So why are you on CarMax, Daniel?
Because, Brain, I’m thinking that running a house with just a two-seat sport car isn’t the most efficient thing in the world.
The 350Z isn’t as capable at hauling cargo as a minivan? Who woulda thunk it?
Certainly wasn’t in the manual, that’s for sure.
So what did you find at CarMax? A nice sedan? Maybe a hatchback?
No. a 2006 BMW M3 convertible.
Six-speed manual?
Sequential manual gearbox.
Gray with brown sport leather seats?
Yes.
It can carry groceries?
Yes.
It has a backseat?
Yes. It’s a 2+2.
Soft-top convertible?
Yes.
And you actually think that its a good decision to replace your 350Z with a BMW M3 convertible in the name of “being able to haul more stuff for the family?”
Yes, Brain. Yes I do.
Looks like I’m not going to have to worry about the current state of unemployment in the US; I’m totally needed here.
Brain? Can I have a 2006 BMW M3 convertible?
No, dummy.
Well, can I have a 2006 Z4 M convertible?
No.
No! You cannot get a convertible! You need something with which you can go grocery shopping, take your son and his friends to the movies, and possibly even tow a UHaul trailer. I’m thinking a nice Honda sedan.
I’m thinking a 2006 Chrysler 300C SRT, silver and black leather, with a 6.1 liter Hemi V8 pounding out 425HP and 420 lb.ft of torque, foshizzle.
That’d pull a UHaul, wouldn’t it…
Like a dentist ripping out an impacted molar.
DON’T TRY TO TALK ME INTO IT!
I won’t try to tell you about the 300C SRT getting from 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds.
NO!
Or the sport seats that cradle your @ss.
NO!
Or the fact that you no longer really care about gas mileage as you’ll be working nine miles from home in a few weeks.
NO NO NO! You need a Honda!
My 300C SRT will pick Hondas outta its grill, spitting great, greasy chunks of inline, four-cylinder engine parts into the gutter.
You may not, can not, will not, no way, no how, buy a 300C SRT.
You know that most guys can get drunk and disable you, you know that, right Brain?
I’m just d@mn lucky you can’t hold liquor, otherwise I’d be doing interest calculations right now.
Phooey.
Could you get a cheap car for outings with your son and friends and keep the cool 2 seater?
It seems Brain is using the space to grow and take more control!
This is a good question. Why not keep the current car and get an older/more-family-oriented/etc car for grocery-getting/outings?
Not that I pretend to know your financial situation of course.
That Chrysler is FUGLY! A Porsche? Pffft! Don’t make me laugh!
MERCEDES 300 SL, GULLWING Coupe! Yeah baby! Look it up!
I’ll hear you wheezing and dribbling on yourself all the way up here in New England!
Practical? Hell noez!
Hot? It’s too sweet for a man to drive.
I do believe I’m waay cooler. I’ll take the coupe.
You can have that Chrysler afterall.
My mother bought a 2008 Chrysler 300C, fully-loaded with all the goodies, as part of her severance package from Chrysler last year. It is an absolute pleasure to drive, both from the perspective of a classy gentleman (like you or me
) driving a luxury car or from the perspective of a slightly deranged gentleman (like you or me 
) going power-mad on the freeway.
I highly recommend it!
Hey nothing wrong with the 300 series from Chrysler, I have 06 and have had nothing short of a blast, re-chipped the thing and put a k&n air charger on (very not California street legal) hauls ass but get ok mileage, plus all my friends think the land yacht rocks.
::rolling on the floor laughing at the argument:: The arguments between Dan and his brain are the funniest things ever…
::happily remembering the one where you broke your keyboard mid-raid::
I knew I recognized that car somewhere. My boss drives that. Chicagoland winters–”Oooooh come sit on the [i]heated leather seats[/i]. Gripe, complain, b*tch and moan about gas prices.
My boss is decidedly uncool.
You can put groceries in the back of a 2-seater. You just have to go to the store more often. You cannot, however, duct tape several children to the rear of a 2-seater and drive very far without someone reporting you. Don’t ask me why I know this. Let’s just say their giggling and laughing was not amusing to the policeman. And it really wasn’t duct tape.
