Please help with succession planning

[crazy4trains]

Profanity isn't allowed on this forum.

[pbonsalb]

The N52 would be acceptable, probably something larger though.

2012 X3 has more interior cargo space than 2005 X5. If you don’t mind turbos, then an E70 X5 from this decade is an option is pretty reasonably priced now that the new model is about to come out.

[MauiM3Mania]

... Mrs. Ross has been making SUV noises for some years and I suspect I'll likely concede to this.... So, we will be looking for a second hand high quality vehicle. A couple of caveats; NOT committed to BMW, but if so I strongly prefer the sixes. Also, I've twisted enough crappy fasteners off of Japanese cars to never want to own one. All else considered. Purchase price is less important than the running costs.

Mr. Ross, what sort of initial investment have you budgeted for this vehicle and what are you comfortable with for annual upkeep? Approximates would be fine.

[bmwdirtracer]

LUCAS, Prince of Darkness.

You know why the British drink warm beer?
Their refrigerators are made by Lucas.

If a British car's not leaking oil and coolant, it's because there's no oil or coolant in it.

Yes, very pretty. It will make a wonderful lawn ornament.

[ross1]

Mr. Ross, what sort of initial investment have you budgeted for this vehicle and what are you comfortable with for annual upkeep? Approximates would be fine.

Everything discussed so far is plausible but if at gunpoint I'd like to be <$20k. Most of what I prefer is older so that is quite convenient. If gifted a brand new car of almost any variety it would be for sale immediately.
We've been having some big expenses here lately so have been discussing switching around the fleet and putting Mrs. into one of "my" two lower mileage E39s for the time being.

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LUCAS, Prince of Darkness.

You know why the British drink <script src="https://adservice.google.com/adsid/integrator.sync.js?domain=www.bimmerforums.com" ></script><script >processGoogleTokenSync({"newToken":"FBS"},5);</script>warm beer?
Their refrigerators are made by Lucas.

If a British car's not leaking oil and coolant, it's because there's no oil or coolant in it.

Yes, very pretty. It will make a wonderful lawn ornament.

Inventors of the intermittent windscreen wiper.
Lucas light switch positions; OFF, DIM, FLICKER

To be fair, the last Jag I had, X308, had mostly Denso electrics and two separate confounding electrical issues, and a ZF trans that wet the bed @70k.. I love the Brits but they even made a Honda unreliable with the (Rover) Sterling.

Sort of like one of those good ol' NASCAR crew chiefs when queried about the reason for a retirement will say the engine ran out of oil. Not mentioning the oil exited via a con rod size hole in the block.

[ross1]

2012 X3 has more interior cargo space than 2005 X5. If you don’t mind turbos, then an E70 X5 from this decade is an option is pretty reasonably priced now that the new model is about to come out.

Didn't know that about the X3, will investigate. No turbos please.

[Breeze1]

I don't know if budget would be an issue since they're recent by definition, but the latest X5 looks quite good (many similarities with the 1st gen, which is probably not a coincidence).

[Breeze1]

Actually no, stop everything, this is the car Mrs Ross is going to be driving: 1977 Ford F150. All mechanical, rock solid and easy to maintain but, most of all, badass.

Over decorated people are in for a surprise lol.

[bmwdirtracer]

We have pretty good kif here in the USA, but none quite capable of causing the hallucinations you're currently suffering, my friend. Pass the pipe man, I've got to try this.

[bmwdirtracer]

Wait, I suppose I need to explain better. I'll bet Ross has driven an ancient F150...since even I have owned two of them, in my many years, both 4WD. Worst, and most dangerous vehicles I've ever driven, for any length of time. I'd bet dollars to donuts that Ross wouldn't let his wife drive one more than emergency mileage.

In any given emergency, that F150 will take twice as long to stop as any X5. It'll also slew violently sideways, then flip and roll six times over an irregularity in road surface while it's slewing around. The rear brakes will of course, be locked up, unless they don't work anymore anyway. Meanwhile, the steering wheel will impale you as the crap seatbelts float around six inches from your chest.

Yeah, I know, they're big and noisy and they really look crazy when they're six feet in the air and smoking garbage chunky tires. If you're looking for a road driven tractor, an old Land Rover will drag that F150 though a swamp...or a ten mile sand dune.

If you want a vehicle to safely keep the missus, that ain't it.

[Breeze1]

I get your point (lol about the hallucinations), it's just that I have never driven or owned one since they have never been imported here and they seem to be solid, reliable vehicles and as far as "personality" goes they've clearly got more than your average modern SUV, just like old muscle cars have got more than today's (IMO).

These cars can also be "restomoded" and brought up to today's standards, but that surely implies some work and time.

[MIKYZZ4]

Going in that direction I would say a Tacoma TRD PRO would be a much better option than that Ford.

[ross1]

Actually no, stop everything, this is the car Mrs Ross is going to be driving: 1977 Ford F150. All mechanical, rock solid and easy to maintain but, most of all, badass.

Over decorated people are in for a surprise lol.

So funny you should post this.
I've NOT had much experience with pick ups, one Chevy, briefly. BUT a close friend bought new a bare bones '78 or '79 F150 short bed, big six with three on the tree. He and I once had a brief duel on the road, rather left and right shoulders of it. I was driving a much more powerful Buick, '71 Riv (God, I miss that car!)and wanting to get around my friend's turd of a truck. Well, it was bad ass enough to prevent me from passing on the shoulder, in the grass or on the pavement. Not speed mind you just the driver's absolute disregard for that truck. The remaining traffic had backed waay off during all this and we still have a good laugh about it. Ah, the follies of youth. I should be dead.
It was famous for the gear shift linkage on the column to jam up, in which case he'd have to pull over, crawl under and bash something with whatever was on hand. I was hoping this would occur while we were dueling but no such luck. Ford 1 Buick 0
Mrs. Ross spent some time in Texas so the Ford might have some nostalgic appeal, for about five minutes.

[bmwdirtracer]

And one of my old F-150's was while I was in the remotest part of west Texas....(look up Terlingua). I bought the beast...with the 40 acres and the house, in the high desert. I thought it would be a really good investment, to tow home the 454 Chevy-engined TransAm convertible (no misprints here) across the 6 miles of dirt road.....Until the THIRD time the TransAm had to tow the truck home.

Which always leaves me with the old Hawaiian expression: "Duck Fat".

(Transpose lead letters)

All that said, I made the same mistake again when I moved to the mountains of NC, to keep from having to drive the E34 M5 in the deep snow. I gave up: the truck lost, and I bought Blizzaks for the M5....and, eventually, a Subaru beater. The Subie serves PERFECTLY, by the way....could climb a damned snow-covered tree, and wouldn't even THINK of failing.