the back is a little "mazda millenia"-ish. that said, i saw one in person the other day and it's frickin beautiful...like every other new BMW, looks much better in person than in pics.
i've always liked the 3-series wagons, including this generation; but i wish they'd stop saddling the wagon w/ the smallest engine. blech.
the more i think about it, the more i like the miata folding hardtop. unless it's a dedicated track/autoX car, the extra weight of the top can be offset, and it isn't that much anyway. plus, when it's down, i'd bet the car has a more favorable weight distribution (i.e., a tad more weght over the rear wheels) than the soft top.