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BMW M5 vs Mazda MX-5

What's the difference?

VS
BMW M5
BMW M5

$259,900 - $263,900

2025 price

Mazda MX-5
Mazda MX-5

$40,998 - $61,360

2024 price

Summary

2025 BMW M5
2024 Mazda MX-5
Safety Rating

Engine Type
BI Turbo V8, 4.4L

Inline 4, 2.0L
Fuel Type
Premium Unleaded/Electric

Premium Unleaded Petrol
Fuel Efficiency
10.3L/100km (combined)

6.9L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

2
Dislikes
  • Awkward boot
  • Brake and steering feel
  • Low on hooliganism

  • Compromised as a daily driver
  • Tan Nappa leather only in Automatic
  • Nearing the end of its life :(
2025 BMW M5 Summary

Balancing luxury car comfort, hot hatch agility and supercar speed is no easy task, yet that is what made the six previous generations of BMW's M5 so iconic. 

In seventh-generation ‘G90’ guise, the M5 has another skeleton in the cupboard: the toughest emissions regulations that Europe, and now Australia, have ever seen.

A twin-turbo V8 was untenable and going battery electric was not an option. Plug-in hybrid was the only answer. For the new M5, BMW combined a revised 4.4-litre ‘S68’ bent eight with a punchy electric motor for 535kW and 1000Nm

Problem is, the G90 is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest BMW M cars of all time, especially in CS trim. And thanks to a circa-600kg weight hike to nearly 2500kg, the new M5's 0-100km/h claim is actually slower than the old 'F90' M5. 

Doesn’t exactly sound like a big leap forward, does it?

A drive through the Central West of NSW and around the iconic Mount Panorama racing circuit gave us answers to two questions. Does the M5 work on Australia roads, and does BMW M's latest super-sedan represent progress?

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2024 Mazda MX-5 Summary

It's not often a car is elevated to 'icon' status, cars like the VW Beetle, Porsche 911, Toyota LandCruiser or Ford Mustang - but the Mazda MX-5 has quietly been the best choice for keen drivers who don't want to break the bank with a big sticker price or costly maintenance.

The ND MX-5 has been around since 2015, and while it’s been praised as a return to the original, simple formula of the NA MX-5 from the late 80s and early 90s, it’s getting close to a decade old.

So, a little refresh with some new tech and a mechanical tweak is here to make the roadster feel like a playful pup once more.

And what better place to test that out than a combination of the winding roads of the Adelaide Hills wine region, paired nicely with a main course of track driving at The Bend Motorsport Park?

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Deep dive comparison

2025 BMW M5 2024 Mazda MX-5

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