Advice on Large 2nd Cars
 

Am seriously considering going with the Model 3 and trading in the Model S, for a variety of reasons.

That would leave me with a Model 3 and a Golf R. I think that's perfectly cromulent; the Model 3 can take a surprisingly large amount of luggage and with a 300 mile range would be a better trip car in some ways than the Model S.

But let's play it out and say in 12 months I decide I need a bigger 2nd car. What to buy?

The largest semi-fun car with a stick I can think of is the 2.0L Accord. Am I missing any others? The A4 is dead now, but even that didn't have a huge amount of space beyond a Model 3.

I don't want to buy something dumb like an Outback wagon, or something dumber like an Explorer or Velar or something. But assuming I'm willing to lift my "no automatics" out of necessity, what would I even buy?

halp.

Advice on Large 2nd Cars
 

Do you just need a bigger sedan? A wagon? Are you willing to go totally wild and consider an SUV?

CPO Panamera (current generation)

#LiftTheWankerMaticBan

Fernando's M3?

Sarafil—for this thought exercise I am willing to consider anything, including SUVs.

Lemming—the Panamera is interesting, but part of the criteria here would be “can it transport 3 kids,* 2 adults, and luggage 4 hours to the beach?”


*ie, my two kids and one friend.

Ugh, I think you'd quickly regret the Accord. I ride in them and wonder what happened to Honda's engineering.

I’d think an suv would fit the bill... something like a used Tahoe?

Relatively low mileage, so fuel cost won’t be a big concern (even for a couple hundred mile beach trip...)

based on your car history, I'd think a previous gen E63 wagon would be the most fitting.

If you're thinking purely utility / value in something you will be comfortable in, a 2013 x5 3.5i will be dirt cheap and very functional while not being completely horrible to drive. I don't like mine very much, but mostly because I'm bitter that you can't get a 5 wagon anymore. We do routinely put 3 kids in the back for long weekend / week long trips to the lake and they all get there with minimal complaining.

In that case...

https://www.callawaycars.com/wp-cont...ban-6A-web.png

https://www.callawaycars.com/homepag...away-suburban/

Big, offensive and with a little extra power

Or another option...

(Can’t believe I am suggesting this but there’s something about this new generation that I like)

https://www.volvocars.com/us/cars/new-models/v60

I like the Volvos but am uncomfortable with their current ownership structure for reasons I admit are jingoistic.

Old X5 is a possibility I guess.

If I have to go the SUV route I’m definitely waiting to see what the new RWD Explorer looks like. The Aviator has nice proportions.

But blah I don’t want to have to drive around in something like that.

The new v60 is very appealing to us. I just hope they bring over the t8 hybrid version.

lol

I’m telling you, let go of the hate and you would find there is no better fun, stick shift car.

I believe an Accord does make a lot of sense here. You didn't mention anything about wanting to tow ski boats or haul pallets of concrete mix home from Home Depot. You want something that can carry the kids and one of their friends, and a necessary amount of luggage, comfortably. For that you want hip and legroom, both of which come in generous quantities in the Accord. Add to that the great reliability, economy, and damn good resale, it seems like a slam dunk to me. And like you said, you can get it with a stick, which is a big plus.


I think the previous gen (2013-18) is nicer, in every way, than any Accord before it. I haven't been inside the new ones, but I'd be surprised if it wasn't in the same ballpark.

So the play here is you'd unload the Golf R and get a "larger than a Model Hamburger" second car to take on trips to the beach?

Is the driving requirement here 1) more luggage space or B) more elbow room for rugrats? If B, there isn't much other than "three row SUV" that fits the bill. Any sedan type thing is going to be about the same amount of space as a Model Hamburger for three kids across, right? I may be totally wrong, an Accord may truly have more hip / shoulder room than a 3. It certainly looks larger. But at that point why not just get rid of both the Golf R and the 3 and drive an Accord? Financially and functionally that makes the most sense.

If the answer is 1), some kind of cool hatchback/wagon type thing might be the answer. Panamera (though I hesitate to call that dog-taking-a-dump "cool"), Mercedes/AMG wagon (how much ya got to spend on maintenance and repairs?) might be options.

Haven't you for years promoted the merits of various Ford EcoBoost SUV things (Edge, Flex, etc, I can't keep those things straight)? Sounds like it's time to put your money where your mouth is :) At least they'll (probably) be cheap to own and operate.

This may all be true, but I don't think JST will end up liking it. He is coming from Model S, 3-series, 5-series, M3, Golf R, 987 level cars... An Accord may be a more rational purchase than those, but that doesn't seem to be his history.

My advice: Stang, the dark green Bullitt edition GT. Let the kids squish in the back.

:lol:

In the rear, the Accord has 2.5" more hip and shoulder room, and 5" more legroom. Assuming you were referring to the Model 3, and not a BMW 3.

X5 with third row. Try to get the real sports suspension. Get a Thule rooftop box as well, because once you deploy the third row, there isn't much cargo room left.

Or, wait for the new 3 wagon.

Or, wait for the X7.

There really is an advantage to having something taller on the highway. And the X5 visibility from its greenhouse is great.