Apparently, doesn’t matter what the car actually is, ‘s long as it’s silver with leather seats… think there’s a Honda out there like that….
~Qellym Fullquiver & Stark
yes, drooling! And laughing! Love your style. So new job, eh?? Company A? Company B? Close to home is awesome. Grats! Good luck with the car decision.
Listen to Brain, he’s got the smarts in this partnership XD
Mini Coopers technically have backseats. I’m sure you could fit groceries in there.
Ah, who am I kidding? At most, you might be able to carry a couple Jawbreakers around in that.
Get the one that makes you happy. Do not get one with a lot of space for hauling kids and their friends and all their gear around unless you enjoy driving a taxi. The other parents — the ones with the minivans — can deliver the screaming hordes. And groceries? For one adult and one child? I shop for double that once a week and at most it’s four bags which easily fit in the truck of my husband’s tiny car. Get the car that makes you happy. Just my two cents.
Have we heard about the new job? Is it still with NASA? Did I miss something?
Go for the M3 and watch your brain drown in endorphines. And it is big enough for your normal needs.
300s will haul stuff, right up until they crap out on you at 10,000 miles.
As someone who until this morning worked for Chrysler because they pulled our franchise, the 300 is a shinily wrapped turd.
You made the right choice. Though technically I prefer Toyotas…
Holy cow, that thing used cost more than my Kia Spectra 5 hatchback new. And my hatchback can hold just as much stuff as my old pick up truck used to.
Etar said exactly what I was thinking. As a prior owner of expensive American muscle… just say no.
I won’t suggest getting a minivan with just 1 child but a small SUV isn’t out of the question. If you want something fast in that dept. take a look at the Subaru Forester 2.5XT. Space and performance without breaking the bank. If 0-60 in 6.8 isn’t fast enough for you and you are stuck on American muscle take a look at a used Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8… Space and VERY FAST… could probably pick one up used for low 20′s if the 50K price tag on a 2009 is too much. 430HP and 420TQ in no joke and you can haul enough gear for 2 weeks at the beach.
If brain wins the battle pick up some used reliable foreign made vehicle with lots of space for friends and trips that will save money on gas, insurance, and last to the tune of 250K miles… take the money you saved and spend it doing something fun with your son instead of depreciation on something that might just get you thrown in jail.
MINIVAN!!! NOOOOOO!!!
Bill engvall did a really good skit on minivans…
http://www.imeem.com/people/jlQdEno/music/tUTdgAA-/bill-engvall-minivan/
Be sure to drive the 300 more than once. The trunk is huge. Huge enough to create a massive Blind Spot across your entire rear view area.
Also, take a look at Chrysler’s satisfaction numbers. They’re not very good. And if you go down to the Charger, they get even worse.
They sound freakin’ awesome, yes, but it would suck to have something that sounds awesome but that you hate because it’s falling apart and you can’t see enough to back out of your driveway/parking space.
9 mile commute FTW
hope the decision process worked out with minimal restless nights and that the new job is stimulating
Get one of the new spirit beasts and save money
<- little shameless attempt to lure BRK back into wow
Hey Dan!
I’ve been lurking on your new site a bit. As much as I was a fan of your wow stories I think I was more a fan of reading your sarcastic humor and quick wit! Anyway I just wanted to offer my consolation to you for what you are going through right now. My hope is that your quick wit and good spirits will allow you to pull through this without becoming overly negative or depressed and I for one can appreciate the fact that your concern is solely to be there for your son.
Anyhow, I’m also a car nut. While not a father yet I do know what my plan is to feed my nuttieness when the time comes. It is having a toy car and a real car
I’d recomend you purchase yourself something practical cheap and reliable for the daily haul (read honda civic or even a used honda or toyota) and then also get yourself a used and thus cheaper toy to drive around and work on! As you seem to have similar tastes I figure I’d toss you some of my recomendations:
Toyota Supra
99-01 BMW M roadster (should only set you back around 18k now)
or my secret
Early to Mid 90′s Acura NSX (should be like 15-20k now omg mid engine)
I went with the Dodge Caliber because it was kinda similar to the Audi A3 (which I had as a “company car” a few years ago) but a bit more “butch.” Plenty of room, hatchback with split back seats, and just really fun to drive.
