What vehicle will be a worthy replacement for your sedan when it is time?
Yeah, something 1-3 years old, less than 20K miles, and I'll keep it until I retire, so I sort of want something aspirational. I've had nothing but manuals since 1995. I'm kinda just done with it. Sure, it's fun sometimes, but the "not fun" times have just reached the point they outweigh the "fun" times. Traffic has exploded her in the Charlotte area, and I'm mostly just shuffling my kids to and from school. My wife and daughter were out of town for 6 weeks, and I picked her boring 7 passenger SUV all but twice in that time. I want something more comfy, but still quick/fun enough. And after 17 years, it would be nice to have a car my wife can drive.
And I didn't really edit your post, I'm fat fingering the damn phone.
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There are 3 sort of problems everyone online complains about -- the transmission, rear seat space, and dated tech.
I think the transmission was fine -- I drove the test loop 3x. Once in normal, once in sport + and once in manual. I'd totally be happy with it -- plenty responsive. In fact, I thought the BMW almost felt like a video game with how fast it shifted. Sure, it's slower, but low-mid 4s to 60 basically flat footing the pedal is more than adequate, and the sound -- OMG the sound of that V8.
Rear seat space is on par with the G37, maybe a little smaller than my Golf. I'm 5'10, where I'd sit, I had 2" or so of legroom. Plenty good enough for my kids, and it's not going to be a cross country cruiser.
The tech is certainly a little old, but the touch screen is big enough, and I don't want to have to interact with a screen for everything. Other than that it has everything -- blind spot, adaptive cruise, 360* camera, front camera, etc. The M340 had the new interior with the screen from the A pillar to the middle of the dashboard, it was terrible.
I think the transmission was fine -- I drove the test loop 3x. Once in normal, once in sport + and once in manual. I'd totally be happy with it -- plenty responsive. In fact, I thought the BMW almost felt like a video game with how fast it shifted. Sure, it's slower, but low-mid 4s to 60 basically flat footing the pedal is more than adequate, and the sound -- OMG the sound of that V8.
Rear seat space is on par with the G37, maybe a little smaller than my Golf. I'm 5'10, where I'd sit, I had 2" or so of legroom. Plenty good enough for my kids, and it's not going to be a cross country cruiser.
The tech is certainly a little old, but the touch screen is big enough, and I don't want to have to interact with a screen for everything. Other than that it has everything -- blind spot, adaptive cruise, 360* camera, front camera, etc. The M340 had the new interior with the screen from the A pillar to the middle of the dashboard, it was terrible.
The sound is intoxicating. The guy I met at Discount was an enthusiast and had an HKS axleback setup that sounded amazing. The steering and handling also gets knocked for being too soft, but at the end of the day its still a Lexus IS350 with a V-8. Like you, tech is near the bottom of my requirements list as I'm the guy that rents cars and listens to the local FM stations and then googles how to turn off Collison avoidance features as they drive me crazy.
The BWMs suspensions were the flip side, and were overly firm. I feel like BMW has tuned the M340 to be significantly more aggressive. Obviously the optional 20s would bring a staggering setup with wider contact patches, but it would probably be even firmer.
Oddly, I liked the more compliant ride. I’ve grown to feel my car is even to stiff on stock suspension in comfort mode. It’s kinda like the Lexus isn’t even pretending to be track capable.
Q5 is the Macan with Audi exterior lol. Although the Porsche has a different engine. Lots of parts the same I think like the Z and G underneath.
last few cars I’ve driven hard have been automatics and in sport mode they mostly shifted where I’d want them to.
but, much like an Aston Martin isn’t the fastest supercar but sure sounds the sexiest, the manual isn’t for speed or ultimate performance. It’s about enjoying the drive and just speed doesn’t do that. Control does.
last few cars I’ve driven hard have been automatics and in sport mode they mostly shifted where I’d want them to.
but, much like an Aston Martin isn’t the fastest supercar but sure sounds the sexiest, the manual isn’t for speed or ultimate performance. It’s about enjoying the drive and just speed doesn’t do that. Control does.
Not that it happens all the time
But we try.
