BMW M5 vs Mercedes-Benz X250

What's the difference?

Let’s get one thing out of the way: the new M5 is a very good car. Considering the emissions limitations and size increase of its base model, it is an impressive bit of engineering. 

What’s trickier is deciding whether the new car is really better to drive. Less edgy but supremely comfortable and quiet; BMW leaned into the daily usability of the plug-in hybrid M5 rather than amping the petrol-electric system for maximum thrills. And do you know what? That’s fine with me. 

The new M5 still performs on road and track and does an incredible job of hiding its weight (most of the time). Perhaps the G90 is a little more Audi RS6 than F90 in its demeanour but some would argue that’s no bad thing. 

The concept of the BMW M5 is not static, it evolves with the times, and the G90 is no exception. Expect future Competition and CS variants to unlock some extra lunacy. 

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

The X was an opportunistic shot at a market segment new to Benz. With even apprentices able to afford to buy a well-specced Hilux, it's become harder to separate the foreman from the kids. I, like Mercedes, thought this would be the boss's car. Mercedes saw the gap and went for it, thinking it could grab sales from top end utes from VW, Toyota and Ford, while maybe saving a few folks from buying a RAM or an F150.

The problem is, the target market knows its utes. And in a rough-and-tumble workplace, the perception is that if you've spent up big on this Merc, you've actually just paid too much for a Nissan Navara. Still, like those flawed movies I enjoy, the X-Class is a fine thing - and I don't blame Mercedes for trying. It just costs too much, and yet isn't Mercedes enough to justify that price.

The M5’s raw size is what you notice first. The G90 M5 is a whopping 113mm longer, 67mm wider and 37mm taller than the car it replaces, with the wheelbase stretched 24mm.

It is also the most pumped M5 yet, compared to a 520i it is 70mm chubbier at its flared wheel arches. The ‘M5’ insignia on the C-pillar means you’ll know this is the fast one. 

Presence is not in question, then, but beauty? Not the right word. The G90 makes its predecessors — especially the original ‘E28’ — look demure. 

The cabin layout builds on the concept debuted by the iX electric SUV, with twin integrated screens and focus on technology and minimal buttons. Materials are mostly high quality and feel fitting for the M5’s asking price.

Despite being a Japanese ute in drag, the X-Class isn't immediately rumbled as resembling a Nissan, which certainly should count in its favour. Everyone who asked about it had little idea it wasn't a Daimler from the ground up, until you pointed out various details. Up here in the higher reaches, it's a really quality-looking thing, with beautiful paint and enough differentiation to make it look like a Merc. The headlights do seem a tad small next to the rest of the Mercedes range, but the whopping great three-pointed star in the grille leaves no one in doubt. 

It's fairly tasteful in silver, too, and with a few carefully chosen options it looks pretty tough.

Once you're inside you see where it starts to get confused about itself. The hard, scratchy plastic dash pokes out from behind a huge slab of metallic trim. The centre console is clearly a brother from another mother, as is the overall dash layout. The cabin lacks the thoughtfulness and quality of a Mercedes design - you can't just slap on those signature air vents and expect to get away with it. Every piece that comes from Mercedes appears glued on, and it's jarring. 

This might have been less of an issue if the car was significantly cheaper and not likely to be purchased by people who are familiar with the brand.

BMW has persevered with its twin-screen, minimal-button approach for its 'Operating System 8.5' in the M5. 

The 14.9-inch central touchscreen is bright, responsive and high resolution but the software remains a little strange. The main interface is classy but when looking for settings to adjust you’re presented with a Windows 95-esque panel of small square touch targets. It’s not intuitive. 

Wirelessly mirroring Apple CarPlay or Android Auto works a treat, at least. Digital climate controls keep temp adjustment persistently on screen and a shortcut to fan speed. The nipple-like vent direction adjustment grows on you, as do the digital vent sliders. 

The 12.3-inch digital driver’s display still doesn’t have the freedom of customisation and clarity of Audi’s interface. 

The M5 has two cupholders, a deep central storage cubby, door bins that swallow two 600mL plastic bottles and twin wireless charging pad that resolutely grips smartphones even under the sort of tummy-churning G-Forces this M5 can manage. 

Setting the M5 apart from the regular sedan is a unique centre console bunching 'M Drive' modes, 'M Hybrid' modes and other shortcut functions together next to the gear toggle and M-engraved crystal 'iDrive' controller.

Comfortable front seats are power adjustable with in/out, up/down lumbar support and have two memory positions. 

The 5096mm long M5’s back seat is very spacious. Headroom is good for those beyond 182cm (six-foot), the bench is extremely supportive, while leg and toe room are adequate.

A fold-down centre armrest has two cupholders and there are USB-C charge ports in the back of each bucket seat for a total of four. 

You can buy an accessory mount that holds tablets or smartphones for rear seat passenger entertainment, too.

When you look in the boot, BMW offering a Touring version of the latest M5 makes even more sense. The load aperture is big but the usable space is narrow; the sides intrude on load space. 

