[onewhippedpuppy]

The problem as I see it is that you won't find a single car that does everything you want. From your post, it sounds like you want something fun to drive, seats four in comfort, can tow light/moderate loads, decent MPG, rugged and decent sized storage space for outdoor fun, reasonably priced. Does that sound about right? Because you're really asking for a vehicle that doesn't exist, the Subaru Baja XT is about as close as it gets.



My take is to keep the BMW. It's probably about a $5k Craigslist car at this point, is fun to drive, gets decent MPG, is more than big enough for your solo commute, and won't break your heart when it gets door dings and cooks in the sun. It checks pretty much all of your Mon-Fri boxes. That opens up way more options for your fun weekend outdoor toy. In this scenario, what would your price range be?