A lot people think I was crazy liking the CTS Wagon but I really like the styling. Prior to my X5, I had a MB R350 wagon and that thing could seat 6 adults easily although my wife said it looked like a Hearst. I have two kids and do outdoor activities like surfing and snow boarding.
I like how the premium package on the CTS comes very loaded. They also handle very well and the 3.6 V6 was strong. I didn't care much for the interior styling (pop-up nav, no rear entertainment, weird placement of temp controls, buttons and things galore, I'm sold on BMW i'drive) but I could stare at the exterior all day. In the end, I chose the X5 because:
- Better lease rates than Cadillac. Even though the Caddy was lower in price, the lease quotes were higher than a more expensive BMW. The depreciation seems worse on the CTS wagon maybe because it is not as popular and may be harder to sell (look on ebay for used ones)?
- Need AWD and AWD is hard to find for CTS Wagon, let alone CTS Wagon in stock.
- Build my car exactly how I wanted it within three weeks. CTS Wagons are not popular and we couldn't find the color/combo I was looking for.
- Easier to get kids/groceries/rear items in and out of an SUV/SAV vs. Wagon since the SUV sits higher.
The 3rd row for X5 should only be for kids. Oh, and I hated mini-vans and swore that I'd (or wifey) never get one but I have to tell you that I love my Honda Odyssey touring. You cannot beat power sliding doors for kid ingress/egress and the rear DVD entertainment (a must for kids) is way better than BMW's interpretation.