The 300Cs are awesome. You will not be disappointed.*
*Should you, in fact, be disappointed with the 300C, the above assumes no legal liability for your unhappiness and will not, as damages for your unhappiness, replace the 300C with a flashy 2 seater. This opinion, as with any, is to be considered at the user’s discretion. =P
If you can find one, and if you’re not scared of owning a GM car right now, check out the (and I know I’m gonna catch hell from the posers for this) Pontiac G8 GXP. NOT the GP, the GXP.
It’s Australian, which means it’s big and obnoxious and thoroughly awesome. It’s dressed in Pontiac clothes, which means it looks ridiculous, although you can be thankful it doesn’t feature the trademark “Ribbed For Her Pleasure” rocker/door panels that the cheerleader-turned-hairstylist crowd seemed to love so much. Still, it’s a fairly bulletproof 4-seat full-size sedan with a freakin’ Corvette engine in it. Now I’m no American Iron fanboy and I drool over the BMW Ms and the Merc AMGs as much as the next auto enthusiast, but the GXP is – astonishingly – a serious piece of kit from a US automaker, and one with the mechanical chops to silence its snickering detractors.
Now’s a better time than most to scoop up a GM product, and if you can find one of these bad boys you’ll be able to keep your son and his friends AND your right foot AND Brain all happy at the same time. And isn’t that a neat trick?
Cars…meh, I could care less about power. All I need is to carry my two (medium large) dogs. Any clunker will do.
Car power…is a man thing, I bet every other comment is from a guy.
But, do tell about the new job!! As much as you care to, anyway.
Two words for you: Honda Ridgeline. Or, if you have no use for the pickup truck part – Honda Pilot. I cannot stress enough how reliable and enjoyable Hondas and Toyotas have been to my family.
The Ridgeline doesn’t get great gas mileage, but it’s high, and solid, and it fits 3 wet dogs (or 3 people) in the back seat. I can also carry a month’s worth of groceries in the trunk UNDER the pickup bed, and a fridge or complete home a/c unit in the bed itself. And I have done this – just because I can!
If Brain won’t allow a convertible and you’re still wanting a high end vehicle, go for a BMW X-series. The SUV that’s more a sports car, with all the advantages of an SUV.
I’m working on driving my car into the ground. 98 Ford Escort with 212,000 miles. Driving that car in winter weather pumps more adrenaline than Russian Roulette with 5 of 6 chambers loaded.
Dan you’re obviously a smart dude but do yourself a favor: Don’t buy American! Go Japanese, German, whatever, just not American.
I agree with Lemil don’t get a minivan!! It’s a nerd-mobile! Get something really manly like a pick up truck
Dan,
Now think about this, you really need a nice pickup truck, if you are going to be hauling stuff. The new F150′s 2×4 with all the whistles and bells four doors are pretty good (don’t get the half door, it’s a pain to put stuff in while in the parking lot). The King Ranch version is really nice and you can take the little guy with all his friends to the movies. Plus Chevy has full size that gets 25 mi/gal on the high, while in OD it shuts off 4 cylinders. A Co-Worker just got a Z71 (2×4) for less than $23K loaded but his half door opens all the way, which is better then the one I have from Ford. Seems the time is right to buy American.
07 acura mdx. do it.
Pickin’ Hondas out of its grill, you ain’t kiddin’. I’ve seen a few of the 300c SRT’s around… Woof. They’re d@mn nice.
My Boxster is 7 years old with 70,000 happy miles on it. My son is 4. I have an airbag cut off and have driven him to and from daycare since he was 12 weeks. Now that he’s older I regularly put the top down for him.
The Boxster’s front trunk can carry 4 paper grocery sacks of food. Then there is the back trunk big enough for a set of golf clubs.
If I need anything larger than that, Home Depot rents trucks for 19.99/hr.
Get the Porsche, you won’t regret it.
My suggestion to blend fun w/practical is the Honda Civic SI.
I’ve raced my stock civic & had a lot of fun with it. The SI has a fair chunk more horses.
