5Series.net - Forums - Thinking of replacing my E61

Quote:

Originally Posted by E61FUN (Post 1590302)

Yeah, they're fun, even with slightly numb steering and notably so-so transmissions. The word is that MB addressed the latter issue.

The exterior shots of the new E63S touring seem to present a more "butch" styling than the outgoing model, which is a welcome change to me. I think they need to dial down the "prissy", even while they're aimed at boring rich folks that like to wear white tennis outfits for casual events. :)

Sure would be killer if BMW released a G30 M5 Touring and then brought it stateside. But their accountants would never let them. That's the utterly boring predictable side of BMW (and I expect more of that to come).

I'm mystified how the "Ultimate Driving Machine" company can release the utterly neutered i3 and i8, or the fugly 550 fastback and ignore a big fast wagon for the US market. But then I look over at their accountancy department and go, "oh... of course!" Counting beans and delivering the boring!

I guess AMG can do it. And now Volvo is trying to come back. And Buick is aiming to join in (Buick!?).

A big wagon is a such a staple thing in Germany. But I guess BMW has given up on the US market. Can't even get an Alpina snuck in. So sad. That's it... I'm selling everything... just gonna Uber from now on like a Millennial.

well said.

one thing that i've always appreciated about (most of) the AMG cars (SLS aside) is the understated styling. i think 95% of people wouldnt know the difference between a C300 and a C63 or a ML350 and an ML63. hell, my neighbors bought an E350 wagon with the AMG package and it looks very close to the E63 wagon. i always assumed this subtle styling was intentional - that MB was appealing to the small percentage of auto enthusiasts that knew and appreciated a wolf in sheep's clothing. BMW's M cars always seemed more like flashier cousins of their respective non-M counterparts. i like a car that goes fast without looking like it goes fast, if that makes sense. sure, the nissan GTR or MB SLS are fast cars, but there's no mistaking what they're made for just by looking at them. that's not my personal preference.

i dont really see the buick as a serious contender in the fast wagon space, but i'm guessing it is being made to appeal to a different buyer - maybe as a competitor to the 328 wagon, but certainly not against the AMG or M cars. the V60 polestar looks nice, although a bit like a long Ford Fiesta hatch in my opinion. i never understood why the CTS-V wagon didnt get more appreciation from american buyers - it was a true beast and I even had my eye on one for a while.

that being said, i am glad to see a resurgence of wagons in the US. I work for a German company and am over there every 6 weeks or so and have become accustomed to seeing wagons everywhere and very few crossovers or SUVs. we seem so stuck on SUVs here in the US (full disclosure - i'm guilty of this as well - my wife drives the behemoth toyota sequoia). im assuming this is largely a product of relatively cheap fuel and the resulting indifference to fuel efficiency in the early days of the SUVs. i had a jeep grand cherokee in 2004 when they were first released (some people might remember their marketing campaign of the jeep driving up a flight of stairs and through a pane of glass in some sort of symbolic gesture of what cars could now do) and it seemed like such a massive car at the time. the interior was probably no bigger than a typical wagon nowadays. fast forward 13 years - a few days ago an early-model grand cherokee was parked next to a yukon XL in a lot near my house and the jeep looked positively dwarfish next to the yukon and i was again reminded that wagons may sadly remain a niche market for a long time to come. im feeling a little nostalgic for the days as a kid riding facing backwards in a wood-paneled caprice wagon.....