The Blogfathers

Traffic is light and I’m calmly cruising down the highway chatting with my friend while Dire Straits is playing on the sound system. The soft spinning engine can barely heard but seems eager to go faster. The wind noise is virtually non existent and the car seems glued to the ground. The speedometer of our BMW 7-series reads 145 mph as I suddenly see another stunning car approaching us in the left lane. Very fast. I can clearly see the driver hit the brakes, down shift, and then pass us so quickly our car seems to be standing still. I look down at the speedometer, which still reads 145, and before I know it the incredible car is gone. Fasten your seat belts, this is Germany. Home of Autobahn, free speed, and some of the finest automobiles on earth.

This site is not turning into a car site but having a family and a couple of kids doesn’t mean one can’t have a little fun. And since I’m spending some time in Germany, why not enjoy what they’re famous for. Except for beer and Hitler. Most of us will need a car, at least after having children. Why not a great family car which also performs well? You can take the kids to tennis practice and then make a Porsche look pathetic. I used to be more of a sports car fan but fortunately tired of them many years before having children. But I still get a kick out of going for a ride in a nice and fast car every now and then.

If you like cars, Germany is heaven. This country is home to automobiles like Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, and Audi. Volkswagen is German as well but definitively produces less impressive cars. It’s actually weird Germany makes such fantastic vehicles since they seem 20 years behind in other areas. Try paying with a credit card, mention internet or email, or explain what good service is and most stare at you with blank empty eyes.

It’s not difficult buying a nice sports car. Fork out $40-150 k and step into a car which is noisy, cramped, and uncomfortable. You’ll be lucky to fit some grocery shopping and your tennis bag in the trunk. I find the seemingly normal cars more impressive. Cars that look discrete but are comfortable, extremely powerful, many times spacious, and even good for a family.

Many of us have children which is difficult with small sports cars. Try putting two car seats in the rear of a Porsche 911 and you see what I mean. Not only do the Germans build great sports cars, they also make some unbelievable family cars. Sporty family cars I should add. They run circles around most performance cars, are comfortable and easy to drive for everyone, and there is plenty of room for children, strollers, and other child related stuff.

The ultimate car for a family with two kids is Audi RS4 Avant, also know as “Porsche Killer”. A station wagon that looks discrete, has room for a stroller, golf bag, and groceries. It’s not huge but offer good space and unreal maneuverability and performance. No one except a car enthusiast will notice you’re driving a superb racing machine which also doubles as a family car. But those who like cars and see the small “RS4″ letter in the rear will give you unprecedented amounts of attention. Count on making lots of new friends.

For the family who needs a little more room and wants a discrete car with incredible performance, there is the BMW M5 Touring. 0-60 in less than 5 seconds but still room for a Mountain Buggy Urban Double, three kids, two weeks of grocery shopping, and all the crap toys the children want to bring along. The car is an absolute dream to drive, both for grandma and the racer in the family.

If you’re more of a Mercedes fan, the E 63 AMG is of similar size and performance as the BMW M5 Touring. It’s a large station wagon with room for the whole family but with stunning performance. Of course also the famous quality, reliability, and safety of Mercedes. It’s much larger than the RS4 and very comfortable to drive.

My current favorite among the more advanced family cars is the Audi Q7. It’s not as fast as the cars above but much larger, still quite sporty, and a comfortable ride. In 2002, when we were living in NYC, we were pregnant and excited. Our pregnancy ended quite early but we were having twins. Ever since that time I’ve secretly hoped for twins again at some point. Before our second child was born, a daughter named Annika, I told my wife about the wish. She thought I was crazy. But I promised her a Q7 just in case we would get lucky and have twins.

We didn’t get lucky with twins but we were fortunate to have another daughter. And now we are thinking about a third child and my promise of a Q7 is often recited by my wife since she loves the car. Twins run in my wife’s family and the thought of twins now has hesitantly been brought up. What about having twins now? That would mean four kids and definitely a car with seven seats. Verdict is still out on another child but the Q7 is very appealing regardless.
Having children often means many compromises.

A small sports car is usually not ideal for the family and convincing a partner of the benefits is an uphill battle. But mentioning this great looking station wagon you found which is perfect for soccer practice, shopping, and long vacations might be easier to get approved. Talk about how easy it is to drive, the big trunk, discrete looks, and how safe it is for the children. But be a little smart and mention price tag, fuel efficiency, and performance at a really good and happy moment.

If you like cars but don’t feel like spending the cash, at least test drive one of these sporty family cars once in your life. A drive in a RS4 Avant is something you’re unlikely to ever forget.

Spring Cleaning, Action, Rides, Family Fun!