Need Everyones Help!!!

[BMW4LIFE]

okay so i have been on this site many times reading all the postings and trying to inform myself to the best of my abilities...i am considering upgrading my 1993 525i with 125k to something a little better but not really sure what, all i know is that i cant afford a new car so i am gonna take the used car route once more (i think its the best way...less money loss)

the cars i have in mind are...

2000 BMW 328CI
2002 BMW 330CI
2003 INFINITI G35 COUPE
2000 MBENZ 320 CLK
2001 LEXUS IS300

or if i should just drive the beast until it blows!!! :D


thanks for all of your inputs!!!


P.S. i am still a student and dont have a lot of money on spending it on a car to be in the shop all day long like my friends dads JAG!!!

[632 Regal]

any major probs with the car? it sortof has low mileage compared to a Lot.

[BMW4LIFE]

nothing really...the only thing that i noticed is that my bushings on the control arm and some other suspension links are shot (i think)
besides that the car is fine...oh yea and i need to change the motor for the power seats cause i cant adjust the drivers seat (tiltin it back and forth)

overall i dont wanna sell the car cause of ALL THE MEMORIES but i dont want it to end up causein me tons of money cause shits starts breaking left and right

[rob101]

nothing really...the only thing that i noticed is that my bushings on the control arm and some other suspension links are shot (i think)
besides that the car is fine...oh yea and i need to change the motor for the power seats cause i cant adjust the drivers seat (tiltin it back and forth)

overall i dont wanna sell the car cause of ALL THE MEMORIES but i dont want it to end up causein me tons of money cause shits starts breaking left and right
I don't know what kind of guy you are but if you are a guy who is afraid of tools and mechanical work then replace your car... but if you pitch in and do a reasonable amount of DIY and are smart about where you buy you parts (especially because you live in the US you lucky bastard)you car can last well over 125 000 miles (200 000 km) no sweat. just a thought if you love your car...... why not keep it and save yourself all the depreciation on a near new car. its a win win situation...... but maintenence will be a pain (especially if you do it yourself) but if you are really that attached to your car then it should be worth it.

[SRR2]

Either of the 3-series would be a good choice, particularly the 330ci, but that's not going to be cheap. You couldn't *give* me an Infiniti G35. Had one of those as a loaner for a week once and hated every minute I was forced to use it. It's a horrible piece of motorized plastic. Don't know much beyond the obvious about the Benz and Lex.

[BMW4LIFE]

Either of the 3-series would be a good choice, particularly the 330ci, but that's not going to be cheap. You couldn't *give* me an Infiniti G35. Had one of those as a loaner for a week once and hated every minute I was forced to use it. It's a horrible piece of motorized plastic. Don't know much beyond the obvious about the Benz and Lex.


what was soo bad about it???

how was the power, ride quality, etc.

i was considering the 540i 6 speed but thats just too much car for me and the gas...**** thats another story:(

[angrypancake]

is the g35 stick? i worked as a valet over the summer and this dude was at the place i worked every weekend. had a 6 speed, and at the end of the summer swapped in a twin turbo Skyline engine. it was awesome. ps i voted for the 330ci.

[rob101]

is the g35 stick? i worked as a valet over the summer and this dude was at the place i worked every weekend. had a 6 speed, and at the end of the summer swapped in a twin turbo Skyline engine. it was awesome. ps i voted for the 330ci.
you guys do know the G35 is the new skyline in japan, i wouldn't mind having a drive of one they are starting to filter through to australia (grey imports)

[angrypancake]

you guys do know the G35 is the new skyline in japan, i wouldn't mind having a drive of one they are starting to filter through to australia (grey imports)


they're supposedly coming to the States in 2008. I saw the photos from the Tokyo auto show, pretty awesome stuff.
http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/4721/image0177af1po.jpg

i'm undecided, sorta like a 350z? they say all the carbon fiber probly wont be on there.

[onewhippedpuppy]

I voted 330Ci, though the G35 coupe would be a close second. Drive them all though, buy the one you like.

