Help Me Choose (car purchase)...

[Terinox]

Been a while since I posted, anywho, I've been thinking about my next car, not too expensive though, looking at about 10 grand, and I've narrowed it down to a couple. If anyone knows about these cars or owns these cars, please gimme some advice/comments, etc...

1997 BMW 528i (Auto/Manual) (approx 160KM)

2000 BMW 328i (Auto/Manual) (approx 175KM)

1999-2001 Audi A4 (Auto/Manual) (approx 150+KM)

1998 Eagle Talon TSI AWD (90KM)

I've found all these cars in the 10 grand range, and the KM aren't bad. Those are KILOMETERS in the thousands, which if you divide by 1.6 equals MILES.

Any help or comments much appreciated

Thnx,
T.

[buffgator]

Good hell like a bear coming out of hibernation. I would go with the a4, or a dodge cummins, but it is not on the list.

[J*U*icEd]

bro you want a quality car go with a toyota or a lexus... best made cars in the world... i have a 06 lexus GS.... i work for toyota as a top tech... bro nothin is made like those cars nothin... honda and acura are a close second.... it's like this if you know anything about bikes, yamahas and hondas are top of the line for their price class... susuki and kawis are crap... taking apart my yamaha and taking apart a kawi is like night and day... dude go for the quality and price you seem to be looking into luxury so why not go with a GS or LS thats not gonna have any major problems until like 200K... u should see what milage on some of these toyotas that come in to my service shop some with over 400k still getting regular maintenance!!!.... ask Gsxxr i bet hell tell you the same hes a service manager at a toyota dealership....

[Terinox]

bro you want a quality car go with a toyota or a lexus... best made cars in the world... i have a 06 lexus GS.... i work for toyota as a top tech... bro nothin is made like those cars nothin... honda and acura are a close second.... it's like this if you know anything about bikes, yamahas and hondas are top of the line for their price class... susuki and kawis are crap... taking apart my yamaha and taking apart a kawi is like night and day... dude go for the quality and price you seem to be looking into luxury so why not go with a GS or LS thats not gonna have any major problems until like 200K... u should see what milage on some of these toyotas that come in to my service shop some with over 400k still getting regular maintenance!!!.... ask Gsxxr i bet hell tell you the same hes a service manager at a toyota dealership....

Thanks for the advice.

Going to semi-luxury, yes, but the Lexus are a bit too pricey, or on the higher end up, and they are sort of a big car. I should have mentioned I don't really like a car that's too big. The BMW 328i is fairly small, I like that. Also like the more "rounded" cars, and not the box shaped cars.

Keep the advice/recommendations coming please.

[PROTEINSHAKE]

lexus or toyota... that bmer will cost u a fortune in repairs. I have a is350 lex & its awesome!!! beats my infiniti hands down & my 04 m3 bmer for that matter....

[Dizz28]

NO Audi's unless they are CPO. They are a money pit of repairs

Those are all very high miles...Maybe a Honda/Toyota would be sufficient

[Sepsis]

lexus or toyota... that bmer will cost u a fortune in repairs. I have a is350 lex & its awesome!!! beats my infiniti hands down & my 04 m3 bmer for that matter....

you mean to tell me your is350 is faster performance-wise than your m3, or or it just 'beats' it as far as quality?

[Dizz28]

well the IS350 has 306hp and, without searching and comparing, depending on weight it's very possible that it can match or outperform the 04 M3 that has only 27 more HP.

Now, the '08 have a 400hp Mpower V8 and it'll be hard to match that with any of the other luxery cars in it's class

[Sepsis]

im sure the m3's power to weight ratio is much better. this is just a guess however. one is a coupe and one is a sedan.

[Dizz28]

Well, I just looked up the weights for those two cars...the M3 weights about 150lbs less and has 27 more hp.

So I suppose now the only way it could be outperformed by the Lex is by Gear ratio...i'll probably end up lookin that up after this post too...

[Sepsis]

m3 0-60 4.8 sec, 1/4mile 13.6
is350 0-60 6.1sec, 1/4 mile 14.23

i guess i answered my own question

[Dizz28]

m3 0-60 4.8 sec, 1/4mile 13.6
is350 0-60 6.1sec, 1/4 mile 14.23

i guess i answered my own question

ya i looked up the Final drive ratio and the 1st 2nd and 3rd for both cars...

