Thank you all so much for your thoughtful responses. I appreciate it a ton. It's very helpful to hear from others who are in similar positions as I am.
As NGT2 pointed out, yes I also suspect our trusty TSX will be leaving the stable soon. I've gotten used to not having any car payments so adding two cars in the next year or so, while financially doable, is giving me a bit of pause.
I still miss the way my previous Audis drove. I've been in friends BMWs and while a bit different, I got that German inspired 'feel' that I've missed for awhile now. I know that I will 100% love this 540 - although I also know it will make me a car fanatic again and I'll spend most of my Sunday evenings washing/polishing/detailing every inch of the car
(not a bad thing at all).
In my mind, there are 2 ultimate questions. The first being is the 5 series the 'right' vehicle for my family that I can justify as practical. Only we can answer that question... but deep down I can get comfortable with the answer being yes.
The 2nd question is - is this particular vehicle mechanically sound and going to run trouble free for a long time. I don't think anyone can really answer that... but I have been scouring the carfax report. With low mileage and a very clean exterior/interior, it gives me hope that the previous owner took pretty good care of the car. The fact that it was 1 owner, purchased, and serviced all at the dealer that is selling it also gives me a bit of hope. The thing that makes me uncertain is the amount of tires that have been replaced per the carfax. It makes me wonder if the previous owner was driving recklessly and could have potentially damaged any steering or suspension components. I'll most likely never know the answer to these questions until it's a bit too late, but they are giving me pause. Gosh it stinks getting a bit older and more responsible... when I was in my 20s looking at German cars i'd say... ehh if something goes wrong I'll figure it out and get it fixed. Now I think about the mortgage, child expenses, etc haha
https://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistor...&partner=DON_0