My wife and I are expecting our third child this spring…our oldest is a 5yo girl & my son just turned 1yo. I am therefore selling my e46 M3 and looking at a more family-oriented vehicle. I had been set on getting a V8 (non-M) X5 as a replacement but recently read that Cadillac is producing a V wagon….I’ve been in love with the CTS sedan since I saw/sat in one at a Boston car show several years ago (I love both the interior & exterior styling). BTW, they also had a CTS wagon in red at the show; the wagon was a “concept” then. My wife (who in general hates wagons) loved the concept! I’ve been a wagon fan for decades, I drove several old-school wagons w/ wood panels after learning to drive decades ago!

I’m leaning towards going with the wagon but the X5 has a few advantages, IMO. First, I can order a third row seat in the X5. Admittedly, the third row seat in the X5 is tiny; however it is perfect for my daughter and is ideal for my family (for those not so rare occasions when I have to transport other family members/friends). Second, I believe the X5 may be a bit more practical than the wagon given the larger boot. Third, I’ve had 3 BMWs over the last decade and the last, my M3, has been very reliable for the 4+ years I’ve had it. Fourth, although I realize that although an X5 will never provide performance similar to the CTS-V wagon, it can be tuned for a somewhat reasonable price to about 500hp/500ft-lb tq.

Advantages for the wagon obviously include it’s appearance, interior (IMO), performance capabilities (& the fact that I can take the V wagon to a track!) & compliant suspension (from what I’ve read, I’ve test-driven the X5 but have not yet tested the CTS; I realize I won’t be able to find a CTS-V wagon to test drive so the sedan will have to do).

Finally, I realize that a minivan would be the most practical choice but I just can’t go there! Also, my wife has an Acura MDX so we already have a 7-seater in the family.

I’ve done research on Cadillac & Bimmer forums &, in general, owners of each love their vehicles; I’d love to hear thoughts on this comparison (this car would be my year-round daily driver & have a dedicated winter setup - 19s/20s for the Bimmer & 18s/19s for the Caddy).

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