Manual, all-wheel drive station wagon. Magic words almost for those in the northern climates or for those seeking the cure for the common SUV. BMW passed up the chance to offer one of their most versatile cars to US customers in the late 1980s. Now, 25 years on, we see just how popular it could have been with enthusiasts importing E30 Touring at a rapid clip. The E30 Touring was offered in “ix” trim, giving an added all-weather dimension to this compact hauler. This 325ix for sale in Florida has got the goods. Reasonable miles, 5-speed manual and left-hand drive.
Tag: touring
Hot on the heels of wagon week, we have another great little E30 Touring that was brought to Virginia from Germany (probably by an armed services member) a while back. In addition to the great looks of the original 3-series longroof, you get a dog cage, buttons in German, and that 80s cloth interior that reminds me so much of my childhood. Bidding is hot but significantly lower than most clean E30s out there as I write this. It seems like the allure and rarity of these wagons is starting to wane, bringing them to a much wider audience and taking them back to their original status as an entertaining, useful, and affordable daily driver.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1989 BMW 320i Touring on eBay
Comments closedAs we round out Wagon Week, let’s take a trip to Deutschland to look at one of the cleanest, most compact longroofs around. The E30 Touring is just now importable to the US but is still quite a rarity on these shores. In Europe you can find them in all varieties and in all sorts of condition, but today’s little 318i is quite a gem. Having covered less than 50k miles in its quarter century, it looks stunning inside and out, especially with the always-excellent Shadowline trim option. The grey cloth looks clean as new and I much prefer it in these cars to the ubiquitous leather we get in Bimmers here; it’s a nice reminder that, while very cool, this is also a utilitarian, base-model little wagon. These days we Americans are starting to have access to some great E30 Tourings including the beefy 325ix, but it’s hard to beat this red 318i for good-looking simplicity and value.
Click for details: 1990 BMW 318i Touring on Mobile.de
Comments closedI’m not a huge fan of buying new cars – my brain just doesn’t see the logic in accepting instant depreciation as the price for being the very first person to own a car. I clearly lean towards well-used classics anyway, but at the very least a certified pre-owned car seems like the way to go if you want something modern. I have to make an exception here because somewhere along the line of bloating and modernization, BMW decided to make a car that seemed as likely as an albino unicorn not long ago – a turbodiesel, all-wheel drive, M-packaged station wagon. I’m getting used to the newer BMW styling and almost liking it, especially here on a white longroof spiffed up with black M accents and two-tone 20-spoke wheels reminiscent of the E39 M5’s all-time-great rims. Too bad that it doesn’t have a manual, but these 8-speed autos are supposed to be excellent. Overall, it’s pretty epic as far as new cars go, but then again so is its price.
Click for details: 2015 BMW 328d xDrive on eBay
4 CommentsI’ll be the first to admit that I was very late to the E91 touring party. When it debuted, I was still far more interested in the Audi S4 and Subaru Legacy Turbo. In fact, up until I began to take a healthier interest in the world of BMWs, I didn’t associate the brand with AWD long roofs at all even though they have a storied history within the segment. When I thought of BMW wagons I thought of a ’91 525i that belonged to some friends of my parents. At the time that car seemed like nothing special but oh if I could turn back the clock and get my hands on it now I’d be a happy man. Dark green with a brown leather interior, M Parallel wheels, let me tell you, that thing was gorgeous. The idea that BMW made a nice wagon began to percolate and it wasn’t long before I found myself adding the E91 to my regular internet searches.