Being a student, is buying a newer car the best path for you? All of those are $25-30k, even used. Can you afford a $500/mo payment, as well as probably at least double the insurance rates? If I were you I would put aside the $500 that you would have spent on a car payment, then use it to fix the things that crop up on the 525. You know it's good for at least another 100k, so it's just small stuff that will break. Also, the DIY tip is a good one, most things on these cars aren't hard to fix, and you have a good support system here online. Obviously do what you want, but I'm a student, and the biggest mistake my wife and I have made was buying a new 4Runner. Not because of the 4Runner, but we just got in too deep on the payments, should have just bought an older used one. Luckily we busted our asses and lived like poor people, and paid it off in half the loan term. Lesson learned, we're driving that damn thing until it dies, which being a Toyota will probably be forever.

[HDhandyman]

Get a KIA Sportage!

[DanDombrowski]

I like the advice you're giving here. If you're a student, a $500 a month payment is a lot to think about, especially when unexpected problems come up. Now, I'm usually the LAST person to tell someone else to do with their money, because I HATE IT when people give me money advice, but buying an expensive car in college is usually a bad idea.

Again, I don't know what your income is, but at least ask yourself these questions:

If I get laid off, how many payments can I make with the savings I have before I need another paycheck?
Will it be easy to find another job that pays as much as this one if I decide to go to another school? If I cant, can I still afford the car?
If I change my major and have to take all morning/night classes, can I keep my job?
Is this car within my lifestyle, or can I just barely afford the payment?
How much am I paying in interest versus saving the cash and waiting until after I graduate to buy the car?
How well will other college students treat my nice car in the parking lot?

I was in the same position as you not too long ago, and I couldn't keep people from trashing my 93 in the parking lots, so I certainly wasn't going to throw down cash I didn't have for a new car that would get beaten that much.

Also, if you drive it until its dead, you won't ever have buyers remorse when you buy your new car!

[SRR2]

The G35 was very 'plasticky' inside, the engine (was a V6, about 250 hp, I believe) was buzzy, the automatic transmission frequently couldn't decide what to do with itself, it had a funny plastic smell (and was only a year old and 8000 miles), I didn't like the styling, inside or outside, steering and directional control felt like an '85 Skylark, the control and display layout was very weird, and so on. I just hated the thing.

Well, you *can* run a lot of gas through that V8, but in point of fact, my '01 540/6 is turning in at least 2 mpg (and this is during cold weather) better than the E34 535 it replaced. I keep detailed fuel and maintenance records, by the way.

The E39 540 Sport is an incredibly well-balanced car. You can go like a bat outta hell or drive it like a comfortable highway cruiser. Driven leisurely on reasonable roads and traffic, it can achieve 27-28 mpg without too much trouble. OTOH, stick your foot in it and you can spin the tires.

[spyrot1]

Hi everyone,

This is my first post, although I've been lurking for a while now.

I currently own a G35 sedan auto and a 95 525i with 128k that I picked up as a commuter car. I've always loved BMW's (my first car was a new 85 325e which although not the fastest, was a lot of fun). The 525i is a nice car once I repaired or replaced all it's problems, but the G35 is a generation or two beyond it. It is a muscle car with a very aggressive exhaust, that's very fast without needing any performance mods. If I add mods to it I should be able to get over 300hp from it.

I've only needed to bring it to the dealership once, and that was for a recall. When I had the 325e, I was on a first name basis with the BMW service manager (still loved the car, hated it's reliability). Even my Durango has had better reliability (only a couple of warranty repair issues in 5 years).

When I first got the 325e I thought it was the pinnacle of automotive design (and it was for 1985), but the G35 makes it seem archaic now (as it should). It also makes the 525i feel old (and I fully enjoy driving the 525i). The G35 is a light car with a lot of horse power (of course an M3 or M5 would leave it in the dust, but those cars are very expensive to own and maintain).

When I was looking at getting a new car, I priced a 330i, a Lexus is300, and the G35. The G35 was closer in price to the 325i (but still cheaper) but had more hp then any of them. As they say, there is no substitute for cubic inches. Once you drive a light car with a lot of horse power; that handles very well, and will be very dependable it's hard not to choose it. Besides, it's $10k cheaper then the e90 330i.

