The volvos are substantially smaller than the subarus. I have an 08 3.2 s80 $500 E36 M3pile that i've driven like... twice. When i first got it i was surprised how much smaller it was (mostly in width) than the previous gen S80 which is more in line with the size that Outbacks are now. Not that it's a small car, but the volvo and the subarus are not the same size. But the Volvos with T6 are fast! And i like the interior ergonomics of that gen.
In reply to Vigo (Forum Supporter) :
Interesting point. I would have guessed that the Volvo would be a bit roomier especially since they have the engine mounted transversely.
I guess I will find out. There is a dealership locally that has a '14 XC70 T6 AWD, '16 328d xDrive touring, and '14 W212/S212 E350 4MATIC. I think it's a great opportunity to test these cars back to back. It's hard enough finding just one of these cars, let alone all three.
In reply to MTechnically (Forum Supporter) :
I get the disgust for the QX50. I love it on paper, but I'm not a huge fan of the looks either.
I'd not do the F31. If you research these, there's a lot of issues with the transfer case, especially on the diesel models. Car and Driver even had to replace theirs during their long term test. Its a shame though, they're a great size vehicle. If only they brought the 2WD model to the states.
In reply to rothwem :
I'll have to do some more research, but that's exactly the kind of info I was looking to get from the hive here, when it comes to the F31. In a perfect world I think I would have a 330d wagon without the xDrive, but yeah we never got those here.
I am in your same boat - one daughter. I have the Land Cruiser as my family carryall when we need lots of space. We have a Lexus GS which is an amazingly comfortable car with a good back seat. When i dream of fun extra cars, the Focus ST or RS hatchbacks have been on my list - maybe worth a look?
I can relate to this thread. We have a 2 year old with another on the way, and I went the SUV route you noted (Lexus GX460) and did the Overland approach. This gives me the tailgating/camping/towing/reliability/space, but I can also see the appeal of the wagon.
I know it was mentioned ealier, but early Stinger GT might be coming close to squeaking into your range and that seems like a heck of a lot of car for the money (and there are already aftermarket exhausts and tunes to spice things up if necessary).
My wild recommendation would be the Mercedes GLA45 AMG. They seem to have decent rear space (if not great) and one heck of a tuned engine with paddle shifters. I've seen some sub-30k.
In reply to CobraSpdRH :
Yeah, there is a part of me that would like to have the capabilities of a real SUV, but when I go back to commuting it will be 80 miles round trip. It just doesn't make sense to get something like that as my daily right now.
The Stinger will be up on the list if I start looking at sedans more seriously, but I think they are still a little out of reach.
The GLA45 wasn't something I considered before. I just assumed that they were out of reach. I am struggling to see how it would be much better than my MK7 GTI was in terms of space.
In reply to MTechnically (Forum Supporter) :
Yeah my commute (when it begins again) is only 20 round trip. You do know the Stinger is a hatchback, right? So not a full-on wagon but it does have a ton of space behind the rear seats.
Cobra you beat me to it, I was trying to embed a picture but I'm too old to figure out how to do it on my phone
Here you go:
I know its going to be down on power compared to other recommendations here but what about a stick shift Forester? I think 18 or 19 was the last year.
So there's been a small amount of development. I had the chance to visit the dealership with the XC70, F31 328d, and W212/S212.
I didn't get the chance to drive them since the dealership was being cagey about it unless I was ready to make a purchase. Not sure if that was due to legitimate restrictions or just their personal preference.
Definitely annoyed that I didn't get the chance to actually drive the cars, since none of them truly eliminated themselves from the running.
I found the criticism of the N47 that it's a bit noisy for the class of car to be true. Otherwise, I found mostly what I expected from the F31. A step down in interior quality from the E350, but likely a bit much engaging to drive. I'm definitely most leary about the long term reliability of this car, but the desiel is generally known to be solid. It's the xDrive system I worry about.
The Mercedes was mostly what I expected. Clearly the nicest car inside and out. I was surprised how the E-class based car didn't feel all that much bigger than either the 3 series or the XC70. I think that had a lot to do with how much lower the headliner was in this car. I also didn't expect that the rear seat room was not noticably bigger than the other two cars. All of the extra space seems to be behind the rear seats. I'm sure this car would have impressed me more if the situation was different. The specific car in question is Indigo Blue, but grey rainy skies put a damper on that as well.
The Volvo was probably the car that impressed me the most. I really liked the simplicity of the interior design. The seats are the most naturally comfortable that I've ever sat in. It's not without it's short comings. It's clearly the least well equipped, and certain things in the interior feel much more dated than the other cars. But the Volvo is significantly cheaper, and in T6 guise it's the most powerful of the bunch. Especially when you consider that this car had the Polestar flash tune which is good for 325HP/354TQ.
So where does that leave me? I think I'm leaning towards the Volvo. If it drives well I think it's a tremendous value, and likely to be the least amount of headache in the long run.
