Advice request - wagon, SUV???
01-03-2012, 10:08 PM
#46
Nordschleife Master
Thread Starter
I was in the exact same position as you. I had been driving Volvo wagons for the past 20 years. My most recent one was the V70R. When it approached 100,000 miles I started looking around. BMW does not make a wagon in the 5 series, Audi makes the A6 Avant but was in a model year change, Mercedes just introduced the # 350 series and Volvo stopped importing the V70R. They only will be importing the V70XC.
After a number of Mercedes ML and BMW X5s I was done with SUVs.
I ordered a 2011 Mercedes E350 4matic and love it. More cargo space than the SUVs and rides like a car. I suggest your wife test drive one and she will be sold.
Good Luck and Cheers
After a number of Mercedes ML and BMW X5s I was done with SUVs.
I ordered a 2011 Mercedes E350 4matic and love it. More cargo space than the SUVs and rides like a car. I suggest your wife test drive one and she will be sold.
Good Luck and Cheers
01-04-2012, 12:28 AM
#47
Burning Brakes
+1 on the E350 Merc wagon. i have the previous model E55 wagon and can tell you it's an amazing car. drove a new E350 last week and it's really quite nice. not AMG nice, but similar 
we too are looking to replace the E55 with something newer. our requirement is that third row, as we have young girls who like to drag friends along. i tried the MDX and the Highlander Hybrid. both nice, but the Merc wagon is the best of all worlds. all-wheel drive and 7 passengers when necessary...the rest of the time, it's just a great mid-size car. if the third row is a must, i see no better option. if the third row is unnecessary, i feel the SUVs are more difficult to justify. i feel like a big lexus truck or even a Q7 is just too much metal to schlep around for the 90% of the time that you don't need 16" of ground clearance or the tow package.
in an amusing exchange recently, my wife said: "i'm thinking about the toyota Rav4. it has three rows." after shooting half a mouth-full of martini through my nose, i politely asked if we could get serious here. of course, no chance of that. she'll probably get one just to bust my *****.
we too are looking to replace the E55 with something newer. our requirement is that third row, as we have young girls who like to drag friends along. i tried the MDX and the Highlander Hybrid. both nice, but the Merc wagon is the best of all worlds. all-wheel drive and 7 passengers when necessary...the rest of the time, it's just a great mid-size car. if the third row is a must, i see no better option. if the third row is unnecessary, i feel the SUVs are more difficult to justify. i feel like a big lexus truck or even a Q7 is just too much metal to schlep around for the 90% of the time that you don't need 16" of ground clearance or the tow package.in an amusing exchange recently, my wife said: "i'm thinking about the toyota Rav4. it has three rows." after shooting half a mouth-full of martini through my nose, i politely asked if we could get serious here. of course, no chance of that. she'll probably get one just to bust my *****.
01-04-2012, 11:00 AM
#48
We had Acura MDX, then GMC Envoy.....sold them and went to a wagon.
We now have a MB e350 wagon. It does not drive like a sports car at all, but looks great, has a great interior, has a 3rd row for emergency use only (for kids) and can carry my dog in the rear. It also allows occasional Home Depot runs by folding down the rear seat.
The only thing it's not good for is carrying big plants or appliances, and also it can't tow my boat. Besides that, though, I really prefer driving it to the SUV. I do feel a little more environmentally correct in it too. I always felt that 6000 lb Envoy XL was just too big for our needs as an everyday family car.
We now have a MB e350 wagon. It does not drive like a sports car at all, but looks great, has a great interior, has a 3rd row for emergency use only (for kids) and can carry my dog in the rear. It also allows occasional Home Depot runs by folding down the rear seat.
The only thing it's not good for is carrying big plants or appliances, and also it can't tow my boat. Besides that, though, I really prefer driving it to the SUV. I do feel a little more environmentally correct in it too. I always felt that 6000 lb Envoy XL was just too big for our needs as an everyday family car.
01-04-2012, 04:53 PM
#49
Rennlist Member
01-04-2012, 06:58 PM
#50
Rennlist Member
wife has a Volvo XC70, she loves it (the safety aspect of it), I hate it (the soccer mom looks and boatlike feel), regardless, she's looking to replace it.
she drives a lot for work, so she wants a newer version of the same car. I'm hoping she'd consider a Cayenne, BMW or something as an alternative - again, "consider" is the key word.
Any of you with SUV, wagon experinces would be appreciated. Wifey is sold on Volvo, of which I am not totally opposed to, but of course I'd rather she get something a little more fun, sporty with equal size (for her to load up with work gear) - so size does matter. Would like to get some informed oipinions of similar sized cars, etc.
thanks, and Happy New year everyone!
David
she drives a lot for work, so she wants a newer version of the same car. I'm hoping she'd consider a Cayenne, BMW or something as an alternative - again, "consider" is the key word.
