I've Been Thinking...
 

Ok I wanted to throw something out here to see what y'all think.

I love my X, don’t get me wrong. I love the power and size and ride ect.

However being an 02, and with gas prices and what not, I am getting very scared about the future. Plus looking at finances, I am starting to think about if I should bite the bullet and trade him in. :rolleyes:

I really want something reliable. No more of this “oh god did I tear a CV boot and when is the water pump going to blow, and damn window reg just failed again.” So I was thinking, maybe:

CPO ’06 3er? Though I feel I would still want a 330 for the power and would still want iDrive.
What if I went for an ’05 3er convert? Surely these should have the kinks worked out and I am sure took a dive after the new E93’s (or is it E92?)

Ooooor I can really bite the bullet and go for Acura or something like that…eh doubt that will happen.

So thoughts? Suggestions? Comments? Jokes? I come here as I trust y’all more than bimmerforums or fest or fanatics.com. Thanks.

do you need xdrive/awd?

Understandable consideration. Apparently your concerned. That being the case, forget the opinions of others and make the decision based on practical terms and get a BMW later on when things settle down. If you make a decision based on pratical wisdom i'm positive everyone will be in your corner. :thumbup:

Well, I noticed your emphasis on fuel consumption and reliability. You may opt for an Acura or Lexus in this case, especially as the latter (IS350) comes close to the 3-series in terms of competence. The only problem with the IS is that it doesn't perform great beyond 8/10ths driving and of course, doesn't have the chassis communication (then again, what does?). The Acura TSX is a terrific choice from Honda, with solid reliability and a good chassis. A terrific front-drive choice that handles very well. It's just a bit short on muscle. Don't bother with the TL; it's just an Accord that has too much power going to the wrong wheels that is about as Japanese as the California Roll.

CPO E90s are not cheap at this point, and the first MY had its own set of bugs. Plus you dont have a dipstick, and everything is computer sensor-dependent, which IMO can lead to problems down the road. The E46 convertible is a terrific vehicle and my preferred cabrio. It is also fairly reliable, for a BMW. No reason not to get one, but I don't know how "reliable" it must be. I mean, the automatic gearbox is going to go at 100k miles regardless of what BMW you buy.

Yeah, I understand J, I'm dumping the X after the lease, it's just had far to many problems for me to want to deal with it, You have several friend's that own 3er's how do they handle in the snow? I remember my X (who lives in your city) had a problem with them because they we're unstable in the snow (325i not xi) so I would def make sure, but the 3 is a great car in E46 trim and E90, My mom has her 2003 325i and now has around 70k on it, no problems, drives great! What about the Volvo S40? It's a very nice car, loaded for about 30k, fun to drive, roomy, and FWD? They just recieved a facelift for 2008 and I'm really diggin it

Well...the CV boot problem will still happen on the Acura, or anything that drives the front wheels, for that matter. Same goes for the water pump...just replace it at the appropriate time as a preventative maintenance and you should be OK. The window regulators is probably just a BMW/MB/VW issue (for using cheap parts) more than anything else. In the end, anything you buy will have a crack at being unreliable...as a little bit of luck is involved as well. Good luck in finding your next ride...for whatever it may be.

Thanks y'all!!

As for the snow/xi question, I am from SC so prefer not to drive when it snows anyway. And it doesnt get bad enough here in DC to worry about it. :)

The TSX/TL was another option when I was considering the X. They are good, but just so blah. I love the way bimmers drive. Granted TL's and E90's are nothing special up here and couldnt swing a dead cat w/o hitting one of them.

CPO Infinity? eeeeeehhh...... Thought about Benz...but hahah yeaaah reliability isnt quite in their vocab either.

Have you driven a manual TSX? Those are quite decent, IMO the best offering from Honda's luxury division. If we got the diesel version (offered in Europe), that would be a cool drive. Plus, it looks nice and sharp (minus the wheels). Yes yes I know they're everywhere, but it's a wise choice and well-priced.

I wouldn't buy a used Nissan. There's just something undesirable about them.

Eh dont know about manual. The TSX just seemed really small when I drove it. Same for the IS. Just looked up sample CPO prices for lexus and am surprised they hold their value so well.

Now I am wondering if convertable prices might go down some in the winter time.

Guess I will just have to go test driving this weekend and lurk in more forums.

Hahah used Nissan....youre right that does just sound...yeah...

What ever you do, please please don't get a Lexus! :D
I personally would go for a '06 330i sedan over a '05 330ci vert.

Lexus makes a good quality car that's quiet and fairly reliable simply because they're not complex or overengineered like BMWs (haha Adaptive Transmission Control........pft you wish, Toyota:nanana:). However, having had a Lexus before, the parts do wear out just like every other car. So after 7-8 years and 100k miles, you'll still need to replace parts. And they ARE expensive! (Just like any other luxury marque). But yes, the IS and just about every other Lexus has serious space issues. I'm 5'8" and there wasn't enough headroom in the front. And the backseat is sized for amoebas.

Actually I said that because Lexuses are the most boring cars ever, I fall asleep looking at them. (no dis to yours, I know you have one).
Driving dynamics don't exist. And since I'm not really a fan of Toyota, a super-toyota isn't really my style. :D That's why ;)

the thread makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. So you're concerned about gas prices.. as a result you are willing to take a hit by trading it in, incur more cost to acquire another car. How much gas do you think it's going to take before you recoup that cost? Maintenance is not an issue. You can always buy extended maintenance and warranty for about $3000 which would cover you to 100K. BTW, if you want reliabililty why buy a CPO car from any brand???

I just wanted to use this as a sounding wall. Youre correct, why buy used of any car if you are worried about repairs. I was just thinking a later model E46 would have more kinks worked out than my '02 E53. And I still have my full CPO warrenty on the X now.

I really just have to look at the numbers. In a dream world I could just swap my X for a 3er with no additional costs. Then gas savings would immediate. But thats in a perfect world. hahaha :)

In a perfect world, we'd have all the petrol and diesel BMW models offered in Europe. Then I could get a 320d (or even a 120d) for low fuel consumption while not looking all stupid driving a dorky Prius.

I had the Lexus until this past May, when my dad sold it off. It was getting to be quite expensive since many parts required repairs. It was practically leaking everything; the radiator, engine and ATF, and PS fluids. The steering gear was loose required a new steering rack. Valve covers were leaking.........yea too many to list. The dealer estimate for ALL repairs was $9k, with $2k for the steering rack alone. While some items were possible to do independently or ourselves, it's not too easy on the '96 ES with the way the intake manifold is positioned over the engine.

So this illustrates my point about reliability: an old car WILL need replacement parts, no matter how reputable it was when new.

However, most of these problems weren't easily detected, and that's why it looked terrific inside and out. The white exterior was magnificent, and the black leather interior was clean and I had done a few backlighting repairs (and of course being me, I care alot about interior cleanilness). It was not a terrible drive either. With 188hp and 203 lb/ft tq on tap, it was fairly quick. The 2nd gear pull from 40-72mph was simply astonishing and very impressive. All while returning 22mpg city. But the suspension rolled and pitched like a boat driven by a drunken captain, and my keyboard gives me better steering feedback. Not a driver's car, but as a high schooler's car, it creates better impressions than say, my mom's Civic (which is why I never drove her car :rofl:). For a 1996 car, it looks quite good too. Better than some of the snooze designs coming from Toyota lately.

Didnt you say way back when that your dad never took care of his car? Thus when it went all broke it was because of that?

So it seems like maybe I should just stick with my X and put any extra money into some preventative maint. Ohh maybe a detail too.