2006 BMW 530xi Sport Wagon Performance & PIctures

The clutch ordinarily sends 40 percent of the torque to the front, tapering to zero as speeds rise from 100-125 mph for improved steering feel. Traction also is improved when the rear tires are on glare ice. In the old system, the rear wheels would slip for a half-second and the brakes would react for another half, sending 38 percent of the torque to the front tires. XDrive locks the clutch in just 0.1 second, and, with little or no rear-wheel torque being consumed by the brakes, nearly all the engine torque ends up at the front wheels. XDrive, priced around $2000, will be available on 525 and 530 sedans and will be standard on wagons.

Comparatively conventional wagon bodywork replaces the sedan's avant-garde bustle bum. The extended roofline envelops an extra 0.6 inch of rear headroom (even with the standard panoramic sunroof) and a cargo hold that can carry 33.6 cubic feet with rear seat passengers, 58.3 without. The last funfwagen carried 32.7/65.2, so that stylish rear window clearly rakes through some cargo space. A self-leveling rear air suspension helps keep loads of over 1300 pounds on an even keel. We'll get the wagon only in 530xi form, priced just over $2000 above the 530xi sedan.

Our Sport Wagon was a hoot to drive on the frozen rivers and roadways of northern Finland. On the dry pavement we encountered, it accelerated and handled like a 2005 sedan with 375 pounds of salt in the trunk and a mild Dinan chip reflash.