as far as practicality and reliability go with the lexus

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Given what you want to spend on the car and having two small children I would think you'd want to keep your maint costs down as well.

I vote Lexus. The Audi and Merc could be real pains as they age. We have an 07 X3 and an 08 Passat Wagon.... I love the Passat but not sure I would suggest an 06 model as it was the first for this generation and has had some issues. The Lexus IS is a sporty car with good reliability but you prob want to check out the back seat. Some consider it a bit on the small side.

Have you considered the 3 series? Maint would be higher than the Lexus but prob better than the Audi or Merc.

My wife always says BMW is a men's car so we excluded bmw from start.
Lexus was second on my list just after Audi. I'm sure Lexus is benchmark for reliability but how fun is to drive a Toyota? I had once an Accord and it was real boring.
Does an Audi with just 20-25k miles break easy? I don't know why, but I'm biased towards German cars. Of course i will go with a Japanese if people say they drive like Germans and are known for their reliability.

thanks both for your input

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Or perhaps........

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In general Japanese cars are boring.... The IS is a bit of an exception in that it is one of the few RWD japanese cars. I bought an 01 IS when they first came out in the US... A friend of mine had an 01 330.... The IS was probably 90% as fun and handled very well compared to the BMW but of course was no BMW.... Of course once I left the dealer I never saw them again..... Not really the case for the BMW.

My brother has owned two preowned Audi's... A TT and A6... both were good cars but he visited the dealer way more than I thought should occur with cars that new. As with any car the dealer makes the biggest difference. I'd ask around and get some input on the local dealers.

My vote:
1) IS
2) Audi
3) something besides a Merc... I looked into an 07 C240 once.... I know its minor but.... they wanted $38 for an oil filter and $70 for an air filter..... If little things like that are soo expensive... I'd hate to see something major break...

Does it have to be a luxury car?

The Lexus IS could be appealing, except it is small inside. Really small.

The three other Germans are all decent cars, but they don't really qualify under the "low cheap maintenance" part. Then again, having owned a Lexus before, I will say that Lexus maintenance, when something breaks, is just as, if not more expensive than BMW. Don't let folks make you think just because it's a dressed up Toyota, that parts are cheap.

Given the way the economy is, you could get a lightly used or new 4-door sedan that isn't a luxury brand but has all the features you need. GM has some decent cars of late and their reliability and quality has greatly improved. Plus, they will probably give you $7500 off the MSRP and their first-born child to get you to buy one.

Of those cars listed, my vote would be for the Audi. It is very safe, Quattro would be good for your winter climate, it looks the best out of the group, IMO, and has a good quality interior.

Of course, I also have to add the following; forget all of them and talk your wife into getting a 3-series at all costs.

Good luck!

We had a A4 1.8T..... very good car, but I would get the V6, in terms of handling in bad weather.... one of the best out there, the A4 actually is better in snow then my X5 or my Pilot, Audi's Quattro drivetrain is far advance then anyone out there........ I drove the IS250 AWD..... to me it felt like a Corolla on steroids......... not a big fan of Corolla... that's just me......

Stay with the BMW family.. I would choose the 535I Sedan...

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