Originally posted by Trapps: The cars listed are the only choices. My wife is a car designer at Ford - interiors. Only certain vehicles under the Ford umbrella are available or are what she's interested in.
Just want to be clear - the car is for the Mrs. and you drive the Escape, right?
Money no object? I'll say the Volvo - safe, some of the best seats in cardom, and an interior and exterior that a designer won't barf on every time she looks at them. IIRC no MT though.
The X-type would be a close second, and first if there's any thought of budget since you could probably get one for $15k less than the Volvo. Biggest gripe is that it's too small in the back seat, as every 'tour owner knows, especially with 2 growing kids. Mine are just about your's ages and they're close to the max size for that back seat. The AWD would be an advantage though for the cold winters, and the 3.0 and MTX-75 are certainly known quantities. The styling is classic Jag updated nicely.
The RX8 is not a family car. I wouldn't want to be crammed back there every day.
The LS is just more of a man's car. I haven't driven one in a while but it's powerful and a nice driver but the Volvo is a much nicer daily driver.
To quote the Rodent Track article linked above: "The S80 is not necessarily a standout in this group as a sports sedan, but it's remarkable for being an all-purpose comfortable road car that also happens to grip the road pretty well, while giving you a satisfying surge of power any time the pedal goes down. It's a high-performance family car."
