Yearly, the BMWBLOG crew spends hundreds of miles behind the wheel. Press automobiles, prototypes, long-term testers, observe periods, street journeys, mountain passes, and day by day commutes all mix collectively into one lengthy spotlight reel. By December, it turns into surprisingly troublesome to single out only one automotive.
And but, that’s precisely what we requested our crew to do.
Not the quickest BMW. Not the costliest. Not the one with the very best spec sheet. Simply the BMW that left the strongest impression in 2025—the one which reminded us why we care about driving within the first place. The solutions this yr span many years, drivetrains, and philosophies. So let’s dive proper ine.
Sean Kealey: 2025 BMW M2 Six-Pace Guide
For Sean, the reply was speedy: the 2025 BMW M2. This yr’s updates—extra energy, inside refinements, and expanded coloration decisions—didn’t change the M2’s core mission, and that’s exactly why it resonated so deeply. The G87 M2 represents one thing more and more uncommon: a rear-wheel-drive, inline-six-powered coupe that prioritizes engagement over abstraction.
On canyon roads round Los Angeles, the M2 felt each potent and playful. It delivered actual efficiency with out intimidation, inviting the motive force to push tougher fairly than stepping in too early. For Sean, it recalled a formative reminiscence—driving alongside as a passenger whereas his father drove a then-new E46 M3 Coupe. That sense of pleasure, steadiness, and mechanical honesty remains to be alive right here.
What stunned him most, although, was how full the bundle felt. In calmer drive modes, the M2 settled into daily-driver obligation with ease. The cabin remained quiet, the journey compliant, and the suspension refined when not pushed into full assault mode. The rear seats are usable, the trunk sensible, and nothing in regards to the expertise felt compromised.
In right now’s market, Sean sees the M2 as one thing near a unicorn: a handbook, rear-wheel-drive sports activities automotive with real on a regular basis usability and close to supercar efficiency at a worth that also feels attainable. For him, it wasn’t simply essentially the most enjoyable BMW of the yr—it was a reminder of what BMW does greatest.
You’ll be able to watch the total assessment beneath:
Nate Risch: BMW M2 CS and BMW M5 Touring
Nate’s picks sit at reverse ends of the BMW spectrum, but each left equally sturdy impressions. His first alternative, the BMW M2 CS, builds instantly on an expertise he had two years in the past on the BMW Efficiency Heart. The usual M2 impressed him then for being nearly too simple to drive rapidly. The CS takes that system and sharpens it.
Suspension upgrades, elevated energy, and the acquainted CS carbon-fiber remedy—bucket seats, weight discount, and a distinguished rear spoiler—remodel the M2 into one thing way more centered. Nate describes it as a contemporary interpretation of the basic M3 ethos, infused with motorsport aggression. Each on-ramp feels just like the exit of Flip 1 at Circuit of the Americas. Each drive feels deliberate.
It’s not only a quick automotive. It’s a automotive that makes you wish to get up early simply to drive.
His second decide stunned even him.
Lengthy a fan of wagons and equally skeptical of massive, heavy automobiles, Nate didn’t count on to fall for the BMW M5 Touring. But it surely utterly rewrote his definition of an amazing day by day driver.
On paper, the numbers are staggering: 717 horsepower, immense weight, and real utility. On the street, the M5 Touring one way or the other defies physics. It carries gear like an X3, accelerates like an excellent sedan, and nonetheless feels keen and responsive when pushed. BMW’s engineering makes its mass really feel nearly irrelevant.
The duality sealed the deal. One second, it’s a refined long-distance cruiser returning as much as 54 MPGe. The subsequent, it’s able to operating 11-second quarter miles with out breaking a sweat. For Nate, it’s the final word Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde machine—and some of the spectacular all-around automobiles BMW has ever constructed.
Chuck Vossler: BMW X5 xDrive50e
Chuck’s favourite BMW of 2025 is a reminder that greatness doesn’t all the time shout. His decide, the BMW X5 xDrive50e, is probably not the plain alternative amongst M automobiles and efficiency icons, but it surely made sense the second he defined why. The X5 has lengthy been one among BMW’s best-selling fashions, and dwelling with the plug-in hybrid model revealed precisely why.
It’s an excellent long-distance companion. The cabin is snug and thoughtfully appointed, the elevated seating place conjures up confidence, and options like heated and ventilated seats and a heated steering wheel matter while you really use a automotive year-round. For Chuck, who spends time in Colorado’s snowy mountain areas, the mixture of all-wheel drive and floor clearance made the X5 really feel effortlessly succesful.
What really stunned him, nonetheless, was the way it drove.
