So I went and did a little test driving today as I think I'll be getting something new this summer. Drove a 2011 535i M-Sport, a 2010 S5, and the brand new 2014 Genesis sedan. Didn't take any pics but here's some quick thoughts:

2011 535i M-Sport - I've found a few of these for under my $40k budget and this is probably the car I'm leaning towards the most. While I really love my Genesis there is just something missing; whether its brand cachet or what I don't know but I immediately feel like a better person driving the BMW! Love the gear shifter for some reason, probably because its different. Styling has really grown on me over the years and I think the new M5 is about the most drop dead sexy car made right now. The 3 liter turbo 6 feels really strong, though not much faster than the 3.8 liter in my current Genesis. It is turbine smooth though and has no lag that I could sense. Steering is light and surprisingly vague. The wife's GS 350 feels much better in the turns but I like the engine/tranny in the BMW better. One thing I noticed about all used German cars is that they all smell like melted crayons. Weird.

2010 S5 Prestige - OK, so I've lusted after this car since I first saw it in early 2008. I drove a brand new one a few years ago but never seriously had the funds. Yay for Audi depreciation! The one I drove today was $38k but I've found low mileage ones for under $35k so the budget looks good. This one had the suede seats which I don't care for and I can't believe how small the nav screen is! Other than that its typical Audi on the inside with nice materials and satisfying buttons everywhere. Liked the huge sunroof but it only tilts. Loved the big V8 both in looks and sound. Seriously, with the red paint that has got to be one of the sexiest looking engines I've ever seen in a car. The sound was also sublime. Just wish the bite was as loud as the bark, if you know what I mean. Its not like it was slow or anything but with that kind of sound rumbling around under there I kind of expected more. Steering felt very good, Quattro kept everything nicely planted, though it did feel like a heavy car. I definitely had a bad case of "I want to sign whatever it takes to drive this car home right now" impulsiveness after driving it but I held it back!

2014 Genesis 3.8 - This car was a surprise. Material quality is way up over my 2009 for starters. The leather was actually far nicer than either the BMW or Audi that I drove (though they were several years old in fairness). The Genesis has a nice sized nav screen and a really big info screen between the speedo.tach as well. It was absolutely loaded with everything you can think of. Lane assist, blind spot monitoring, rear sunshades all around, power thigh extension, heated seats all around (vented up front), heads up display, excellent cubby for a phone with USB and dual power outlets (fits my Galaxy S4 perfectly), blueteeth, touch screen nav that functions much like a phone with swipe ability, massive sunroof (well the whole roof is glass basically), LED's, and so on. Loved the interior styling, it seemed right up there in terms of design and quality with the 535i and my wife's GS 350. The engine was a gem. Pulled absolutely as well as the 535i and was just as smooth. Satisfying sound as well. Handling was nothing special but not bad. This is a huge car and I could sit behind myself with my legs crossed (I'm 6'3"). Overall this car has thrown a wrench into my 535i plans as it really is as good of a car in many ways, minus that damn brand cachet I mentioned earlier! Sticker was $46k and I doubt they'll be marking them down much at the moment since it just came out but it really is a LOT of car for the money.

What do you guys think? I plan to spend the next couple of months driving and researching everything. This is going to be a decision I make carefully and I'm open to almost anything. The short list includes:

Infiniti Q50
BMW 3/4 series
MB CLA250
Buick Regal GS (check out the prices on these, insane)
Audi S4
GMC 1500 (yes I'm looking at pickups too)
Ram 1500 Sport
Ford F150 Raptor
Cadillac CTS-V
Ford Mustang GT/Shelby
Chevy Camaro SS
Kia Cadenza/Optima
Hyundai Azera

I'm mostly looking at used cars with less than 30k miles and my max budget is $40k. Thanks guys!

 

Do you need to haul a lot and don't care to much for gas mileage? Because a CTS-V wagon is always a good answer.

 

The 535i is a very nice car and less troublesome than the 550i.

Is a Vagon available for under 40k?

 

I'll be the oddball. I really liked the CLA when I drove one back in December. It's out of my budget & it had a couple little squeaks on the interior, but it was a fun car to drive. Not sure you'll find one used though, at least not at a significant discount over new, the guy I was dealing with said they had a 6mo wait to order a new one.

The Optima/Cadenza I like, appearance wise, but haven't driven one.

Rumor is that the Chevrolet SS will have a 6MT in the next model year or two.

 

Lexus GS?

Edit: Just saw your sig

 

Never would have really considered one of these, but drove my co-worker's '07 GS350 yesterday & it made my '00 TL feel like a Civic. I was really impressed with it.

 

How about a used RSpec sedan?
Hell you might even be able to get a new one for under $40k once the 2015s start showing up at dealers.

 

What about a V10?

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...nal&listType=1

 

I've definitely considered that but then I get into the issue of buying basically the same car I have now (obviously much better but still the same).

I also have considered the E60 M5 but get queazy as soon as I start reading anything about repair costs on them...

 

F-Type Coupe /thread

 

535 is nice!

 

Someone here had one of those and hated it so much he bought a Hyundai.

 

Those are all nice cars but if you kept the Genny and put more money away would you be able to go another 12-18 months? If so, I bet you'd be looking at newer and better cars as an option.

You might be able to look at RS5s and M3s and who knows what else at that point. As someone who has changed cars a lot, sometimes the best decision is not making one.

 

Shut y'er face!

 

Just keeding!

 

Like I said, I actually really love the E60 M5 but they are still pretty pricey and any kind of out of pocket repairs on one would literally bankrupt me...