We got the wife an XC90 as a CPO, as Volvo will be pretty generous with the extended warranty and I was a little worried about a turbocharged supercharged engine lol. It's been really great so far, had it in for one software update after the stop-hold feature got a little glitchy.
When boost kicks in it can definitely get out of it's own way.
I'd be working with another dealership if they didn't want me test driving their vehicles.
MTechnically (Forum Supporter) said:leaning towards the Volvo...likely to be the least amount of headache in the long run.
Didn't realize modern volvos are reliable in the long run.
In reply to 84FSP:
I totally understand that and I was frustrated, but I am trying to be understanding with everything that is going on. Admittedly, I did tell them that I wasn't ready to buy yet, and I can appreciate why they don't want people all over the cars right now. In a way it helped me, I've had more time to think and I focused a little more on the interiors than I might have otherwise. The biggest thing working in their favor is that they had three cars that are pretty uncommon all in one spot. With little ones at home 100% of the time, I really don't have time to run to a bunch of different dealers/sellers.
In reply to mr2s2000elise:
From what I have been able to find, the XC70 in general doesn't seem to have too many issues. I'm looking at a car from the last generation (MY14). I think I would have a lot more reservations if I were looking at the latest Volvos with the twin charged engines. The T6 inline six seems to get a lot of praise for long term reliability. Part of my assessment comes from the company I have put it in. The BMW and Mercedes are both more complicated and more equipped than the Volvo, more little things to go wrong there. The diesel in the BMW (N47) was near the end of it's production, so it seems like they sorted the most glaring issue when it first came out, which was timing chain failures. The xDrive system is the more glaring issue that I would worry about, seems like transfer cases don't have the best track record, which is a big bill if they go wrong. I haven't heard much negative about the W212/S212 in terms of reliability, but the complexity is still there.
But I will fully admit to being a glutton for punishment. I'm waffling heavily between the Volvo and the BMW.
Another bad good idea. Stingers might be out of reach but the panamera isn't.
In reply to lnlds :
While I like where your head is at, I had a ratty 928 in high school, but I don't think I want to put up with the repair bills associated with a Panamera that I can find within my budget. Parts cost for that car make my M5 look like a Camry in comparison. If I'm going to be stuck with some big repair bills, I think I would just rather stick with the devil I know in this case.
The 3.0 t6 isn't a bad engine from what i've heard. The packaging is different from most cars but there have always been issues stuffing big engines into not-big cars that enthusiasts tend to think are worth it (because fast). A polestar tune t6 can crack a high 13 1/4 which means 0-60 is somewhere in the high 4s on a good run. Example
Psst, check out A7 TDIs. They get fantastic mileage, are getting to be reasonably priced, seem reasonably reliable and have plenty of cargo space.
Vigo (Forum Supporter) said:The 3.0 t6 isn't a bad engine from what i've heard. The packaging is different from most cars but there have always been issues stuffing big engines into not-big cars that enthusiasts tend to think are worth it (because fast). A polestar tune t6 can crack a high 13 1/4 which means 0-60 is somewhere in the high 4s on a good run. Example
A Polestar flash is in my future.
In reply to Vigo (Forum Supporter) :
The T6 XC70 I went to see had the Polestar flash from the factory, or upon delivery, not sure how that worked. It's definitely a tempting option.
Of course while I've had time to stew on this I've looked into Stingers, and they are in fact out of reach. I've also dabbled in Cayennes, which is a seriously tempting SUV option. But of course the car I'm currently leaning towards is something no one has mentioned and kinda goes against the wagon/SUV bent. Looking at 2013+ GS350's. Seems like it just might be the right choice for a nice commuter that I don't have to worry about too much.
I love the newer Lexus interiors but hate their infotainment. I had an 09 GS which had an 'infotainment' system i loved because it was old school and basic. I have an 06 Cayenne now and plan to upgrade to a newer one when the time comes. I like both those options. Both are a whole step up from the Volvo imo, although i do love the interior and, on the wagons, exterior design of that gen. What a weird thread where i like so many things. One thing i loved about the Lexus and resent not having on the Cayenne are the cooled seats. The Volvos have those available as well but their perforated leather (cooled) seats seem to age horribly and fall apart compared to their non-cooled non-perforated leather seats. 
Im sure that could be avoided with proactive care, to some extent.
So things have been happening lately. I had a bit of a come to Jesus moment and realized that I won't be happy with the safer choices that I've been looking into. One of the criteria handed down from Mrs. MTechnically was to get something I would keep for multiple years. I'll fully admit that I suffer from automotive ADD, when a car doesn't tick enough boxes, I lose interest
With that in mind, I ended up somewhere unexpected. Once again something that no one suggested. Not that I blame anyone for missing it as an option, since it doesn't really fit most of the criteria I laid out for the hive. It's big, luxurious, and has quite a bit of pace.
Deal is almost as good as done, so I'll let anyone who wants take a guess as to what it might be.
Alpina B7
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