I want to buy NOT an e30, need help car shopping

[agent]

Another vote for the E39 here. Does it HAVE to be a V8? My 530i still makes both me and my wallet very happy.

[Jb325is]

As far as dollar a cents (sometimes sense) goes I feel like since your E30 is an absolute monster, I'd pair it with maybe something not as exciting but infinitely more reliable for the money you're talking about (but that's me.)



What Alex Roy did in 2006 equates to what a person will be doing commonly on the highway as a daily driver? You're stretching for a connection, but sure.

E39 is my favorite M5 (tied with E28) and possibly favorite "modern" sedan but I don't know if I'd want one as a daily unless I had no problem keeping it in tip top shape by dropping it off at an indie shop I trusted, often if need be.

My own opinion, but to seriously enjoy a car that is starting to get older (even with low miles) is you should be able to spend money on it as if the purchase price was double what you paid (not quite new, but you get my point).

If I was at a level where I didn't even react to a $3k+ repair bill then I'd go for it. Average cost per month would obviously be lower than that, but the problem with the clapped out M5's I've seen is they can fall from grace quickly if they aren't cared for, not saying you wouldn't.

We like what we like, and I can't fault you for wanting a gorgeous M5 and I'm sure you don't need a financial lesson but to others it's a good idea to really understand your own finances before pulling the trigger.

I appreciate the post, that is some really good advice. While financially, I am not in a situation to drop $3k on a repair and not bat an eye, I do feel like there is no repair on any of these cars I would not tackle myself. While the car would be my "DD," I do have two other cars to fall back on if something catastrophic were to happen. For instance, if I blew an S62, I wouldn't have any problem tossing the car in the garage and swapping the motor over the span of a few months. That said, I'm really looking for a car I can hold onto for a very long time. I've had my e30 for twelve years, don't see myself selling the Land Rover ever (because British truck), and I am looking for a car to compliment those for the long haul. I own a home, don't have a credit card, and will never purchase a new car so I'm looking for something that is worth having for an extended period of time, that I can maintain myself, and enjoy driving every day. I suppose I am a foolish, enthusiast car owner in the sense that I would never buy a car just as a mode of transportation, if I have to spend the money, it's going to be on something that I will truly enjoy on a daily basis

[eduTechnic]

Whoops wrong thread

[Jims5543]

How about something completely different?

You should buy my RX8 not super powerful, get it on an Autocross course or up in the mountains (tail of the dragon) and Porsche 911's struggle to keep up with it. 237HP from a 1.3 liter engine is nothing to sneeze at anyway. Especially in a sub 2800 lb car.

http://www.rx8club.com/rx-8s-sale-wanted-43/2009-rx8-r3-black-w-ext-warranty-252682/

Tons of pics here:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8RAuWivhfQTbFROV0RwQXJlSEE&authuser=0

If you purchase it, you will be helping me get a BMW back in my garage.

The RX8 comes with a bumper to bumper warranty until 2017 and 76K miles on the car. It currently has 29K miles on it.

I will sell to you for 14K I will throw in a set of RPF-1 rims with very sticky tires and it comes with 4 brand new tires, a recent oil change (500 miles ago) and 4 new tires on the stock 19" rims. The RPF-1's are 17" rims with 255 wide tires on all 4 corners.

Remember, buying this car gets me into a E30.... actually I am getting into it either way you just keep me out of the doghouse with the Mrs5543.

I will even meet with you 1/2 way to help you get the car home.

Can you sense my desperation to sell asap?

Go test drive an RX8 somewhere, then realize mine is a limited run car (555 made) and has tighter springs and bushings, I also put on a better front sway bar and had it aligned so there is virtually no understeer.

The handling will blow you mind. How well behaved it is being pushed hard in the twisties is almost incomprehensible.

PM me here or email me:

Jims5543@gmail.com

[nando]

E46 or E90 330i. Forget things like M5s and god no to any Audi. I'm partial to the E90 as a dd,but the E46 is a great value.

The Rx8 is a great chassis but the motor is awful. It gets the fuel economy of a V8, burns oil like an 85 Toyota Tercel, and has the torque curve of a 50cc weed wacker.

[whitebulat22]

What about a hot hatch? The ones Ford has made so far squeeze the limits of fun per horsepower and daily usability per dollar imo. Golf R32s are absolutely intoxicating when they pop up. When the Fiat 500 SRT-4 depreciates a bit more I'll be tempted, although I'm not sure I'd ever put my pets in that back seat.