Mercedes E63. Although my spouse really didn't like the one she drove (lots of power lag.) Perhaps the new engines have fixed the problem in the current model.

Used Panamera, perhaps. Is there one with seating for three in the back? Our loaner had two bucket seats.

The advantage to the lower wagon solutions is easier access to the roofbox, which you will still need.

Did she drive the E63 wagon? I remember your comments on the standard e wagon being a dog, but didn't know you sampled the e63 as well. I was bummed when you commented how un-fun the e wagon was, I had high hopes that it would be our next car.

Oops, sorry. No, she just drove the standard E350.

If this is really an occasional trip thing, why not just rent a suburban or something?

Bah. Renting sucks ass.

If you really need to put 3 people in the back for long periods of time, I guess it depends on the kids. I wouldn't want to risk hours of non-stop "STOP TOUCHING ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DAAAAADDD!!!!!!!! MMMOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!"

OTOH, my sister-in-law's family does all their long distance traveling in a Nissan Frontier with the 16, 12, and 9 year old kids in the back seat and they don't seem to have problems.

Nick's rental idea is what I'd go with if I were you, especially given how close you are to the airport.

Something else to consider, which I offer only to see you scoff "no", is an old school SJ Jeep Wagoneer as a third (er, fourth) vehicle.

What about an Acura MDX? Admittedly, I've never driven one...

At any rate, our F15 X5 V8 does everything we need it to. And, it hauls ass.

It's really a hip room thing in the back seat. The Model S is wide enough that three across is doable (that's one of the reasons I got one, because back when I needed car seats, it would take 3 across). The Model 3 is probably not, at least comfortably. In every other way the 3 and S are roughly equivalent, though because the S is a hatchback it can accept bulky cargo that the 3 can't--but the trunk opening in the 3 is surprisingly large.

I like Nick's plan. Renting is a pain but if we are really talking about 1 or 2 trips a year, it makes more sense than driving some giant tank around (and parking it--both my wife and I park in underground garages).

But ha ha on Ecoboost things. Yes, I am hoist on my petard there. The current gen Explorer blows, but I suspect the new one is going to be a lot more interesting to drive.

Maybe I'm the only one that feels this way, but rooftop carriers are a pain in the ass across the board.

Suburbans (Expeditions, etc) are the perfect rental vehicles. I can't see a reason to ever buy one. They are absurdly expensive new, and relatively cheap to rent (every time I've gone to rent one they are cheaper than a Chrysler minivan... odd).

Anyway, this is my way of saying I agree with Nick... keep the cars you have for now and when you make your first trip, go rent something.

Unfortunately the rear buckets are the only option



I was just in the backseat of a Frontier a couple of weeks ago, it was horrible, you sit so straight up I was super uncomfortable. I couldn't wait to get out of it and that was only a 5 minute ride.

In my experience Nissan has made really bad seat selections for the last ~ 15 years. Every single one I've been in has been horrifically uncomfortable. Granted seat comfort is dependent on body size/shape and is ultimately very personal, but ...

Yet not cromulent enough to assuage your concerns of having to subsequently embiggen.

I am a big fan of owning a large vehicle and a smaller one. It doesn't sound like your home or life would benefit frequently from owning a truck, but I've thoroughly enjoyed mine to the point where I've owned it longer than any other vehicle in my history. It's nice to have a "dirty" cargo area.

Other alternative: Two weeks ago I rented a Caravan when we had family visiting from Korea. I was a little annoyed that I couldn't find one with a second-row bench, as I would really have liked the ability to haul eight people as opposed to seven, but otherwise I was impressed. Plenty of space for passengers, reasonable cargo area (although, logically/ironically, the more people you carry, the less space you have for their stuff), reasonable dynamics. I'd look at the Pacifica though.

Finally, the SUV/crossover solution. I like the Tahoe/Suburban but it may be overkill if you don't intend to use it much. Vehicles that slot one tier lower in size have evolved into solid choices all around -- unibody construction, comfortable enough for daily use, big enough for the average family to go wherever they need. I'm thinking Explorer-ish vehicles. If you can get over the abject anti-hipness of owning a (gasp) SUV, you might find them to be perfect for what you want.

So, um, what are the specs on your Golf R, Josh? And, is it going to go on the market? :eeps:

This. Get a Ford Flex.

Cheap. Third row. Reliable.

Yes.

We love ours. I know, I know... Looks like a box/ass/etc... It's very polarizing. But practical. :dunno:

I believe JST suggested the Flex to me more than once when looking for such a vehicle. We don't have one for stupid reasons, not because it isn't a near perfect vehicle for what it does well.

has anyone test driven the honda accord 6MT? actually seems like it could be a option for my situation but guessing it does not drive that sporty.

2017 Golf R, just over 10K miles, Tornado Red. Has the DCC/ACC package, which was an option when I bought but I think is standard now.

I don't think it's really on the market for a while, though.

A) I laughed when I read this

B) Ironically enough, the day I test drove the Tesla I first drove a Mustang GT.

Do not want.

I had a whole route planned, hopping from one dealer to the next - Mustang GT, Tesla Model 3, Miata, Camaro SS. But after the Tesla I went straight home. I was done.

MB R63 (if you can find one)
Dodge Charger SRT