Touring or 740iL

[Flamin'Cow]

Ah well - guess your just gonna have to go for the 740...

yeah yeah - I know the 'tourer' has a larger trunk capacity for buying all thatt crap you'll be able to afford now your kids have gone, but hey, the & series has a big enough trunk for 2 people (hell 2 people will probably FIT IN THE TRUNK!)

ask your missus - I'm sure she'll appreciate the leather, air-con and smooth ride of a 7.

[attack eagle]

Unfortunately, BMW is selling all-wheel-drive 5er's now in US rather than doing so the last 15 years. I can testify to the practicality of AWD in the NE winter and having the Audi is best for that. The E60 5er (not my favorite at all) looks better as a touring than it does as a sedan - the lines just flow better that way.

At the moment, debating over the engine option, 4.4L or 2.8L. I test drove a 540i/6 earlier this year, although awesome, it was heavy and the steering not as responsive. Big engine for straightaway driving but Im also thinking of the "touring" aspect of driving - hills, banks, curves, turns, and any combination of those together, where the I-6 would be better off for that style of driving.

Of course, still looking for the one.......

Curves? Wow, what a difference from the arid southwest where driving out of town means putting the car on Cruise at 85-90 for hours on end.

[Elekta]

Touring...

95 e34 or the 03 540 e39...that is a sweet ride.

choose seat color the same as your dog's hair...little trick we dog owner use.

Tho mine rides up front

[tdgard]

I'm going through the same dilemma & think I will go with the 7--although a friend is selling an 01' 525it & it is distracting me.

I personally like the idea of a trunk. Being lazy in nature and having been broken into too many times, I just know it would be a matter of time before thousands of dollars in tools and meters would end up in a pawn shop if I left them in the touring.

Thought about the extra versatility of the touring & decided that I would rather buy a $1000 beater truck than beat up a very nice interior.

[Kobe Diesel]

Have seen some E34 Ts that look fantastic. Although we have decided on a touring, the next dilemna is E34 or E39. The advantage to E34 is that Ive become very familiar with the car over the past year, the parts are more affordable compared to E39 which I dont have a clue about. The advantage with the E39 is age and you can find them with low miles.

[Hal]

We currently have his and hers Tourings, E34 and E39. I also owned a 1990 535ia sedan.

At this point it is clearly easier to find E39 Tourings in good condition and much lower mileage, but at significantly higher prices than the E34. For my cars, I figure that my 94 530iT at 158,000 mi might have a retail value of perhaps only US$6k and the 99 528iT at 92,000 mi might be more like US$14k. For one inclined to do the work on the E34 themselves, this is a large price difference.

I find the overall utility of the wagons to be much superior for my use than a sedan. I do not like have separate vehicles for various purposes, and the carrying capavity of the wagons is adequate for 99% of what I need to do. Perhaps once every 3 years I rent a pickup for ~$40 for a day for some purpose, but I have no need to own one.

The wagon has somewhat higher road noise coupled up throught the rear of the vehicle to the passengers compared to the sedan. The wagon is a bit heavier, but not much. I don't see much difference in handling, but I would suppose that the polar moment if inertia of the wagon is higher than the same model sedan. I do not lose sleep over this. I find the 528iT to be adequately powered for my needs, which may be more modest than for some on this board.

Hal

1994 530iT 158,000 mi Nikasil powered
1999 528iT 92,000 mi without the Nikasil advantage

[TheMissile]

is exactly why I love my touring. Apart from the sleek looks, the great power delivery, the leather, the steering, the 'snick' of the gear changes, the permanent 4x4, the load space, the removable subwoofer........I digress.

Anyone with kids, a home improvement plan and any kind of sport or hobby that involves "equipment" needs a touring. The space. The space...did I mention the space. Also, did I mention the separated glass / tailgate thing. It IS awesome and is one reason I dont look at other station wagons. Sooooo practical. As far as I know its the only car that is not a truck/SUV that actually works in that way. Correct me please.

I have a volvo v70 too and I hate the way I have to open the whole tailgate to get at the stuff inside, not to mention leaving on big trips....packing is a hoot....cram as much stuff in the back, hold it in with a stick, then try and close the tailgate without the stuff falling out. It could be sport if it wasnt so annoying ! Not to mention (again??) that the build quality on the v70 is sh&t. I'll repeat..the build quality on the v70 is sh&t. Flame off. Sorry...

[thatracer]

What year and model is that 7? Its NICE

Yes, a BMW dealership will take anything as a trade-in if they think they can sell it. An A4 fits the bill.

I'd go for the E38 myself. Sooo cool. I'd go for the short-wheelbase sport version, though, with M parallels. Yum.