You may recall me mentioning recently that my partner has bought an E46 M3, in a bid to have something which excites her as a car and looks the business, but is capable of carrying us and a rather large dog around with us. Job jobbed, you may think.

HOWEVER!

A scant two days after she did the deal on the Motorsport Three, she went down to Bristol Dogs' Home, where she is a volunteer and fundraiser. She has been there countless times, and indeed our current Lab Henry was from there.

We have signed up to take on ANOTHER Labrador, bigger than our current dog! So now we have two Hounds of the Baskervilles.



This now means that the M3 is as impractical as her MX-5 and my S2K combination was last week, before we bought the M3. Oh dear.

Usual suspects for replacing my car now come down to a late E46 330d/330i Touring Sport Auto with nav, an early E61 525i/530d Touring, an E39 M5 (post-facelift model)... and one other car, which I shall withhold for now. But of these first three, the M5 is really no better at carrying two Labs than the M3, and the two Tourings are... well, a bit bland and they're going to depreciate badly.

I have looked at S4 and RS4 Avants but as a BMW mag editor I cannot turn up to shoots in anything German that ISN'T a BMW... I only just get away with the S2000!

I know I may have to slum it in a car which is lesser than the S2K, but I am looking for pretty much a straight swap in terms of value (ie something for

 

Matt, you are indeed absolutely insane!

 

my mate has had one for a couple of years with no probs. I actually quite like them, nice and spacey inside, he got all the gizmos ex demonstrator.

handles quite well on the twisties too.. he can do stuff in the wet I wouldnt dare even think about in the S.

It is no replacement - a complete shift but if you need the space.....

True - chelsea tractor and all that. but if you cant go for the Audi then maybe this would work, although this versus a tourer 3/5 series.. not sure if it is any bigger. Its just a standard 5 series frame remember... isnt it

Also - not sure you really need the 4.4 - Think with petrol prices as they are I would for the smaller engine or is it gutless?

 

You can pick up an M5 for

 

When I had the S2k one of these decided he wanted a traffic light GP with me. It was the 4.8 big jobby. Let's just say I didn't win. Call it evens.......

So it is pretty rapid but huge with it.
Cayenne's are cheap but ugly and conflict with the BMW thing.
Don't Alpina do a rapid 5 estate ? or did BMW even do an e39 M5 estate on the continent ? Whilst LHD that would be

 

Thank you Alex - I just needed confirmation!

I absolutely DETEST the X3 (or I did until the facelifted one arrived, and now I grudgingly admit it is quite a good car, but I still wouldn't have one!) but the X5 I've always liked. It really is very nice to drive (especially the incredible 4.8is), and if it weren't for the image it'd be my SUV of choice after a Rangey. Ideally I'd want a 3.0d, Nick, but they hold their value too well and it'd be a 100k miler for

 

Lee - there are two E39 Alpinas which I would buy without hesitation; the later B10 V8 with 347bhp (up from 340) and the V8S, with 375bhp. Both are stunning cars...

But they are as rare as the defecation of a rocking horse, and they typically cost over

 

Guy down the road from me went from a Boxster S to an X5 (..... and then to a Range Rover Sport).

I thought it strange cause he doesn't have any kids (or dogs).

He has never washed any of them.

 

that's what you want

I'd put a card on the windscreen of a neighbour's one for you.........

except I'm gradually wearing him down with tales of how it's going to cost him big money when something goes wrong

and how there is no market for cars like 'ours' anymore

but I need a big estate for going to the tip

and anyway, a dealer would only give him peanuts for it

 

Good work Gad! I featured one of only four RHD B10 V8S Tourings about a year ago in Nottingham, the day after I'd just test driven the new B5 saloon.

The difference between them was not as much as you would think. The V8S has more torque than the M5, which is nice... It was a stunning car, but I know the guy would want almost