Wide open: new car for the wife

Very few constraints: 

$70k max

We have a 40lb dog, for whatever that's worth.   

Commute is 8 miles each way on back roads.   Will be parked outside on our driveway on a very quiet cut de sac. 

Currently in a 2015 VW GTI.    

She prefers new.  No real timeline, so we are happy to wait if required. 

She mentioned she liked the new M2, and my ears perked up.  Probably a little bougie, and likely will never see a track (GTi didn't either).  Also probably impossible to test drive before purchase.  I'd love for her to like a 2005 Elise or 2015 4c, but I'm guessing that is a no.  She mentioned the new Defender, but those scare me from a reliability and resale standpoint.  Same with Bronco. 
 

My preference is to get something neat.  She is pretty open to my suggestions because she loves me and knows that I'm a car guy. She drove a wrx wagon for 13 years, then this GTI for another 8. Bonus if it is special enough to have some semblance of resale in 5-8 years. The answer is another GTI probably (dog), but I'd love to hear of any other ideas. 
 

Spitballing welcome!

40lb dog is a cat. 

I don't really have a suggestion, although I love the M2. I just can't imagine spending that kind of money on a car that isn't in a garage. I wouldn't even have my '23 BRZ if I couldn't park it in a garage. 

But seriously, if I had the money. New Boxster S all the way, but it looks like those start about $13k above the budget before you start adding options. 

Since she loves hatches/wagons a Corolla GR or Ioniq 5? That would be my pick for that short commute. Not sure how comfortable a dog would be in the back of a Corolla GR though...  

is a used Audi RS7 in your price range?

with my wife, the decision process looks like this:

•  what does she want?
• can we afford it?
• what do we have to sacrifice to afford it?
• OK, do that.
• wife gets what she wants.

fortunately we only go through this every 10 years.

unfortunately, our 10 year window opens up in spring 2024.

Personally, the moment my wife mentioned an m2, I would be headed to the BMW dealership with a deposit....

Old_Town said:

Since she loves hatches/wagons a Corolla GR or Ioniq 5? That would be my pick for that short commute. Not sure how comfortable a dog would be in the back of a Corolla GR though...  

I would second the Ioniq 5, its a blast to drive and very comfortable. The GR Corolla would be tough for a dog to get in the back of, its smaller all around than a GTI. A Civic Type R would be another one at the top of my list.  

Lots of good suggestions here. For dog duty, maybe a Hyundai Kona N or an Audi SQ5?

If you like the GTI you could get a nice new Audi TT in its final year.

Wildcard is Wrangler 4xe

Since she likes GTI's and BMW's...maybe one of the 4 door MINI's (Clubman or Countryman) would work in the John Cooper Works trim, dog and all.  

Though parking outside is a slight obstacle, your budget will almost get you a new X5 PHEV if you want to go full bougie.  Not impossible to charge in driveway, and it would let it be heated/air conditioned on shore power.  With an 8 mile commute, it's going to be a long time between fill-ups.

Might be worth looking into what's available in a CPO-- make sure you get one with the B58 6 cylinder though, as I think there was one model year that used the 4 cylinder.

Would do plenty well for dog duty.  At least as mine is equipped, it will also tow 5900 lbs. 

M2 is pretty neat. Sure it’s fast, but also roomy with a way big trunk. The car’s bigger than you think. Way easy to get in and out of, too. 

As a daily, do you mind the big doors? 

And do you need a four-door for the dog? 

My wife loves her Q5. An SQ5 would be a great choice. 

Karacticus said:

Though parking outside is a slight obstacle, your budget will almost get you a new X5 PHEV if you want to go full bougie.  Not impossible to charge in driveway, and it would let it be heated/air conditioned on shore power.  With an 8 mile commute, it's going to be a long time between fill-ups.

Might be worth looking into what's available in a CPO-- make sure you get one with the B58 6 cylinder though, as I think there was one model year that used the 4 cylinder.