To the E39 I'd agree it looks like the most car for your money. Sweet spot of the 5 series family IMO and not priced like it yet. Those are going to be remembered very fondly as time goes on. You've experienced it and probably know as well as ever if you want an S62 in your stable for the long haul.

I'd eliminate E46 M3 unless you're still wanting more S54 in your day, which would be understandable.

Mercs are looking like a wild card here because CLK500s and 550s occasionally pop into your price range. I'm a BMW guy first, but I enjoy being able to experience a different side of German engineering every now and then. Sometimes driving my dad's auto 190e or c240 after some thorough E30ing feels niiiiiice, and we feel Merecedes has always been better than everyone in luxury and cruising. Things like the tough, plush interior and the thundering thud you get closing the door make the weight gain over a BMW feel worth it if you're in the mood for those sorts of things. I will acknowledge the E39 and E46 generation both specifically took big steps forward to match the luxury feel, and obviously they pulled ahead even further in the sportiness category.

Merc vs. M5, I'd say a strong V8 CLK or E55 like you found will consistently make you feel like a million bucks, while long term ownership of the M5 would let you stack up many miles with one of BMW's best achievements. They're very different experiences but both in the heart over head buy category, Merc more so than the M5 when expensive electronics start needing maintenance.

Anyway, that's all of my potentially useful thoughts.

[BLACKCHARM88]

Drove my friends dad's E39 528i and for some reason it felt like it fit me, even being an auto and a 528i it was a fun car

[marshallnoise]

Another vote for the E39 here. Does it HAVE to be a V8? My 530i still makes both me and my wallet very happy.

How decent is the 3.0? They always intrigued me.

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[DEV0 E30]

I appreciate the post, that is some really good advice. While financially, I am not in a situation to drop $3k on a repair and not bat an eye, I do feel like there is no repair on any of these cars I would not tackle myself. While the car would be my "DD," I do have two other cars to fall back on if something catastrophic were to happen. For instance, if I blew an S62, I wouldn't have any problem tossing the car in the garage and swapping the motor over the span of a few months. That said, I'm really looking for a car I can hold onto for a very long time. I've had my e30 for twelve years, don't see myself selling the Land Rover ever (because British truck), and I am looking for a car to compliment those for the long haul. I own a home, don't have a credit card, and will never purchase a new car so I'm looking for something that is worth having for an extended period of time, that I can maintain myself, and enjoy driving every day. I suppose I am a foolish, enthusiast car owner in the sense that I would never buy a car just as a mode of transportation, if I have to spend the money, it's going to be on something that I will truly enjoy on a daily basis

You actually aren't foolish, I think most of us here echo your sentiment. We are car enthusiasts for a reason. You've thought this through and obviously are in a better place than many who attempt to own an M5. I suspected you may be selling the Rover and the M5 would replace it. Since you are not, and the value of having other cars to drive if something were to happen is IMO one of the best backup plans... even if one of those is a vehicle that has an even worse reputation than an M car. ;)

With your current lineup, I too would suggest a barely used hot hotch, but they aren't everyone's forte.

[agent]

How decent is the 3.0? They always intrigued me.

It's fantastic. I think it's one of BMW's best engines of all time, especially when upkeep costs are part of the equation.

[marshallnoise]

It's fantastic. I think it's one of BMW's best engines of all time, especially when upkeep costs are part of the equation.

Freaking awesome to know!

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[Jims5543]

E46 or E90 330i. Forget things like M5s and god no to any Audi. I'm partial to the E90 as a dd,but the E46 is a great value.

The Rx8 is a great chassis but the motor is awful. It gets the fuel economy of a V8, burns oil like an 85 Toyota Tercel, and has the torque curve of a 50cc weed wacker.

Let me dispel some myths here.

It gets 22 -24 on the highway and 16-18 around town. Not the best, but considering it makes 237 HP from 1.3 liters. Not too shabby, gas mileage was never an issue for me with a sports car.

I change the oil every 3K miles and I have never had to add oil prior to an oil change, my E46 used more oil than this car does.

It is not a torque car, all RX cars lacked it like most 4 cylinder cars. The high revving engine comes alive at 4K RPM's and pulls very nicely all the way to 9K RPM's. When most cars shift at 5-6 maybe 7K RPM this car is loving life. This makes them very predicable and confidence inspiring in the curves.

