ASMspec

Yes on both counts.

Elistan

When the wife and I got tired of having only loud vehicles that couldn't fit more than two people, we added a 2013 328i sedan to the collection. We really like it.

car compulsive

You and your wife's backs will thank you for getting a SUV or crossover when loading kids in / out of carseats as compared to low sedans. You may also want to consider a CPO Lexus RX. Frankly, I won't touch anything from Europe anymore due to the maintenance & repair costs. My theory on German cars is that they are designed by fine German engineers to be maintained by expensive German technicians.

Chris S

@ ~20K miles per year, almost any European vehicle is going to be expensive to maintain! For kids, how about the new Chevy SS? If you're on a lighter budget, the Mazda 6 is a great car. Sure, it's not super fast, but it feels great and is very economical.