CPO E39 Touring to replace MinVan?

[wingspan]

Hi - If anyone has a 5 series Station Wagon/Touring, would they mind me asking a couple questions about it please?

The Boss and I are thinking about replacing Mom's Honda Odyssey Minivan next year. It is an '00 model, with 62K miles, and been pretty much trouble free. We are considering going smaller than the Minivan, i.e. a large-ish wagon maybe like Volvo V70 etc. (She uses it to transport cakes/gingerbread houses etc for her business and for her college classes/teaching. Also, we don't need 7 seats due to family changes the past few years)

We like the Minivan because it has a 48" wide x 52" long flat load space. We drove a V70 2.4 at the local dealer yesterday and were impressed with the fit and finish, and the fact the load space was 46" x 56" i.e. essentially the same as the Minivan.

The previous generation 5er came up in conversation ( :) ) yesterday due to the fact there is no E60 wagon yet, the 3er wagon "seems" too small, we're don't need 4WD (live in Orlando), and if we went CPO the price might be more reasonable than, say, shopping new. And its a Bimmer, and might be expected to offer, um, maybe a more dynamic driving experience, as it were.

So, for you 5-wagon owners, please: What is the approximate length and width of the rear load area (with the rear seats folded down)? What did you shop/compare your car with? If you chose between the 5-er wagon and another wagon, what was it and why did you choose the 5 Series?

Thank you for any info...ws

[alpinewhite325i]

I don't have a wagon and have not ever driven a 5 series sedan / wagon. But...I have driven the Volvo V70. I can 't really comment on the space, but the driving experience was NUMB. The car had more than enough power from the 5 cyl turbo, but it was a very unsatisfying driving experience. There's nothing inherently wrong with the car, just not for a driving enthusiast. However, if the car is for your wife, that probably is a non issue.

FWIW....I love the styling of the V70 though. :thumbup:

Merry Christmas :D

[jw]

FWIW, my wife just got an '04 Saab 9-5 Aero wagon to replace her minivan. She couldn't be more happy!

[wingspan]

FWIW, my wife just got an '04 Saab 9-5 Aero wagon to replace her minivan. She couldn't be more happy!

Thanks guys - We'd not thought about a Saab, maybe worth a look tomorrow or Saturday and take the tape measure.

Yes, on the V70 driving experience I thought it was actually Very Nice - well damped and "floaty" I can understand why they build them that way though, basically big load carriers with some comfort. We drove one of the bottom of the range, non-turbo I4's and it was not rapid but made its way down the road. Seemed kind of noisy though...

We did a search on a CPO 5-er wagon on bmwusa and found 11 within 500 miles but nothing closer than Georgia, hence the question. Oh well, not a rush...

[DSPTurtle]

The A6 wagon is an awesome vehicle... especially with the turbo and all wheel drive. Our family vehicle is a 1999 ML430. We like it alot.
JB

[marinakorp]

Not sure of the length / widtf of the vehicle

It is a lot larger than MANY wagons on the market... definately A LOT larger than the 3

I cannot measure for you..as the freight train is in the shop (some idiot hit my 1/4 panel and ripped off my bumper... :asshole: )

If you do... try and get the sport 540.... really a sleeper... goes like a bat outa hell and handles REAL well ... a bit rough on the odd surfaces... but goes like hell!

[safetywork]

Wingspan,

I too owned an Odyssey and now I own a CPO 525 touring. We used to own SAABs too and before the BMW I owned a VW Passat wagon. As for space, the Odyssey is larger. The SAAB is very fast but resale is horrendous! I owned the V-6 version of the VW Passat, I guess it's close to a V-6 Audi A6. The power is very linear but needs more torque (perhaps the turbo version would be a better choice here).

