[majin ssj eric]

So I went and did a little test driving today as I think I'll be getting something new this summer. Drove a 2011 535i M-Sport, a 2010 S5, and the brand new 2014 Genesis sedan. Didn't take any pics but here's some quick thoughts:

2011 535i M-Sport - I've found a few of these for under my $40k budget and this is probably the car I'm leaning towards the most. While I really love my Genesis there is just something missing; whether its brand cachet or what I don't know but I immediately feel like a better person driving the BMW! Love the gear shifter for some reason, probably because its different. Styling has really grown on me over the years and I think the new M5 is about the most drop dead sexy car made right now. The 3 liter turbo 6 feels really strong, though not much faster than the 3.8 liter in my current Genesis. It is turbine smooth though and has no lag that I could sense. Steering is light and surprisingly vague. The wife's GS 350 feels much better in the turns but I like the engine/tranny in the BMW better. One thing I noticed about all used German cars is that they all smell like melted crayons. Weird.

2010 S5 Prestige - OK, so I've lusted after this car since I first saw it in early 2008. I drove a brand new one a few years ago but never seriously had the funds. Yay for Audi depreciation! The one I drove today was $38k but I've found low mileage ones for under $35k so the budget looks good. This one had the suede seats which I don't care for and I can't believe how small the nav screen is! Other than that its typical Audi on the inside with nice materials and satisfying buttons everywhere. Liked the huge sunroof but it only tilts. Loved the big V8 both in looks and sound. Seriously, with the red paint that has got to be one of the sexiest looking engines I've ever seen in a car. The sound was also sublime. Just wish the bite was as loud as the bark, if you know what I mean. Its not like it was slow or anything but with that kind of sound rumbling around under there I kind of expected more. Steering felt very good, Quattro kept everything nicely planted, though it did feel like a heavy car. I definitely had a bad case of "I want to sign whatever it takes to drive this car home right now" impulsiveness after driving it but I held it back!

2014 Genesis 3.8 - This car was a surprise. Material quality is way up over my 2009 for starters. The leather was actually far nicer than either the BMW or Audi that I drove (though they were several years old in fairness). The Genesis has a nice sized nav screen and a really big info screen between the speedo.tach as well. It was absolutely loaded with everything you can think of. Lane assist, blind spot monitoring, rear sunshades all around, power thigh extension, heated seats all around (vented up front), heads up display, excellent cubby for a phone with USB and dual power outlets (fits my Galaxy S4 perfectly), blueteeth, touch screen nav that functions much like a phone with swipe ability, massive sunroof (well the whole roof is glass basically), LED's, and so on. Loved the interior styling, it seemed right up there in terms of design and quality with the 535i and my wife's GS 350. The engine was a gem. Pulled absolutely as well as the 535i and was just as smooth. Satisfying sound as well. Handling was nothing special but not bad. This is a huge car and I could sit behind myself with my legs crossed (I'm 6'3"). Overall this car has thrown a wrench into my 535i plans as it really is as good of a car in many ways, minus that damn brand cachet I mentioned earlier! Sticker was $46k and I doubt they'll be marking them down much at the moment since it just came out but it really is a LOT of car for the money.

What do you guys think? I plan to spend the next couple of months driving and researching everything. This is going to be a decision I make carefully and I'm open to almost anything. The short list includes:

Infiniti Q50
BMW 3/4 series
MB CLA250
Buick Regal GS (check out the prices on these, insane)
Audi S4
GMC 1500 (yes I'm looking at pickups too)
Ram 1500 Sport
Ford F150 Raptor
Cadillac CTS-V
Ford Mustang GT/Shelby
Chevy Camaro SS
Kia Cadenza/Optima
Hyundai Azera

I'm mostly looking at used cars with less than 30k miles and my max budget is $40k. Thanks guys!

Note - I've also gone and caught a bad case of "Newbikeitis" which has afflicted me quite badly it seems. Could have something to do with the fact that I sold my ZX-10R in January of 2008 and have never been this long without a bike since I was 16 yo! If I don't get a new car I'll definitely be getting something on two wheels.

[son_of_siggy]

Hard to really recommend something since your potentials are all over the map.

[Chihuahua]

How long do you plan on keeping the car?

[majin ssj eric]

Originally Posted by son_of_siggy

Hard to really recommend something since your potentials are all over the map.

Yeah, well that's the whole idea this time around. I don't want to pigeon hole myself into any one category. I kind of just want to figure out what the best vehicle from each category is first and then choose which category is then best for me at this time...

Originally Posted by Kyle B

How long do you plan on keeping the car?

Well I've NEVER kept a car for more than 3 years. I've 35 yo and have owned 17 cars...

[Malibu1]

Raptor is way fun. That's what I would get.

[omegaSMP300]

Your list is hilarious lol. And no, by no means am I trying to make fun of you or offend you, I simply enjoy what you have picked. And as you agree to its diversity I think you can imagine how hard it is to give advice on such a list. I was caught by the car bug myself this past year and a half but have settled down now.

My question for you is what are you trying to achieve with the next car? By your signature I gather you own 3 cars as of now? I wouldn't see the need for both the GS 350/Hundai Genesis (sedan especially). But I can understand the need/desire for 3 cars (daily driver, utility and weekender). Depending upon what you want and your willingness to really use a car you could find all that in 2 cars maybe even 1 (if you don't really need a sporty car). If you really need a utility vehicle and want it to be one you're not worried about scratching up/throwing crap in, then keep the truck (plenty of people use them for DDs). Otherwise you could go for a nicer SUV. Again, depending on what you want you could find a sporty sedan (ie e90 m3, e60 5 series, c63 amg) to be your daily driver/fun car.

Personally, I would take out the CLA/Azera/Optima almost immediately because they are FWD (maybe some others on the list are too). That being said I know you can get a brand new Azera for a few hundred over invoice. 40k is a good budget and not something to part with lightly, definitely consider why you are getting this next car. Switching out of cars so much is expensive, fun, but expensive. I am not sure what would make you stop switching (if anything) but for myself I decided to spend a bit more that I initially had planned to, in order to get a car that I would truly be happy with and could see myself keeping for awhile. It remains to be seen if my plan has worked hah.