Let’s face it, right now isn’t the greatest time to be into passenger cars. The crossover utility vehicle is the dominant automotive form of the era, the sedanocalypse keeps claiming victims, and it seems that wagons – especially fast ones – are primarily the dreams of extremely online car people. Well, at least some of these digital-realm wagon enthusiasts must’ve come into money recently, because a recent report claims that BMW seriously underestimated just how many people would want an M5 Touring.
According to BMW Blog, the Bavarian automaker originally planned to split M5 production as two-thirds sedans and one-third wagons. However, demand hasn’t quite broken along those lines. As Sylvia Neubauer, Vice President of Customer, Brand, and Sales at BMW M, told the outlet, “We now see that there’s more demand for the sedan, so we’ve increased production there. But there’s even more demand for the Touring. So the increase on the Touring is much higher.” Right now, the body style split is reportedly even, and it’s easy to see why.
Yes, the new M5 weighs more than an F-150, and it trails the outgoing M5 Competition from zero-to-60 mph by a hair, but that just means it makes a whole lot more sense as a wagon than as a sedan. Let’s start with the curious fact that in certain jurisdictions where tax rates are hugely advantageous for plug-in hybrids, it’s actually one of the more affordable M models.
Take France for example. Because the BMW M3 Touring emits 233 grams of CO2 per kilometer, it’s subject to €70,000 in what France calls its malus tax, or roughly $76,280 at current conversion rates. What’s more, it weighs 1,865 kilograms, so it’s also subject to an extra €2,975 of weight tax, or about $3,242.56 at current conversion rates. Add those figures to a list price of €124,300, and you end up with a car costing €197,275, or about $215,000 at current conversion rates once malus tax is added.
While the M5 Touring officially emits between 39 and 46 grams of CO2 per kilometer and weighs 5,621 pounds, it has an electric range of more than 50 kilometers on the optimistic WLTP cycle, rendering it exempt from the emissions part of France’s malus tax. As such, the weight tax of €20,500, and once you add that to the MSRP of €164,900, the M5 Touring actually works out cheaper in France than the M3 Touring by about €11,875, or $12,938 at current conversion rates.
Then there’s the practicality of the wagon body. At 27.2 cu.-ft., cargo space with the rear seats up trails that of the X5 M Competition by a considerable margin, but that’s not the whole story. The popularity of crossover coupes suggests that many buyers are willing to sacrifice some practicality so long as they’re getting a more flexible cargo area than in a sedan, and not only is the M5 Touring right up there with the X6 M Competition in U.S. cargo volume with the rear seats up, the more traditional roofline of the M5 Touring should be advantageous for loading boxy and tall items.
Finally, there’s a matter of precedent. While the new M5 sedan is constantly being compared to the old one, the last M5 Touring was a fire-breathing V10 model with a somewhat clunky single-clutch automated manual transmission and a fearsome maintenance reputation, plus it went out of production in 2010. It’s certainly not directly comparable to the new M5 Touring, and competition in the extremely fast wagon space is currently limited.
The Audi RS6 Performance is out there as an all-combustion option, but not only does it come in at a tax disadvantage in some locales, it’s a bit anodyne and body control isn’t its forte, allowing lots of squat and dive. At the other extreme, the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo is unbelievably quick and surprisingly tactile, but it’s also much smaller inside than the M5 Touring and RS6 Performance, not to mention more expensive. With the Panamera Sport Turismo and Mercedes-AMG E 63 S wagon dead, BMW has suddenly found itself competing for a bigger slice of a small pie than it might have a few years ago. Smart move.
Top graphic image: BMW
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The depicted model looks like it should be a Transformer, like if Bumblebee were a wagon. I’ve yet to decide whether that’s a good thing, bad thing, or something else.
Shame that Audi and Mercedes-Benz in the US sell the station wagons that are either raised and cladded to look like SUV (allroad and All-Terrain) or high performance (RS6 Avant and E 63 S).
Good thing I live in Germany, so many station wagons to choose from!
If you are whining about the lack of model choices in the US, write to your members of Congress about eliminating the FMVSS and adopting the international standards. That will free up the market with more choices. Australia is good example…
I understand it as a tax reason, but here’s hoping that after using the functional wagon form factor people realize how good it is and it becomes hip and in demand so other brands will follow.