The M has a better drive ratio, regardless of power...and it shows with your 1/4mile times posted, so I don't see what he's talking about

[PEWN]

Toyota Supra single turbo- 0-60 3.4sec 1/4mile 11.2sec......

[Sepsis]

he probably meant build quality, anyways, we should prob give him his thread back

[Sepsis]

Toyota Supra single turbo- 0-60 3.4sec 1/4mile 11.2sec......

i will always LOVE that car

[J*U*icEd]

the old rx7s are insane... spoon engine and turbo.... see you later!

[Dizz28]

Toyota Supra single turbo- 0-60 3.4sec 1/4mile 11.2sec......

I had an '88 supra turbo back in the mid 90's...wasn't as fast as those times cuz it wasn't heavily moded...but it was quick. Could smoke a 5.0

the old rx7s are insane... spoon engine and turbo.... see you later!

yes they are...a late 90's or early 2000 model turbo can fetch 6 figures now

[PROTEINSHAKE]

you mean to tell me your is350 is faster performance-wise than your m3, or or it just 'beats' it as far as quality?

I wouldnt say faster in 0-60 or whatever speed you go to but its pretty damn close ..... IMO, its worth keepin the 25 extra grand in my pocket. & yes--the quality is superior IMO...overall-performance,comfort,ride etc.

[PROTEINSHAKE]

m3 0-60 4.8 sec, 1/4mile 13.6
is350 0-60 6.1sec, 1/4 mile 14.23

i guess i answered my own question

I have seen that IS350 time in magazines & have seen it at 5.5 also... i dont know why it would vary that much

[Dizz28]

I have seen that IS350 time in magazines & have seen it at 5.5 also... i dont know why it would vary that much

Different launch styles. Maybe one tester rode the clutch more than the other, track temp was different, altitude could have been different...who knows. it's hard to get a consistant 0-60 in a manual trans anyway

[PROTEINSHAKE]

IS 350 only comes in auto....or u can paddleshift or autostick mode.... i dont get it

[Sepsis]

the is350 i drove had paddle shifts on the steering column like a f1 car. i thought it was cool. i guess thats considered auto because its a electronic

[Dizz28]

paddle shirters can be considered a Manual. it just takes the clutch out of the equasion. Rev the motor to 4k and then hit first gear and it'll slip the tires

[Amorphic]

audi a4

[juicejunkie2]

LOL .. another Lexus vs BMW thread .. the guy wants to spend 10k .. buy a used Honda/Toyota/Nissan with low end miles.

[Brent_G]

Just stay away from the dsm.

[Terinox]

LOL, wow, talk about the mad hijacking.

Everyone is telling me Toyota and Lexus, the Lexus is out of my price range, but the Toyota I could get, something like a Celica, but to be honest, that's a bit too "common" of a car too.

In all seriousness though, how bad would it be to get a BMW, something like a 323i, 325i, 328i, 525i or 528i. Will these cars not last me the next 5 years WITHOUT any major problems???

For example, I found a nice 2000 BMW 323i, it's fully loaded, all options, and it's got 172,000 KM (107500 MILES), and it's about $11000. Would this car not last me 5 years???

I'm seeing BMW's being sold privately on www.autotrader.ca and they are high milage, about 250,000 KM or so, and they are still asking for about $8,000 or $9,000 dollars, so there still must be a high enough demand. Shouldn't I be able to sell this car in 5 years without too much hassle?

Also, in GENERAL though, is the BMW a reliable enough car? I know Lexus/Toyota is top of the line when it comes to reliability as everyone keeps telling me, but the BMW can't be that bad...can it???

Thnx again,
T.

[Terinox]

Just stay away from the dsm.

Sorry, but what is the "dsm" ???

[darr]

BMW335.i m power i drive a 99 one best car i ever had!!!!!

[BITTAPART2]

lexus or toyota... that bmer will cost u a fortune in repairs. I have a is350 lex & its awesome!!! beats my infiniti hands down & my 04 m3 bmer for that matter....

yeah I was sitting in my 3/4 of a million dollar house thinking the same thing about my 2005 z06 and my 2007 dts, but I just said nah, there all ok, but Ill drive my phantom today.. LMAO.. lil showey are we

[J*U*icEd]

Sorry, but what is the "dsm" ???

a member here... lol

[RANA]

1976 volkswagen rabbit, need I say more?