Great chassis is an understatement. I took a friend who owns 4 different kinds of Porsche 911's for a ride in it and he could not believe it was bone stock, thought I was fooling around with him. In the picture below, taken on the tail of the dragon, the guy in the black Porsche behind me ended up cooking his brakes trying to keep up with me. If you look closely you can see my Porsche friend in the passenger seat. The Red 911 in the back has 400 to the wheels and weighs about 2300 lbs. we can keep up with one another perfectly no matter who is leading or following. I had not put in my heavy front sway bar yet, this was my first trip to the mountains with the car in this pic. It is much much better now.



I am talking myself out of selling this car now..

As I said, it is not a drag racer, it is a mountain carver that will make you feel like a god driving it. My only reason for selling is that it is one of 555 made and my wife is afraid to drive it. I am wondering if the E30 I am buying will be able to hang with these guys. But, it is not about that, I want a fun car that I know my wife will drive. She is afraid of this car due to its rarity.


Another car to consider is a Mini Cooper S I prefer the series one cars with the super chargers. Some can be problematic, but many have had good luck with them. Plus they hold their value well. Something to consider.

Oh and plus 1 on the Audi thing. They will make you poor unless you have a good warranty. I owned 2 a 2001 A6 Quattro with the 2.7 biturbo V6 and 6 speed manual. It was an amazing car that was always broken.

I traded it for a 2005 A6 Quattro 3.2 v6 that was not turbo charged, it was brand new on lease and it was in the dealership once a month for 36 months, one time is was in the shop for an entire month. I loved making that lease payment.

NEVER own an Audi out of warranty.

[Jorgen]

NEVER own an Audi out of warranty.

They aren't all that bad. I did sell my S4 when things were on the way downhill after about 115k miles (too soon) but I also ran my old A4 to around 180k with limited issues. I had my S4 from 35kish=115kish without a warranty and only replaced the coils (they had an issue and could have gotten them under recall eventually but only have like $100 into that swap), serpentine belt (did tensioner and idler for safety) and oil.

Maybe I'm just too open to all makes, my boss says the same thing about BMW after he got the bills from his wifes 2009ish 3.

[Jims5543]

They aren't all that bad. I did sell my S4 when things were on the way downhill after about 115k miles (too soon) but I also ran my old A4 to around 180k with limited issues. I had my S4 from 35kish=115kish without a warranty and only replaced the coils (they had an issue and could have gotten them under recall eventually but only have like $100 into that swap), serpentine belt (did tensioner and idler for safety) and oil.

Maybe I'm just too open to all makes, my boss says the same thing about BMW after he got the bills from his wifes 2009ish 3.

I am open to all makes too. Hence my Audi ownership, giving them 2 chances even.

I had a Mini Cooper S JCW and LOVED that car. The only reason I sold that was to buy a 1980 Porsche 911, before the Mini I had a Mustang GT, after the Porsche 911 I had the Audi's then a E46 330i which I drove for 4 years and 60K miles problem free. I love all cars, I currently have a FJ Cruiser for Beach, boat and trip duties. A Mini Cooper Pickup Truck, and the RX8, the 8 is leaving so Rammsteins M52 Swapped E30 can fit in my garage.

I also owned a 480RWHP RX7 for 12 years that I sold 2 years ago. Someday I plan on building a FF5 Cobra with a 3 Rotor (20B) engine in it just to piss off the V8 muscle car crowd.

I did the Audi thing, I sometimes find myself staring at one for sale then shake my head and remember the mental anguish mine caused me.

[E30 Wagen]

Sorry, I can't resisting sharing this story about my Rx8 encounter at the HPDE I did this summer at Gingerman. Hopefully I can explain this clearly - the long straight is preceded by a right-hand turn; after the apex of this turn it climbs up before eventually leveling off onto the straight section. After the apex I always held the throttle wide open (3rd gear), yet if something like an e36 M3 was behind me I'd have to point him by and he'd blow my doors off almost before the hill starts to level out (I'm in a stock eta). However, in a couple sessions this Rx8 is behind me as I'm coming out of the turn - as usual I give the point-by, not bothering to let off the gas since most cars easily fly past me. But each time he struggled to catch me until half-way down the straight. And apparently he burned through a quart of oil every half hour session - I burned through none the entire weekend.

Therefore you should buy an eta.