I hope they continue to sell more wagons than sedans. Then maybe they’ll think about bringing the beautiful 3-series wagon they offer in Europe back to the states. I’d even think about trading in my 2011 BME 3-series wagon for a new one. (if they don’t saddle the new ones with full digital dash nonsense.)
I was thinking of an RS6. Then the M5 came out. Meh. Ugly and heavy. I’m still rocking my S8 but it’s getting old and needy. So I thought 911 Carrera 4s. But my son is getting too big for the back seat. I squandered my window of opportunity. Then a Range Rover? But I think it’s going to be too big and ponderous. I love them though but going on 25 years of the same commute into the city so you gotta have some fun and even with 525hp I feel like it’s a lot to lug around. Also, I’m so tired of the depreciation (911 solves this)! And I need AWD because I go skiing every weekend. So, I’m looking at Ferrari FFs.
It’s incredible just how f*cking ugly this thing is :O
From every angle. They just keep getting uglier.
Even without the weird French tax, I must, perforce, ask: Fucking HOW much?!?! Jesus.
VAT’s always included in prices, so there’s that.
For France VAT’s 20%.
Co2 based tax is in effect in quite many countries here in europe. Also one of the reasons US trucks could not make any financial sense. Add that to 10€/gal gasoline, you are spending family car price worth of fuel every year.
Come to think of it, I don’t know what one would cost in the UK either. The tax isn’t quite THAT punitive though. Yikes.
I read somewhere that you sit high in this thing, as the batteries are in the floor. Also heard the weight is felt and the dynamics are clumsy due to it. Would prefer the M3 if we had it.
Closer to three tons, actually.
Zing!
One ton of sense, two tons of nonsense.
I hope that carmakers take notice of the success here. There is a population of buyers who want something different than the ocean of CUVs currently in the market, and someone should absolutely take on the mantle of fun, affordable wagons in the US.
Two tons of not fun unaffordable cuv dressed up as a wagon. No thanks
I’m not a big fan of the M5 either, but it seems like the formula of fun + wagon would be attainable for most companies that sell in the US. On my wish list:
-WRX Wagon
-Lexus IS Wagon
-Infiniti Q50 Wagon
-Cadillac CT4 Wagon
-Acura Integra wagon
Operative phrase – would. Not gonna hold hold my breath on any of these. From that list I would like the Integra wagon assuming I could fit my bulk into it.
And the non-M BMW 3-series wagon? Which they sell plenty of in the rest of the world. I love mine, but I can’t replace it.
And how about a Mercedes wagon without the idiotic Outback treatment so I can buy a new one of those too?
I think my dreams might be more proletarian than yours, but I supportive of wagon availability in all categories.
The 3-series wagon was a competitor to most of what you listed. Mine retailed for $45K new in 2011, and I paid less than $39K after discounts. hardly the stuff of the .1%. The upcharge over the sedan was about $1500, but you got more standard equipment.
The Mercedes is a LOT more expensive, but it’s a 5-series competitor. Because I couldn’t get one sans Outback stupidity, I bought a used one of the previous generation, but I would have bought one new if they didn’t sell only the stupid version in the US.
How to was the Mercedes wagon own and drive? In my eyes it’s always been just about the prettiest modern car you can buy.
I saw one on the Isle of Capri 15 years ago or so. It was a hearse, tailgate open, casket inside, covered in flowers.
I never really dug M-B wagons, but BMW’s E36 and E46 Touring models were quite attractive. Probably couldn’t hold a full-sized coffin, though.
It’s good! It’s my daily in Florida. It’s not sporting in any way, just a big ol’ cruise ship of a thing, and perfect for the hauling of stuff that I do regularly. I don’t love the seats, prefer those in my BMWs (non-sport seats in them), but they are OK. If you have to pay to fix anything, hold onto your wallet though. But that is true of every car at this point. It’s been pretty reliable, though the A/C compressor and radiator have both needed replacing (amusingly, Japanese Denso parts, not European). Paid for the A/C, did the radiator myself – wasn’t difficult, and the parts were actually quite reasonable.
This is actually my third Mercedes wagon, I have also had an ’88 300TE and a ’79 300TD. Those were great too. I’d really love to have another 300TE actually. One of the best cars ever made overall.
Allow me to add:
…and one that actually exists, but is unobtainable in the US:
These are good additions.
Thanks – I should correct myself tho:
The C Class Estate is another one which is available elsewhere but not here – because GLC and GLB.
That malus tax is extremely punitive, it tops out at 70k for anything above 192 g CO2/km, which is about 28 mpg.
