Hell, I say go full crisis and buy both! 
@ galant - like your thinking! @ bscar - I get that - but you Have Got To Agree the ride in the MINI is completely different than the ride in a numbered vehicle from BMWā¦
never drove a beemer, just the base Mini. Was trying to sit in the BMWs at the dealership, but the 3 and 5 series both seemed to require a contortion act to get inside.
The Mini did offer a VERY fun drive and was quick for only 108hp
I knowā¦ but with a week of perspective and A LOT of time onlineā¦ I think, if Iām not going to go for the $68K Mercedes Benz convertible - "E"somthing or another - with the warm air that blows on your neck like a warm scarf, Oh My, that feature is possibly worth $25K!, Iāll go with the Volvo C-70. The VW Eos has really bad press - better to stay away from that one! And, the MINI, Iām afraid that may just be a silly infatuationā¦ oh how I wish I could just buy both - but if that were the case, I think Iād get that Mercedes!
Actually, you can have a Mini convertible and the C-70 convertible for the same price as that E550 Convertible you want. But then again, think of the clothes and accessories you an buy with the extra $25,000.
Been doing āresearchā and am getting conflicting reports! On Intellichoice.com it gives the MB E350 a low rating and the Volvo C70 an excellent rating but then on US News Best Cars the E350 ranks somewhere near the top with the C-70 near the bottom. Where can I get good reviews?
This may be a little bit out of left field, but what about a used Porsche 911 or Jaguar XK? Before anyone says anything, Jaguar quality seems to have improved by leaps and bounds {pun intended}, check JD Power. I donāt know what the depreciation is like on a used one, but the initial depreciation {when the first owner drives it off the lot} is steep.
Maserati is another high end car that drops like a rock after a few years.
The Car Show done a segment with used luxury cars and I believe a 5~7 year old Quatroporte with 20k miles on it was like $22k and the initial price was $125k
Both the Volvo and MB will lose value like a rock. Buy the one you like/can afford.
Both Intellechoice and US News and World Report provide decent reviews, but they have different criteria. Look closely at how they evaluate the cars and decide if either reflect the way you want to choose a car. BTW, if you throw Consumer Reports into the mix, they will tell you something different, too. Here are reviews from Edmunds for the 2 cars. You should look at MSN Autos, too.
Look at the faults. If you did not test those sysems, go back for another test drive and try them out. The problems might bother you enough that you will want to try another car.
When my husband was 40, he announced he either had to get a red sports car or a mistress. He got the car, a 1990 Plymouth Laser Turbo. That worked out well for me because I got to drive it too. He finally waved goodbye to the car last year but he kept me. So, go red, go fast, go small (the Laser had a backseat but only for children and legless people). If youāre in DC this weekend, weāre performing our show, āA Natural History of My Husbandās Carsā at the Kennedy Center Terrace Gallery, Saturday, Sep 3 at 1pm - free. More info at Nicolejburton.com