Long-Term Wrap: 2014 BMW 328d xDrive Sports Wagon - RoadandTrack.com (blog)
When BMW introduced its new-for-2014 diesel 3-series wagon, we begged to get our hands on a long-term tester for obvious reasons. The 328d xDrive Sports Wagon is a rare and appealing combination for the enthusiast with cargo-hauling needs: wagon body style, efficient diesel engine, and all-wheel drive. Our car, however, arrived with a whopping $58,000 window sticker due to a mile-long list of options, including some $10,000 in luxury and appearance add-ons. Considering BMW calls this a Sports Wagon, it'd be easy to argue that our tester's performance-enhancing extras—namely $650 M Sport brakes and a $1000 handling package, which adds adaptive dampers and quicker-ratio steering—should come standard. The 328d quickly became everyone's go-to car for long hauls, thanks to its 525-mile highway range and composed ride. That didn't improve steering feel or the lines of communication between chassis and driver, but the BMW still proved plenty capable of spirited driving on 18-inch Bridgestone Potenza S001 summer tires. With a rear-biased torque split, the xDrive all-wheel-drive system allowed the 3790-pound wagon to slide gracefully through corners without stability control. Source: www.roadandtrack.com
