New dad looking into F31 or E90 328i wagon. A few Questions.

[Hofmeister kink]

New poster here, sorry if I may be breaking forum rules.

My wife and I have a Lexus ct 200H and with the arrival of our first born we realize that we need more space to hold a car seat and pile of related baby items and our mini schnauzer when we run around the city.

We both fell in love with the idea of a BMW wagon as a space upgrade and in part of doing our due diligence we are researching the option to be sure this a right choice.

I know this is the 2012 and above forum but we are kind of between the E90 wagon or the F31. Surprisingly both models are within a similar price point used.

As I understand it, if we were to go with the E90 then we should be looking at the v6 model over the v4 to avoid any issues and for a bit of a fun 2wd is the ideal choice over 4wd.

However with the F31 generation, at least in the United States there are really only two flavors - i4 petrol or diesel and both are 4wd.

First question:
Between the two does one generation win out over the other?

Second question:
Known issues. Between the two generations does one suffer from a crippling ailment or hidden issue?

Third question:
Cost of ownership. This would be our first BMW, we are both decent earners, we could theoretically buy new, but in an effort to keep prices down we are looking used and used from carfax (dat warranty). Will the cost of ownership for either potential vehicle be a major pain point? I know there is a running joke that with Mercedes ownership spending time at the dealership for constant repairs is just a part of the experience - is the same true for BMWs?

Fourth Question:
Reliability. My wife will be the daily driver and I will be the weekend driver. We're both New Yorkers and so after having the Lexus just not start on a very very cold morning we are wondering what the reliability would be for either model.

Fifth question:
Will it baby? Any parents here have experience with 3 series wagons/touring models?

Hopefully these questions have been placed in the right area.
Thanks for your responses. You all rock.

Thank you.

[floydr]

...
As I understand it, if we were to go with the E90 then we should be looking at the v6 model over the v4 to avoid any issues and for a bit of a fun 2wd is the ideal choice over 4wd.

However with the F31 generation, at least in the United States there are really only two flavors - i4 petrol or diesel and both are 4wd.

First question:
Between the two does one generation win out over the other?

Second question:
Known issues. Between the two generations does one suffer from a crippling ailment or hidden issue?

Third question:
Cost of ownership. This would be our first BMW, we are both decent earners, we could theoretically buy new, but in an effort to keep prices down we are looking used and used from carfax (dat warranty). Will the cost of ownership for either potential vehicle be a major pain point? I know there is a running joke that with Mercedes ownership spending time at the dealership for constant repairs is just a part of the experience - is the same true for BMWs?

Fourth Question:
Reliability. My wife will be the daily driver and I will be the weekend driver. We're both New Yorkers and so after having the Lexus just not start on a very very cold morning we are wondering what the reliability would be for either model.

Fifth question:
Will it baby? Any parents here have experience with 3 series wagons/touring models?

BMW does not make V4 or V6 engines. The only V engines it makes are V8 and V12.

The current N20/N26 I4 engines have been pretty reliable; they have more punch (particularly torque) than the older N52 I6 in the E91. A RWD E91 is extremely rare (search BMW forums for "unicorn"), you most likely won't find one. The AWD adds relatively insignificant complexity and weight; don't worry about it.

The current F31 has a lot more tech than the E91, if you like that. Neither have any particular problems that would mandate buying the other.
BMWs are expensive cars to buy and maintain. IMO, not a huge difference between Toyota and BMW, however. BMWs are very reliable, but not trouble-free. In 26 years, my '91 stranded me twice (in 200K/19 years), my '01 330xi once (in 145K/7y). Neither of our current cars has done that.

My son has an E92 (Coupe), and my wife has a carseat in the back of her 2014 Sedan. Both fine.