[qualityclrk1]

i work for a company that makes the exterior plastic that you see on a lot of the cars today....and just to help you relate...no company is as stingy as toyota....We make stuff for dodge, chrysler, general motors, toyota, ford, and mitsubishi.....and none of them are as picky as Toyota...i'm in the quality dept. and i hear from toyota at least once a month...i could go a year or more from ford-they are not even the slightest picky...toyota will bitch about little plastic clips that we attach to the bottom of the larger plastic panels, and the clips will attach the plastic to the metal body...well toyota will bitch if one of our operators doesn't fully push the clip into his housing....all the workers at toyota would have to do is "PUSH" on the clip and it'll snap right into place...toyota demands perfection- ....down to the plastic on the car....i'll look through some parts we're sending to ford or general motors, and they'll look like garbage- i wonder how anyone doesn't noticed the imperfections when its on the car...but they'll accept them....Toyota have to be PERFECT.....just imagine how picky they'd be about more mechanical parts

[naturalsux]

Good hell like a bear coming out of hibernation. I would go with the a4, or a dodge cummins, but it is not on the list.

i 2nd this but i m bias i drive a CTD.

go with the audi a4

[naturalsux]

Sorry, but what is the "dsm" ???

the talon is a dsm. its based off a mitsubishi eclipse which is a dsm.

[naturalsux]

LOL, wow, talk about the mad hijacking.

Everyone is telling me Toyota and Lexus, the Lexus is out of my price range, but the Toyota I could get, something like a Celica, but to be honest, that's a bit too "common" of a car too.

In all seriousness though, how bad would it be to get a BMW, something like a 323i, 325i, 328i, 525i or 528i. Will these cars not last me the next 5 years WITHOUT any major problems???

For example, I found a nice 2000 BMW 323i, it's fully loaded, all options, and it's got 172,000 KM (107500 MILES), and it's about $11000. Would this car not last me 5 years???

I'm seeing BMW's being sold privately on www.autotrader.ca and they are high milage, about 250,000 KM or so, and they are still asking for about $8,000 or $9,000 dollars, so there still must be a high enough demand. Shouldn't I be able to sell this car in 5 years without too much hassle?

Also, in GENERAL though, is the BMW a reliable enough car? I know Lexus/Toyota is top of the line when it comes to reliability as everyone keeps telling me, but the BMW can't be that bad...can it???

Thnx again,
T.

just remember if anything breaks it will be pricey.

go with a acura/honda Toyota/lexus nissan/infiniti these cars are made by each other if that makes sense.

these are your most reliable choices with high mileage and wont cost so much if they break, the cheaper of each one.

[C_Bino]

I dunno about anyone else. But I would be looking more at the km's. The BMW is like 172 000km's already. I wouldnt TOUCH that. I would much rather go with a not so hot car like a toyota or mazda whatever the **** just to get something under 100 000km without a doubt.

[audis4]

for $10,000 I would not go german....reason being...at that many miles, the cars about spent. maintenance/respairs...not fun.
I agree with Bino, buy something like a toyota/mazda that will last forever with low miles. Upgrade later when you can buy a german car or whatever later, brand new.

[Red Ketchup]

I dunno about anyone else. But I would be looking more at the km's. The BMW is like 172 000km's already. I wouldnt TOUCH that. I would much rather go with a not so hot car like a toyota or mazda whatever the **** just to get something under 100 000km without a doubt.

I agree, and it's also 172k km "Canadian", which means the car has been thru many winters, salty roads and pot-hole hell. That really messes up a car.

Look for lower mileage and more recent cars, maybe lower your "fancy" standard or pay more.

A 7 year old 170k km BMW is asking for trouble.

Just my 2 ¢ worth bro

Red

[Terinox]

I see your points, thanks for the advice.

Also, is it mainly the milage issue too though? If I could get a 1998 or a 1999 BMW with around 130,000KM (81,000 MILES) would it be worth it? I've decided it's not going to be a 5 year car, rather a TWO year car only. That's putting ASIDE all the facts about Lexus/Toyota being #1. The Toyota is ugly (no offense, I'm still young, I want at least a nice looking car), and the Lexus is out of my price range for now.

Thnx,
T.