Power Hauler: 1994 BMW 530iT

File this under 'cars I'd love to actually own and drive regularly'.

The E34 chassis cars, which were produced from 1988 to 1995, are my favorite BMW of all time alongside the similar-looking E32 7-Series which ran from '87-'94.

Not only do they offer all the prerequisite excellent rear-wheel drive handling, powerful engines and top-notch build quality, they are brilliantly designed and styled. Just as Italian Bruno Sacco was responsible for the peak Mercedes designs of '80s, Italian Ercole Spada was the utter genius who penned the E32 and E34, considered by many to be the finest BMW designs ever, yet nobody knows his name. They are perfectly realized cars, the summation of everything BMW had been going for. They were nothing like what came before and nothing like what came after, certainly not today.

This is a 530, which has a 3.0-litre 8-cylinder engine that produces a healthy 282 horsepower. It's also a "T" for Touring, or station wagon. While some wagons loose the sex-appeal of their sedan counterparts, that didn't happen with the E34. The wagon is every bit as handsome as the sedan, and in some ways even better looking. The rear back slopes perfectly, and the taillights are slightly broader to balance the larger glass hatch. The whole thing looks low, sleek and aggressive thanks to the car's already awesome stance and the merciful absence of roof racks (though that doesn't stop owners from frequently adding aftermarket ones).

Have I mentioned these were designed so well?

Forget your Volvo station wagons. With ample trunk space, rear-wheel drive and V8 power, this is THE family hauer to have.

The seller states this car only has a few flaws: some dings and dents, and a leaking exhaust.

Inside, we have one of the greatest interiors of all time. Everything is where you expect it to be, every shape and form perfectly crafted for both aesthetic and functional success. The white leather was beautiful when new but usually wore awfully with subsequent owners and shows dirt clearly. Definitely invest in industrial leather cleaner and spend a warm dry day gently working them.

The seller lists the mileage as 166,000. That's a lot. These also had a known V8 engine problem where the Nikasil that lined the cylinders reacted poorly with low-quality U.S. gasoline, preventing the engine from starting. The solution was a whole new small engine block. Ever a responsible company, BMW extended the warranty on these cars. If this one made it to 166k, the block has either already been fixed or there never was an issue.

This thing will be especially sweet if you snag it for under $5k. With the high mileage and typical wear and tear, it's just not going to feel as good if you pay anything over that. But it's still a great car and you really can't go wrong with it. They are rare, but not extinct yet. Pre-owned BMW cars are among the worst used cars out there because they've typically been passed down the food chain several times to people who can't afford or don't know how to properly maintain them, so they end up filthy and trashed, on top of just plain driven a lot, being "the ultimate driving machine" after all. But there is nothing else like it on the market. Even today's gee-whiz 5-Series doesn't offer wagon version here.

Find it here on ebay in Williamson, New York.