E46 AWD vs RWD

I'm in the market to replace my E36 Coupe that is currently beginning to show her age, just passing the 200k mark. I have been lusting after that E46 Touring (wagon) for a while now (I have a thing for wagons), however I am finding it is almost impossible to find a RWD model with a stick. It seems most of the cars equipped with a stick are AWD. Now I've never been a fan of AWD & my only experience was with an 88 BMW 325ix which I had for a very short time & didn't get to drive it in anything but dry weather. Growing up in New England I learned to drive RWD in the winters & even owning FWD cars I still prefer RWD with a stick & proper winter tires.

Now I'm curious as to whether I should reconsider an AWD model. It will be used for long commutes & eventually getting back into autocross, hence why I prefer the RWD model. Price range under 10k preferred.

Other cars I've slightly entertained the notion of are 9-5 Wagons & E39 wagons.

Really? I've never seen a manual transmission AWD E46, ever.

I drove a 325ix when I was shopping for mine. As an all-weather DD it would be great, but I suspect the front steering geometry is fairly compromised by the AWD system. It's also like having a passenger in the car on every run.

If I only had the choice between AWD with a manual and RWD with an automatic, I'd probably opt for the stick. But keep looking - I had to drive 2 hours to get my RWD/MTX car, but I got a great deal on a low-mileage creampuff because the transmission made it a lot queen.

Duke wrote: Really? I've never seen a manual transmission AWD E46, ever.

Yeah, they exist. Passed on a 325ixT 5-speed with a bad transfer case for $1500 once. Tempted but it had many needs.

As for the OP - I'd hold out for a 2wd, and when you find the right car - buy it right away. The good ones get snapped up quickly.

In reply to Duke:

It must be a northern thing, because there are a ton of AWD manual E46s up here in Wisconsin. As a matter of fact, there are more manual AWD wagons in the US than there are RWD ones.

Duke is correct though; the AWD E46 models do indeed have compromised front suspension geometry, with many claiming that they have a tendency to push in turns and that the steering feel isn't as good. Those claims may be subjective, but as far as facts go, the suspension aftermarket is SIGNIFICANTLY smaller for the AWD cars and, unusually for BMW, even the "sport" AWD models received the same monster-truck height springs as the regular ones. I hear the AWD ones suck at autocross too.

9-5 wagons and E39 wagons are also extremely hard to find with a manual, and they are also an order of magnitude heavier than an E46...and also not known for being great between the cones. Better suited as HPDE cars.

I would test drive both just to feel how dynamically different they are. I would still wait on a 5 speed RWD one or plan to shop for one in Virginia and further south.