Thinking of selling the bimmer :(

[CrimsonBrian]

Hey everyone,
I am thinking of selling my 1995 525i. With 153k miles on it, I think its time to get something a little newer. I am also going to have to begin commuting to work so I need something easier on the wallet, both gas and maintenance-wise. I was thinking about a Toyota Camry (within the last two years or so). Its in very good condition and would come with a full set of snow tires. Thoughts on how much I should price it for? Or should I just keep it? It would be sold in Boston, MA. Thanks everyone!

Brian

[SharkmanBMW]

Camry = Boring!:p
However, a very good car, rarely breaks down and maintenance is cheap.
Probably a very smart choice if you are looking for a trouble free ride.

Honda Accord is another smart choice.

[CrimsonBrian]

Yeah, it is boring but trouble free. Law school debt is crushing me... You should have seen the Mrs. eyes when I suggested getting an A4! She has a Corolla and it runs great, super reliable. I am hoping to at least get the XLE model so that I can still sort of feel like a man. Otherwise, I might as well just pack it all in and get a minivan. :D

[Alexlind123]

Did you know that the average age of Camry buyers is 52?






p.s. Im not joking

[CrimsonBrian]

AHHHHHHHHHH! OK, help me guys! What should I get instead that is going to be a reasonable price (under $20k or so) and is going to be fun to drive but also reliable and good mileage? Thoughts? Thanks!

A 27 year old Brian

[Alexlind123]

2006 honda civic SI? I swore i would never drive a civic, but it might be the right car for you =D

[Evan]

get an E39 528 with 60K miles... an 02

[Eric Clark]

Why spend 20k on a new car when your BMW could only cost $500- $1000 a year in repairs if you DIY. If you have done the usual repairs needed by 150k you should be pretty free sailing till 200k.

You say debt is killing you but I see no reason to go further in debt by purchasing a new car.

[Bill R.]

average age of bmw buyers is 48 so those numbers are meaningless. The reason that the camry is in the 50's is thats how old most people are before they aquire the wisdom to buy one. The civic hybrid and or the Prius are also very good choices, unbelievable resale value plus the tax credit plus gas mileage thats going to be right in line with our ever increasing gas prices.




AHHHHHHHHHH! OK, help me guys! What should I get instead that is going to be a reasonable price (under $20k or so) and is going to be fun to drive but also reliable and good mileage? Thoughts? Thanks!

A 27 year old Brian

[CrimsonBrian]

Hmmm, good suggestions. I am trying to stick with low miles if I can, so that I can squeeze as much life out of the car as I can. Why wouldnt you drive a Civic? To me, they seem far to small and I alway associate them either 16 year olds or street racers. And I am neither.

[Bill R.]

90,s




Hmmm, good suggestions. I am trying to stick with low miles if I can, so that I can squeeze as much life out of the car as I can. Why wouldnt you drive a Civic? To me, they seem far to small and I alway associate them either 16 year olds or street racers. And I am neither.

[CrimsonBrian]

Why spend 20k on a new car when your BMW could only cost $500- $1000 a year in repairs if you DIY. If you have done the usual repairs needed by 150k you should be pretty free sailing till 200k.

You say debt is killing you but I see no reason to go further in debt by purchasing a new car.

Well, the reason I am considering a new(er) car is because I dont have the mechanical abilities or the time to try and do the repairs myself. I could pay off a car loan very quickly so I dont mind a small amount of debt for an asset that will last for a while.

[Chowchilla Skunkwerks]

I drove a '05 Legacy 5 speed wagon this past weekend. What a kick. Great finish and about 30mpg with 4 wheel drive. Nice combo. Don't know if I look good in plaid though......

[kyleN20]

some smart choices
2006 civic si- small, decent on gas, fun
2003 civic si- small fun, good on gas (i like the look)
camery- great car i hear
subie wrx
e46 323i with sport pkg
new accord coupe
sentra se-r spec v
new VW gti
miata mx-5 (not so gay anymore)
well equiped scion tc (toyota built)
one of the last of the RSX from acura

lots of choices, pick one that suits you

[Alexlind123]

average age of bmw buyers is 48 so those numbers are meaningless. The reason that the camry is in the 50's is thats how old most people are before they aquire the wisdom to buy one. The civic hybrid and or the Prius are also very good choices, unbelievable resale value plus the tax credit plus gas mileage thats going to be right in line with our ever increasing gas prices.

I think youve caught the old people bug

[liquidtiger720]

Arnt civic si's consistently on the top10 stolen car lists?

[ThoreauHD]

The civic hybrid gets better gas mileage than the prius. Around 52 as compared to 48 on the prius. It doesn't look retarded either.

The si has alot of power for it's small size. But, so does mini-me. Anyhow, for low repair costs probably the civic. It's ricer, but hey.. we still love you.

