A small fraternity of enthusiasts and automotive journalists keeps telling carmakers we need station wagons. They’re sportier than SUVs, more beautiful than high-roof crossovers, and have a sophisticated retro aura. Few automakers have listened to our pleas, and when they did, it didn’t always turn out so well. When was the last time you saw a Cadillac CTS wagon" We can’t remember, either. (But we miss it.) Nonetheless, this new BMW 5-series Touring has us starting up all over again.
BMW North America, though, is paying us no heed. In Europe, the situation is much different. The market for station wagons is huge: Sedans are seen as stodgy, and SUVs suffer from a combination of poor fuel economy and a lower top speed. Why put up with it, especially when station wagons are as beautiful as the new BMW 5" The new model looks sleek and harmonious, with an upper character line that stretches all the way to the Hofmeister kink in the D-pillar. There is a stylized spoiler below the rear window (which opens separately from the liftgate), and a functional one at the top of it. Bigger than its predecessor in every dimension, it offers a substantial cargo hold, yet it maintains a relatively low roofline. Of course, it comes with the whole suite of assistance systems and luxury features that arrived with this latest generation of 5-series; the semi-autonomous-driving functions even work at speeds up to 130 mph.

And that?s a velocity that is easily reached b...