Paris 2010: 2011 BMW 5 Series Touring is an excellent vehicle you'll never drive

Take a good, hard look at this vehicle, which is currently on display at the Paris Motor Show. Seems like it would be the perfect alternative for someone who wants a luxury SUV but doesn't need a vehicle that large. It also appears to be the perfect car for a person who wants cargo room yet despises luxury crossovers. This is the 2011 BMW 5 Series Touring – and we can't have it.

Wagons are, quite unfortunately, going the way of the dodo in this country. A vehicle that makes too much sense won't sell in a country where sense is tossed into the wind. The problem is, that's part of what makes this country great – the idea that we can go and buy a V10-powered Ford Excursion even if we just use it to drive the kids to soccer. Yet, that vehicle only makes sense for a small number of people, and those people are buying better tools for their job anyway.

The 2011 BMW 5 Series Touring, assuming of course that you are looking for a luxury car, makes far more sense to far more people. It fits just as many people as the high-riding crossover alternative, while also providing just as much cargo space. It's arguably better looking than any crossover or sport utility vehicle. More importantly, it has loads of useful space while at the same time being a blast to drive. The only area it would fall in a comparison would be in regards to towing.