BMW's sport sedan flagship has split into two distinct eras: the beloved and the bloated. The E39 remains the gold standard, timeless design, balanced performance, and a driving character that still feels modern decades later. The G30 (2017-2023) carried that legacy forward with handsome proportions, a brilliant B58 engine in the 540i, and the kind of daily-driver refinement that makes long commutes feel effortless. Then the 2024 G60 arrived, swollen to 7 Series dimensions with cost-cut interior plastics and awkward styling that owners say looks front-wheel-drive. Experts praise its tech and smoothness; enthusiasts mourn the loss of athletic soul. The smart play? A used G30 540i combines steep depreciation with genuine excellence, just budget for BMW maintenance costs that don't depreciate with the sticker price. Skip the current generation unless you prioritize tech over driving character and can stomach the design.
For twenty years, the Prius was the car everyone respected but nobody wanted to be seen in, reliable as gravity, efficient as physics allows, and styled like a melted bar of soap. The 2023 redesign finally fixed the looks, added genuine driving enjoyment, and turned it into something you might actually want. The problem is dealer greed: markups are pushing new models to $40k-$50k, which is lunacy for what should be a $30k-$36k hybrid. At MSRP, the current Prius is the best version Toyota's ever built. At dealer markup prices, walk next door and buy the Camry Hybrid, it's quieter, roomier, and actually available at reasonable prices. If you're shopping used, Gen 2 models are bulletproof appliances that'll outlive your mortgage.