Not sure what generation 5er is on your mind, but I've been DDing an e39 since January. It has been a great car thus far, still smells new inside (it only had 46k when I bought it) but I find it a bit...grandfatherly. Even with the 5 speed. Solid as a rock, but you feel that heft when driving with spirit. I have an absurd commute, so it does a great job of keeping me refreshed but there are days when I miss my Mazdaspeed3.

Lately, I've had a wandering eye towards an S8 or E55.

Ok... I was trying not to "lead the witness" a bit because I tend to keep coming back to a few things and I feel like I don't give other ideas a chance. I'll try to provide a little more info without being too constraining.

- I am in sales but I'm a technical guy, not a sales guy. There are times when I have to do some entertaining of customers so there is an expectation that the car needs to be nice but not TOO nice, if that makes sense. (more on this below...)

- It should seat 4 comfortably.

- I don't put a ton of miles on a car. I've owned my truck for 8 years. I bought it at 2 years old with 25k miles on the odo and I've put another 50k miles on it since then.

- I drive mainly from the burbs to downtown Atlanta and to the airport. I love my truck but navigating it in downtown traffic is sometimes not fun. I would say no bigger than an an average mid-size sedan. I average driving downtown once or twice a week -- I'm not usually in the commuter grind -- but being nimble in tight parking lots and side streets is nice.

- I would love a manual, however my wife my needs to be able to drive this car too. PDK would be cool but probably not available or might limit the field too much. (BTW, my wife used to be quite capable of driving a stick -- it's not an issue of ability. She has a condition that causes limited reflex speed in her left leg so she doesn't trust herself to drive a stick anymore.).

- Cabin road noise is important. I'd like to be able to drive and be on a call without it sounding like I'm in a wind tunnel. Believe it or not, my truck excels at this.

- Most of my car tools are metric so I'd prefer to stay metric.

- It would be a bonus to pick something that holds it's value well. What comes to mind is an M5 vs a typical 5-series BMW. I might consider an older M5 over a newer 5-series for example.

- I love my old '83 911 SC. It puts a smile on my face.

Let me try to explain the brand prestige issue. Because I'm in a sales capacity, there is this weird dynamic that is hard to explain. I find that customers are irrational when it comes to cars. If you drive an old Ford Taurus, they think "what the heck is wrong with you?" If you drive certain other cars they think "you arrogant jerk!" Case in point... Two friends of mine that are in the same business and had a blowout year (they both work together). The sales guy bought an AMG MB that was easily in the six figure range. Nobody said a word. The technical guy bought his dream car -- a used 996 convertible -- at probably half the cost of the MB. Unfortunately, a customer complained that the technical guy was "flaunting it" and they demanded he be taken off the account. People are so funny. I have customers that know I have an old 911, but they are car people who understand. Otherwise, I generally keep it quiet even though it cost me less than half of what a new Accord or Camry costs. I get weird reactions from non-car enthusiasts over owning the 911, so I just try to avoid it.

Does that help?

Mazda 5?

No minivans.

I'm looking for something that at least keeps up the illusion I still have testosterone.

That quote is gold right there!

Price?

GTI vr6 or 1.8t ?

Audi A6. Sedan, four-door, excellent room inside, will fit in your garage, German.

My husband drives the Focus St as a daily driver and it is a great daily driver but if you are going to transport customers occasionally:

I am going to throw in the idea of a used V8 Lexus ISF. Sporty, Powerful, and something you could put clients in.

I'm digging the Lexus ISF suggestion. I will put the Focus ST on the list to check out too. I've never owned a Ford. My sense is they have been getting better so I am willing to give them a chance.

Audi A6 and even A4 will go on the list as will their S siblings.

VW GTI and 1.8t might be too small. I will need to see them in person.

I buy all my cars used, so my suggestions below refer to 3-5 year old cars. I'm a fan of CPO programs.

Lexus ES350
Ford SHO Taurus
Mercedes E350

Just saw this. I just bought a WRX its a 4 door ,fits 4 easily and is a ton of fun to drive. Mine is a 6 speed but they do come as automatic with paddle shifters. It gets around 22 mph. It's an average looking car that pretty much blends in. But as a driver it's a blast and they hold there value. I would diffenitly recommend it as a fun car that will put a smile on your face every time you drive it. Also like the aircooled 911 they have a following and it's fun when someone else flashes there lights at ya from another WRX or STI.

What is your budget?

I think you will fit better in a 3 series than a subaru.

I'm 6' tall and the seat in my 3 series will go back so far that I can't touch the pedals. Same in my Jetta TDi wagon.

The Jetta Sportwagen is an option, Fits 4 adults plus stuff, seats fold down for holding bigger stuff. Its nimble, and drives really well. I think they look good. Its inconspicuous, so you won't feel bad leaving it at the airport. It comes with a manual or DSG trans. Its cheap to run. Biggest downside is the bluetooth phone reception sucks. If you use a headset or hands-free-free, its not an issue.

Other cool cars that come in an automatic:
C-class Merc
E-class Merc
Newish Ford Explorer (sport)
Cadillac ATS
Cadillac ATS-V
CTS-V (drives very much like an '03-'06 E55 AMG)
Chebby SS
Pontiac G8 GXP

That's why ya need to get a running start at it.

It's good thinking, but probably not a useful criteria anymore. Most modern cars are designed so that you cannot touch them anyway. Germans "encode" the battery so you can't just swap it. Various electronic modules are encrypted, requiring dealer input. Even somethign stupid like brake pads cannot be done on lots of modern cars because you must tell the car via computer to retract the pistons... etc, etc....

Get a GTI ;-) It's all the fun car anyone ever truly needs, and it's cheap !

My error, I meant 6.

Audi A8, d2 if you can find a nice one. The newer ones are updated a bit but the air suspension is $ to fix. Otherwise, solid cars, fun to drive when you want, mellow when you don't . Best under 15k car on the planet.