Late Mid-Life Crisis Car shopping…

[LuFins Dad]

So the GMC is D-E-A-D dead… At 295000 miles, it earned it’s final reward… But it died 8 months sooner than planned, meaning I need to find an interim vehicle to get me 12000 miles until I get to finally get my mid-life crisis car. But the benefit? While shopping for short term interim cars, I can also start testing out options for next year…

Here’s the basic criteria Karla has laid down - 1) It can’t be more than 25% more than her Pilot cost. So roughly 50-60K. 2) It has to have at least 4 seats. It can be a coupe (she’s rooting for a Challenger Hellcat) but it can’t be a 2-seater…

Here’s the thing… 10 years, no question… Give me the power of a Hellcat. These days? Some of the nicer luxury features are gaining appeal… I test drove a 2014 Equus the other day and kind of liked the nicer features… So it got me to wondering if there was a way to blend power and performance with comfort at my price range.

So this afternoon, while testing out a used Mercedes sedan, I also took out a 2019 BMW X4 M40l with Executive Package… Oh my… imagine trying to mash together a luxury sedan with a sports car and an SUV.. It absolutely shouldn’t work… But it did. It’s a 4-door crossover (technically) but it looks and feels like a big coupe (inside and out) with muscle. The only negative is the sort of hatchback at the back… The engine is 6 twin turbo. Whole it’s not a Hemi 8, it has more than enough power and the superior handling more than makes up for the edge you can get in a Hellcat in pure power. The driver’s seat is enveloping. It’s like sitting in a low Italian sports car or in the seat of an old Vette… But I don’t have to crouch to get in. Plus, it’s roomy, even for a 6’2” guy with long legs. Telescoping steering wheel, and plenty of headroom. But the seat and the cabin still envelop you… The seat also has additional controls that I’ve never experienced before with added lumbar controls and a control for the sides of the seat that can control width. And unlike a lot of vehicles with “sport”, “regular”, and “luxury” suspension modes, you really can feel the difference…

I’ve never been a BMW fan, but I am strongly reconsidering what is possible. It would be out of my budget new, but a 2 year old certified used? Hmmm…

[xenon]

Huge fan of the BMW. I have an X7. The B58 engine (their inline 6) is bulletproof. Very reliable. That doesn't mean their electronics are reliable or that the maintenance is cheap - but that particular drivetrain is very proven (don't get a BMW V8).

Personally, I like small sports cars (think Miata, GR86, low-end porche, etc.) with small engines and manuals. I'm not going to the track and these whizbang Mercedes and BMWs, and if you gave them full throttle, their 400HP engines would mean you're breaking the law by the time you shift from 2nd gear..

With the small cars you can actually push the gas down a bit and row through the gears on normal streets.

[LuFins Dad]

@xenon said in Late Mid-Life Crisis Car shopping…:

Huge fan of the BMW. I have an X7. The B58 engine (their inline 6) is bulletproof. Very reliable. That doesn't mean their electronics are reliable or that the maintenance is cheap - but that particular drivetrain is very proven (don't get a BMW V8).

Personally, I like small sports cars (think Miata, GR86, low-end porche, etc.) with small engines and manuals. I'm not going to the track and these whizbang Mercedes and BMWs, and if you gave them full throttle, their 400HP engines would mean you're breaking the law by the time you shift from 2nd gear..

With the small cars you can actually push the gas down a bit and row through the gears on normal streets.

While I do enjoy driving a stick, it would be cumbersome as a daily driver in this area. And sooner or later I would get lazy and wind up burning some clutches. The Paddle shifters aren’t as engaging, but can be a somewhat reasonable facsimile when the mood hits.