Are 535i xDrive wagons really this hard to find?

[esell]

Hi all, new user here as well as a potentially new BMW owner .

I have some pretty specific requirements for a new car and the 2009/2010 535i xDrive wagon seems to be a great fit. The problem is that they are impossible to find it seems like. Were these only made in small numbers? I've found one (just one) locally but I'm not super happy with the price. If these cars are pretty rare though I might be able to bring myself to pay what they want.

I realize this isn't a technical post but I wanted to come to the experts and get their thoughts .

Thanks!

[esell]

As an FYI, the car I am looking at is an 09 with 80k on it for $13k. There are some minor mechanical issues with it, nothing major that I've found so far though but I do plan to take it to a trained BMW mechanic for a once over.

[pbonsalb]

Way too much money. These cars, apart from a few examples, should not be worth much. They are good cars, if sorted out and well maintained, but don’t pay a premium for one today. They should be $7-10k cars now, again, apart from a few flawless or expensively modded examples.

[esell]

Way too much money. These cars, apart from a few examples, should not be worth much. They are good cars, if sorted out and well maintained, but don’t pay a premium for one today. They should be $7-10k cars now, again, apart from a few flawless or expensively modded examples.

That is great info to have, thanks!

[DRVN2WN]

There were only ~4,500 wagons built from '08-'10 (the LCI models) for all of North America (aka, including Canada and Mexico into the equation).

For comparison, Ford makes more F150's in two days than BMW made 535xi wagons in three years.

$13k for one with issues is a bit steep. That said, that seems to be where these tend to be priced, based on Autotrader searches.

[pbonsalb]

They aren’t THAT great. Looks like they are overpriced now.

[DRVN2WN]

Maybe, maybe not. If you're looking for a full-size wagon that's AWD and capable of being fast, there's not many options in the US; it's a pretty niche market.

Basically have the BMW e61 535xi or the Mercedes e63 AMG.

The Mercedes is more well known and lots of people fanboy for them as they've been talked about on Jalopnik and stuff, but I feel like the e61 is a bit of an unknown. Once more people realize there's a BMW AWD TT wagon available, the market will just go up (especially for well-cared for examples, extra especially for stock ones). Or at least that's my prediction.

[iain68]

E61 wagon is not particularly special in it's own right. If you find a manual transmission, it's a whole different ballgame though. Only approximately 290 535xiT with 3 pedals were brought into the US between 2008-2010. Last I checked, there was only one available in the US in St. Louis with asking price of $31,500.

[pbonsalb]

There is an 09 E61 535xi auto sport with 153k in the latest issue of Roundel for $9300. I think that is $1-2k too high but if people are desperate to get complex 10 year old cars that will need a lot of work in the 2nd or 3rd half of their life then maybe that is the market price.

I’d like a Mercedes E63 AMG Bi Turbo AWD wagon but that is a lot more money. Of course it is also newer. And faster.

We will probably buy an SUV when we sell our 08 E51 535xi that we had had for 8 years. Maybe an X5 though I would be happy with a Cayenne or the E63 AMG. It’s for my wife to drive so it’s up to her.

An X3 35i probably has about as much room as an E61 535xi. The BMW 3 series wagons look good but I am not sure I found mid the motor to get the performance I would want and they may not have enough space inside. I have not paid much attention to Audi wagons. It is true there aren’t many wagons these days, since SUV are so profitable for the car makers.

[esell]

Yeah, it is kind of a bummer with regards to wagons. I am looking for an AWD wagon (turbo is a huge plus) which there are plenty of, the trick is finding one big enough to fit two 70 pound dogs in the trunk. I looked at the A4 wagons but they don't have nearly enough room in the back which is why I ended up on the 535.

I would REALLY prefer not to end up in an SUV but it looks like that might be my only option...

[DRVN2WN]

Brand new Buick wagon is an option, depending on budget.

[Sixracer]

I too am looking to upgrade my manual E46 Touring to an E61. I want a manual though, that’s a unicorn!

I would suggest going for a 530i for a high mileage car. I am sure others will too.

My buddy also suggested a Cayenne as a suitable SUV for a dejected sport wagon owner.


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[DRVN2WN]

I honestly don't see the appeal of the manual in one of these.

These are family-hauling, commuting, road-tripping machines.

[Sixracer]

Why would I want the car I spend the most time in being the most boring?

The whole point of a sport wagon is so every day I can have the fun of flogging a sport sedan while still carrying a bunch of stuff.


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[pbonsalb]

Manuals do give you something to do, but they are no faster than autos and may even be slower. Turbos actually go really well with autos. No drop in boost when shifting unlike with manuals.

[DRVN2WN]

Yup, I don't find anything boring about my e61 535xi auto. I also have a manual e30 at my disposal if I really want to row the gears, but the software for the 6-speed auto is very sporty (especially for a 2008). It downshifts as you slow down to keep you in powerband, etc. That's in normal mode. It also has tiptronic (or whatever BMW calls it), or you can just push it over to that dircetion and it will go into sport mode. Personally, I've never felt a need to use sport or manual sport mode.

[TheBuggernaut]

I just picked up a high miles (185k) 08 e61 for $4900 in Portland, OR about two days ago. It's in great shape for it's mileage, here she be:

[DRVN2WN]

Congrats on the pick up and welcome to BF.c!

[alstefan]

Hi all, I just joined and hope folks are still getting pinged... I'm looking for info, in the reverse.... I own a 09 535i Wagon AWD and M logo'g. I used to own a 2000 M5 so I know the difference between a real M and just buying one with the logo'g. But I still want to know it! How many of these M's were built, came into NA? What does it have that made it an M (besides all the M logo'g...) I've loved this car. I bought it used in 2010 in NH, so I don't have the details... It has only 86K miles on it, and it would be great to know its future... Can I get a premium for the "M"... Do I keep paying 2-5K a year as major innards corrode out - have replaced the entire front suspension, now replaced the right axle, cause it will become a classic worth something more... Thanks!

[pbonsalb]

No it will never be worth much. But enjoy it until it costs more to maintain than you want to spend. I maintain mine myself. Most recent issue was a broken front spring. Wrecked the tire. Put on new springs, struts, upper bearings, front tires and aligned.

[Reefin' Dude]

what is the VIN on your wagon? i do not know of any M sport wagons in e61 form in the US. there is a sport version. i know the e39 touring got an M-sport version only in 2003(US). the regular sport version of the e61 got the M logo on the steering wheel. that is the only part i am aware of that is shared.

G~

[DRVN2WN]

I don't think any of M-sport wagons even had M badging. I'm guessing someone stuck the badging on it.

[pbonsalb]

We have an 08 535xi Sport package wagon. The only difference is blacked out trim, sport seats, and 18” wheels. No special body work or suspension. Ours is auto and does have a sport mode, but maybe the standard autos do as well. Ours does not have paddle shifters.

[lisnowboarder]

Appears I paid more than average for mine at 16k. But it’s a 2010 with all the options minus hud and sub 60k miles. I have two large dogs I haul around on occasion without issue. The rear parcel shade has a built in cargo net making it pretty convenient. I don’t like early I drive and wouldn’t purchase anything with it unless I had room in budget to swap it out for aftermarket unit.


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[pbonsalb]

Can be as little as $500 to get a CCC to CIC conversion kit. I would not be held back by that, but would generally buy the newer and lower mileage car if it was priced reasonably, I bought in January 2011, when the affordable ones were 2008 (our 08 had 30k miles and was $39k, a bit less than 2/3 the $66k sticker price). Today, with nearly 140k, it is probably worth $7k but we have enjoyed it.