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They're golf, octavia, 306, a4 sized estates rather than passat, a6 superb, 406, mondeo etc sized. The equivalent Volvo requires a golden lab before you're allowed one.
I guess at that budget, BM wise you'll be looking at a late E46 touring which I still think are very handsome cars but one of the main issues for them now is rust - the arches at both ends go.
The E46 is also not a cheap car to run - my 325 was pretty good on fuel for a biggish engine but it ate suspension compenents. In the world of BMW, wishbones, bushes and springs don't last that long. The cooling system is made of chocolate too - water pumps, thermostats and rads tend to be pretty common items to replace. The rear brake lines are expensive to replace when the corrode too (they run up and over the fuel tank...I had quite a shock when mine needed doing). Luckily there is a good supply of used parts from the likes of Quarry Motors that can take the sting out of some of the bills.
Despite the running costs, I really loved that car. It felt more solid that the E90 that we have now (although the E90 is the better car).
The old 5 speed auto that is on most higher end E46's is a bit poo too. The dervs can be pricey to run too and the swirl flap removal seems to be a good idea.
You'll probably get more car for your money with a V50 but less engines to choose from.
AN E91 in budget is likely to have been to the moon and back or be a lower spec. I really wanted an E91 when we bought our E90 but there weren't many around for our budget and those that were had had a hard life (but I guess that's quite common for estates).