Frank, I'm actually considering either a car or a SUV at this point. We are at a point where I will probably be buying 2 vehicles over the next 12 months. Wife's Vovlo SUV died. Melen and I now are sharing Melen's car, but as its fencing season she and I tend to carpool so we don't end up with 2 cars at practice. So sharing cars is not really a hardship. And my Touareg, which the lovely Mrs_Bob now drives, is getting a bit long in the tooth but is still totally reliable, it may stick around up to a year but probably not much more than that.
Consequently I'm looking at some dramatically different vehicles, both SUVs and CARS:
The cars I'm looking at are the Audi A6, MB E350, BMW 5 series and VW CC. All 4 of those are availabe with all wheel drive. All 4 have simlar interior volume. Prices for the A6, E350, 5 Series are very similar.
I'd prefer 4wd and diesel. None of the above give me both 4wd AND diesel. The E350 gives me EITHER/OR but not both. Rumor mill is churning that the BMW 5 series will be bringing over a Diesel engine in 2013 and it will be available with the X-Drive system.
For the SUVs I'm considering 2 very different vehicles. The VW Touareg and the MB GL350. Both tow over 7500#. One is small, the other large. Both offer diesel & 4wd. I currently own a Touareg and its a great vehicle. I've had a few problems with it but overall its a damn fine vehilce. Starting to show its age with some wear and tear from daily use over the past 7 years, but the engine/drivetrain seem to be bulletproof. That said, its nice enough/good enough that I'd consider having another one. The GL350 is totally redesigned this year, looks similar but is actually new from the wheels up. And boy oh boy is it a nice big truck. Not convinced I need a big SUV, but I might want one
All that said, I know very little about the MB brands other than one of the dealerships I've dealt with for a long time sells them. I've driven them and like them. But with EVERY new car there are so many electronics on them that I wonder how long those will last before its $2500 to replace the XXX part. And that applies to BOTH cars and SUVs. I suppose I could buy an old Jeep to get rid of those fears of electronics, but honestly I like having seat heaters and other fine friffery to make me comfy while I drive!