Originally Posted by caper75

That was a great comment Derek, strangely the ride quality (comfortable, stable etc) on the BMW which I have read reviews saying it's rough, it exponentially better than the RAV. Here's hoping your back after 4 surgeries (wow) is better now.

Actually for a "what if" scenario we drove an Escape and it was much nicer driving than the RAV. The Escape is out of the question, we each got a veto, my wife's was a Hyundai, mine was a Ford both due to bad experiences we've had in the past, sometimes 1st impressions are tough to get over.

Minor issues, like squeaks, brakes, exhaust etc isn't a concern, its part of car ownership, it was the tranny that worried me the most. I'd love to get a MT, but with a wife who's very against having an MT it's out of the question.

For all the responded you're feedback is greatly appreciated, and is helping us make a decision we'll be comfortable with. I do understand 10yrs is a long time to own a vehicle, that said it's probably not a bad goal to set out for, if we reach it great. I've never owned a vehicle longer then 4yrs, and that's my current commuter Civic...and I hate it.