The last time you could buy a new BMW wagon here in the States was in 2019. Well, maybe sometime in 2020, since these long-roof models tended to sit on dealer lots for a bit. Regardless, it was the F31 3 Series Touring (or Wagon, Sportwagon, Estate, etc). With a small but potent 2.0-liter four-cylinder under the hood, the intrepid wagon performed impressively while offering adequate cargo space for people, pets, and stuff.
However, no one would ever confuse the old 3 Series Touring for a performance car. No, it couldn’t hold a candle to even the then-ten-year-old M5 Touring that Europe saw. Truthfully, it barely had enough guts to keep up with the manual-only 340-horsepower E34 M5 Touring from decades prior. But all that is about to radically change. After being passed over for the M3 Touring and all other wagon variants for the better part of the decade, the US will finally see another bimmer wagon (BMW M5 Touring) – and it could be our last chance.
It’s North America’s Last Chance at BMW Wagons
The M5 has been available twice globally as a wagon—for the V10-powered E60 generation and straight-six-powered E34 generation. Neither model made it to the US despite us getting a number of lesser wagons. In 2019, the BMW wagon’s life ended in the US; production concluded on the F30 generation 3 Series, the last wagon still available in the Western hemisphere. G20 production started, and the touring model was never homologated.
While we had decades to pick up some solid Touring models from BMW, never before have we seen a performance-oriented model on our shores. Internationally, you can find ALPINA touring models, M-lite models like the M340i Touring, and more. The BMW M5 Touring marks a new approach for BMW’s wagon sales in the US. Specifically, they’re targeting the enthusiasts.
And they’d better step up. The M3 Touring never made it to the States, despite a plea with tens of thousands of signatures directed to BMW. And while the M5 Touring will be a significant step up – in performance and pricing – BMW is apparently hedging its bets that we’ll step up in a big way. In some ways, this makes sense; the M5 Touring occupies a space similar to the RS 6 from Audi and Mercedes’ now-defunct AMG wagon. Both models sell (or sold) just fine.
The Last Wagon…Or…?
Want a next-generation M3 (or electric equivalent) Touring? You’d better find someone with six digits of disposable income and get them excited about the M5 Touring – assuming, of course, that you can’t buy one yourself. Wagons are becoming rarer and rarer, but if well-heeled enthusiasts set a good precedent, maybe BMW will be encouraged to introduce something more budget-friendly. At the very least, a $80K option for the iM3 Touring would be a conversation worth having – if and only if – there isn’t a single M5 Touring sitting on dealer lots.
The BMW M5 Touring should be, in a word, foolproof. Collectors will want one for its historical importance; enthusiasts will want one because it is a fast wagon. Regular, albeit wealthy, people might even want one as a creative alternative to ‘the usual suspects.’ There’s no guarantee that we’ll ever see another BMW wagon model in the US after this one. But if there’s even a chance at us getting another wagon – ever – it all hinges on the BMW M5 Touring. Don’t condemn the first performance BMW wagon in the States to be the last, too.