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Some additional thoughts...
Not to say that I regret getting the M5, but most of the time, it's not as fun to drive as one would think. It's big. I enjoy driving the GTI more, honestly (when not in traffic). That said, it is a very nice car and a nice place to be. I often think it is total overkill (it is) and that a non-M would be fine, but the reality is that a non-M would be even more frustrating and less fun to me. You can't get the suspension, the seats, the settings, the response, etc. It may well be that is a class of car I don't like and that is probably true if it were my only car.
I would never pay >>$100k for this car. I could see paying $100k new given all the options. But $130K plus another $20K in aftermarket stuff? No way. In the end, for what I paid and for all the nice equipment, configuration, etc., this is a nice car and worth it, but I would feel a lot more underwhelmed and closer to regret had I paid that same price for a more vanilla M5, which could have easily happened. My particular car is very cool and very nice, and I have come to really like the ///M exhaust. I got lucky.
The thing is, if the car is in a sportier M setting and you drive it even mildly aggressively it comes alive. It gets sharper, more agile, and the nice suspension and drivetrain come through. I can see why reviews are good since they will naturally test drive an M5 in sporty or aggressive ways.
In that regard it reminds me of the F80. Around town in casual driving and at slower speeds it felt big and heavy and unnecessarily uncomfortable. But when pushed it was a great car.
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