This is my first BMW, the handling is terrific. As for cargo space, its quit large. I recently helped my college bound brother move to this new apartment and it swallowed everything he could pack. My fuel economy is also much better then I thought, 27mpg mixed driving. The SAAB was the other high fuel economy car, only with much more torque! My only complaint about the 525i touring is the torque. It definitely could use more. If I could do this again, I would go with the 540 touring. But I guess I can't complain, I got a great deal on a '02 with only 10k miles. I have the remaining of the factory warrantee, the remaining of the maintenance program, and when thats over BMW throws in an additional 2 years or 50k miles on the drivetrain. So my warrantee won't expire until 2008 or 100k mile. I'd say thats a pretty good deal.

Good luck with your search. I would definitely recommend a CPO car, you get the best of both worlds; a piece of mind, great car, and a price that's hard to beat.

[wingspan]

Wingspan,

I too owned an Odyssey and now I own a CPO 525 touring. We used to own SAABs too and before the BMW I owned a VW Passat wagon. As for space, the Odyssey is larger. The SAAB is very fast but resale is horrendous! I owned the V-6 version of the VW Passat, I guess it's close to a V-6 Audi A6. The power is very linear but needs more torque (perhaps the turbo version would be a better choice here).

This is my first BMW, the handling is terrific. As for cargo space, its quit large. I recently helped my college bound brother move to this new apartment and it swallowed everything he could pack. My fuel economy is also much better then I thought, 27mpg mixed driving. The SAAB was the other high fuel economy car, only with much more torque! My only complaint about the 525i touring is the torque. It definitely could use more. If I could do this again, I would go with the 540 touring. But I guess I can't complain, I got a great deal on a '02 with only 10k miles. I have the remaining of the factory warrantee, the remaining of the maintenance program, and when thats over BMW throws in an additional 2 years or 50k miles on the drivetrain. So my warrantee won't expire until 2008 or 100k mile. I'd say thats a pretty good deal.

Good luck with your search. I would definitely recommend a CPO car, you get the best of both worlds; a piece of mind, great car, and a price that's hard to beat.

Hi thanks for the info, more to think about, hmmm...

Say, next time you have a chance would it possible to post the dimensions in inches for width and length of the cargo area with the seats folded? I have been looking for one to measure, but 5-er E39 wagons are pretty thin on the ground; closest CPO one to me is in Georgia :(

Thanks!!!

[jw]

Saab may have a great deal of depreciation, however, Saab Financial backs their leases similarly to BMW. We got a great deal on out lease!!

[safetywork]

JW is correct in that SAAB leases are awesome! Wingspan, if you decide to go for the SAAB lease it! When we got ours we also leased since buying vs. leasing then buying it out would have only cost us an additional $350. No other company I know of have such a great lease plan.

I'll get you the dimensions once I'm back in home, (Jan. 3, '04).

Not to sound too pro SAAB.... On the wagons there's an accessory you can get on the wagons that allows the floor to pull out for easy loading. Check the SAABs out, they were giving huge rebates (at least in my area). Nearly $7,000 worth in rebates AND that's before you even start to negotiate on the price!

JW can probably tell you more on the service aspect of the SAAB. When we got ours SAAB didn't have a maintenance program.

[drmwvr]

Saab may have a great deal of depreciation, however, Saab Financial backs their leases similarly to BMW. We got a great deal on out lease!!
Does the SAAB have a third row seating option?

[jw]

Does the SAAB have a third row seating option?
No it doesn't. My wife originally like the Chrysler Pacifica for that very reason. But all it took was a test drive in the Saab and she was conviced. It's amazing how all the mandatory creature comforts, gadgets and options got tossed out of the equation once she took it for a few hours spin.

Saab has started a maintenance plan similar to that of BMW. Free maintenance, free loaners, etc. However, there are some limitations. For example, if your 9-5 requires add'l oil changes over and above the suggested interval you must pay out of pocket. However, the 9-3 is completely covered for everything. I guess it's because the 9-3 is a new model.

Also, if you know any GM employees they should be able to extend their GM Family pricing to "friends" until the end of the year. All incentives offered by the manufacturer still apply as well.