Would do plenty well for dog duty.  At least as mine is equipped, it will also tow 4900 lbs.

Slightly off topic - how much are you towing in that picture? I have a 2012 X5 that will need to get upgraded at some point.

In reply to dyintorace :

Error in earlier statement of 4900 lbs.  5400 lbs on the scales out of 5900 max.  Per spec, should really be using a weight distribution hitch for over 5000, but I've had no problems.  What's really more constraining, and drove the trip to the scales was the tongue weight limit of 551 lbs -- which applies whether it's the 5900 lb limit for the hybrid or something like 7200 lbs for a non-hybrid version.

One other bit I'll toss out on the X5 though-- maybe it's not that uncommon in SUVs, but the entry/exit height is at an inconvenient middle.

Too high to really be convenient, but too low for a climb off the any running boards like a pickup truck.

Karacticus said:

In reply to dyintorace :

Error in earlier statement of 4900 lbs.  5400 lbs on the scales out of 5900 max.  Per spec, should really be using a weight distribution hitch for over 5000, but I've had no problems.  What's really more constraining, and drove the trip to the scales was the tongue weight limit of 551 lbs -- which applies whether it's the 5900 lb limit for the hybrid or something like 7200 lbs for a non-hybrid version.

Gotcha. My 2012 X5 is a diesel and is rated to 7700. That is helpful.

With that budget and unlimited restrictions (and if I wasn't 6'-5" tall) I would be looking for the best available Cayman GTS.

Or lease a new Defender since it seems like blasphemy to park a Porsche on the street. 

I'd go test drive an Ionic 5--top of my current daily driver list if I didn't need a pickup truck. It's like a GTI but better in every way. 

Alfa Stelvio Quadrifolio. Different, fast, practical. 

My wife had an Audi S3 as her DD for several years. She has always driven 4-door German stuff which was always boring. The S3 happened because the A3 she looked at was HORRIBLE! I convinced her after a test drive and it was a really fun car for those years. Last year it was time for a new car, so off we went shopping. She decided that it was time to look at a small SUV rather than a sedan, so the ones we looked at were the Audi SQ5, Porsche Macan and BMW X4. She drove all of them but wasn't crazy about any of them for one reason or another. We then went to the Mercedes dealership and inquired about the GLC 300 Coupe. Since they were built in Germany and with the whole supply-chain issues, we were told they couldn't give us any timeline on ordering one to her specs. We ended up ordering one for her and it took 6 months to arrive. She likes it so that's all that matters, but when this one goes and if she still wants another Mercedes, the next one will be an AMG version of something. Maybe a GLC63 AMG, that would be fun. We use it to haul our 60# dog, but the sloped back due to the Coupe version, does limit space in the very back for him.

I love the ideas- was really having trouble finding 'interesting' in all the latest. Spending a ton of time researching. 
finding an M2 without markup will be tough I'm sure. Checked out RS3.. but for M2 money, I'd rather go M2.  
 

Rode in an Ioniq5 over a long weekend and wanted to love it but it just didn't feel like anything other than an appliance. Which I bet if I were to read it's stated goal, would be it. I'm trying to get to special. And respectfully, in my opinion not in any way nearly as good as our GTI. 
 

Q5/X5 on the large side. TT/s on the small side but I love them. Looked up the Acura Integra Type S....

CT4 Blackwing starts at $63k and gives you 472hp/445 lbs-ft in a RWD chassis that everybody raves about. You can have a 6 speed manual or a 10 spd auto.

I just built this one for $70,015 on their website. It includes the high performance interior options and fancy heated/cooled seats with two tone leather. If I'd chosen a no cost exterior color, or skipped the bronze wheels it would've been under $70k:

In reply to JimS :

Jim what year Q5? How has reliability been? I am trying to get an suv for swmbo for around $20k and that is on the list. Do you have the sport seats or regular?