Used car hunt

"Sn210" (sn210) 12/31/2013 at 14:27 • Filed to: None

0

8

I went and test drove a couple cars today: a 2006 Acura TL (6m) and a 2007 BMW 328xi. I really really liked the Acura! I felt right at home inside the cabin and it had all the toys I want like heated mirrors and dual zone AC. The shifts were smooth with short throws and it was plenty quick. I didn't notice any torque steer that online reviews made me worry about. Braking was excellent. The battery had died because winter and used car lot, and the guy couldn't figure out the code, so I didn't get to hear the supposedly excellent stereo the TL has. My only other complaint about the car was that it was too quiet! I couldn't hear it telling me when it wanted to be shifted. I loved the car, however, I didn't love THAT car...
For starters, the dealer had it overpriced by like $4,000 because it had a Nav. Plus, it was kinda beat up. It had mismatched tires and the rims had curb rash. The headlights were starting to cloud and the paint was swirly. The leather back seat was brittle and cracking, the center console was scuffed, and the parking brake lever was worn. It's tough being an OCD jalop; the car I want is going to be a minimum of 7 years old because I want a manual, and nobody takes care of their cars like us. But alas, there's only 1 beek-free TL manual for sale in New England with less than 70k miles... And I just described it for you. Unless I go check out an 08 type s that's for sale nearby too....

The used car lot also had a 328xi so I took that for a spin too. I've wanted a 335 for years, but they fall into a price range that I just don't want to get into right now. 328 falls into the upper end of my price range. Long story short, I didn't like it. Like at all. I'm not sure if it was an automatic or I'm just used to Hondas, but I hated the pedal feel. My civic and the TL had a real light touch to it, but the bimmer had a heavy feel. To get it to go would have been "stomping on it" in my civic. I also felt claustrophobic, and I'm a small dude. I felt really close to the windshield and really close to the headliner. Granted, my civic's got an extremely raked giant piece of front glass, but I was just uncomfortable in the 3 series. I also tried manual mode, and I hated that too. It's no fun without that third pedal...

Slant6 > Sn210 12/31/2013 at 14:44

0

http://newenglandautomall.com/vnYS3FB46Y7811…

Slant6 > Slant6 12/31/2013 at 14:50

0

I realize nobody lives in Maine, but all you said was New England. Also if the clutch is anything like my 2000 9-5 Wagon it should be light enough for you. It's probobly nothing like my 14 year old clutch but still. Saab.

Textured Soy Protein > Sn210 12/31/2013 at 14:52

0

I have a '13 135is. I've test driven a bunch of BMWs before getting this one. My thoughts:

The awd, automatic E90 3-series is kinda meh. They're much nicer if you get rwd & sport package.

The older 335i with the N54 twin turbo motor has some reliability issues. The N55 single turbo motor is more reliable. The 335i got the N55 starting in 2010 which will probably be outside your price range.

You may want to look for an '06 330i. It's got a bit more grunt than the newer 328i and can be had with the sport package.

But if you're not inclined to go for rwd since you're in the great white north, then yeah, I'm not a huge fan of the awd E90.

Sn210 > Textured Soy Protein 12/31/2013 at 15:03

0

Yeah, I wanted to go RWD but I've never owned one. Not sure how I'd fare in the winter, I've already had to drive in snow twice this winter and we're expecting 9-12" for Friday. I'm thinking I should stick to either fwd or AWD for a DD and pick up an e36/e46 M3 in a few years for a toy.
I was trying to find a low milage manual 330i ZHP sedan, but that's hard to do!
Kudos on the 135i! I wanted one of those too before I went and got married and got a dog and stuff.

Sn210 > Slant6 12/31/2013 at 15:05

0

Haha yeah I'm south of Boston. Been to Maine plenty of times to look at cars with my dad though when I was younger. Saabs might be worth checking into, I love me some center console ignitions.

Textured Soy Protein > Sn210 12/31/2013 at 15:12

0

I live in Madison, WI. I drove a Miata as my only car for 4 years. With proper snow tires it was surprisingly decent in the winter. So rwd is definitely doable in snowy locations.

When I got my 135is this past summer, my plan was to put snow tires on it for winter. But when it came down to it, I got an old '99 Grand Cherokee instead. My insurance actually got cheaper when I added the Jeep to my policy, because of lower mileage on the BMW.

Depending on your budget and how much room you have for parking, an old SUV + fun car is really nice. All that cargo space is nice when I go on road trips with my gf who always brings way too much crap.

twinturbobmw > Textured Soy Protein 12/31/2013 at 15:20

0

Plus manual 330s are more common than 328s.

merkyg > Sn210 01/04/2014 at 18:55

0

Do it! you still might not be able to explain to people quite why Saabs are great, but you'll know ;)