View Photos of the 2025 BMW M5 vs. 2025 Kubota M5

The BMW was better on pavement, but the Kubota had the edge on dirt.

The Kubota has a central driving position and a six-speed manual gearbox like a McLaren F1 . . .

. . . while the BMW has back seats and a top-dead-center stripe on the steering wheel. There are some other differences if you look hard enough.

The M5-111's turbocharged four-cylinder diesel is mounted behind the front axle, in a front-mid-engine setup.

Each M5 uses a turbocharged engine, but only the BMW's looks like it has eight-pack abs.

We figured out what some of these levers do.

The BMW's console is sadly out-levered by the M5-111's.

Goodyear Optitracs provided predictable at-the-limit behavior.

The BMW has a rear-drive mode, if you want to incinerate these.

Only the Kubota can grade its own road (in reverse).

A legendary badge.

Also a legendary badge.

If you doubt that the BMW M5 needs all-wheel drive to marshal its 717 horses, put it in rear-drive mode for a sec.

It's sensible to dump dirt with the Kubota's bucket close to the ground but more fun to do it from higher up while yelling "Dirt waterfall!"

BMW calls this color Daytona Violet Metallic, and it's a $5000 option.

The Kubota is available in orange.

One of our judges, Cowvin, seemed to prefer the Kubota, but that could be because we put bananas and hay in the bucket. Like our two machines, Cowvin is large and much quicker than you'd expect. In fact, he might be an M5 too.

Two M5s. One judge.