The thought of letting this car go has entered my mind. I still enjoy driving it and it will always have a special place but I have started to feel like sentimentality is the main reason I am holding onto it, and with the changes in my life (age and practicality) I am not sure that is good enough a reason to keep it anymore. The thought of having something else that's just as enjoyable and would better suit my lifestyle has been in the back of my head for a few months, and I'm thinking about what that might mean.
What's held me back from selling it thus far is (1) it is not going to be worth to anyone else what it is worth to me, and no matter what the actual value of it is I cannot consciously just give it away and still sleep at night. I realize this is not realistic but if you're reading this you probably know that in the 16+ years I have owned this car I have put an immeasurable amount of love, blood, and money into it and it is truly one of a kind. If I were to sell it would have to be to the right buyer in the right situation, I would want the car to go to a good home. (2) going hand in hand with #1, if I sold it is what I might get for it enough to outweigh the enjoyment I still have from it? (3) everything that this car is has slowly been going extinct in modern cars...coupes, manual transmissions, NA V6's, a driving experience that isn't overrefined, overall simplicity, etc. (4) I've always dreamed of fully restoring it one day, I personally think it's still a great looking car and would love to see it looking pristine. (5) it's reliable as hell.
BUT... I have to admit that having 4 cars would be a lot keep up with and do I really want to bother myself with that. I only have a 2 car garage so something's gonna be sitting out in the elements. There is also the fact that my wife can't drive stick and says she's too scared to learn, so out of the 3 cars we have she can only drive one which sometimes can be an issue when we have to divide and conquer with our kids. So having another car she could drive, and that I could haul everyone in too, would be nice.
With the way my life is now I feel if I were to get another car, or replace the Accord, it should ideally be a family hauler. As I alluded to we just have 1 vehicle that is capable of hauling the whole family, but I don't really enjoy driving it (wife's minivan haha). So I want something that can hold all 6 of us but still be enthusiast oriented, something you don't see constantly everywhere, something that is perhaps remotely fun to drive, and that will not break the bank. For me, that basically just leaves wagons, and wagons with a 3rd row are very hard to come by. Unless I want to drive a 90's Volvo or piece of Americana (which I don't
), that pretty much leaves Mercedes. Yes I know, I know, German car life. Bank broken, right? Well from the extensive research I've done, a 2008-09 E350 (S211) wagon is actually inherently reliable if you buy the right one and keep up with maintenance. A 2010-2012 (S212) is also not out of the question. I've joined forums, researched common issues, and found good parts sources, etc. Now is a wagon as practical as a minivan or SUV? Hell no, you're kidding yourself if you deny the absolute convenience/practicality a minivan provides. My wife loves to remind me of that haha. But alas I am an uncompromising car enthusiast and I like what I like, which means I am willing to accept a certain level of inconvenience/compromise a wagon might bring as opposed to something else.
And hey, if a station wagon is my midlife crisis car, then I'd say I'm not doing too bad!
Ok yes I would much rather have a supercharged V8 RWD monster E63 wagon, but waaay to much $$.
Anyway, there it is. A strange update to this thread, but admittedly selling this car is something I'm mulling over.
![Prelude%205[1] (3)](/forums/data/xfmg/thumbnail/2/2345-cc82fa7d5bc416dca6b6042b8217895b.jpg?1695467880)
