Hot Pants for touring models

It seems there are a lot of people(well quite a few at least) who are looking for e39 touring's
with low miles---it also seems that the sellers feel they have some big time collectors vehicle
judging by some of the prices.

My suggestion---look at some of the 2006's for sale at some realistic prices. I would assume
that a 2006 BMW is technically superior to a 2003. Additionally, three years newer means
around 30k less miles.

Just my 2 cents---I personally have always liked the touring models-both Bmw and Benz.
For a real treat you could get that Cadillac cts wagon or whatever it is called with the monster
engine--for a LOT of money.

Those '2006' models you are referring to are E60 versions.

Some of us E39 Touring owners like them, other's don't.

I 'might' get one to run alongside my E39 Touring, or, I may just wait till an F11 is within my price range used!

I won't ever go for any other brand, unless I can get a weekend toy and then I really want it to be of an Italian Bull variety

Cheers, Dennis!

I don't understand the love for a station wagon.
Calling it a touring still makes it a station wagon.
People act like it's some great thing. Just doesn't add up.
Ugly as sin. Just like every other station wagon ever made.

Econo Box

You are 100 % correct-BUT -there is something that I just love about them.

Maybe they are akin to a Ford Country Squire !

MY wife has always thought I was sick to want one--therefore I have never had one!

YET !

Wagons are VERY convenient for hauling stuff. I have a Subie Outback, not a wagon, but it has a liftgate, and can swallow lots of stuff.

Plus, the weight distribution is more balanced than is a saloon.

The CTS-V can be had with a 6-speed, something you can't get on the Bimmer. Peter Egan says the car is a monster!

Oh, I get that. I wouldn't mind a Subaru Outback (Or El Camino) for hauling stuff and not having a truck as a DD.
But a BMW station wagon? It's like a Porsche SUV. Identity crisis. I mean does anyone "hit the twisties" in their station wagon?\

Econobox, Some people love them and some people don't get it. As for myself, I own both the sedan and the touring. I have always loved the lines of the touring not to mention the convenience of having all that trunk space. I have never had anything in the back of my touring but it is nice to know that its there. I have never even had my kids in the back of my E39's. Thats what I own a Chevy Astro Van for. And the answer to your question, "YES" I have taken many a long route on twisty (SoCal countryside) back roads in both my E39's and I shock many others by showing what a touring can do.

Originally Posted by EconoBox

I don't understand the love for a station wagon..........

If you have to ask, you probably never will, but that's ok.

Originally Posted by EconoBox

.......Just like every other station wagon ever made.

Ahhhh...no. You are quite wrong. Mine has the sport package AND three pedals. Have you ever seen or heard an AMG wagon at a F1 race? Those are like no other wagon ever made. It's been many, many years since Detriot made a manual wagon.

Originally Posted by EconoBox

.......(Or El Camino) for hauling stuff..........But a BMW station wagon? It's like a Porsche SUV. Identity crisis. I mean does anyone "hit the twisties" in their station wagon?\

Had several El Camino's in our family. Great concept for a family truck. There is a custom E39 "El Camino" somewhere down in Australia.
Again, no, it's entirely different than an SUV. For one, the center of gravity is measured in inches, not feet.

Identity crisis? It can cruise at 100+ on the freeway just like your 530. I can go hunting with the dogs and shotguns in the back. I can move the daughter with all her stuff down to the college dorm. When the hot water tank blew last week, I put the new one in the back. I don't need a Blazer or 4WD Subaru to go skiing in the winter - Four snow tires and skiis on the top and I'll go anywhere. No identity crisis here, it does everything I need it to........

And as for the twisties, the wagon with three pedals is more fun than any slusbox steptronic could every be. I know, I have two E39 slushboxes.

If you ever get the opportunity, go drive one, you just might find the answer to your original question!

Very well put Indiansfan.

Originally Posted by jayster0966

Very well put Indiansfan.

Thanks.

An E39 iT is NOT the same as your fathers Oldsmobile VistaCrusier!

Originally Posted by EconoBox

I don't understand the love for a station wagon.
Calling it a touring still makes it a station wagon.
People act like it's some great thing. Just doesn't add up.
Ugly as sin. Just like every other station wagon ever made.

You are entitled to your opinion of course!

