Yeah the 250 is fun, but will not suffice for a blossoming family, which is why we sold ours. However, it rode like a toyota, not like a lexus. The 350 is even more fun.

I disagree on the x3 and x5 being fun... I took one of each home for a day before I bought my touareg. they were very not fun and the interiors in both cars were falling apart straight off the showroom floor. I expected much more from BWM.

Let me throw in another suggestion if you are buying newer and under warranty and selling before warranty ends.. Lr3 and range rover sport. I had a discovery and a range rover and absolutely loved both trucks. The problem with LR is that half of them have catastrophic electrical problems that drive you crazy. If you have a third car, you find that the amazing ride and comfort make these problems worth the hassle.

I will also say that the gx470 is one of the most comfortable cars we have owned, but I equate it to minivan status... a place that most don't want to go until they are forced to.

Focus on Price -not on Vehicle
 

I say, if 25k is your cap, look for a vehicle that's 15k. Here are the benefits to that. (Ignore this if your cap is higher than 25k and this is your reduced number.)

A) You save money! It's something I've just started doing and I feel so grown-up!
B) You can get more for your money. You're limited on the Cayennes, but the world is your oyster in the range of CRVs.
C) We all tend to creep up over our limits and caps anyway.

See if this list would appeal to her:
~03 CRV or Pilot
~03 Highlander or 4-Runner
~03 Infiniti QX4 or Nissan Pathfinder
~04 3-Series (awd)
~04 Acura TSX or TL

Then you can spend the extra money you save on flowers and date nights -and she won't even care that it's less of a car.

Regardless of my advice on the finance part of it, I'd go for the Honda Pilot.

Jeph, great advise. I really like these two cars. About 4 months ago, in my search for a larger SUV, my local toyota dealer had a 2007 CPO 4runner with leather for 14 thousand. I almost bought but found a killer deal on another car that I ended up with.

I drive the Toyota FJ cruiser as a DD, and really love the toyota SUV chassis. 60k miles with 0 dollars in repair costs.

The Toyota FJ is a fun car. Very practical and useful and strong enough to tow a small sailboat or other toy.

And no carpet! Babies and toddlers and dogs and well, everything, are unkind to carpet. That rubber stuff is waaay easier to take care of. You can detail the interior with a leaf blower! :)

yes everyone is going "Green"

as in they want to keep more of their green....

Gas just went up big around these parts. One stretch of Route 3 here in Northern NJ had 93 for $2.65. The cheapest I found was $2.30 at HESS -10% ethanol.

The Oil industry is linning up their pay day for the upcoming memorial day.