of buying a G90, they wondered if they should keep their older F90 or perhaps treat the new car as more of an M7 than a traditional M5.
2025 – 2026 BMW M5 Sedan interiorBMW
BMW faced a big challenge when trying to engineer its latest fast sedan, taking into account the latest calls for efficiency and potential weight penalties. That task turned out to be very difficult when you consider that the new M5 plug-in hybrid hardware accounts for roughly 882 lbs.
That hybrid hardware does add some power, with the new M5 touching 717 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque. The V8 contributes 577 of those horses, with a new electric motor integrated into the eight-speed automatic transmission adding 194. So, with the hybrid in place, the new M5 delivers exactly 100 hp more than the 617 hp F90 M5 Competition. But that hybrid system certainly has an influence, altering the physics of the car every time the driver accelerates, changes direction, or stops.
Still, that extra weight was always going to be problematic, and to try to counter the deficit, BMW turned to technology. This means that the new G90 has adaptive M suspension, rear-wheel steering, M xDrive, an active M differential, huge brakes, and extensive software control. Carbon ceramic brake materials can also help with weight saving, as can an optional carbon fiber roof, but there’s a limit to how much of that extra weight can actually disappear.
BMW may well have achieved its primary objective by creating a cutting-edge machine that can commute on electricity, cruise with luxury car refinement, and turn out more than 700 hp. But enthusiasts may start to ask if they really want that new hybrid tech or whether the old F90 was better at its specific mission.
The Stopwatch And Brake Pedals Vindicate The F90
2021 BMW M5 F90 front quarterBMW
When you pick apart the acceleration figures, the M5’s weight penalty becomes even more apparent. Here, BMW says that the G90 can get to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, but when you compare that to the 2021 F90, that’s a backward step. The standard F90 M5 in 2021 recorded 3.2 seconds, with the same-year M5 Competition officially rated at 3.1 seconds. Meanwhile, a G90 with weight-saving options got to the magical number in 3.0 seconds in an independent test, with a quarter-mile run of 10.9 seconds at 130 mph. And while those are good numbers, the 2021 F90 Competition had already logged 2.7 seconds with a quarter mile reading of 10.8 seconds.
The differences are even more apparent when it comes to braking, where any extra weight is impossible to hide. Here, the G90 needs 157 ft to stop from 70 mph, which is 10 ft more than an earlier F90. Even though those two different tests were conducted at different facilities with different tires and surfaces, there’s no doubt that the new car’s braking performance is a slight step backward. The G90 is still dynamically impressive, with good balance and grip, and its key advantages link to the new vehicle’s sophisticated electronics, rear steering, and hybrid torque. But that hasn’t persuaded every enthusiast, with some believing that the older car starts from a much easier place.
The New M5 Is Better At A Different Job
2025 – 2026 BMW M5 Sedan exteriorBMW
If you line up the F90 and the G90 side by side, you could certainly argue that the newbie is a more complete luxury performance car. After all, that fresh hybrid system now delivers immediate response and allows its owner to tackle short journeys on electric power only. Its rear-wheel steering may also help with maneuverability to disguise the car’s size and weight, and some reviewers praise its overall refinement.
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Also, don’t forget that the G90 retains the much-revered V8. After all, BMW could have replaced this 4.4-liter twin-turbo engine with something smaller or even try to make the M5 fully electric. And when you consider the car as a total package, the new model has a stronger case. It might be ideal for buyers who want something suited to both long highway journeys and urban commuting. They’ll get a car that still has plenty of luxury alongside its practical four-door design and the potential to get to 190 mph if they choose the optional M driver’s package.
Depreciation Turns The F90 Into The Smarter Enthusiast Buy
2021 BMW M5 F90 front quarterBMW
While the G90 is more versatile and technologically advanced than the F90 in many respects, it still has to go on the defensive when it comes to that extra bloat. This is where money enters the picture and the argument stops being nostalgic.
The 2025 BMW M5 G90 launched at $123,300 including destination and still stands at that figure. By contrast, a used 2021-vintage F90 BMW M5 comes in at around $62,000 on average, according to CarBuzz Marketplace, and this puts a typical five-year-old example more than $60,000 below the current new car starting price, before options.
!!!TRIM TAG!!! Price Chart 2021 BMW M5 Sedan AWD
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Do you really care about the weight? And should you?
That’s a significant sum and may make some enthusiasts wonder whether they need the newcomer’s electric capability. They may be able to live with no new-car warranty and an older cabin while still getting up to 617 hp in their F90. In the F90 Competition, they’ll have roughly half a ton less mass to manage and still get supercar acceleration, and that may give enthusiasts in certain quarters serious pause.
However, it’s still important to remember that an F90 is a complex, high-output luxury machine. Shoppers should look carefully at any used example and remember that these cars can quickly become expensive if a previous owner was neglectful. Buyers should insist on a professional pre-purchase inspection, scrutinize the car’s service history, and look for any evidence of tuning or accident damage.
When you take those used-car risks into account, the options become clearer. On the one hand, the G90 is asking buyers to pay new-car money for cutting-edge tech that’s doing its best to overcome some extraordinary mass. On the other hand, there’s the F90, which asks buyers to accept its age and ownership risk in exchange for a faster, lighter, and more traditional interpretation of the M5 concept.
And while there’s no doubt that the G90 M5 is a fine technical achievement, would the F90 be a better machine for that favorite back road? The new car has more power and capability, but the older model carries less weight, posts better acceleration, records shorter braking figures, and, crucially, comes with a significantly lower price tag.
Sources: BMW, Bimmerpost.
