BY ALAN VONDERHAAR
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Few people will ever buy the BMW sport wagon, but it points to what could be the Next Hot Topic - a handy hauler with sports-sedan-like handling and performance. Who really needs those hulking SUVs anyway?
I knew this machine had some serious mojo working for it as soon as it rolled down my drive.
I went to inspect the low-profile tires on the BMW 528i sport wagon and found that not only were they whopping 17-inchers with a racer-like 45 profile, they were Z rated, meaning the sidewalls and tread could sustain continuous running at speeds beyond 149 mph. This was definitely not your average soccer-mom, antique-hunting station wagon.
One shouldn't expect anything namby-pamby from BMW, of course, but wagons do involve some mental baggage for us who grew up on fake-wood-clad barges with gigantic but still barely adequate V-8s.
The sample BMW sacrificed for evaluation had been significantly toughened by the addition of a nearly 5-grand "sport premium package," but even in its most basic form, the 528i sport wagon gets decent 15-inch wheels and 60-profile tires, along with the same stimulating inline 2.8-liter, 24-valve inline six-cylinder engine, which this year gets an aluminum block.
My conclusion was that most people would probably be better off declining the sport premium package and opting instead for the premium package, which, for $3,100, gets you 16-inch wheels, metallic paint, leather upholstery, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and redwood interior trim, but not the "sport" shocks and struts or the self-leveling rear suspension that are included in the sport premium package. It still has the aluminum front and rear suspension bits; every ounce counts in this domain.
The sport premium package suspension makes the ride borderline harsh, and unless your object is to dazzle the bourgeoisie at rally events, you'd probably get tired of it after the first 10 expansion joints.
If you really want to go nuts and have a station wagon nonpareil, you might as well pop for the 540i sport wagon. BMW calls it the fastest wagon in America and, considering that it's propelled by a 284-hp V-8 with 324 foot-pounds of torque, it would be hard to argue the case. The big ouch here is price: at $55,350 base (including a $1,300 gas guzzler levy), the 540i is $14,000 more dear than the 528i. At that point you might as well get some wood decals put on the sides and go out trolling for suckers to drag race you.
It's electronically governed to 128 mph, same as the 528i, but skips from 0 to 60 in but 6.3 seconds, according to the factory. The 528i I had, dragged down a bit by its automatic transmission, just barely broke 9 seconds in the traditional sprint. It would possibly shave a second with the five-speed manual.
A BMW generally is not defined so much by its ballistic properties as by its handling and the unique bond it establishes with the driver. And in that, the 528i was not lacking.
Those fat tires telegraphed every nuance of the road surface, and created a relationship with the pavement that was enduring, right out to the limit, which was well above what many a sportier-looking chariot could manage. As noted earlier, I would be willing to give up an intimate knowledge of every grain of sand, even if it meant losing a teensy bit of roadholding, in exchange for a somewhat less unsettling ride. In retrospect, I should have thrown a few hundred pounds in the back, simulating a trip to the garden store, to see if that helped, but the fact is, wagons go around unladen most of the time.
Handling was crisp, and even in the rain, the highly recommended dynamic stability control package (a $500 option) subtly overruled any overenthusiastic inputs from the driver. BMW's All-Season Traction system is standard, and the stability control add-on builds on that foundation by incorporating yaw sensors to signal the main computer when there's a disparity between where the car is pointed and where it's actually going. The brains of the outfit then selectively brings the errant wheel into conformity with the others. It's very slick, and as confidence-building as a day at a driving school. Because of the greater propensity toward mischief, I'd consider it de rigueur with the V-8 powerplant.
Driving position, seats, instruments all are familiar BMW accouterments, beautifully designed and implemented to further the driving exercise. The leather seating - 10-way power adjustable up front - was sumptuous and nicely complemented by grained vinyl. The rosewood veneers, applied with a light touch, warmed the interior and imparted a sense of luxury.
The 528i comes with a five-speed manual transmission and has a four-speed automatic transmission as an option; the 540i is available only with a five-speed automatic. The test machine's automatic shifted quickly and unobtrusively and went about its work fairly intuitively, taking its cues from the driver and external conditions, though the ratios seemed not ideal.
EPA estimates are 18 mpg city, 26 highway, with premium unleaded suggested. My 19.9 tally reflects both energetic back-roads exercises and continuous usage of the air conditioner.
The tester was a rattle trap. Part of the problem was the optional sliding load floor, similar to the one Saab offers on its 9-5 wagon. It's handy, but they need to look at ways of securing it better in its track. The seats and seatbelts also bounced about in a way that was extremely annoying.
Though limited to a "mere" 128 mph in the States, the 528i has Autobahn-ready brakes, ventilated discs fore and aft, with antilock, of course. Pedal feel was excellent and stopping distances were exceptionally short.
The standard stereo is an AM-FM-cassette unit with 10 speakers and an abundance of power. Even with its 4-channel "diversity" FM antenna system, it was average in sensitivity and just slightly above average in sound quality. A 12-speaker upgrade is offered, as is a CD changer, but unfortunately no Weather Band reception.
With the rear seats up, there's a generous 32.7 cubic feet of load space. Drop them, and you have 65.2 cubic feet.
The sport wagon is assembled in Dingolfing, Germany.
There's obviously a very small audience for such a pricey, demanding wagon, but one can hope that it might inspire others to get outside the box and follow suit with similarly practical, but still fun, concoctions. Shoppers would be well advised to check out the Volvo and Saab renditions, which are a blast to drive and easier to live with.
Base price on a 528i sport wagon is $40,700. The sampled machine had the automatic transmission for $975; stability control, $500; the sport premium package, $4,800; power moonroof, $1,050; retractable load floor, $380; the "rear seat package," which entails a luggage net and sunscreens for the windows, $360, and sport seats, $475. Total, with freight and luxury tax, was a breathtaking $50,736.
•ASK AL: How hard has Rodeo's life been?
Alan Vonderhaar welcomes email at avonderhaar@enquirer.com and snail mail c/o The Cincinnati Enquirer, 312 Elm St., Cincinnati OH 45202. Because of the volume of mail received, personal replies are not always possible, although your chances are better with e-mail.
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