[DueyT]

Commuting? Find a 2004-2005 Golf TDI...

[Qube]

OMG! You're being sucked into the Camry/Corolla pit! :(

Go for a VW Rabbit :)

[theonlyrealperson]

I third (or fourth) the suggestion for the Civic. They really don't look that bad, and you can always resell it to a kid who wants to turn it into a racer. Really easy to work on too, if you don't mind a tighter space. I liked the one I had, until I was T-boned. It crumpled like a tin can...

It's not very good on gas, but I had a Jeep Cherokee last me until 274,000 miles with no major problems. Except for the fact it only got 11mpg. (I traded that in for my Bimmer).

I feel your pain with the law school debt. I'm under the same load. :(

[cableface]

OMG! You're being sucked into the Camry/Corolla pit! :(

Go for a VW Rabbit :)
I think that he wants something reliable. Have you seen Consumer Reports for VW's?? Almost all of them have poor reviews. It's quite funny really. Black circles everywhere. I say HONDA or TOYOTA, but the Honda has a little more style.

Buy it, and drive if into the ground

[CrimsonBrian]

Wow, thanks for all the suggestions. I really want to stay within the German brands but I dont think its going to work. If I get a good enough job, I might be able to get something decent. I am interviewing for a Counsel position at the FAA and they pay pretty well so I might not even have to get something new. I think the problem is that for my wife, her car is merely a conveyance, but for me (because I have an Y chromosome) I want something cool that will be more of an extension of my personality. A Camry is not it, but I have to strike a balance between being happy in the car and being happy in my house. Although, if my car is big enough, I might be able to just put the seat down...

[Ross]

Brian,
Don't get sucked into the idea that taking a loan is a good way to save money.
Keep what you have unless it's rusty or otherwise trash.
I've just finished addressing all the issues and I mean ALL on the same car.
Cost was about two grand in parts plus my labor. It now performs essentially as a new car. If you can't do it yourself add another two grand for labor. My investment included new tires also.
Do it all at once and it won't seem like your constantly dumping money in an old car. Ought to be trouble free for a long time,153k on an E34 isn't a big deal IF you make things right and don't wait for failures.
Your car is about done depreciating and I assume already paid for. Less than a years worth of Camry payments can make your current car a pleasure to own and drive.
I'd rather take the bus than drive a Camry!

[CrimsonBrian]

Brian,
Don't get sucked into the idea that taking a loan is a good way to save money.
Keep what you have unless it's rusty or otherwise trash.
I've just finished addressing all the issues and I mean ALL on the same car.
Cost was about two grand in parts plus my labor. It now performs essentially as a new car. If you can't do it yourself add another two grand for labor. My investment included new tires also.
Do it all at once and it won't seem like your constantly dumping money in an old car. Ought to be trouble free for a long time,153k on an E34 isn't a big deal IF you make things right and don't wait for failures.
Your car is about done depreciating and I assume already paid for. Less than a years worth of Camry payments can make your current car a pleasure to own and drive.
I'd rather take the bus than drive a Camry!

I tend to agree now that I have given it some thought. What I would rather do is just save up for two years or so and buy another car outright (and if I save up enough, I can get something decent). The car probably does not need too much work and I do own it outright (I've actually never had a car loan on any car I bought). I'll just hold onto it until all the wheels fall off, especially since I would not be able to get anything fun. By the time that happens, I'll have either saved up enough to get the car I want or the car I want will be in my price range (used). Thanks so much for all the advice guys, I really appreciate you not letting me ruin my life with a poor car choice!

[SharkmanBMW]

Thanks so much for all the advice guys, I really appreciate you not letting me ruin my life with a poor car choice!


A CAmry is not a poor choice in MANY ways, but it is boring.
If you have to buy a newer car, it is a good way to go unless you buy a diesel something or other.

A Civic is a yogourt carton in a crash, VW wins that war, but reliability is poor...

What condition is your car in anyways???

[CrimsonBrian]

A CAmry is not a poor choice in MANY ways, but it is boring.
If you have to buy a newer car, it is a good way to go unless you buy a diesel something or other.

A Civic is a yogourt carton in a crash, VW wins that war, but reliability is poor...

What condition is your car in anyways???

Its actually not in too bad of shape. The throttle cable sticks like crazy so my car tends to want to drive itself. I drowned it in WD40 and it seems to have helped quite a bit. The other problem is that it got water in the electronics during some really heavy rain we had out here and I had to replace the central lock and ABS modules. There are still some ghosts in the machine, like the trip computer doesnt work at all (could just be a burned out LCD bar). I think the biggest problem is that I dont drive it but once or twice a month. Once I am taking it places every day, it will likely behave better.