But this depends on what you can afford without stretching your budget.
long time reader, first time writer, i quit wow a while ago, but kept you on my blogroll anyhow, over the years you’ve made me laugh a lot so thanks!
i’m something of a car geek so forgive this short list, and pls bear in mind this is from a european perspective.
please do yourself a favor and have a look at last generation bmw m5′s over here they’re now very affordable and STILL the perfect super saloon. also worth looking at the alpina euivalents. so long as you dont use dealer servicing they’re relatively cheap to maintain and go like the stink while keeping up the street sleeper thing. also well worth looking at new shape bmw 3 series estates, the 335 especially.
audi a5′s are astonishing pretty in the flesh but not as nice to drive, huge boots tho and plenty of space for the nipper. the mms system is fantastic if u use an ipod.
well worth checking out the subaru legacy (the b4 versions) big engined merc saloons (the now old shape amg e class merc are seriously quick) and the audi s4.
sardaukar mentions the pontiac gxp, which i believe is the same as the a4ssie holdens we have rebranded as vauxhalls over here, they aint subtle but i can tell you that subjectively at least it can show the 300c a clean pair of heels.
second hand motoring precludes the new jag xfr (unlike the others i havent driven this) but if you can handle the look the old s-type r is well worth checking out, it has a lovely ride/handling balance (softer than the BMW, better handling than the mercs and power somewhere between the two), the last couple of years got rid of a lot of the chrome n wood leaving the car actually looking quite nice
allow ::brain:: some input in this tho, how often do you really need a bigger car? might it be better to get two older motors? would it be better to just rent a bigger car as needed?
went thu a similar discussion with a buddy of mine and he ended up with a older miata (mx-5 over here) for £4k which hes tuned a bit for weekends and trackdays and an old alpina b10 he managed to get for £10k that handles all his load lugging duties. an elise would be an even better verions of the miata in this tag team, and not much more expensive.
i dunno what its like bringing in personal imports to the USA, but if the costs arent too bad look seriously at the focus st and the new focus rs. the st is easy to tune the nuts off with a new engine management chip and the rs? well the rs looks slike this, http://www.caradvice.com.au/wp-content/gallery/2009FordFocusRS/Ford-FocusRS-15.jpg which is plenty reason to own one if you’re in the least bit like me.
whatever you buy make http://www.superchips.co.uk/ your first stop, the bluefin device is fantastically good value for money allowing you to change engine specs on the fly so tuning your car without the insurance implications – if you are prepared to do a little work you can make sure the dealer can never tell you’ve done anything.
please do think hard before laying down cash on the 300c, ::brain:: needs to know that its basically a mid 90′s mercedes under the skin.
Have fun choosing, and make do drive everything twice, why not bring the ankle-biter along, in all seriousness he might have a useful perspective. let us know what you choose.
wrote a huge long post wit many suggestions, for some reason i cant see it yet. i do have a bit of experience with this question (or at least similar) so here’s the condensed version:
remember that the 300c is to a great extent a 1995 vintage merc, its wearing a very pretty dress and has a nice voice for sure, but underneath is beginning to show its age.
like for like comparisons would suggest looking at old shape BMW M5′s, jag s types r’s and amg mercedes. Also woth looking at audi s4′s And the G8 gxp (drove the australian euivalent) and its good old fasioned hairy chested fun, similar to your 350z in ethos i think.
wild card options would be either 2 car or dependable imports, i’d look at ford focus ST’s and maybe even the RS . . . whats the personal import situation like out there? alternatively how about a miata or an elise as a fun car (easy to tune for trackdays etc) and an older lexus or somesuch?
I’d also heartily reccomend non M 3 series in the current range, the 335 esp is a beast.
My choice would the m5, it is seriously the most complete car i’ve ever driven and the last great BMW that didnt have iDrive. its a bit racy tho, if you want something with more of a comfrot bias check out equivalent alpinas (B10s and b12s can be had this side of the pond for under £10000) Late models s-type r’s sorted the looks and were a lovely compromise between ride comfort, handling and brutal power.
Interesting… I work at CarMax, about 1000 miles from your work. Good choice, if you go with them.
Do yourself a favour mate, get a VW Golf GT Tdi,
1, Its economical
2, Plenty of room inside
3, Large boot
4, Goes like mad when you put your foot down hard
Go for the toyota crewmax if ya really wanna haul stuff and people. Man that baby’s rear seats are even adjustable.
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