Revo Model Summary
This 330i XDrive Sport Wagon may be the last of its kind, as BMW will not (as of writing) bring the latest generation of 3 Series to the US as a wagon. Here at Revo we have always admired the wagon form and function, offered with no discernable performance loss to their sedan stable mates. Alas, the American consumer has either decided (or it was decided for them, see side bar) not to buy wagons in bulk, and current offerings are very limited. This one is a nice example in Sunset Orange with some attractive options. A jack of all trades the likes of which the automotive world may not see again.
Have you ever noticed that wagons are still widely available in Europe, yet increasingly hard to find on our shores? This BMW Sport Wagon will surely make you wonder why that is. Resplendent in rare Sunset Orange Metallic Paint, with supportive sport seats and a body that will handily haul more than a sedan. It is Exhibit A to the Enthusiast Wagon Manifesto. (That document doesn't exist, but it should!). The paucity of new wagon offerings makes little sense to most enthusiasts, and defies even grade school geometry. Particularly so where many manufacturers still offer a sedan variant. There is simply no mathematical reason to forego that entire parallelogram of space in the back, right? Even my 9 year old daughter could tell you that.
Perhaps the stale legacy of the Buick “station wagons” of yore, which often required their own zip code, still haunts modern sport wagons like this? Perhaps the European nomenclature of "touring" and “estate” is just that much more appealing? Perhaps it has to do with the well meaning but poorly drafted CAFE fleet fuel economy standards of the late 1990s and 2000s? (Bing! I think we have a winner! Check out the Side Bar for more about how CAFE ushered in the SUV era).
A Revo Legal Side Bar
CAFE Americano: How Emissions Rules Killed the US Wagon
There are likely many contributing reasons that wagon sales, or perhaps better put, wagon offerings, have been in slow decline over the past few decades in the US. One particularly interesting reason has to do with the way in which the Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards (CAFE) are drafted. Read here for a more detailed explanation. Briefly, it places vehicles into segments (cars, light trucks, etc…) to meet stepdowns in overall fuel consumption every few years. However, the requirements for “light trucks” are less onerous than for “cars.” The definitions are quite squishy, enabling many car based SUVs to be categorized as light trucks. That means that a small SUV which is considered a light truck but gets car like gas mileage, and can boost the segment average which Chrysler must meet for all of its light trucks, including the Ram 1500. But the Buick Regal Tour X is a (great looking) wagon that will likely drag down the car segment average compared to fuel sipping offerings like the Fiat/Chrysler 500. So, car lots are flooded with the Buick Encore “SUV” and very few Tour Xs, while Chrysler’s light truck fuel economy average goes up. When we the consumer go shopping, the lot is full of mid sized car based SUVs with insane factory rebates, and nary a Tour X to be found. So do Americans not like wagons, or are our preferences being decided for us?
Whatever the reason for the wagon’s multi decade decline in the US, we’re really happy this example exists. But not incidentally, even BMW, long a wagon stalwart, has succumbed to whatever pressures may be at play. While it offers a full spate of Xs and Grand Coupe’s, the wagon box can no longer be ticked on the new G20 3 Series body in the US. Where wagons are just as dynamic and sporty as their sedan counterparts, and far more so than a car based SUV, it is clearly not because of any deficiency. In fact, consumers and dealers continue to covet them despite their increasing rarity.
Fortunately, examples like this 2019 BMW 330i xDrive Sports Wagon, known as an "F31" in BMW speak (that's a long one, go ahead and catch your breath), are still available with like new mileage, although not perhaps in this particular combination of sunset metallic paint and shadow line trim.
This well optioned car includes the following:
- Black Dakota leather
- Convenience Package
- Comfort access keyless entry; lumbar support; satellite radio (subscription required)
- Premium Package
- Heated front seats; navigation; head-up display; advanced RTTI; remote services; Apple Carplay
- Executive Package
- Adaptive full LED headlights; auto high beams; side and top view cameras; parking assistant
- Shadow Sport Edition
- Sport leather steering wheel; 18” no. 397 wheels; sport seats; fineline anthracite wood trim; park distance control; ambient lighting; auto climate control; LED fog lights; and dynamic digital instrument cluster
- Heated steering wheel
- BMW Roof rack
This F31 is what BMW refers to as a Life Cycle Impulse (LCI) model, which essentially means it is BMWs mid cycle refresh or facelift for the F30/1 cars. Along with new styling cues and features, the F30/1 also received an entirely new 4 cylinder motor, dubbed the “B48” by BMW. The B48 replaced the N20 in many BMW applications. While it shares many specs with the N20 (displacement, a single twin scroll turbo, direct injection, and variable valve timing), the B48 is an entirely new engine destined for the next generation of BMWs. That includes the next 3 Series, called the G20 (but remember, no G20 wagon in America!).
The B48 is a 2.0L inline turbo charged 4 cylinder unit. In stock tune it makes a BMW reported 250hp and 258lbft of torque. We’ve heard it said that the B48 in F30/1’s blows this figure away on the dyno. In fact, we've see the horsepower of this motor independently measured in stock tune at 288 crank hp, and torque at 290lbft. Power is routed through a ZF 8 speed automatic transmission, and sent to all four wheels via a transfer case mounted amidships.
Scroll through the gallery below for dozens more detailed pics.
This car is not currently listed for sale, but if you would like more information or to make an offer on this car please contact us at info@revogarage.com, and we will put you in direct contact with the owner.
A Revo Legal Side Bar
CAFE Americano: How Emissions Rules Killed the US Wagon
There are likely many contributing reasons that wagon sales, or perhaps better put, wagon offerings, have been in slow decline over the past few decades in the US. One particularly interesting reason has to do with the way in which the Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards (CAFE) are drafted. Read here for a more detailed explanation. Briefly, it places vehicles into segments (cars, light trucks, etc…) to meet stepdowns in overall fuel consumption every few years. However, the requirements for “light trucks” are less onerous than for “cars.” The definitions are quite squishy, enabling many car based SUVs to be categorized as light trucks. That means that a small SUV which is considered a light truck but gets car like gas mileage, and can boost the segment average which Chrysler must meet for all of its light trucks, including the Ram 1500. But the Buick Regal Tour X is a (great looking) wagon that will likely drag down the car segment average compared to fuel sipping offerings like the Fiat/Chrysler 500. So, car lots are flooded with the Buick Encore “SUV” and very few Tour Xs, while Chrysler’s light truck fuel economy average goes up. When we the consumer go shopping, the lot is full of mid sized car based SUVs with insane factory rebates, and nary a Tour X to be found. So do Americans not like wagons, or are our preferences being decided for us?
