Unfortunately, we don't have another direct and valid competitor in America: the Mercedes-AMG E 63 S Station Wagon is no longer available, the Jaguar XF Sportbrake SVR is dead, and the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo Turbo will not be coming to America.
The state of the automotive industry is bizarre: in 1994, just three decades ago, there were no compact crossover SUVs, and now they have become the dominant force worldwide. Anything labeled a crossover, Off-roador the truck sells well, especially in America. In return, the traditional sectors of the automotive world are dead, on the list of endangered or threatened species, just like many animals and plants in the world.
For example, the minivan sector is a dying breed, at least in America, with the Chrysler Pacifica dominating a small band of Toyota Siennas, Honda Odysseys, and Kia Carnivals. The station wagon segment is equally barren, with only a few automakers giving customers the option of selecting a model as practical as a crossover but without the added bulk and inflated list prices.
Also, as it pertains to our evaluation of the high-performance variants of the BMW 5 Series and Audi A6, the latest generation of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class includes a wagon, but it is the niche E-Class All-Terrain, which is a cross between a wagon and a crossover with body cladding, increased ground clearance, and all-wheel drive. On the other hand, the high-performance wagon format was like a distant sun: it shines with scorching temperatures, but is almost untouchable. Well, the solitude of the Audi RS 6 Avant ends now as BMW is preparing to launch the 2025 M5 Touring in its wake.
The Bavarian company has a lot of M products up for grabs in America. It starts with the quirkily styled but excellent BMW M2 Coupe (recently given a facelift that brought it to the same 470 hp as the M3 and M4) at around $65k, followed by the M3 sedan at $76k and the M4 Coupe at $79k. Meanwhile, the M4 Convertible rounds out the five-figure list prices with a base price of $95k.
After that, we enter six-figure territory with the new $119,500 BMW M5 Sedan and wrap up the territory with a trio of M8 models: Coupe, Convertible, and Gran Coupe for $139k or $149k, but that’s just the passenger car list. There are also crossovers: X3 M, X4 M, X5 M, X6 M, plus the hideous or stand-out (depending on your point of view) flagship XM. But BMW has omitted the M3 Touring from the lineup and is stressing that if the M5 Touring is a success, they may reconsider keeping the M3 Touring off American shores.
In any case, the 2025 BMW M5 Touring starts at $121,500, not including the $1,175 shipping charge, and is remarkably only $2,000 more than its four-door sibling and a bit cheaper than the 2025 Audi RS 6 Avant, which has been around since 2019, so it's no less than half a decade older than its predecessor. Hybrid electric vehicle-equipped. In terms of design, it's a mixed bag: some will say the Audi RS 6 Avant is still cool in a very mature way, and others will say BMW has done a great job of making the M5 Touring the eye-catcher of every neighborhood kid and the envy of soccer dads when they drop their kids off at school.
However, beauty is always in the eye of the beholder and we won't judge (too) harshly those who prefer one over the other. The BMW M5 Touring is back as a major competitor to the Audi RS 6 Avant after the predecessor from M GmbH with a cavernous trunk left the scene in 2010. It's safe to say that Audi has had plenty of time to establish itself as the dominant (and lonely) player in the sector. Everyone else will probably choose the fresher M5 Touring just because the RS 6 Avant has already aged a bit.
Note that the BMW M5 Touring is slightly longer, wider and taller than its closest rival, while the wheelbase is also a little different. Inside, the Audi RS 6 Avant once again shows its age, with a classic separation of the digital instrument cluster plus two separate screens, one on the dash and one on the center tunnel located next to the driver's gear lever. BMW, on the other hand, is part of a new wave of automakers that like to huddle the instrument cluster and infotainment display at the hip, resulting in a massive slab of LEDs that might look chunky to some or just like your widescreen TV at home to others.
Moving on to the big reasons why someone should buy the Audi RS 6 Avant or the BMW M5 Touring, both engines are of the V8 variety. Alas, there are again some important differences. Audi has adapted to the times, but the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 only gets a mild-hybrid system and the same power output as before: The high-performance variant makes 630 hp and 627 lb-ft through an eight-speed automatic transmission and quattro all-wheel drive. It's not even close to the BMW M5 Touring, although Audi claims the RS 6 Avant can go from zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.4 seconds, on its way to an optional (RS Dynamic Plus package) top speed of 190 mph.
On the other hand, the BMW M5 Touring gets the same 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 as its predecessor, this time hooked up to an electric motor, and together they churn out 717 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque. There's also an 18.6-kWh battery pack that enables zero-emission travel of up to 40 miles (on WLTP Procedure cycle) and charging occurs at 11 kW. However, the 2025 BMW M5 Touring sprints from 0 to 62 mph in 3.6 seconds, a bit slower than its closest rival, and also reaches 189 mph without much effort. The crux of the matter is weight: the BMW is significantly heavier than its rival, hence the performance disadvantage. So, which is your favorite?
