OT: Talking Cars Tuesday - What's Next?

Planning on paying off my Escape next spring.  Still undecided on the next step.  Do I spend a while enjoying the total lack of car payment, or trade it in right away to take advantage of a pretty good trade-in value and still have a lower car payment?  Not sure about that. 

Also not sure of what to get next.  Upgraded Escape is a possibility.  So is an MKC, used MKS (highly underrated car IMO), or maybe I go turncoat and look at a Jeep Cherokee or Compass.  Or go full exotic and look at the Alfa Giulia, which I think is just a beautiful car.  Partly this is a choice between more money in the pocket or just something nice for myself.  I have 0% financing on this Escape and am therefore spoiled and won't buy without it (or very, very close to it.)  The indecision on not even knowing what I want next will probably cause me to sit on the car for a little while after paying it off, but I don't want to do that for too long and watch the car depreciate too much.

I have 5 cars already (4 of them have over 200k...but all of them still drive) so it might not be a go...but I am always thinking about it 8-)

Under consideration...Buick GNX if there are still any unmolested ones still left on the planet.  2000-2003 Grand Prix GTP which I had but rusted out after 225k, but still possibly my favorite car of all time.  And, the early 70s Suburban, is also under consideration.

Currently have: 09 Malibu, 09 G8, 02 Yukon, 88 Chevy R30 crew cab DRW truck, 72 Chevy Cheyenne.  Malibu is the only one which gets driven thru the winter.

My next car will be a Nissan 370Z, though I don't know which year. Whatever year I buy it in, it will be the most current model. I'm hoping by the summer of 2019 I will have it.

My wife and I currently have our 2016 Subaru Forester and 2011 Honda CR-Z. The Honda is my car, since my wife cannot drive a stick, and has no interest in even learning despite my repeated requests. The car was fine when I was driving ~50 miles a day when I lived in Pittsburgh, but now that my commute (when I drive) is like 3 miles, having a hybrid kind of sucks. The only fun thing about it is Honda makes some of the best feeling shifters this side of Porsche. So I want to get something a lot more fun to drive, but getting buy-in from my wife is going to be the hard part.

I want to replace it real bad, and I've narrowed my list down to a handful of cars. Option 1 is to keep the CR-Z and get a 2003-04 Honda S2000 as a fun car which can be enjoyed for the 4-5 months of great summer weather here in Oregon. Option 2 is to trade it in and get a 2011-14 Subaru WRX STI hatchback, which keeps the practicality of a hatch but adds a fun factor. Option 3 is to say screw it, trade it in, and get a totally impractical fun car like a Porsche Boxter/Cayman or a Lotus Exige.

Unfortunately we just put an offer in on a house yesterday, so it's unlikely I'll be exercising any of those options anytime soon.

Once we finish paying off the Honda Odyssey next year, it will be my turn to start looking. I'll be replacing a 2003 Infiniti I35, which used to be my wife's car (traded in my used 2003 Passat wagon for the Odyssey). At the earliest, will be buying in 2018, but 2019 is more likely. 

I really want to go back to a station wagon - enjoyed the Passat wagon for what it was. Pickings are relatively slim, but excited at the prospect of the 2018 Buick Regal TourX AWD wagon. 

Other options include:

• Subaru Outback - I'd probably wait for the 2019 model, which I'm hoping is completely redesigned, but they still feel too CUV-like for me now. I miss the old Legacy wagons, especially in GT trim.
• Volvo V60 and V90 - V60 would have to wait until the 2019 MY as the 2018 is the old design/style. The V90 looks really nice with the new styling and interior, although maintenance, insurance, etc. promises to be higher than the Subie; not sure in comparison to the Buick, which is too new yet
• No to the MB, Audi, BMW wagons
• Golf wagon (fka Jetta wagon) is a little on the small side

I've been driving my 2004 GMC Sierra since new... now 253000 miles later she's still runnin' good.  That and the sticker on new pickups makes me reconsider every time I start thinking about getting a new truck.  I don't think my parents paid as much for their house back in the day as a truck costs now.

My 2011 BMW 335xi is like a pair of comfortable shoes.  Just feels great and I love to drive it, but...it is getting up there in miles and I recently had to replace 2 fuel injectors.  New brake pads will be coming up.  So, maintenance is starting to add up and I rarely keep cars as long as I have this one.  [Exception to the rule noted below]

As to what is next, I'm really not sure.  I think I want to stick with a new sports sedan, so I'm waiting for the next generation (G20) 3-series to roll out before I buy anything.  Hope it's worth the wait.  I've been keeping an eye on the Audi A4.  New generation came out this past year.  I've owned several Audis and have been pleased with all of them.  Guess I'll look at the new ATS, too.  My buddy at GM can always get me a good deal on GM vehicles.  Intrigued by the Alfa Romeo Guilia, but quality could be a nightmare for that car and it's too new to have a track record.  Lexus and others are more luxury than sports IMO.

Or, I could just go in a different direction.  We have a Cadillac XT5, so we don't need another SUV.  We have a 2001 BMW Z3 with low miles that's been our fun in the sun car for the past 14 years.  Still runs great and maintenance hasn't been that bad over the years.  Just not sure which way I'd go if I decided to move away from sports sedans.  Mustang GT or some other modern Detroit muscle car?

Wife took my 09 Malibu and turned in a busted front strut.  Not being near the car to make any decisions, nursed it to the nearest garage and they are doing $1200 of work to put two new front struts and alignment (maybe some arm too, not sure).  She gives me the "you need a new car" talk.  

I've taken great care of the car, but now at 150k things are starting to happen.  I think I can get another 3 years and to 200k reasonbly and safely (kiddos).