Hi all,

Currently daily driving a 1999 Mercedes E300 Turbodiesel with 236,000 miles. In great shape and runs like a top but with diesel being $4.90-$5.20/gal in my area and with the car having exactly zero modern conveniences and with a few upcoming maintenance items I'm considering replacing with something else.

My commute is 200 miles round trip 1x-2x/week at most (work from home otherwise) on an interstate highway, plus usually a 70 mile round trip drive on Saturdays to my family's property. I do somewhere between 15,000-20,000 miles annually in my daily driver car. Most of my personal driving is on double lane secondary roads where good handling cars are very rewarding.

I'm a big gearhead myself, currently owning 4 cars (the Mercedes daily, plus a 2008 Range Rover Sport as a utility vehicle, a 1991 Mercedes 300D (great deal on it and it's kind of a classic plus I have barn storage) and a 2007 Porsche Cayman garage queen as a fun weekender). I'm really only considering replacing the '99 Benz if I can find something that gives me the "tingles" to drive. Right now I have 3 good options, which I have test-driven:

1.) 2015 Ford Fiesta ST - $17,000 Pros: Definitely was boisterous and fun, plus had a nice exhaust note. I like the Euro look of the subcompact hatchback as well. Was lightly modified to include an intake and a turbo blowoff valve which sounded pretty good. Cons: the clutch had very little travel and felt mushy and springy (I'm used to the Porsche clutch at this point so don't assume there was a problem with it). Interior felt cheap. My seating position (6'2" tall, 185 lb man) puts my head right next to the b-pillar. Steering was surprisingly vague though it was quick and had good weight - but didn't have the sharpness and feel I was expecting (like my Porsche does).

2.) 2015 BMW i3 Range Extender - $19,000 Pros: I'm a big BMW fan, love the steering feel and the RWD layout. Love the design, specifically the interior. I have a garage for charging. Cons: even with REX, range is only 140 miles so I'd have to fill up to complete a round trip commute. Priciest option (though offset by fuel savings most likely). Not a manual :-(

3.) 2017 VW Jetta 1.4T SE - $16,000 Pros: this specific car was beautifully kept, looks and smells brand new. Has all the modern conveniences (nice touch screen, sunroof, blind spot monitor). Very quiet, comfortable ride and great fuel economy. Cons: Doesn't have the handling acuity of the BMW or my Porsche. Had the highest mileage of the group (76,000).

I'm specifically interested in opinions or predictions on which of the three will likely have the lowest depreciation as well as which would make the most fun, yet liveable, daily driver.

The utility and reliability factors are present but not as important to me as is total cost of ownership (including depreciation) and overall enjoyment as I can/do wrench on cars and if I need to haul something sizable I just use my Range Rover.