There's a Reason BMW Brought the M5 Touring to America, Not the M3

According to BMW M boss Frank van Meel, the M5 Touring was simply a 'logical decision.'

Photo by: BMW USA

By: Jeff Perez

Nov 4, 2025 at 10:00am ET

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The BMW M5 Touring is the automaker’s first performance wagon in the US in, well, a very long time—but it’s already proving to be a big hit. Through the first few months of 2025, demand for the M5 Touring outpaced that of the sedan, putting it on track to become one of BMW’s most sought-after performance models by the end of the year.

That success raises an obvious question: Why did BMW bring the M5 Touring to America before the M3 Touring? According to BMW M boss Frank van Meel, the company believed that the M5 wagon would make a bigger impact.

Speaking to BMWBlog at the recent Japan Mobility Show, van Meel called it a "logical decision," suggesting that the M5 Touring was the "safe bet" between the two vehicles. BMW expected it to outsell the M3 Touring—and so far, that bet appears to have paid off.

That’s not to say an M3 Touring for America was (or is) completely off the table. In fact, BMW seriously considered bringing the smaller performance wagon to the US first.

Source: BMW

Van Meel admitted that the company was "not brave enough" to lead with the M3 Touring, noting that executives had doubts about how well it would perform in the US market. Given the recent struggles of wagons, especially those sized similarly to the 3 Series, it’s easy to see why.

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Still, there’s reason for optimism. BMW executives hinted last August that if the M5 Touring proved successful, they would consider launching an M3 Touring in the US as well. That would most likely happen with the next-generation model, so fans may need to be patient.

For now, enthusiasts can still enjoy the M5 Touring, though it will cost a bit more for 2026. BMW raised the starting MSRP to $123,900, an increase of $2,400 over last year’s model.