Any of you with SUV, wagon experinces would be appreciated. Wifey is sold on Volvo, of which I am not totally opposed to, but of course I'd rather she get something a little more fun, sporty with equal size (for her to load up with work gear) - so size does matter. Would like to get some informed oipinions of similar sized cars, etc.
thanks, and Happy New year everyone!
David
I have a 2010MY 2010 BMW 535ix Sport Wagon which I love; and I would leap into a 2012 F11 BMW 550i M-Sport, if only BMW would bring the 5 series touring to the USA!
The only options I see are the Audi A4 Avant, or the MB E350 4Matic ... neither of which really float my boat ...
have you looked at the xDrive50i X5 with M-Sport pkg?
there is also of course the Cayenne GTS or the BMW X6/6M cars ...
not of course forgetting the AMG E63 Sport Wagon....
oh ... have you thought about the 5 series GTs???
01-04-2012, 08:26 PM
#53
Rennlist Member
01-04-2012, 08:30 PM
#54
Rennlist Member
I'm looking at X5M or xDrive50i M-Sport to replace my 535ix M-Sport with manual tx!!! 
01-05-2012, 01:57 PM
#55
01-05-2012, 02:02 PM
#56
Rennlist Member
+1 on the E350 Merc wagon. i have the previous model E55 wagon and can tell you it's an amazing car. drove a new E350 last week and it's really quite nice. not AMG nice, but similar we too are looking to replace the E55 with something newer. our requirement is that third row, as we have young girls who like to drag friends along. i tried the MDX and the Highlander Hybrid. both nice, but the Merc wagon is the best of all worlds. all-wheel drive and 7 passengers when necessary...the rest of the time, it's just a great mid-size car. if the third row is a must, i see no better option. if the third row is unnecessary, i feel the SUVs are more difficult to justify. i feel like a big lexus truck or even a Q7 is just too much metal to schlep around for the 90% of the time that you don't need 16" of ground clearance or the tow package.
in an amusing exchange recently, my wife said: "i'm thinking about the toyota Rav4. it has three rows." after shooting half a mouth-full of martini through my nose, i politely asked if we could get serious here. of course, no chance of that. she'll probably get one just to bust my *****.
we too are looking to replace the E55 with something newer. our requirement is that third row, as we have young girls who like to drag friends along. i tried the MDX and the Highlander Hybrid. both nice, but the Merc wagon is the best of all worlds. all-wheel drive and 7 passengers when necessary...the rest of the time, it's just a great mid-size car. if the third row is a must, i see no better option. if the third row is unnecessary, i feel the SUVs are more difficult to justify. i feel like a big lexus truck or even a Q7 is just too much metal to schlep around for the 90% of the time that you don't need 16" of ground clearance or the tow package.in an amusing exchange recently, my wife said: "i'm thinking about the toyota Rav4. it has three rows." after shooting half a mouth-full of martini through my nose, i politely asked if we could get serious here. of course, no chance of that. she'll probably get one just to bust my *****.
01-05-2012, 02:23 PM
#57
Rennlist Member
I second the recommendations for E350 or E63 wagon. The MB wagons are really attractive since they're relatively unique but as mechanically sound as as the E sedans.
At least your guys' wives are reasonable. Mine wants a G-wagen. That thing is objectively the worst but subjectively the coolest vehicle sold in the states.
At least your guys' wives are reasonable. Mine wants a G-wagen. That thing is objectively the worst but subjectively the coolest vehicle sold in the states.
01-05-2012, 02:31 PM
#58
Rennlist Member
I second the recommendations for E350 or E63 wagon. The MB wagons are really attractive since they're relatively unique but as mechanically sound as as the E sedans.
At least your guys' wives are reasonable. Mine wants a G-wagen. That thing is objectively the worst but subjectively the coolest vehicle sold in the states.
At least your guys' wives are reasonable. Mine wants a G-wagen. That thing is objectively the worst but subjectively the coolest vehicle sold in the states.
I'm tempted by the E350 4Matic, but even with the new 300bhp V6 I think I will hate it when I compare it to my '10 535ix Sport Wagon (chipped)
I dont want an SAV/SUV what I really want is the BMW F11 550i M-Sport (saw one in Munich last August - GOREGOUS):
but BMW have all but abandoned the NA market with their wagons ... and replaced them with the hideous 5 series GTs (soon to be joined by a 3 GT also I hear)
01-05-2012, 03:01 PM
#59
One thing I don't like about the e350 wagon - the shfit points are aweful. You have to floor it to get it to downshift. Horrible when getting on a highway or merging. There are steering wheel paddle shifters, but if you're just driving around and not thinking about it, getting it to go in a tight spot is tough. Changing it to the sport mode helps, but it resets to comfort every time you start it again.
01-05-2012, 03:07 PM
#60
Rennlist Member
One thing I don't like about the e350 wagon - the shfit points are aweful. You have to floor it to get it to downshift. Horrible when getting on a highway or merging. There are steering wheel paddle shifters, but if you're just driving around and not thinking about it, getting it to go in a tight spot is tough. Changing it to the sport mode helps, but it resets to comfort every time you start it again.