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Joined: Aug 2012
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From: San Diego, CA
Yeah, something 1-3 years old, less than 20K miles, and I'll keep it until I retire, so I sort of want something aspirational. I've had nothing but manuals since 1995. I'm kinda just done with it. Sure, it's fun sometimes, but the "not fun" times have just reached the point they outweigh the "fun" times. Traffic has exploded her in the Charlotte area, and I'm mostly just shuffling my kids to and from school. My wife and daughter were out of town for 6 weeks, and I picked her boring 7 passenger SUV all but twice in that time. I want something more comfy, but still quick/fun enough. And after 17 years, it would be nice to have a car my wife can drive.
There's a reason SUVs with are a dominant force in the market. They don't excel at much, but they do everything ok.
Then the devil shows up on the other shoulder and reminds me that I am not getting any younger, and if I want to go fast and be practical, buy a Tesla and stop paying for gas. Seems that I have discovered why so many have "weekend cars".
Last edited by socketz67; Sep 22, 2025 at 08:35 PM.
What are you talking about? I heel and toe just about every corner I come across when I'm driving the G lol. Except in my neighborhood (small kids).
The heel and toe part? If I don't, I forget how LOL. The kids in the neighborhood part? I've got a kid too.
That was my best Dad moment - neighbor had a teen son and his friends could drive; they consistently tore through the neighborhood at 40+ and would skid to a stop in front of his house to pick teen son up. I yanked the driver out of the car and he got told. Teen's dad came out to watch and when the driver complained he was like 'I'm just in line to kick your ***, not to help' and that behavior ended.
/entering my Grumpy Old Man phase...
That was my best Dad moment - neighbor had a teen son and his friends could drive; they consistently tore through the neighborhood at 40+ and would skid to a stop in front of his house to pick teen son up. I yanked the driver out of the car and he got told. Teen's dad came out to watch and when the driver complained he was like 'I'm just in line to kick your ***, not to help' and that behavior ended.
/entering my Grumpy Old Man phase...
I match revs but never heel and toe lol.
I wholeheartedly agree manual is FAR more engaging, but nobody appreciates a perfectly executed rev matched downshift.
Me: Nice, really nailed that downshift (pulling into middle school parking lot)
14 year old: congrats dad, i'm sure all the middle school boys are super impressed
Fellow manual guys -- do you mostly drive alone or with passengers? My wife hates riding in my car. Even my kids roll their eyes and say "can we take mom's car instead"
I wholeheartedly agree manual is FAR more engaging, but nobody appreciates a perfectly executed rev matched downshift.
Me: Nice, really nailed that downshift (pulling into middle school parking lot)
14 year old: congrats dad, i'm sure all the middle school boys are super impressed
Fellow manual guys -- do you mostly drive alone or with passengers? My wife hates riding in my car. Even my kids roll their eyes and say "can we take mom's car instead"
My wife also hates riding in my car. It's loud and stiff and awkward to get in and out compared to her crossover. (She's not wrong, LOL)
But my 22 year old loves it (she's awesome). And I remember when my 25 year old was in HS, she was confused why all the boys would stop and stare when Dad came to pick her up.
There's my (loud, all blacked out G) car, an all-black STI, and a black modded CTS-V in the drop off line in the AM. Not sure the kids can tell the difference (my kiddo says she can tell it's my car before I'm visible in the car loop LOL).
My coworkers are terrified to ride with me when I drive my car to work vs. the company whip. So I've got that going for me...
My coworkers are terrified to ride with me when I drive my car to work vs. the company whip. So I've got that going for me...
My 12 year old likes it at least. Even the dog hates it. She threw up in the back seat on the way home from carpool and I spent the 3 miles stretched back with a finger through her collar so she didn't eat it, stuck in 2nd gear.
That is my wife's take as well, further exaggerated by the sport seat bolstering.
My 14 y/o hates it, but she is chronically nauseous.
Manual for sure when you don't have passengers.
My wife also hates riding in my car. It's loud and stiff and awkward to get in and out compared to her crossover. (She's not wrong, LOL)
But my 22 year old loves it (she's awesome). And I remember when my 25 year old was in HS, she was confused why all the boys would stop and stare when Dad came to pick her up.
But my 22 year old loves it (she's awesome). And I remember when my 25 year old was in HS, she was confused why all the boys would stop and stare when Dad came to pick her up.
My 14 y/o hates it, but she is chronically nauseous.
Manual for sure when you don't have passengers.
My wife just doesn't fit well in the sport seats. Driving it causes her sciatica on a massive scale. Riding shotgun is better but if we drive more than an hour anywhere she wants her Audi LOL.