OK, here's the deal............

I have a 2001 MB ML320 (sport) & I've just moved from the cold (Anchorage) to the damp (Seattle). I'm looking to get rid of the Mercedes as it's too close to the Honda Odyssey, which I also own, in terms of utility. I don't need a heavy vehicle that sucks down the gas in a wet environment (although, the ML320 was great in the snow and ice).

So I'll be left with the S2K and a Honda Minivan, I want to trade/sell the ML320 for something fun with the following caveats:

1.) It must be kid friendly (safe, room for 2 kids, with easy entry for kids).

2.) A "tiptronic" style tranny (after all these years my wife still won't learn to drive a stick. Which is cool because she doesn't drive the S).

3.) Halfway decent economy as it will be a daily driver in the commute.

Those are really about the only requirements. I'm looking at a few different make & models, but, I want to know what YOU would buy faced with these criteria? Value on the Mercedes is around $24K-29K as a guess for trade/sale.

So, what would it be? A fun family oriented third vehicle for around $30K that will perform well as a daily driver?

Thanks!

 

Acura TSX springs to mind. Family friendly, decent semi-sports sedan in the affordable range, good gas mileage and tiptronic is available. I've driven one on the highway from Edmonton to Calgary (about 300 km's) on the way back from Fragapalooza 2003 and it had very decent road feel through the wheel and we were averaging about 140-170 kph, depending on the flow of traffic in the fast lane, and the TSX loved it, so it can also perform on the freeway (granted, a highway isn't a freeway). All around a very comfortable car, although it does have a slightly "mushy," executive sedan kinda suspension feel to it, but hit a corner at speed and it does have some sport tuning to it. Steering was decent, but not snap-tight like an S2K or an RSX.

That'd be my choice, and you'd also have a triple-Honda family going ^_^

 

WRX station wagon.
Honda Element.
Nissan Murango.
Audi A4 wagon.

 

Why do you need a third vehicle? Sounds like you have the bases covered with a 'utility vehicle' and a sports car.

 

Honda Accord V6 Sedan/Coupe
Acura TSX
Acura TL
Acura CL
Infiniti G35 Sedan/Coupe
BMW 3 Series

Any of those...

 

mazda 6

 

Accord EX-V6
G35 4 dr
A4 wagon
used A6
Passat
WRX wagon

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Woodson
[B]Why do you need a third vehicle?

 

Yep, I've been looking at the G35 and Beemers

Thanks

 

Thanks for all the other suggetions too, saw a few that I hadn't considered (and that was the point of this thread!)