Like mentioned above, some of us need the load space, I have a big Akita and my car is also a daily driver and a workhorse. It's ex Police as well and I know it's led a very hard life prior to me purchasing it. I often carry big items in the car, use it to clear stuff, pick things up or drop I may need to move around. When I need it to be a comfortable fast express, it does that as well perfectly. The only thing at the moment I don't have in this car is M5 levels of performance, but that I'd like to change in the future..

Cheers, Dennis!

Identity crisis? It can cruise at 100+ on the freeway just like your 530. I can go hunting with the dogs and shotguns in the back. I can move the daughter with all her stuff down to the college dorm. When the hot water tank blew last week, I put the new one in the back. I don't need a Blazer or 4WD Subaru to go skiing in the winter - Four snow tires and skiis on the top and I'll go anywhere. No identity crisis here, it does everything I need it to........

Should you EVER get into an accident w/ all that stuff sitting dormant, being inches away from you and your cranium.....could be tragic
Happened to me, but in a Benz station wagon. We had stuff loaded in the back and out of nowhere a guy runs a light, clips us in the rear end, spun the car around and flipped us when the rear wheels fishtailed and hit the curb. EVerything in the back, golf clubs, a folding bicycle and stuff in a cooler whacked us silly in the head. But it was the freakin' bowling ball that went airborn while we were upside down which almost cracked my skull that I will never forget.

Originally Posted by DHoang

Should you EVER get into an accident w/ all that stuff sitting dormant, being inches away from you and your cranium.....could be tragic
............

Point well taken. Normally, anything north of 80, I'm the only one in the car. No excess baggage.

Originally Posted by DennisCooper!

You are entitled to your opinion of course!

Like mentioned above, some of us need the load space, I have a big Akita and my car is also a daily driver and a workhorse. It's ex Police as well and I know it's led a very hard life prior to me purchasing it. I often carry big items in the car, use it to clear stuff, pick things up or drop I may need to move around. When I need it to be a comfortable fast express, it does that as well perfectly. The only thing at the moment I don't have in this car is M5 levels of performance, but that I'd like to change in the future..

Cheers, Dennis!

Hey, Dennis, you have reminded me of my Akita, who died last year. I used my touring to haul him around as you do. Not a day goes by that I don't miss him, very special breed. I'm sure I'll feel the same way about the touring when I sell it.

BTW, when you say "ex police", do you mean the wagon, or the Akita?

Originally Posted by DHoang

Should you EVER get into an accident w/ all that stuff sitting dormant, being inches away from you and your cranium.....could be tragic
Happened to me, but in a Benz station wagon. We had stuff loaded in the back and out of nowhere a guy runs a light, clips us in the rear end, spun the car around and flipped us when the rear wheels fishtailed and hit the curb. EVerything in the back, golf clubs, a folding bicycle and stuff in a cooler whacked us silly in the head. But it was the freakin' bowling ball that went airborn while we were upside down which almost cracked my skull that I will never forget.

and your point is different how if you were driving anything else that was capable of carrying all that you mentioned?

those that do not get the touring are also those that do not get a lot of things. there is a reason why SUV's do not exist in Europe, except for the Land Rover line.

G~

Ditto...the same thing would happen if you were carrying the same things mentioned in an SUV...and if the bowling ball was in the back seat of your sedan...and the car flipped...your cranium could still be cracked regardless if your car was a sedan or a Touring.

The Tourings provide the same driving experience as the sedan owners EXCEPT we have the ability to haul more of life's stuff around when needed. And that can be for whatever season of life one may be in. As previously mentioned...the wagon can get you off to college, into your off campus apartment, into your first job and apartment after graduation, then onto your new home etc. You can easily haul stuff home that would NOT fit into the sedan...like small appliances, gas grills, lawn mowers...or if your a musician and need to hall around amps or drums or keyboards...or if you are into photography and need to haul your equipment around. The Touring offers utility that the sedan just doesn't offer.

A Touring may not be for everyone...but for those who don't want a truck/SUV and prefer a car but still would like the utility...this is the perfect vehicle for them. I remember the first time I drove an e39 Touring...it was during a Susan B Koman Drive for the Cure event. As I was driving the course...I realized that the Touring was one of the favorite drives of the day...and I laughed as I looked in the rear view mirror and thought to myself...I would never know that I was driving a wagon until I looked in the rear view mirror and could see the cargo area.