The 466-litre space will make fitting suitcases for an airport run tricky and, even with the 40/60 split-fold rear bench, you will struggle to fit a bike in the back. There’s no spare tyre, either.

I really can't imagine how anyone signed off on the most annoying features of the X. Front-seat passengers get a solitary, shallow cupholder (the second one is unusable), and big door bins that could hold a bottle if you didn't mind it getting smashed from sliding around (they're unlined), and nowhere to put your phone. Like, nowhere, except maybe the glove box. Even the centre console bin is shallow and not much good for anything, apart from as an armrest.

The front seats are reasonably comfortable but the rears are way too high (in the name of a better view) and rammed hard against the rear bulkhead. The rear doors are also pretty narrow, so entry and egress can be a bit of a challenge if you're large or toddler small. Once you're in the seats, legroom is limited and headroom marginal. At least you get air-conditioning vents, but you don't get an armrest in the rear. On a nearly $80,000 ute. Even the dark-ages Colorado has one of those.

Anyway, that's enough said about the interior flaws.

The tray is a big boy, but it's worth knowing that the roller cover does rob a bit of space, as it does on any ute. The optional tray liner looks good and with Mercedes-Benz stamped in it, reminds you again what you've got. All told, it's 1581mm long, 1560mm wide (1215mm between the wheelarches) and you can load up nearly a tonne of people and things into the X350. You can also tow a massive 3500kg braked and still be able to carry a payload of 490kg. Gross vehicle mass is 3250kg (tare is 2190kg).

The X-Class range starts at the $45,450 X220D manual dual-cab and reaches all the way to the $87,500 X350d Edition 1. One step back from that is the $79,415 X350d Power dual-cab with all-wheel drive. That nets you 19-inch alloy wheels, an eight-speaker stereo, climate control, around view camera, reversing camera, keyless entry and start, front and rear parking sensors, electric front seats, sat nav, auto LED headlights, fake-leather interior, heated and folding rear vision mirrors, power windows and a full-size alloy spare.

An 8.0-inch screen hosts Mercedes COMAND system, complete with rotary dial and the weird scratchpad. COMAND is not as good as its German rivals and for some reason doesn't have Apple CarPlay and/or Android Auto, which is a mammoth oversight for a car of this type and cost.

Our car also had the lockable roll cover for $3295, the $1551 styling bar, a tow bar ($836) and, presumably, tow-bar wiring ($462).

Unlike the Mercedes-AMG C63, BMW has kept the M5’s eight-cylinder heart and this has proven to be a good decision. 

The 4.4-litre twin-turbo petrol engine has been optimised with “a cross-bank exhaust manifold and optimised oil separation”, says BMW.

The V8 spins to 7200rpm though it isn't a screamer, outputting a full-bodied 430kW (5600-6500rpm) and 750Nm (1800-5400rpm).

Augmented with a transmission-mounted 145kW electric motor that can produce up to 450Nm, thanks to pre-gearing, maximum combined outputs are 535kW and 1000Nm. 

Weight blunts punch, though, so despite nearly 100kW and 250Nm more, the new M5 is a tenth slower to 100km/h than its predecessor (claimed), at 3.5 seconds for the sprint.

You can thank a 220kW/tonne power-to-weight ratio, worse than the old car's 233kW/tonne figure. The new G90 claws some time back with brute force, hitting 200km/h in just 10.9 seconds and goes on to a limited top speed of 305km/h.

You can choose from five powertrain settings, starting with 'Electric' and 'Hybrid' for everyday use, while 'eControl' lets you store battery power for urban use.

'Dynamic' provides the best balance, says BMW, while 'Dynamic Plus' is like a qualifying mode. Think maximum combined punch for up to 10 minutes, at which point you’ll have drained the battery. 

Driving in pure electric mode, the take-off can be a little jerky but the quietude and decent power make it pleasant. Power sources are combined expertly in Hybrid and giving it some stick in Dynamic is more than enough to make your passengers feel queasy.

The X350d has something very Mercedes about it - the engine and transmission package. With 3.5-litres of turbo-diesel V6, you get 190kW at 3400rpm and a thumping 550Nm between 1400 and 3200rpm. These kind of figures at least put it up there with the brawnier VW Amarok.

Feeding the power to all four wheels is Mercedes' own seven-speed automatic. A centre diff apportions power front to rear and you have a choice of three modes - automatic, high range and low-range.

Electric-only range is rated up to 69km in WLTP testing, but the 18.6kWh battery is more likely to give you around 60km in real-world driving. It can be topped up in about two hours using an 11kW AC charger, or overnight on a three-pin socket. 

BMW includes both Mode 3 (public) and Mode 2 (home) charging cables with the M5. 

The M5 uses 3.2L/100km of 98 RON premium unleaded in ADR testing, corresponding to just 72g/km of CO2, so it should sail through the first rounds of Australian emissions regulations. 

Indulging in what the V8 has to offer sees that consumption spike, though. An enthusiastic road drive saw the M5 gulp 12.4L/100km, according to the trip computer.