[saconnect]

Keep in mind that insurance will cost more on a newer car. A newer car does not necessarily = Maint. Free, and will come with all the normal maint. things as other cars. The items you mentioned are easily available as good second hand parts. Moreover, my friend just paid over $350 for the engine computer for his 98 Honda after it left him stranded. I just hate to see anyone fall-into the new car trap if the're tight on $ and can't afford the depreciacion.

I started out with a 95, 525iT two years ago with about 150K mi on her. I've only put about $700 in needed maint in her including the heater core, and oil changes. She now has about 200K, and I have no doubt that she'll be here at 250-300k by keeping up with maint. She's now due for a few more things, like tires, and a couple of tie-rod bushings, but no more than any other car...even new ones I've had..will need after a couple of years of commuting. This is a great driving car, and very reliable in that it always starts and goes. You will miss this car. At first my wife hated it because, as she said, it looked like a funeral car with the tinted windows and all, but she now likes it so much that I've sold my last Jeep GCL, and put this $ in the bank.

Here's an idea that has worked well for us. Find out what your payments would be on the camrey, don't buy it, and put this amount each month in a savings account at any bank as if you had bought it. When you need repairs, take it from this account, and after a while, you'll have enough to find another good used one to either add to the fleet or replace the one you have. You will need to be true to yourself though by making the payments and patient when you go to find a newer one.

Learn to do a few maint. items yourself like replacing a cover, switch or light bulb, and find a good person that doesn't charge you double just because you're driviing a BMW to do the things you can't or don't have time to. They do exist, but you have to do some homework.

Remember too, that a taxi or a rental once in a while is a whole lot less expensive than making $300/month. payments, and most dealers have loaners you can use if you can plan your visit.

[1995 525i]

Keep in mind that insurance will cost more on a newer car. A newer car does not necessarily = Maint. Free, and will come with all the normal maint. things as other cars. The items you mentioned are easily available as good second hand parts. Moreover, my friend just paid over $350 for the engine computer for his 98 Honda after it left him stranded. I just hate to see anyone fall-into the new car trap if the're tight on $ and can't afford the depreciacion.

I started out with a 95, 525iT two years ago with about 150K mi on her. I've only put about $700 in needed maint in her including the heater core, and oil changes. She now has about 200K, and I have no doubt that she'll be here at 250-300k by keeping up with maint. She's now due for a few more things, like tires, and a couple of tie-rod bushings, but no more than any other car...even new ones I've had..will need after a couple of years of commuting. This is a great driving car, and very reliable in that it always starts and goes. You will miss this car. At first my wife hated it because, as she said, it looked like a funeral car with the tinted windows and all, but she now likes it so much that I've sold my last Jeep GCL, and put this $ in the bank.

Here's an idea that has worked well for us. Find out what your payments would be on the camrey, don't buy it, and put this amount each month in a savings account at any bank as if you had bought it. When you need repairs, take it from this account, and after a while, you'll have enough to find another good used one to either add to the fleet or replace the one you have. You will need to be true to yourself though by making the payments and patient when you go to find a newer one.

Learn to do a few maint. items yourself like replacing a cover, switch or light bulb, and find a good person that doesn't charge you double just because you're driviing a BMW to do the things you can't or don't have time to. They do exist, but you have to do some homework.

Remember too, that a taxi or a rental once in a while is a whole lot less expensive than making $300/month. payments, and most dealers have loaners you can use if you can plan your visit.

Keep in mind too that you may not have the time to work on your bmw now but you WON"T be ablt to work on the camry. They are not suer friendly when it comes to maintenance. Here are the things I have found you can do on your car, yourself, in less than a couple of hours:

Change spark plus
Change airfilter
Replace Water Pump
Replace Radiator
Replace Fan
Change rotors
Change pads
Change chip
Change thermostat and thermostat housing
Change your fuel filter

To just name a few. Take cost of a new car (payment) plus the increase insurance and see how much that would be over the maint of the BMW.
Also keep in mind that there are a lot of people on the forum who can help you with any problems you have that is a huge plus. Otherwise, with a new car, you will have to rely on a stealer.

Just my 2 cents.

Michael

[CrimsonBrian]

Yeah, you all make very valid and convincing points. There probably is quite a bit I could be doing myself (I did replace the cabin air filter, what a pain!). I am not a total idiot, I did graduate from Harvard and I do have a law degree. I am going to definitely start putting money into an account diligently for maintenance of the car so that it will be there if and when it is needed. I think everyone is right, I would regret selling it. I really love this car and once I start commuting again, I know that it will probably start behaving better. Not driving it more than once or twice a month now is probably not doing it any favors. Thanks so much for everyones advice and if someone is in Boston and wants to teach my how to do basic maint., I'll buy beers! Thanks again everyone, I really appreciate it!

Brian