luigi524td

Which came first - the cart or the hourse?

In the United States it seems that Touring and Hatchback have not been as well received (purchased) as they are in other countries. For BMW that may be something other than be a supply / demand issue.

In my opinion buyers of these vehicles are more "conservative" as a group. And a "station wagon" at $60K+ may not fit in their financial situation. Not that they couldn't afford one - but rather as a 'utility' vehicle other options are readily and afford-ably available.

I don't think, for the United States market, BMW sees "touring" models as the current "in vogue" / desirable cars to spend any time with. If they shifted the price point more downstream and offered F11s with lower levels of standard equipment that could shift but might not fit the marketeers current thinking.

So, for now, at this time buy what we offer ... we won't offer what you want (at this time).

Stu3

I submit that the low US Sales volume is because they priced the car so bloody high. If they would offer it with the same engine choices as the sedan (ie 528) and chassis (RWD or AWD), you could create a car that would be comparable to the sedan price. They do it with 328 Sedan and Wagon and it seems to work out fine.

At a minimum, why not offer the wagon (even the full boat 535XIT) as "special order only" so dealers do not have to worry about keeping a wagon on the lot for months and months. Its not like I'm asking to choose a 520d with cloth seats like the Germans can buy. Actually, I sat in 5 Wagon with some really nice fabric seats last year. It was quite nice.

I searched for 2010 5 Wagons in the US in all the major markets (LA, Atlanta etc) and they are as rare as hens teeth so kudos to the folks who saw this coming and got one of the last ones

I wish I had know about this 3 months ago as my wife's 2004 V70 is due for replacement (has 75K miles) and we get some really good military pricing on BMWs here in Germany. A 535 XiT Wagon starts at $47,300 so it is possible to have a nicely optioned vehicle for around $50K (ie Value package, Premium, Cold Weather, SatNav) which is quite a savings over the prices I saw the few wagons in the USA.

The typical 5 Series Wagon buyer is not the kind of person who is going to buy an X6 or GT. Shame on you BMW. But I guess the sales figures do not lie and 400 cars is not a lot.

The new MB E Class looks like it was designed by a 10 year old. The only thing missing are machine guns, a flame thrower and jet thrusters.

The Volvo is still not a bad choice but after 3 (940, XC and V70) my wife is adamant about not getting another one. We borrowed one for day from the dealer and its just okay. Feels underpowered and floaty at autobahn speeds. But maybe she will have to reconsider the current V70 as her car will not last forever. Maybe we'll have to get sedan and swallow our principles. How do you buy stuff at Ikea and bring it home in a sedan?

SSRL_2006

I thought cars in general over there are bloody cheap?!
In Australia, the E61 530i Touring (the only wagon model) starts at AUD$123,179, which is approximately US$110,516.20!!!
Like seriously, cars in Australia are ridiculous! With the money I spent on my car, I could have purchased an E60 M5 in the US and have some money left!

Stu3

Indeed...the prices on certain cars in other countries compared to US pricing is crazy. No rhyme or reason.

Richard in NC

It seems because of low sales, BMW wanted to separate the 3 and 5 Touring. The 3 got the 328iT and the 5 got the 535iT. I would have bought an '06 330ix Touring but had to get the X3 to get the 3.0. Has the 5 Touring ever had X Drive? I think folks looking for a Touring compare it to AWD competition & SUVs.

For 2010, BMW is definitely making a mistake with the 5GT instead of a Touring. The 5GT is absurdly expensive. I saw a loaded one for $90k US. That's $15k over a comparable 5 sedan. Ouch!

mfel

All 5 wagons brought to US have been Xdrive for a good while. Probably all E60 (well, E61s). I believe it's the same with the Mercedes wagons too. Audi, not so sure. Quattro is pretty common standard though. Actually, I think a good fraction of wagon buyers in US would NOT want the XDrive, but instead a real BMW Sport suspension in their wagon, since XDrive does mix with the sport suspension (with Active Roll, etc). There are no 5 wagons with 'real' BMW suspensions. Heck, in Europe you can get a M5 wagon.

I guess that is something I've wondered about for a good while: How much approximately does it cost to bring in a car model for sale in the US? Is it a federal regulatory approval process? EPA? What is the hindrance for bringing those kind of engine and suspension mix options in the USA that is common elsewhere? There's something like 8 engines available in Europe, and I would assume there's a pretty complicated set of regulatory hurdles to deal with there too.

I suppose that with only 400 items, if it costs $100k to go through the process, that is a pretty big per unit hit. But then again, at the prices they charge it isn't that much a premium. Heck that's only $250 each. Maybe it costs a $1MM? Anyone have an idea? I guess my question ends up being: Is it a red tape kind of thing or a marketing positioning thing?

KatanaPilot

Since BMW no longer reports 5 wagon sales separately, we don't really know how many they sold in 2009. I've read anywhere from 500 to 1000; at 500 the E61 wagon might be more rare than some exotics like the Lamborghini! If anyone come across the exact (or even ball park) number, please report!

That said, I have been following the various forums and I'm surprised by the number of "end-of-model-life" wagon orders for the US. The 2010 has everything I was looking / waiting for - the power of the 535 engine, the wagon body, M-sport package, and new nav. The GT is nice, but I have absolutely no interest in buying the GT.....

The thing is, just like the X6, the GT probably will sell very well. BMW NA planners will be high-fiving themselves for having this "wagon solution", leaving us loyal customers with nothing to replace our 5 wagon with a few years down the road....

protams

Maybe they think after you drove only Volvos and Saab you will deffinatelly stay for sweeds

Stu3

LOL...I think I have got that "sweed" thing out of my system. Unless Saab has a miracle, their days are numbered. I actually really liked my 2003 9-5 with V6. I had to break the lease when we moved to Germany. My mother in law took over the lease and had lots of trouble with the car :-(.

Something about the new V70 just doesn't work for my wife though. I'd be happy with another one but its her car so she gets to pick. I have had MK2 TT for a year now and love it. 100 mph on the autobahn is perfection. You feel like you could do it forever (or at least until its time to fill it up).

If only had known about the F11, I would have ordered an E61 when I had the chance. I never imagined in a million years that BMW would make that decision. Maybe they will offer it after one model year of the F10. Hope springs eternal.

bigbadbull

So I guess since wagons don't sell well , explanes why Caddy and Acura are both putting new ones out states side?
Hell Caddy may even have a CTS-V !

One reason BMW should put the F11 out... FLEET FUEL MILEAGE and Emissions..... the F07 is a Beast as is the X6 ( 5000+ lbs) and neight will help the corporate goal and both are insanely priced.... The F07 is priced closer to a F01 shooting break than a F10 wagon...

I saw on at the dealer with 3 options on it ( prem, sport with No DRC or the spiffy shocks, and Ipod)... $75K! For $75k you used to be able to get a E61 with Every option on it in the USA and have some change.

Thank god I got a 530Xi while I could.