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I've got the 911 for the weekends and for the week days I lease a Wrangler Rubicon. Dirt cheap car, fun, convertible, AWD and couldn't care less if something happens it.
I think your kids will love it too when you take the doors off.
F80 M3. You can get a 19 for 10-12k off. Huge room in back seat and highly highly tunable platform. Will kill an S5 or any Audi product for driving feel and emotion. A tuned S4/S5 wont touch an S55 stock. With a tune the M3 goes to over 500hp easily and weighs only 3550 lbs.
This. You can’t touch that kind of practicality/power/sound combo anywhere else. 400+hp and torque, 4 doors, nice back seat, a trunk...
F80 M3. You can get a 19 for 10-12k off. Huge room in back seat and highly highly tunable platform. Will kill an S5 or any Audi product for driving feel and emotion. A tuned S4/S5 wont touch an S55 stock. With a tune the M3 goes to over 500hp easily and weighs only 3550 lbs.
If I didn’t live in NJ, and have to deal with snow, I would be driving a M3. Don’t get me wrong, I really like my S5, love the styling and interior, but the M3 is one hell of a sports car. I say, if you need the AWD, S5/RS5, if not, M3.
For me it would be this.... it can haul a bunch of people, lug a lot of stuff, still has some luxury inside and Don't ever have to worry about pot holes, uneven roads, hail/sleet or snow. I had a z71 Silverado before and wife and I miss it and wish i didn't sell it before.
Sorry folks, just catching up now. Everyone's suggestions have been awesome - thank you to all. Someone asked about what price range I want to stay in. Sorry for not mentioning earlier. Ideally, I do not want to exceed $50k since this is really just a daily driver, kid hauler, etc and will likely get destroyed over time. Let's be honest. Kids are kids ... so likely $40k - $50k range max.
That said, I'm trying really hard to be practical about my approach. The ones in the running so far (thanks to everyone for the great suggestions):
1) Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited X. Aggressive looks, fairly good safety, plenty of room, won't feel bad beating it up and washing it every 6 months.
2) VW Atlas or Tiguan. Hard to argue with their price point and their warranty (7 years, 100k miles).
3) Model 3. Not sure if I can get one but I would definitely be open to having one assuming I can get my hands on one for less than $50k.
Runner up if I'm not feeling responsible? Audi RS5 Sportback, but that will easily be $80k. What a ride it would be though ...
I went through the same deal with my three boys when they were younger had a 997TS & 991TS. The BMW 550xi was always my first choice. They were was always a solid commuter and pleasing long trip car. My favorite was a Dinan 550 thought it was much better than the 2013 M5. The M5 def needed AWD, went through rear wheels in 6K miles.
I have got an M3D. Handles great, super quick, best stereo I have heard (and not a lot of cabin noise so sounds good all the time) about zero maintenance. 9 months trouble free. It's pretty cool and the only car my wife has yet to complain about. I know this car can elicit polarizing views, but I would by one over a BMW 3 series or Audi A4.
I debated this endlessly and impulse bought a model 3 performance when they dropped the price. I love it and the kids love it. They get almost all the simple stuff and UI dead right such that I have no interest in ever owning an ICE regular car ever again. And this thing is a hammer off the line.
Pairs fantastically with a manual transmission fun car. Maybe swap the 911t into a m3p + used 981/987/996 if you can't live without the sports car!
Beautiful car. I'm leaning towards a Macan for now if I can find a good deal on one. I still want to check out the Audi sport back though.
How old are your young ones? I learned the hard way that using a rear-facing child seat is a bit tight in the back seat of my Macan. I can't sit in the front seat when the child seat is directly behind me because I'd have to slide the front seat too far forward. I suspect the Audi Q5 is similar. Forward facing is (probably fine), but get a seat back protector or you'll have a ton of scuffs and footprints!
How old are your young ones? I learned the hard way that using a rear-facing child seat is a bit tight in the back seat of my Macan. I can't sit in the front seat when the child seat is directly behind me because I'd have to slide the front seat too far forward. I suspect the Audi Q5 is similar. Forward facing is (probably fine), but get a seat back protector or you'll have a ton of scuffs and footprints!
The Q5 feels much bigger inside than the Macan, especially in the back seat area. The sloping roof of the Macan cuts down on the storage room as well. With that said, the Macan is a much better driving experience.
OP looking at your updated vehicle picks, I would do more research on their reliability. Tesla, I'm still not willing to jump the fence on that brand knowing the quality and lots of issues that have surfaced with them.
08-08-2019 | 05:38 PM
