Thoughts on '05, '06 Bimmer 5 wagons?
 

Possibly buying a wagon this winter and looking at the following:

V70 2.5T ('06 seems doable $$ wise)
Subie Outback (not real enamored with used prices)
5 series wagon (only see XiT on the newer style but not anxious to get awd)
E320 wagon (major concern is reliability/repair cost)

Would like something sporty and would appreciate good mileage as well. I'm not taken with current BMW styling but they sure do drive nicely. As they are a newer design I haven't found much on reliability.

I was really surprised how much nicer the Subie interior was but the 4cyl we drove was a total dog and the tranny was for *****. maybe the 6cyl is much better?

Subie's the best of the bunch for winter. Reliable.

With the 4 you need a 5 speed (or the turbo). They're hard to find, though.

The 6 (for some reason) is not that much peppier than the four.

A friend had a subby wagon, bigger than a wrx, w/ the turbo and 5 speed. It was a hoot. It didnt handle like the 5er, but it was fun to drive.