X5 Pam's Batmobile

We bought a new car. It is the direct opposite of the Chevy Volt.

I had a Mercedes ML 320 for about seven years. It was good but there were some problems with the windows and the transmission. After tons of research, we decided on a BMW X3. It was the right size and got good mileage. In January of 2008 we leased a new X3 and loved it. It was the Eco Friendly SUV for the 21st Century.

Slowly we became less than thrilled. The X3 was not quite as fast as Pam liked. It also was a little too small inside when we had grown ups in the back seat. Yes, it got good mileage but it wasn't a Range Rover Sport or and X5.

So we caught car envy. We would be driving and an X5 would blow past us. Pam would look at me. I felt like I had failed to provide the rock ship car she wanted. The news said car dealers were hurting. So, we went to BMW to trade our X3 for a new X5. What a disappointment. All the cars on the lot were bloated over prices show boats. Running boards. Rear seat DVD. Navigation systems, like I can't find the grocery store or target. Many had the "new Diesel engine." Ugh! They were all $70K+ and it would take over $15,000 to lease a car for $1,000 a month. No way.

We went home. We planned to just be happy with the X3. Then Roger told me about his new car. He bought it from Carmax. Yes, it was "used" but it had very low mileage and it looked brand new. It was an Audi A6 that was leased and turned in after one year. I searched the Carmax site and found a year old BMW X5 with 12,000 miles for $48,000. This was a huge saving over the new X5 and it did not have all the silly extras. No running boards.

We went to drive it a week ago. It has a 4.8 liter V8 with 350 horsepower. It really goes. It also has third row seats and mush more interior room. So, we traded the X3 for the new "Batmobile" X5. It is Anthracite Black Metallic with black leather. Just like Batman would have on the Batmobile. Pam drives it like she stole it. On the way home from Carmax she hit 110 on the toll road. There is a read out on the dash that tells average miles per gallon. She is currently getting 16. This is a high, up from her original 12.

So much for Eco Friendly.