Oh, and this thing is very ugly, awesome yellow paint not withstanding.
But it has a V8! What more can you ask for in this day and age?!?!
A V8 without compliance batteries and motors on it?
Okay fair enough. Stripping all that out might help it weigh less than 5,500 pounds too…
My Cadillac makes similar power, is similarly sized, and weighs 4100 lb.
BMW lies like there’s no tomorrow when it comes to their forced induction powerplants.
I’d wager that this things pumps our more power at the wheels than the quoted engine BHP.
Is that what’s responsible for the weight?
Or are you saying the 5BW and M5 aren’t direct competitors?
It’s not clear the point you’re making.
Oh I meant to say that BMWs often far outperform what their stated BHP rating would suggest.
It’s still a porker though, but one that can move. The RS6 Avant, not svelte by any means, is in the same performance ballpark but 500lbs lighter.
It has batteries and an electric motor and can go a pretty fair distance on electrons alone. They weigh a lot.
That’s because the sound -dampening material used in the Bimmer is fruitcake.
And would attract a terrifying amount of tax in France.
And not just upfront, they would nail you to the wall annually too. Hence the compliance gear. Which to be fair, at $10/gal IS also a useful reduction in fuel usage around town.
I’d rather it have a turbo-4 or something if it meant it weighed about 1,500 pounds less. I think this desperate clinging to specific cylinder arrangements is getting to be more of a hindrance for performance cars than it is anything else.
I’d be perfectly content if it had the S58 inline 6
The 550 has the S58 and the identical hybrid setup. BMW could have maybe just turned up the boost for the M5 I guess?
I believe the only 550 available now is the 550e which is B58 powered now, not S58.
Well, it being extremely punitive is exactly the point…right? If you really want to drive a big polluting vehicle you should want it enough to pay for it. I dig it!
The thresholds were what surprised me. A Lamborghini or a dually pickup that get 10 mpg are in theory punished the same as a midsized crossover that gets 27 mpg. That doesn’t seem desirable.
Hard to celebrate the existence of performance wagons when there’s only like two options, both of which cost as much as a shitty house and one of which weighs more than Jupiter.
Excuse me, please do not mass-shame planets. They are as the accretion disk allocated and that is beautiful in itself.
Correction: the RS6 is also inordinately heavy. It weighs nearly 5,000 pounds. Ze Germans uh…find a way. I think the hubris that drives them to think they can engineer the weight of a car out of the driving experience is going to catch up to them eventually.
ooooo yellow 😀
I don’t love BMW’s current design language, nor the colossal weight of this car, but MY GOD that fast, yellow wagon does things to me. I am so glad this car exists, and it brings me joy to look at and imagine driving.
It’s not just colorblindness that made me try to upvote this twice.
Not shocked at all this is selling well, tax reasons aside. With the E63 Wagon dead, and the RS6 on it’s 6th model year, a fresh, fast, and compelling fast wagon was bound to sell, even if it isn’t the traditional BMW enthusiasts ideal of what a fast BMW wagon should be. Just be glad we 1: Got this at all, and 2: Will hopefully see more of these than XMs on the road.
The term “crossover coupes” just make my head hurt.
The term isn’t nearly as offensive as the styling though
So true!
Or the very idea of it. A dynamically ruined vehicle with no practicality to make it worthwhile.
But my SUV Performance Coupe does make people think I’m sporty and adventurous and have a big dick –
Right?
Right?
Um – Guys…?
ROFL!
I’ll also say, the last times I have been in Europe, without exception, every time I saw somebody driving like a complete ASSHOLE, they were driving either a BMW X6 or the Mercedes equivalent, and you only ever see the top-spec bullshit ones – M or AMG. They really do attract a certain demographic… The ultimate douche canoes.
If only Nissan made an Altima Performance Coupe…
They used to make an Altima Coupe, but performance? Not-so-much.
Okay but can we get a fun wagon that doesn’t cost six figures? I don’t understand why this segment needs to be reserved for the 1%. I would go buy an M340i or S4 wagon tomorrow if they sold them in the US. And yes, Subie Gang-I know the turbo Outback exists but I don’t want a godforsaken CVT.
Hear! Hear! Correct on all fronts.
