update - keeping the 4.6is!!

[c4racer]

Some may have read a thread where I was considering swapping the X5 out for a larger SUV for the wife to use for our school car-pool needs. And I also considered adding a minivan to the mix as well.

The good news is - I am keeping my X5. The bad news I am pretty much losing access to it during the week at least for the next 9 months while school is in session. We decided that my wife would drive the X5 for weekly carpool duty rather than adding a minivan or larger SUV to the mix. I did the math on the amount of miles she will drive and the fuel cost differences and it became pretty clear that even tho the X5 sucks gas pretty good, it is still cheaper to go that route vs. adding a 5th vehicle to the fleet. She has been using it for 2 weeks now and it works well for her needs. Also I am confident the passengers will be very safe in the event of an accident in that X5 too, so that is worth a lot more than saving a bit of $$ on fuel.

So now I am shifting my focus to replacing the G37 with a bigger sedan w/ an AT. More flexible arrangement, because then when I need the X5 to haul something or to go skiing, then wife can drive the sedan if she needs a bigger than her mazda for carpool, or if our daughter is using the Mazda that day. Sure, I could just keep the G37 for this purpose, but I don't really like it very much. And now the sedan will be my main back-up to the vette meaning I will drive it about half the time. I will miss driving my X5, but pretty sure whatever sedan I end up with will be just as nice if not nicer to drive. And I still get the X5 when I need it and for family trips when we need to carry more stuff than a sedan will accommodate.

So I am looking into the following cars to replace our 09 G37

- E39 530i or 540i or 540iT with sport, AT
- E38 740i sport
- E60 535i / 545i / 550i sport
- E55 AMG benz
- Pontiac G8
- Audi A6 4.2 or A8
- Charger / 300C R/T or SRT8

One side comment - I was at a BMW dealer last Friday looking at a nice one owner E39 540iT they had just got in on trade, and they had a couple of the new X5-M's in this blue that looks remarkably similar to Estoril. They look pretty damn close overall to my trusty old 4.6is - similar stance, wide tires, etc. I sure can't afford one of those, so I still think that 4.6is is the best hot rod SUV going in the price range that I can play in. Gotta keep that baby!!