I still love the 525i, but the reality is that it is an 11 year old car based on a 17 year old design. It is not in the same league as the G35 anymore.

Hope this helps.

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

of the road burning.

[BMW4LIFE]

WOW!!!

u guys have opened my eyes...after reading all of the postings the wheels in my head have started turning...

as far as the price on the cars go my dads good friend has a dealership licence and he can get a car from the auction for pretty cheap...granted that its a gamble but you can save a lot of money that way...

as far as my job goes i have a decent job that pays pretty well and hopefully will be leaving for dental school next year...one thing that worries me is that i dont want my car to have a lot of trouble to take away from my study time...granted if i buy a newer car i might still have problems, especially from an auction...

as far as fixing my car im pretty good at that...i do all the easy stuff like change the oil, all the filters, plugs, changin my rotors and pads and flushin the brake fluid...as far as the suspension goes im gonna need to buy the bentley book for sure...and the drivers seat i heard was a bitch!!!

idealy my future car will be an M5 but for now the 540i 6speed sounds great but i have stayed away from it due to ****in gas prices:( ...thats why i have all V6 models chosen...i read somewhere that the 540/6 gets 14 in the city and 21 or so in the freeway????

again i appriciate all of the inputs on this subject cause when i talk to my dad about it the only word that comes out of his mouth is HONDA...his beatin that into me for soooooo long that i HATE honda cars so just to quiet him down i went and bought a 2002 HONDA RC51 :D ...but i do have to say that hondas are great cars!!!

[onewhippedpuppy]

My 540/6 gets up to 26 hwy, not that bad. As dull as it sounds, a Honda would be the best bet for you right now. Just change the oil every 3k, and that's it. For somebody in dental school, unless you have the cash for a new car, I would look at something cheap and reliable, because you're not going to have time for anything other than school.

[BMW4LIFE]

...because you're not going to have time for anything other than school.

tell me about it...its bad cause my dad has beatin honda into so much for so long that i hate the damn car as good as it is...secondly after driving the 525i and driving my sisters accord i noticed how much front wheel drive suck!!!

[BMW4LIFE]

oh and as far as the suspension goes what do yall think about this... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-E34-Front-Control-Arm-Suspension-Package-M5-Upgrade_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33583QQitemZ803 3490601QQrdZ1

is there somewhere else i can buy a kit instead of ebay???
i know lemforder is better...do they have a kit???

[pundit]

oh and as far as the suspension goes what do yall think about this... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-E34-Front-Control-Arm-Suspension-Package-M5-Upgrade_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33583QQitemZ803 3490601QQrdZ1

is there somewhere else i can buy a kit instead of ebay???
i know lemforder is better...do they have a kit???
I think Whit Lowell has had some experience with parts from Grotons.
Maybe he could chime in!

[onewhippedpuppy]

Unless you really like replacing suspension parts, that may not be the best approach. Do a search for FCP Groton, or maybe Ebay suspension, you'll see.;)

[kyleN20]

i picked a 330ci, but the g35 is a GREAT car, go between those two.

[ILoveMPower]

Personally, I would say no to all the choices of your poll and pick up an E39. I love my E34 to death and never want to get rid of it, but if I was forced, what better to replace it then the evolved version? The E39 540i/6's are awesome cars and get better gas mileage than my 535i, let alone an E34 540. If you are still worried about gas mileage, the 528's are awesome from what I've heard.

Don't disappoint yourself, stick with a BMW.

[Incantation]

if you are a student how the hell are you looking at something '00 or newer as a car?

anyway, the benz is by far the nicest choice. slam it 3 inches and you're set.

[BMW4LIFE]

so i was reading that the 2001 330ci had many problems with the fuel injection system that had a delay or something and the steering was all messed up...on the poll i ment to put the 2001 but for some reason i put the 2002...is that true???

did it improve on the 2002???

would yall still vote 330ci if i were to put 2001???

thanks

[onewhippedpuppy]

They're both E46, I find it hard to believe that an '02 has problems that the '01 didn't. If you're seriously interested in the E46, ask around on the bimmerforums 3 series forum, that's probably a better source for specific info.