Would you trade your e30 for a non bmw?

[Nonspec325]

I'm probably going to get some ridicule for this but what about a Saab 9-3 or 9-5 with the turbo engine.

I have a 2001 9-3 Coupe as a Daily Driver and it is a great car. 30 mpg. 280HP (many performance parts).

They are available in a 4 door hatch with a ton of room. In fact, I once transported a dish washer in my trunk and it closed.

Lack of a brand name makes it cheap to get into one; Parts are cheap; Insurance is crazy cheap; They are easy to fix; They are very safe; and can be made to go fast.

If you look at them try to get one made between 1999 and 2002. Those were the best years before GM messed them up.

Good Luck.

[whiltebeitel]

when i was a child we were made to squeeze into miatas and e21's. ps i have 4 siblings. trust me, they will have a love for your car, and all those childhood memories. we had the e21 until the floor fell off

My parents had a 4-dr turbo K-car and an '88 535i. Mom hated the e28 maintenence cost, but if it were'nt for that car, I wouldn't be much of a car person at all. I love that car! It was part of many mermorable high points in my childhood.

If you want a safe car, but don't/can't get a newer car (safer for reasons FredK mentioned) try out a Volvo 240. I had one for a while. It stood up to so much abuse, and when a lady ran a red on a left turn in front of me and I t-boned her, all i had to fix was a turn signal lens and the scuffs on the bumper.

[dvs909]

you idiots on page one arnt understanding he needs a safe car for his newborn child.
get a honda accord.

[BraveUlysses]

WTF? You would trade an e30 for an e36? Why would you want a heavy ridiculous pig?

Have you actually driven an E36 extensively? The weight difference isn't that significant.

I'll trade my e30 for an e30 M3 or Porsche.

Good luck with all that.

[delatlanta1281]

Do not buy a 2002 1.8t jetta unless it is in stick. Also be prepared to replace every vacume line at least twice.

[e30maniac]

Keep the e30 man! its not that cramped in the back, and get the A/C fixed;)

[Conki]

What about an e34? e34 Touring?
They are like the E30 but bigger (safer), a family of 5 can fit in them with all the luggage, box on the roof rack for skies, etc.

[e34john]

E34 touring or X5.

Or you can be the cool dad like this guy, he had a baby seat in his car. Sorry for the bad picture, I was pulling away to easily. Its the little Lambo whatever they call them now.

[nando]

if you got a kid on the way, do your family a favor and get something safer. no 20 year old bmw will be safe (ie E28 ). even the e36 won't compare to anything that's been produced within the last 5 years.

lol at this attitude. pretty sure millions of kids grew up riding around in these cars. I'm also pretty sure the cars we had when I grew up were much worse than a 20 year old BMW.

[e34john]

if you got a kid on the way, do your family a favor and get something safer. no 20 year old bmw will be safe (ie E28 ). even the e36 won't compare to anything that's been produced within the last 5 years.

I will take my E34 up against most of the cars out there and feel pretty confident. Might want to fix the headrest first though. But have you seen the crash tests results from the Koreans, and now the Chinese and Indians want to sell cars heres. Even new Accords and Camrys feel light and cheap. I always feel like its going to crush like an old soda can when I get in one of those.

[Fast Frankie]

http://www.volkswagenlemonlaw.com/links.htm

No VW's please. everytime I think of VWs, I remember my Moms... it melted. Yes, melted. Long story, not such a long story for the car.

Oh yeah, what would I trade. Well, for the kiddies, I'd get myself a turbo volvo or a legacy GT. Plus, I'd keep the e30, no need to get rid of a perfectly good man escape; trust me, your going to need it. You'll be praying for problems with the car!

[tjts1]

lol at this attitude. pretty sure millions of kids grew up riding around in these cars. I'm also pretty sure the cars we had when I grew up were much worse than a 20 year old BMW.

LOL at your ignorance.

[pureaudio]

Just get something with air and 4 doors and you will be fine. 20 years old is fine, your just going to not be as comfortable as you would in something newer. I have a Trailblazer that is a snore fest to drive but masses amounts of room and I can put my son in and out of his seat in seconds.

[theox69]

If you want safe, get yourself a Volvo.
They're pretty expensive to maintain though, so don't expect it to be cheaper than your e30.
And since they're all wrong-wheel drive, get yourself an S60R, so at least you could have fun when you're driving!

[nando]

LOL at your ignorance.

so I suppose riding around in the "back" of a ford ranchero was safe?

the AMC gremlin my stepdad had was probably safe too

or any of the other 1950s, 60s and 70s cars my parents drove, that sometimes didn't have seatbelts, or crumple zones and defnintely not airbags.

and yet somehow I'm still alive. it's amazing..