This is weird, but might be worth a look
 

and boy, do they drop like a stone in value. But the depreciation makes it a very interesting alternative to an X3 or the like. Super loooong body, though:

https://cpo.bmwusa.com/certified/201...8069?zip=30033

2018 BMW 640i xDrive Gran Turismo
Not a crossover. Not a wagon. Better than either.

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...o-test-review/

If they are like the 5GT I had for a loaner a long time ago, the issue is that they only seat four, and the trunk is surprisingly tiny.

The 3gt we had for lease wouldn't work as an SUV. The 3gt was 3 across the backseat (unlike Nicks reference to the original 5gt), but the sloping gate made it a no go for our dog in the trunk area. I don't think the 5/6gt would be any better in that regard.

That car made it so painfully obvious that BMW shit the bed not making that f30 long wheelbase platform w/ the N55 the baseline for the 3 wagon. It rode well, the extra leg room in the back seat made 2 adults back there quite comfortable, the drivetrain w/ the 6 cylinder was nice, but the back end was completely worthless. Worst of both worlds, none of the space of a wagon, none of the security of a real trunk.

I know I posted a pic on here of Mabel in the back for reference to how poorly she fit.

edit: to Nick's point, the middle of the rear seat still has a big hump on the listing you posted.:
http://bmw-inventory-assets-prod.azu...BK08069_75.jpg

This quote from Car & Driver made it sound promising. But I'd have to eyeball it for the dogs:

"But it’s taller than that brawny sedan and features a liftgate that opens to reveal a generous 31 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second-row seats. The Charger’s trunk, by contrast, has room for only 17 cubic feet of flotsam. Volvo’s V90 station wagon has 26 cubes behind its second row, and the XC60 crossover offers only 30.

But even those numbers understate the 640i GT’s usefulness. The rear hatch opening is huge and extends down to the bumper, and the aluminum liftgate opens without struts impeding access from the sides. The space back there isn’t just generous but also flat, so things slide in easily. And it’s deep enough that many bulkier items fit in without having to remove the cargo cover. Plus, the rear seats fold down to increase total cargo capacity to a vast 65 cubic feet. The 640i GT isn’t a station wagon and it isn’t a crossover, but it may be smarter than either of those things."

Ah. Right. That would be a problem. I need to be able to schelp my son's posse around...

If you have the room to park it, there is something really nice about having a cheap beater. Keep the 2er and find a 2013 x5 n55 w the 3rd row option. A really good one would be under 15k and give you the freedom to do all the dirty work without caring about scuffing up your daily driver.

Plus it will give your son something to use in 2 yrs when he gets his license

True indeed. (And, eek about the prospect of my son driving.)

I do worry about big car maintenance bills. But would have to reconcile that with the much lower price of entry to buy. These luxury cars really do decline precipitously in price as they get older.

I really am not ready to let the 2er go. It delights me every time I drive it.

Our x5 (i hope I didn't just jinx myself) has been great. We just turned 126k miles. Just be careful of the spec you look for, stay away from air suspension, adaptive / adjustable handling stuff, the larger wheel packages and some of the other accessories that add maintenance bills.

That's the other nice thing about having a 'beater' 2nd car. Its normally not the end of the world if something isn't working just right and its nice to have a back up if something happens to your 2er.

Good points!

What a super awful customer unfriendly website trying to force you to give them a zip code before allowing engagement with the content.

Fucking horrible

You can give them a false zip code...

So, I think what I really want is another 3 wagon. Would it be a mistake to explore the diesel interations?

I'm thinking it might be confusing (and dangerous) to have both a diesel car and a gasoline car in the fleet...

So?

Was I going to buy that car? No. Was I ever going to buy another BMW? I don't know, but, this this customer experience they just purposefully created for me—needlessly establishing a barrier between themselves, their products and me—has driven yet another wedge between themselves and me and further reduced the chances that I'd buy another BMW.

And what for? To get my zip code? Seriously, WTF?! Whoever was involved in the decision to make their website work that way should be out on their ass.

We can ask our friend Sarafil about that. I think that’s a Sonic dealership.

My understanding is the diesel engines take a lot more TLC on the emissions sensor side of things, carbon buildup and diesel particulate filters. I'd just go gas, its not like the n20 is thirsty or ridiculously under powered.

It's BMW USA's CPO website, not a dealer site.

You get the same prompt on the site's home page https://cpo.bmwusa.com.

It's not terrible that they include the prompt. At the main BMW USA site https://www.bmwusa.com, they include the same prompt, but you can cancel out of it without entering a zip code.

That's fine.

The CPO site does not allow you cancel or X out. That's not fine.

Now seeing that the main BMW site uses the same form, but includes an X button (top right) inclines me to think someone on their web tech team accidentally screwed up and no one's caught it yet. That's a lot less onerous...but I only got far enough to see that because of this discussion. In a normal case, I would have jsut said "fuck bmw" and moved on.

Good to know. Thank you!

This would not surprise me at all.

So, who knows anything about these? https://jalopnik.com/10-000-miles-ow...ive-1835082720

We actually had an Opel wagon we brought over from Europe in 1966.

I saw one this weekend. They look good in person. I've recommended to multiple friends looking at CUVs to go check it out, but none have. The Buick Wagon eye roll is all I get. Seems like a really nice package, and I'm sure could be had for steal $$$ wise.

That's sad and unsurprising. There's a lot to like about it, but two big things go against it: 1) Buick, 2) Wagon. Both are unfortunate, but...sigh...

This has not been our personal experience. We took our Golf TDI to 70k miles with no issues. And the Jeep GC ecodiesel was great for the year I had it, still miss it. I could get 28-30mpg, real, pump-calculated, on that 5500lb vehicle with the aero of a large brick going 75-80mph with some city thrown in. Range was immense in both cars.

Diesel vs. gas are not really captured in hp or torque figures. They are fundamentally different experiences, suiting different styles and personalities. A diesel is not what I'd take to hear engine noise or for fun on a back road, but the N20 is not that either. On a highway though, diesel all the way... Just a calm efficient experience and fewer fill-ups.

To, wdc's earlier question, no I haven't found it confusing or found myself putting one fuel vs. another.

A couple of legitimate niggles with diesel
* the fuel is stinky and even if you never spill it, pump handles can be dirty, matters a lot less in NJ with no self-pumping, but you have to stay on top of the attendant if the diesel pump is not physically separate to make sure they don't screw up

* certain areas have less diesel pumps. Was not an issue for us.