I bet you didn’t solicit advice for those cars though! :)

Same here. I had one for a rental. I was in a hurry and assumed it was an A4. I drove it for a bit and thought, “why is this car cheap-feeling and not feel like a German sedan?” Then I realized it was an A3. I had driven a 2009 and 2016 A4, both felt pretty solid and sporty.

Nissan Pathfinder, especially prior generation.

I hated the OEM tires and immediately went with Pilot Sport 4S. Weather in New England can get wild, so I didn’t have the balls for summer tires. It sounds banal but this car is just so tossable! I test drove a Cayman prior, thinking it would be better than my (stupidly sold) RX8. I was super disappointed how heavy…

I bought mine new in 2018. It is light -- and feels it. I really cannot find anything less than thrice the price that makes me want to get out of it.

Nicely written, I enjoyed reading it.

I am obsessed with two characteristics for daily drivers:

Sienna (or really any minivan):

I had a somewhat similar experience with an RX-8. I daily drove the R3 for 5 years . However, like any idiot who does not appreciate how good he has it, I wanted something “more”. A lot of people seemed to think the Cayman is better, so I stupidly got my self excited. Nope, it sure is faster (the 718), but that’s it.…

I re-read my post after reading yours, and I realize I probably came across as meaning the Cayman feeling faster than the RX8. I never flogged the Cayman, so I don’t know about it feeling faster (or not) in that specific comparison. I really meant that the numbers clearly show the Cayman to be a faster car, but when…

The post about the AMG GT53 really resonated with me. I believe BMW, MB, Audi all suffer from the same problems of being numb and remote. They only feel fun when you drive them triple the speed limit. They are very capable and are great at “handling”, if your idea of handling is tenacious grip regardless of poor…

Would you get a (used) Taycan over this?

I am looking at the Evora GT myself, prices are coming down nicely. You are guaranteed exclusivity. It’s never boring. (Emira if you want some newer tech)

2. Know exactly what this is, in which case you’re just an insufferable contrarian.

I admit I have not driven any newer model M cars.  M Sport adaptive suspension and their inline-6 are still the bee’s knees. I may be a bit bitter ...

IMO BMW is now successful with an un-BMW campaign. They are becoming more reliable and steering is loosening up. They are moving on to new target to out-Lexus?

Yea, I suspect BMW realized most people buy their cars for the cache, so their steering is texting-while-driving-friendly. It’s so loose on-center that you can jerk your steering wheel around (such as while texting) that nothing will happen. Their chassis and powertrains are still on-point tho...

Yea, Pacifica definitely deserves more attention. I just can’t get over its reputation for poor reliability. I suspect it’s probably fine IRL, as even the worst modern car is probably still pretty reliable. The Sienna, while not as reliable as Toyotas of yore, won’t get mad at you for severe neglect. BTW, I am not…

As weak as the Sienna’s AWD system is, it helps a bit more with snow tires in the winters in New England compared to FWD IMO. Like I said, currently driving 3rd Sienna since 2010, haven’t regretted it yet! :)

ok, i guess i am completely missing the points of your post on almost all fronts then!