[CO_Steve]

I need some help picking the next car. I'm looking to replace the suv in our three car fleet. 8 years ago I bought a barely used Merc ML320 cdi. At the time it checked a lot of boxes. Big enough for the three of us plus dogs plus stuff. Comfy on long trips. All weather capable. 30+mpg. Towed a small utility trailer for those homeowner projects. It's held up great and only shows 93k miles but things have changed some. My son lives on his own and two dogs became one. My wife's car is a Lexus GS350 which shares long trip duty. I have the M235 for daily duties. Problem is I hate driving the suv now. It's bigger than I need, handles poorly, and I'm just bored with it. It's in great shape but not worth much to sell.

So the perfect replacement would have better driving dynamics. AWD a must as I live in Colorado and have 2-3 months of potential snow roads a year and my 235 is RWD. It will get daily duty in the winter. Dirt road capable but I'm not going wheeling with it. Prefer wagon body style as we ski a lot and it's nice to just throw ski stuff into the back. Long trip comfortable with decent (high 20s ok) mileage. I like to buy lease returns so not a brand new model. Do all work myself so not scared of out of warranty cars.

I've driven 3 series wagon, Q5, X3, GLC, Allroad. I didn't hate any of them but nothing stood out as a must have. I have local Audi, VW, Subaru, Rover, Toyota, Honda, and big three dealer support. Budget not over $40k used.

[bucketfoot]

E84 X1 35i?

[c1pher]

X4 M40i.

[overcoil]

have you test driven a Mini Countryman?

[Teutonic]

E84

[CO_Steve]

I remember looking at E84s briefly. Need to revisit that one.

[fbsm]

328d xdrive wagon with the sport package or possibly an X5 with the 6cyl diesel is a beast

[CO_Steve]

I drove a 328d a couple of months ago. My ML is a diesel and no issues with buying another but I was underwhelmed by the 3. Like to try one with a tune.

[AtlasM]

The X1 35i is like a 335i 5-door hatch given the Subaru Outback raised ride height and body cladding treatment. It's generally fun but the back seat is small, I'm 5'11" and sitting in the back with the driver's seat adjusted for myself is very cramped. It has the older 6-speed Steptronic auto which stock isn't the most responsive transmission but can be greatly improved with xHP Flashtool.

If you want an actually usable back seat, the X3 35i has the same motor, it's not quite as small/compact as the X1 but it's certainly a lot sportier than an old ML CDI. It has the ZF 8-speed instead of the Steptronic. M Sport with Dynamic Handling package is very fun indeed.

Also check out the second-gen Infiniti FX, a.k.a. QX70. It's another step bigger/heavier than the X3 but still very chuckable handling for a midsize crossover. It has a Nissan 7-speed auto that's not as nice as the ZF 8 but better than the stock 6-speed Steptronic. The FX50/QX70 5.0 has a 390 hp V8 but gets crap mileage and you'd probably need winter wheels & tires since it comes standard with 20" wheels, or 21" wheels on the sport package (which also adds adaptive shocks, sport seats and other assorted goodies). The FX37/QX70 3.7 with the V6 still has 325 hp.

[jmg]

Subaru Outback

Pros:
You can do anything in it and not worry.
Pretentiousness = 0.
It's great in the snow.
It's within your budget.
Even my friends who drive Audis love it.
It's a wagon.
It's also an SUV.
It's more reliable than a German equivalent
It's easy to maintain.
I think it's a great looking car.

Cons:
Base model is not that fast
CVT - I haven't tried it, some people like it, some people don't.
Status level is mid-tier (if you care about that stuff)




Mazda CX-9



I know little about it, but it's highly regarded. I'd look into it for sure.

[CO_Steve]

The Outback didn't escape my attention, it's just I live in CO ski country and ever other car on the road is an Outback. Ok, maybe not every other car, more like two out of three. I have many friends who swear by theirs. I've always been a Mazda fan even if I've only owned three. Probably should swing by next time I'm near a dealer. None nearby.

[jmg]

Originally Posted by CO_Steve

The Outback didn't escape my attention, it's just I live in CO ski country and ever other car on the road is an Outback. Ok, maybe not every other car, more like two out of three. I have many friends who swear by theirs. I've always been a Mazda fan even if I've only owned three. Probably should swing by next time I'm near a dealer. None nearby.

No dealers nearby might be a deal breaker for me, but if you test drive one, let us know what you thought.

And Subarus are common in your area for a reason! I swear by our Subaru Forrester. How common are those? It's a bit taller than the Outback, but a bit lower rent on the inside.

[Alfisti]

Allroad + Tune IMHO.

[nick3753]

SQ5

[bucketfoot]

Originally Posted by CO_Steve

I remember looking at E84s briefly. Need to revisit that one.

I don't know where you are in Colorado, but Schomp currently has one CPO 28 and a couple of CPO 35s.

[bucketfoot]

Originally Posted by MGM135is

X4 M40i.

Not a bad option, but you won't get one anywhere close to his $40K limit.

[c1pher]

Originally Posted by bucketfoot

Not a bad option, but you won't get one anywhere close to his $40K limit.

Yeah, I thought there might be some closer to $40k. But the 35 is just above $40k:
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...CarId=1B4AD2EE

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...CarId=1AF654CC

[CO_Steve]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Allroad + Tune IMHO.

Not up on Audi tunes, what's the go to tune for the 2.0?

[CO_Steve]

Originally Posted by bucketfoot

Not a bad option, but you won't get one anywhere close to his $40K limit.

For me the X4 is too expensive, not enough utility and just ugly.

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by CO_Steve

Not up on Audi tunes, what's the go to tune for the 2.0?

NFI TBH but I suspect there's a billion of them.

[Mingwan]

Subaru Outback, Mazda CX-9, Volvo XC60 or V90.

Volvo probably be out of price range until a year or two passes.

[R N M]

Highly recommend Outback but get the 3.6 6cyl. I have a 2017 Legacy and its very impressive.