Future family car / MCS waffling

[bren]

Dude, you're RICH - just buy 4 or 5 cars or whatever and be done with it.

[wdc330i]

Originally Posted by FC

CONGRATS ON THE BABY!!!

Agreed. The most overlap is wagon/suv. If I can be convinced an MCS hatch is practical enough as a DD, then it'sano-brainer: MCS, Sportscar, and SUV as a family vehicle. I just doubt an MCS will be a practical enough DD to essentially replace the ZHP.

I also don't likethe prospect of several long family trips in an SUV vs. a wagon. Maybe I'm too biased in that regard.

In other good news, the local P-car dealership has a '00 986S they just got. I plan on test-driving it tomorrow.

The 5 wagon would make an excellent luxo family hauler. But I do suggest that you just wait for one that's a couple of years old. Buy it fully loaded for $40,000 rather than $60,000. That will leave you plenty of seed money for the Boxster. Or just combine the luxo wagon and SUV lust and buy the X5 with sport suspension. It is amazingly flat in curves. And when it gets the TT engine, it'll be pretty sweet.

Here's a stick shift 5 in Bimmerfest classifieds--although just the 3.0:
FS: 2006 530xiT 6spd CPO $39.9k DC Area
Springtime delivery on [COLOR=blue! important][FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif][COLOR=blue! important][FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif]new [/font][COLOR=blue! important][FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif]car[/font][/color][/font][/color][/color] and I only have two garage spaces. Willing to sell immediately if needed.

2006 530xiT for sale in the Washington DC area. Purchased 2/2007 from VOB as a [COLOR=blue! important][FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif][COLOR=blue! important][FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Certified [/font][COLOR=blue! important][FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Pre-Owned[/font][/color][/font][/color][/color]. Current mileage 26,200. Original in-service date 9/2005 - [COLOR=blue! important][FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif][COLOR=blue! important][FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif]car[/font][/font][/color][/color] is under original warranty until 9/2009 or 50,000 miles and CPO coverage extends to 9/2011 and 100,000 miles.

Titanium Gray with Black Leather Interior
26,200 miles
6spd manual
Premium Package (leather/power rear/etc.)
Sports Package (sport seats/suspension/trim)
Cold Weather Package ([COLOR=blue! important][FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif][COLOR=blue! important][FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif]heated [/font][COLOR=blue! important][FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif]seats[/font][/color][/font][/color][/color]/washers)
Sirius + MP3 Audio
Hill descent control

Garaged and waxed regularly - maintenance is current and every TSB I can find has been performed by either VOB or Sterling.

Send me an email to joshuamarks at yahoo dot com if you're interested.

$39,995.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=258857

[lemming]

i, too, think the e60wagen is a terrible buy brand new --i'd wait for a 20-24month old one and snap it up.

i love the e60wagen, though.

[FC]

Originally Posted by lupinsea

So . . . looking at a DD vehicle, what do you need it to do? What are it's typical, majority-use things it needs to do? If the MCS fulfills 75% or 80% of a DD's duty is it good enough to get by without need for a 4th car?

IIRC I though you said your wife drove down to the local transit center a couple miles away and left a car parked in the lot most of the day. And I thought you said it'd be you going taking your kid to daycare, no? I can't remember the particulars.


So, DD duty . . . would that be kiddo transport + driver?

Or would that be Mom + Dad + Kiddo?

If it's the former can a car seat be mounted in front? My Jeep and the Miata have a switch to turn off the front passenger airbag so that you "can" put a kid up front (the Jeep also has that LATCH anchor system in the back or whatever it is for car seats).

Anyways, if it's just a driver + kiddo maybe the car seat can be put up front with an airbag turned off for saftey to ease putting kiddo in and out of the MCS if you use it as a DD with only one adult driving.





For my own family's situation I just know well be taking the Volvo for any family trips that include the whole family (mom + dad + kiddo + dog). If it's just us humans with our dog staying at my aunt's 11 acre "farm" then maybe the ZHP, but I doubt it. In either case I wouldn't be really pushing it on the driving front with the whole family in the car so in that regard I'm not as concerned about "fun" driving. If an SUV was safe enough I'd have no issue using it.

I drove my dad's Durango on a 900+ mile round trip 2-day road trip once. Wasn't a great drive but it got the job done. . . and provided a sleeping area in the back at night at the rest stop so I could save $X / night on motel lodging.

Right now, it's mom+dad+kid every morning. Ideally, it could be mom+dad+2 kids every morning. It is far more convenient (and cheaper) for me to drop off my wife and then the kid at daycare/grandma's. For that reason, I believe an MCS (hatch or clubman) could get tight.

As far as trips, with the Thule box, a large wagon is enough, IMO. The more room the merrier, so I if I wind up with just one SUV as the family car, why not get a roomy one? I'm not opposed to an SUV as the lone family car. I just would hate to drive it all the time, and would want a sedan as a DD.

[FC]

Originally Posted by lemming

i, too, think the e60wagen is a terrible buy brand new --i'd wait for a 20-24month old one and snap it up.

i love the e60wagen, though.

At MSRP it's a rip-off. With an up to 7K ED discount and the fact that we would keep it for 6 years, probably not so bad.

I'm sure the used 530xiT's are cheaper. After all, they have to compete with new 535xiT's with craploads of more power. Still not a bad idea other than I am not willing to consider the E60 (yet, at least) and the F11 comes out in 2011. So to wait for a used one of those, we are looking at 5-6 years at least. Far too long.

[Rob]

Originally Posted by FC

Ok, for the final time,

blah, blah, blah, blah.

LIAR!!

If it were me, I would keep the zhp b/c it can't be replaced with anything except maybe the 335 that will feel anywhere near the same.

If it were me, I would keep the V70R b/c it's a kick ass car for what it is, and it can't be replaced.

Except I am full of shit b/c i flip cars like other people brush their teeth. Drive an X3 and X5. Maybe you will find nirvana.

[JST]

Originally Posted by FC

Right now, it's mom+dad+kid every morning. Ideally, it could be mom+dad+2 kids every morning. It is far more convenient (and cheaper) for me to drop off my wife and then the kid at daycare/grandma's. For that reason, I believe an MCS (hatch or clubman) could get tight.

As far as trips, with the Thule box, a large wagon is enough, IMO. The more room the merrier, so I if I wind up with just one SUV as the family car, why not get a roomy one? I'm not opposed to an SUV as the lone family car. I just would hate to drive it all the time, and would want a sedan as a DD.

A Cooper S would get tight with 2 kids + wife. A Clubman would be fine.

Of course, a Frog won't fit in the S and might not in the Clubman, so you need a Zapp. Also, the Zapp I think will fit into the trunk of a Boxster/911, so, there's that.

[FC]

Originally Posted by JST

A Cooper S would get tight with 2 kids + wife. A Clubman would be fine.

Of course, a Frog won't fit in the S and might not in the Clubman, so you need a Zapp. Also, the Zapp I think will fit into the trunk of a Boxster/911, so, there's that.

I still dunno about the Clubman. I guess I should check it out first.

Yea, no doubt the frog would be out.

Another point is that my wife will be driving to work ~20 times a year with the kid. That is another good use for an MCS. On those days, I'm kid-free, so I can drive the sportscar to work.

[equ]

zhp >> clubman

why sell?

[JST]

Originally Posted by equ

zhp >> clubman

why sell?

His wife appears to want a Mini and the ZHP won't last forever, but yes, I agree with this general point.