Was ready to trade in my Mk7.5 6-Speed Golf Sportwagen on a WRX Wagon as soon as they came out, despite not being impressed by the sedans driving experience, because I knew I’d forgive it. Instead, the US didn’t get a WRX wagon, there were no good wagon options in my price range that I would have faith in as a reliable daily, and I ended up with a CX-30 Turbo, an automatic crossover. While I adore my 30, and have no regrets, I still wish we got the WRX wagon and I’d have one right now, despite having a lack of trust for Subaru in general. It is nice to have a crossover as a daily, simply because I’m not tempted to modify it, and the roads around me suck so the ground clearance helps out often.
I regret not buying that exact configuration from Volkswagen when that was an option.
It was a really great little wagon, I specifically had the S 4Motion trim, so base, not lifted, but with 4mo you got a 6 speed instead of the FWDs 5 speed, in blue over tan cloth. I loved driving it, but got out of it at the right time. sold right around 50 or 60k miles, I forget specifics, but day before trade in it threw a low coolant warning light as all EA888 water pumps love to do, and had deferred a lot of maintenance due to not having the budget/time to deal with a lot of it, so it would have been pricey to keep for an additional 1-2 years. Got an insanely good deal on it new, less than 3-year old stick Crosstreks at the time, and only ended up being down about 5k in depreciation after 4 years, which in new-car world is insane. Was an incredible new car, but I wouldn’t want to own a used one with how finicky they can be.
It was at least conceivable to get the MK7 Sportwagen with a manual and a brown leather interior. Unfortunately I couldn’t find one with a manual at all, but I’m very happy with the GTI I got instead.
Agreed fully. If I wasn’t a complete idiot in 10 years ago, I wouldn’t have sold my gorgeous WRX wagon. I so badly wish there were more fun wagons in a reasonable price range.
If only there was a WRX wagon
The bugeye wagons were great! I had an early ’02, However, I feel the later generations suffered from bloat in features and weight. Like other Subies of its time, it suffered from a cheap, frequently-cracking Calsonic radiator and eventually the AC compressor bit the dust. Nevertheless, I logged 184k miles on it before I
soldbasically gave it to my nephew. He was heartbroken when it was rear-ended and totaled.The swing from bugeye to marshmallow was severe. It went from a penalty-box-and-raw to floaty-and-bulky. There was a wide middleground that Subaru should have taken there.
Indeed. Much like everything else in these United States of Freedom*, wagons are only available to the wealthy, and only available on oversized, overstuffed platforms.
(*your mileage may vary based on race, gender, location, diet, speech, political affiliation, education, search history, immigration status, and oh so much more by the day)
RIP to the Volvo V60 Polestar
I’ve been tempted by the siren’s song of a certified one several times but I just cannot even begin to fathom what the upkeep on a European forced induction PHEV luxury wagon would be like….
Why? That was one of the dumbest cars you could buy. Mercedes wagon money for a Volvo? With an overcomplex and underwhelming drivetrain and suspension? No thanks.
~4 years ago thought I found the perfect V60 Polestar at Carmax. Paid the $200 to have it shipped to my localish store. More little dings and scratches on the exterior than listing or salesman admitted. As soon as my wife got in for the test drive she declared it smelled like a club that had banned smoking in the not too distant past. Would’ve taken me a month to describe it as perfectly. It did not come home with us.
I 2nd this emotion.
GR Camry Wagon with AWD? Please!!
^This is the correct answer^ “I would go buy an M340i or S4 wagon tomorrow if they sold them in the US.”
I’d be perfectly happy with a 330i wagon. And I would probably even forgive the lack of a stick, because I need one car my sainted mother can drive.
They will be prying my RWD/6pd e91 328i wagon out of my cold dead fingers someday. In fact, I am sitting here on my layover on a quick trip to my place in Maine, and I very much look forward to getting it out of the garage for a flog tomorrow. It’s not been driven since September.
Given the response to this post, one would think that there’s a golden opportunity awaiting some manufacturer. (And yeah, I totally agree!)
In Europe you can still buy a plain old non-M 3 or 5-series wagon in engine trims from mild to not THAT much slower than this.
In the US, they want you to buy a Made in USA X-something or other. They make WAAAY more profit on them. Non-union SC rednecks cost a lot less than German union members.
You know how it is here in Yee Haw land. Unions=communism, even if they can help you secure better labor conditions.
It really is baffling to me how people vote against their own best interests. Better conditions, higher pay, protection from random firings. Unions are the best thing there is for the working man, even though I despise their excesses.
Of course, the Germans do unions much better than we Americans do – far more cooperative.