Quite than a indifferent hybrid expertise, the xDrive50e delivered real athleticism. With a 0–60 mph time of 4.6 seconds and seamless electric-assisted torque, it felt energetic and responsive. Absolutely charged and fueled, complete vary exceeded 500 miles—very best for street journeys with out fixed planning.
With the M Sport bundle and a trailer hitch for a motorcycle rack, the X5 xDrive50e turned the proper match for Chuck’s life-style. Sensible, environment friendly, and quietly participating, it proved {that a} BMW doesn’t should be loud to be particular.
Kanon: BMW iX xDrive50 (and a Motorrad Honorable Point out)
For Kanon, selecting a favourite BMW annually isn’t simple. With numerous drives—and rides—blurred collectively, narrowing it down requires reflection.
He briefly thought of being cheeky and naming a 1973 BMW 3.0 CS, some of the stunning automobiles BMW has ever constructed. However his remaining decide was way more sudden: the BMW iX xDrive50.
As BMW’s present EV reference level, the iX impressed Kanon by how cohesive it felt. Luxurious, efficiency, inside design, and expertise all labored collectively with out drawing consideration to themselves. Energy supply was easy, the cabin genuinely inviting, and the expertise intuitive fairly than distracting.
What stood out most was the iX’s real-world effectivity relative to its measurement, mixed with a way of calm and refinement that made it simple to dwell with. It didn’t attempt to replicate a combustion-era BMW—it merely labored by itself phrases. For Kanon, it was the quiet confidence of the bundle that made it his favourite BMW drive of the yr.
As BMWBLOG’s resident Motorrad knowledgeable, he couldn’t go away issues there.
His favourite two-wheeled BMW of 2025 was the 2025 BMW R 1300 RT. Fully redesigned, the brand new RT brings real sport again into sport touring. Regardless of its measurement, it proved agile, participating, and endlessly succesful.
Days spent driving by means of the Southern Appalachian mountains of North Georgia and Alabama marked the spotlight of his driving yr. The R 1300 RT entertained, stunned, and impressed at each flip—proof that touring bikes can nonetheless be deeply involving machines.
Horatiu Boeriu: BMW iX3 (Neue Klasse)
For me, the selection was clear. My favourite BMW of 2025 was the BMW iX3, a automotive I uniquely skilled twice—first as a prototype, and later in manufacturing kind. That uncommon alternative provided a transparent view into what BMW’s Neue Klasse philosophy really represents.
Each instances, the takeaway was the identical: distinctive driving dynamics.
Regardless of being a completely electrical SUV, the iX3 proved succesful on observe whereas remaining an excellent day by day driver. The steadiness between agility and luxury felt intentional, not compromised. A lot of that comes right down to Neue Klasse expertise and the brand new Coronary heart of Pleasure central pc, which integrates energy supply, braking, regeneration, and chassis management right into a unified system.
With an EPA-estimated vary of round 400 miles and ultra-fast charging functionality of as much as 400 kW, the iX3 addresses real-world EV issues with out turning them into advertising and marketing slogans. It merely delivers.
It was not solely my favourite BMW of the yr—it’s my subsequent automotive, and one I imagine will redefine expectations for BMW and the EV phase as an entire.
Steven Paul: 1999 BMW M Coupe
Steven’s decide takes us again 26 years. His favourite BMW of 2025 wasn’t new, wasn’t electrified, and wasn’t chasing efficiency data. It was a 1999 BMW M Coupe, pushed for the primary time solely after he had already purchased it.
Due to its shut ties to the E30 and E36 3 Collection, the M Coupe felt instantly acquainted. The steering is splendidly communicative, the S52 inline-six delivers energy with character, and the automotive’s famously unconventional styling feels purposeful fairly than quirky. The boundaries are approachable, encouraging exploration fairly than intimidation.
Driving it rekindled Steven’s love for BMW and reminded him why he turned an fanatic within the first place—and in the end, why he ended up at BMWBLOG. In a yr dominated by cutting-edge tech and large efficiency figures, his favourite drive was a reminder that a few of BMW’s best achievements have already stood the take a look at of time.
Respect your elders.
What These Picks Say About BMW in 2025
Taken collectively, these decisions inform a compelling story.
BMW’s future is electrical, quick, and technologically formidable—however its previous nonetheless issues. Whether or not it’s a Neue Klasse iX3, a 26-year-old M Coupe, a plug-in hybrid X5, or a fire-breathing M2, the frequent thread is connection. One of the best BMWs of 2025 weren’t simply spectacular—they had been those that made us wish to hold driving.
And that, greater than something, remains to be very a lot a BMW trait.
