A local dealer has a 540i wagon available and a sedan. I drove the wagon and thought it performed and handled great. The wagons seem cheaper than comparable sedans. I know a sedan is cooler, and I suspect it would depreciate more slowly, but beyond that is there any reason to prefer a sedan?

I would be grateful if people would also share their annual maintenance costs.

Many thanks.

Who says the sedan is cooler? At 50 feet sedans all look the same. The BMW wagon is distinctive and performs almost as well as the sedan, in fact it may be better thought of as a bad*ss hatchback as opposed to Soccer Mom bloated wagon car. I passed on a slightly cheaper 540 sedan and sought out a wagon with the cold weather package, and I love it.