(My wife's waffle...) New Volvo V60R/V70R or Used BMW 540i?

[TD]

I was content to get the Volvo, but my wife just tossed this into the mix.

I think we have decided that we should jettison the Saab and sell the convertible. It's just a matter of which of these two options to replace it with.

Assuming a ~$35K price point (what I can get the Volvo for), so the 540 would likely be no newer than a 2002 MY and probably have >30K miles.

Obvious pros/cons:

Volvo:
-New
-Free maintenance
-Leasable
-V70R has child-friendly details like built-in booster seats and available third row jumpseat
-AWD
-Not a BMW

540i:
-Much better driving experience
-V8 power (not a turbo I-5)
-RWD
-Not a Volvo
-Relatively familiar in terms of DIY maintenance and where to go/look to research issues/problems (too many years spent on BMW boards)

So the waffling continues. And everyone's $0.02 is again welcome.

[Plaz]

Well, I'd certainly opt for the E39, even though they're ugly.

[JST]

Originally Posted by TD

I was content to get the Volvo, but my wife just tossed this into the mix.

I think we have decided that we should jettison the Saab and sell the convertible. It's just a matter of which of these two options to replace it with.

Assuming a ~$35K price point (what I can get the Volvo for), so the 540 would likely be no newer than a 2002 MY and probably have >30K miles.

Obvious pros/cons:

Volvo:
-New
-Free maintenance
-Leasable
-V70R has child-friendly details like built-in booster seats and available third row jumpseat
-AWD
-Not a BMW

540i:
-Much better driving experience
-V8 power (not a turbo I-5)
-RWD
-Not a Volvo
-Relatively familiar in terms of DIY maintenance and where to go/look to research issues/problems (too many years spent on BMW boards)

So the waffling continues. And everyone's $0.02 is again welcome.

You'd really need a set of dedicated snows for the E39. Also, a 30K mile E39 has some spendy maintenance ahead of it in the not-too-distant future--as you recall from your M3, shocks and brakes will probably need to be done within the first year or two.

Other than the lease/warranty/AWD/space issues, the 540 wins this one going away. *If* you can find the right car, it makes all sorts of sense--at the same time, there is something to be said for having a car that you never really have to worry about fixing/putting snow tires on.

I would probably--no, certainly--get an E39 before a V70R. OTOH, whether I would get an E39 over a Legacy GT (to use as a second car) wagon is a closer call.

Perhaps I will be like Cato from now on, who used to end all of his speeches (no matter what the topic) with an exhortation that Carthage must be destroyed.

TD must drive a Legacy!

[ff]

If you're comfortable with paying for the repairs and maintenance of the BMW, then that would be the obvious choice as far as I'm concerned. I don't care much for wagons because 1) the cargo area is part of the cabin, so luggage/groceries/etc become 70 MPH projectiles in an accident, and 2) I don't feel that they add much (if any) more real, usable room to the car.

And if that weren't enough, the BMW is going to be way more rewarding to drive. Not that I need to convince you of that.

[TD]

Actually, the Volvo comes with summer P Zeros. So you'd still need a second set of wheels/tires to be truly safe in the snow.

The on-the-cusp-of-major-maintenance thing is something I have already metnioned to my wife. And she has always given me a hard time when I've sought to replace worn shocks/bushings/etc (things that aren't explicitly "broken") questioning the actual *need* to do so. So I sort of dread going through all of that again. And I can't stand driving a car where I can feel the wiggle/squish of worn suspension bits.

To me, I also really like the slick interior on the Volvo over the dated, staid interior on the E39 (and, no, the E60 is not an improvement in any way).

The fact that the 540 will be much more rewarding to drive is really the only major point in it's favor. But it's a BIG point.

BTW, my wife saw an E90 in the flesh for the first time last night and commented that it looked a lot like a Tiburon.

[JST]

Originally Posted by TD

Actually, the Volvo comes with summer P Zeros. So you'd still need a second set of wheels/tires to be truly safe in the snow.

The on-the-cusp-of-major-maintenance thing is something I have already metnioned to my wife. And she has always given me a hard time when I've sought to replace worn shocks/bushings/etc (things that aren't explicitly "broken") questioning the actual *need* to do so. So I sort of dread going through all of that again. And I can't stand driving a car where I can feel the wiggle/squish of worn suspension bits.

To me, I also really like the slick interior on the Volvo over the dated, staid interior on the E39 (and, no, the E60 is not an improvement in any way).

The fact that the 540 will be much more rewarding to drive is really the only major point in it's favor. But it's a BIG point.

BTW, my wife saw an E90 in the flesh for the first time last night and commented that it looked a lot like a Tiburon.

I'd just take the Volvo straight to Radial Tire...wait, no, I'd take it someplace else, but the point stands--take it straight from the dealer to a tire shop and get some decent all-season touring tires mounted. Throw the PZeros in your garage to swap back on at the end of the lease. You don't need summer rubber on a nose-heavy, AWD family car, and that way you only have to buy tires once.

I dearly love the 540--I think it's a great car. I would not be able to stop myself from obsessing over it, though. I'd have to get new shocks and bushings, put on new (better) brakes, and (most urgently) have to get a new exhaust so I could actually hear the V8 once in a while. I'd also really want an LSD, but don't think I could ever justify it. In short, I could not simply have one as a basic family hauler.

[rumatt]

Originally Posted by TD

BTW, my wife saw an E90 in the flesh for the first time last night and commented that it looked a lot like a Tiburon.

I gave an E90 325i a good thrashing last weekend. It's actually a pretty nice car.

I didn't love the looks, inside or out, but it wasn't that bad either. It had the sport package, and I was really impressed with the handling. On/off ramps were a blast. There very little body roll. Shifter was definitely better than my car.

The 325i is probably slower than my 330i, but not by all that much. It is fairly isolated though. Then engine sounded a very different, like a littly tinny motorcycle engine or something. Kinda weird.

But the main impression after the drive was that it really was pretty fun to throw around. I'd love to try a 330.

[TD]

Originally Posted by JST

I'd just take the Volvo straight to Radial Tire...wait, no, I'd take it someplace else, but the point stands--take it straight from the dealer to a tire shop and get some decent all-season touring tires mounted. Throw the PZeros in your garage to swap back on at the end of the lease. You don't need summer rubber on a nose-heavy, AWD family car, and that way you only have to buy tires once.

I dearly love the 540--I think it's a great car. I would not be able to stop myself from obsessing over it, though. I'd have to get new shocks and bushings, put on new (better) brakes, and (most urgently) have to get a new exhaust so I could actually hear the V8 once in a while. I'd also really want an LSD, but don't think I could ever justify it. In short, I could not simply have one as a basic family hauler.

As my wife likely wouldn't let me mod a single thing on it, this is not an issue. But I would have to repalce the shocks/bushings. And that would definitely be an early point of contention.

[Melissa]

I've pretty much decided that an E39 is in my future when we move back to the Lower 48. I think you should get one. :P

[JST]

Found your car:

http://www.ebizautos.com/passportbmw...es/540i-Sedan/