After owning an e34 525iT for a few years...I finally got my e39 540iT...and I couldn't care less that many have a disdain for wagons...I LOVE my Touring! It works perfectly for what I need it for.

(loaded up to do some work at my rental property)


(ready to fight the urban jungle as a DD...just like any 540i sedan)

Love my wagons especially the E39. I can haul all kinds of things plus it will blow a majority of the cars I encounter at a light or on the highway away. As for things hitting you in the head when you have an accident, both wagons have retractable nets to keep that stuff back there although I admit I've never pulled one out yet!

Just like everyone else here, I love having the performance of a BMW coupled with a hauler. Yesterday I had my push lawn mower in the trunk with both back seats up, so I could have taken all my family and a mower all in one go. Pretty awesome ... and it's 50/50 weight distribution.

The point of my original post ---was that there are a lot of NEWER touring's around and that the low mileage e39's seem way overpriced in comparison -IMO- Also,IMO, I would guess that the e60's are better cars inheritently than the e39's--

not sure what you mean by better. if better means newer, then yes. if better means able to be worked on by mere mortals. no. the reason why a lot of us have the e39 touring is because it has most of the modern safety equipment, yet the vehicle is still easy to work on in the garage.

the reason why touring cost a premium is because they are significantly more rare than their sedan counterparts. with the rarest being the 03 M-Tech. far less of these exist than M5's. in other words, they can charge a premium, because the vehicle is that rare and enough people want them. it is all about supply and demand.

G~

Speaking of rare (Econ 101 supply & demand)...both the e34 & e39 Tourings are rare in the USA. For instance, my 99 540iT is only 1 of 879 sold that year and ony 1 of 2363 540iT models sold over a 5 year period...the same for my 95 525iT which was 1 of 1047 95 models and 1 of 6177 (or 1 of 4399 w/M50TU engine) sold over a 5 year period:

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My only hope is that BMW NA changes their minds and will eventually import the new F11 (Touring). I personally have never cared for the design of the e61 Touring (nor the e60 sedans)...and would select another marque or woefully go down to the 3 series Touring if I was forced to do so by some rare happenstance.

(F11 Touring)

I've also noticed a lot of Chrysler Magnum wagons in my area of the country over the last few years. I see a lot more of them now that they are "used" than when they were new. So there must be a few buyers out there who want the utility of the wagon, yet prefer the driveability of a car versus a truck/SUV/cross-over which all have higher ground clearance and less "handling".

You just don't get this much space in a sedan to handle the day to day things that can come up in life that you need to bring home or transfer etc (big screen TV, 6 ft gas grill, new screen door, lumber for yard or home projects, garden plants & spring flowers + mulch & dirt, etc:

(plus the "net" to protect from flying objects )

Originally Posted by EconoBox

I mean does anyone "hit the twisties" in their station wagon?\

Yes!!! If you set one up right you'd surprised how well they "hit the twisties". I've passed many a slow moving car on the outside of a cloverleaf interchange at a steady 60 mph, loaded!!!

It's bigger inside than my since gone E53 X5, drives better and makes considerably more mileage.

I carry a pile of gear with me everywhere. When it's raining I can stand under the liftgate, get at that cargo, and stay DRY, good luck with that on a sedan. What you'll find is that most devout Touring owners have a certain set of criteria they feel they must meet with a daily driver and the Touring in the answer.

Personally I don't see the point of the sedan when you can have the Touring, it's essentially the same car with more cargo area, BMW builds them that well.

Resurrecting an old thread here.
I find these numbers fascinating.
I wonder about the possibility of finding numbers for tourings that are still registered (and assumed to still be on the road). I also wonder if there's a way to know how many of these cars have manual transmissions.
Just for fun, I did a search on cars.com for E39 wagons with a manual transmission. There is currently 1 in the US for sale on cars.com.

Originally Posted by QSilver7

Speaking of rare (Econ 101 supply & demand)...both the e34 & e39 Tourings are rare in the USA. For instance, my 99 540iT is only 1 of 879 sold that year and ony 1 of 2363 540iT models sold over a 5 year period...the same for my 95 525iT which was 1 of 1047 95 models and 1 of 6177 (or 1 of 4399 w/M50TU engine) sold over a 5 year period:
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