Okay, my buddy works for a major hospital in Nashville, and his boss (a very, very well paid doctor) is wanting a new car. Normally, he’d buy a BMW, but he can’t stand the i-Drive thing they’ve got and refuses to buy another one until they get rid of it. Now his boss has a pretty good sense of humor (How good? Well, at one of the doctor conferences his boss showed the Kid Stoned Chewable Valiums video!), so I’d like to find some suggestions for expensive (he is a doctor, after all) sedans that are on the quirky side of things. (And yes, I have already recommended the Tucker replicar.)
He could, um, buy a BMW (my favorite btw) without iDrive, such as a 3 series (too pedestrian? He could get an M3), or last year’s 5-series. (Personally I think the 7-series that’s one generation old, a black one, is the meanest looking car on the road). Has he test driven a new 5 series? I’ve heard they’ve toned down iDrive versus the 7, so it’s only mildly offensive. I wouldn’t give up on the car without *trying it.
Mercedes has a tedency to over-technify their vehicles, like BMW is doing right now, so he probably wouldn’t be happy with that either. Cadillac is making some nice, high end automobiles. They don’t suck anymore. Have him check out the new STS, CTS-V, and so forth.
If he’s not really a “car guy,” a Lexus may be his best bet. No hassles; not very exciting either, but it’s a very capable luxury car that won’t give him the headaches that come with most luxury vehicles. I don’t know their model names, but it’s easy enough to find out. The Acura RL would probably fit this description as well.
On the other hand, if he enjoys a fine automobile, and wants something a little more exciting than a Japanese car, check out Maserati–the new Quattroporte is a fine sedan he could fall in love with, perhaps.
Whoops, when I started my post I forgot the “sedan” part. So forget the M3.
Well, he currently has a 7 series BMW, and BMW supposed to be extending the i-Drive system to all their models in the near future, so the 3 series is out as well.
The new Audi A8 is a great car. They have a version of the i-Drive, but much less intrusive.
How about a Maserate Quattroporte? Since the company was taken over by Ferrari, their cars have improved a lot. He would definitely be the only one at work to have one. Of course, it may be a little too different for some people.
Tell him to be unique and think outside of his need for status as “garnered” by what hunk of metal he parks in a lot 8 hours a day, and his driveway 8 hours a night. Buy a Prius, and donate the difference in price and fuel costs to a charity that will do things for people for whom B, M and W are just letters.
I second the Audi A8. And the Cadillac CTS.