The X350d did pretty well in the week I had it - the official figure of 8.8L/100km was never going to happen but with a long motorway run to the Blue Mountains and the rest bashing about town, the 10.5L/100km I did achieve without trying was not bad at all. The 80-litre tank should give you a decent range of 750km, or thereabouts.

The three M5 elements start with daily usability. We trundled out of Bathurst in electric mode, with the adaptive dampers (and other myriad settings) in Comfort. 

The M5 has steel springs, double wishbone front suspension and a five-link rear axle, all of which has been heavily reworked by the boffins at M. Naturally, the ride is firm, though in Comfort the body moves through its motions smoothly. 

The M5 is an effortless tourer, its eight-speed automatic shmoozing through ratios as it climbs and descends steep gradients. Wind and tyre noise insulation is good on coarse chip tarmac, though a bit more burble from the V8 would be appreciated. 

The M5 has nine adjustable parameters to wake it up: 'Drivetrain', 'Energy Recovery', 'Drivelogic' (gear shift aggression), 'Chassis', 'Steering', 'Brake', 'M xDrive', stability control settings and 'M Sound'. Favourite settings can be stored to the wheel-mounted M1 and M2 buttons. 

With the dampers still in Comfort the M5 remains fantastically capable with power delivery from the xDrive mighty rewarding on corner exit. Sport dampers sharpen the experience up further, amplifying the M5’s surprising agility. Thank the rear-wheel steer for this big sedan’s switchback performance. 

Step beyond the limit of grip, brake too late, or get on the power too early, though, and the M5’s mass reveals itself rapidly. It doesn’t help that the accurate steering is devoid of feel. The brake-by-wire pedal is too numb and light, as well, making it tricky to judge grip levels on the road.

Feel is less of an issue on a dry Mount Panorama circuit, where the M5 turns out to be a total pussycat. The all-wheel drive, consistent dynamics, strong brakes and well-tuned stability control make for an approachable but seriously fast sedan.

The responsive transmission will hold gears to redline and is eager on the downshift in its most aggressive setting while tactile shift paddles make commanding ratio changes yourself that bit more engaging. 

Prodigious punch out of corners is matched by the impressive consistency of the carbon ceramic brakes. The M5 pulled up for The Chase every time with minimal fuss, even from above 250km/h.

Similar credit goes to the 285mm front and 295mm rear Hankook S1 Evo tyres which remained consistent and predictable all day despite reaching temperatures over 130 degrees, according to the tyre pressure monitor.

One of the weirder things to make it into the X-Class is the world's second most irritating column stalk, which is asked to pack in indicators, headlights and wipers. Thankfully, the world's most irritating column stalk, the Mercedes automatic shifter, wasn't inflicted on the X-Class. But the obvious problem is the key, which clearly isn't a Mercedes unit - even the star is ill-fitting and will probably fall off after a while. This is not a premium experience.

Thankfully, the big turbo-diesel wipes away a lot of the complaints about this car not being Mercedes enough. Brawny and super quiet (twin balance shafts will do that), the X is a very easy car to live with. While not especially lively, it's easygoing in the city and very refined.

On the open road it cruises almost silently and the ride is way above what you might expect from an unloaded tradie-mobile. It doesn't feel as high as some utes, which makes it feel a bit more car-like, and will no doubt appeal to some who might have to swap in and out of a traditional SUV and into the X, for whatever reason.

It is by far the most civilised ute I've ever driven and was worlds away from the Colorado I drove last week, to the point where I could almost - almost - see a justification for the unbelievably hefty price tag.

Credit for the refined ride and handling goes to the coil-spring rear end, much maligned in some quarters. While that style of suspension is not the ultimate in load-lugging, it's way more comfortable for passengers and, given the likely buyer profile, probably more agreeable than a cart-sprung rear-end.

I would cheerfully drive long distances in the X and it feels like it could go anywhere.

The Mercedes-Benz finally starts to puts its nose ahead of its competitors on the safety front.

The X350d has seven airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls, forward collision warning, low speed forward AEB, pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist and around-view cameras, trailer-sway control and hill-descent control.

It also has three top-tether and two ISOFIX points.

Its five-star ANCAP safety rating was awarded in 2017.

In Australia, BMW has moved to match other manufacturers in offering a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty on all its cars. 

Servicing is recommended on a condition basis, with the M5’s multimedia system prompting a visit to the mechanics. BMW offers pre-paid service packs for five years/80,000km at a price of $5059 for the basic offer and $8152 for 'Inclusive Plus', which covers brake pad and rotor replacements. 

It is expensive next to a regular 5 Series but when you consider the purchase price and performance level, the M5’s service pricing is not astronomical. 

Mercedes offers a three year/200,000km warranty for the X, which isn't too bad. It also throws in roadside assist for the duration. Also worthy are the 12 month/20,000km service intervals. 

A basic capped-price service scheme will hit you for $1950 (pre-paid) or $2,555 if you pay when you front up for each of the three services covered. The servicing isn't super-cheap, as you can see, but at least you know what you're up for.