What about a Nissan Maxima? I am not current on Nissan's reliability and quality. I had an 89 Maxima, and it was a great car.

With $30K in today's economy, I would think you could by a ton of car. Like at $45-50K car for $30K. Right?

This is an easy one...It all depends on your $$$ bottomline (just like any major purchases in life), if you can afford it- i'd go european anytime.

To base my advice on your stated "$30k or less" budget, and current family situation you are better of with a mid size japanese sedan. Easier to maintain, reliable than the european counterparts.

Just stay focused, and true to your financial capabilities.

S60R man :)

The guy already had one as stated previously-he had to sell due to maintenance issues...
Maintenance cost is the biggest concern between european make vs. the japanese counterparts (especially aging pre-owned automobiles)...You got to have $$$ to play; otherwise you'll end up digging a hole for yourself.

i only read a few replys, but he didnt say he had a S60R, form what i remember he said S70.
i had a C70 before, and thats a badas$ car, but well 2 door, i didnt have anything break on it even after bringing the boost up
S60 is a sweet car, and safe as well for the family.

I'd get a Honda Fit. Sure, it's small on the outside. But its fun to drive, holds way more than a BMW 3 series. Is great on gas. Holds its resale value very well. It's quirky styling is ultra hip. And it will get you in good with the green crowd. You can get a new one with Navi for under $18K and use the $12K left over for a year of track days or a month long luxury Caribean vacation.

been there done that.

http://www.evolvecars.com/albums/alb...ell2.sized.jpg

My car had about EVERY mod made by EVOLVE. Full body kit, springs, sway bars, downpipe, exhaust, floating rotors, ... it's a long story, but I got a very good package price when EVOLVE was starting out and wanting to promote their parts... it was a fun car, but ultimately, I had a lot of maintenance issues - and a lot of it had nothign to do with my mods. electrical gremlins, fuel pump issues, sensors... PITA. and once my car got modded, it made it even harder to get it worked on - Volvo dealers are NOT mod friendly. several flat out refused to touch it saying it was too modified and they dind't want to deal with it. Imagine a porsceh dealer saying that b/c you had some exhaust work and an ECU flash with some suspension stuff?!?!

I'm leaning toward an Acura TL-S. it's not as high performance as the S4 or 335 - but in the long run i bet it costs me way less to own and operate.

i'm stilllooking and in no rush.

Your sensible side is screaming at you to get the TL-S. I think you should do that. But to entertain your question, would I take an M3 Sedan in exchange for the Boxster? Yes. Yes yes yes. I love Porsche, but an E90 M3 vs Boxster? BMW baby.

Where it gets hard is E90 vs. 997S, that's a bit tougher (for me). But if you factor in practicality/size, M3 wins again.

You should consider a Toyota Avalon.

I use one for my DD. It has a 270 hp engine. It is faster than our 2006 base Boxster off the line. It's handling is only average, but it is very roomy. Adults can sit comfortably in the back seat. It is a very comfortable car to drive. It gets over 30 mpg on the highway even at 70 mph. And you can't beat Toyotas for maintenance-free reliability.