Help me choose a car, please!

"Voice of C. Montgomery Burns" (voiceofcmb) 04/03/2014 at 12:45 • Filed to: None

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Hi guys. If this works this will be my first Oppositelock post so be gentle if this breaks some sort of Oppolock taboo or rule but I would like some car suggestions from you gearheads. I'll give you my budget, my current car and what I was looking at and you tell me how wrong/lame I am.

So, my budget for the car is about $40-60k ($60k absolute maximum). My current car is a 2007 335i coupe. The car I was contemplating was a ... drumroll please ... last (or current?) generation E92 M3. Ultimate poser mobile, I know.

However, my commute is long and the V8 M3 isn't going to get good gas mileage which is something I do care about so I'm open to alternatives in that M3-realm of sportiness and luxury. However, luxury is less important to me than performance.

505Turbeaux > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 12:47

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Infiniti q60 6MT isnt the worst you could do...

Where have all the lightweights gone? > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 12:48

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How much does mileage really mean to you? You could spend $45k and get the Chevy SS sedan...

Mathias Rios > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 12:48

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Welcome to Oppo! Considered the C63 Coupe?

Brian Silvestro > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 12:49

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M235i.

BeaterGT > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 12:50

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B7 RS4 or CTS V.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 12:52

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Used Corvette

or new base C7

GeorgeyBoy > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 12:54

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So many possibilities with your given needs. We could probably suggest cars until our heads are blue. Narrow it down: 2 or 4 door, how old are you willing to go, max mileage, foreign or domestic.....

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 12:55

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Welcome, I'm sure you'll ignore my suggestions like most people do lol.

I would highly recommend a CTS or CTSV if you're getting a used one. If you wanted to, you could get a crazy high optioned Cadillac ATS and really kick some ass (while saving your gas mileage!). You could probably build an ATS all the way out with every option. With the very top of your budget you could even get a CTS VSport brand new.

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 12:55

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That's was the last gen M3.

The new one was F30 i think?

Anyway, try to score one of those last C63!

Or maybe a 4C Alfa with non-insect headlamps. I think its somewhere about 60k maybe? It's so economical.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 12:58

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I'll admit to a little bafflement at $40-60k + "mileage important", but okay. I can appreciate that the right finance terms allow for champagne taste on a beer budget as long as the gas bill isn't too high - though that makes getting a prev. gen car of any sort a little odd.

M3 realm of sport and luxury, if I were in your shoes, I'd be tempted to get a Jag. Not as practical maintenance-wise, but Jaaaaag, and a Bim isn't quite a budget repair bill anyway. I think the XKR would be quite sweet indeed.

You'd be surprised: about 75% of first Oppo posts are "I have a question/want to buy a car".

Voice of C. Montgomery Burns > GeorgeyBoy 04/03/2014 at 13:05

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Thanks for the tips. Some answers:

1 - Prefer coupe but 4 door is fine.

2 - I would prefer to buy either new or CPO (used w/ warranty).

3 - Max mileage ~50k

4 - Would prefer foreign but Cadillac isn't out of the question.

Voice of C. Montgomery Burns > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 04/03/2014 at 13:06

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Cadillac is the only American brand (outside Ford for the Mustang options) that peaks my interest. Thanks for the post.

Sn210 > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 13:06

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welcome to Oppo! You won't get much e92 m3 hate here. There's at least a couple of members that have them. But if fuel economy is a big factor, you might want to try something else. The CTS Vsport has 420hp but gets 24mpg on the highway. That will put you on the high end of your budget though...

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 04/03/2014 at 13:06

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surprisingly good mileage in that C7!

Voice of C. Montgomery Burns > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 04/03/2014 at 13:07

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Oh man, C63 would be awesome but that kind of is the same in terms of gas-mileage like the M3, even worse maybe.

Tom McParland > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 13:08

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Ok, so let's say you have a 60k budget over 5 years at 3% that is about 1100 per month. When you say you want good gas mileage, what you are really saying is you don't want gas cost to eat into your budget. So let's also say hypothetically you will spend $200 on gas per month for that 60k car, which brings your total automotive cost per month to about 1300. But what if you were to pick up a 50k M3, at 5 years and 3% you are at about 900/mo if the M3 costs you 300 to fill per month you are still $100 under your total monthly cost than the 60k car that gets better gas mileage.

The point is if the E92 M3 is your dream car and you can swing it, maybe go for it. Saving on gas is great but it may or may not be worth sacrificing what you really want to drive.

If you are not hung up on the M3 there are plenty of other alternatives, though finding something with 3 pedals will be a challenge (don't know if you want a manual or not). As Montego mentioned the CTS-Vsport is a killer sedan for that price.

So it really all depends on how you want to slice it. If you need any further assistance I would be happy to help-

AutomatchConsulting@gmail.com

Voice of C. Montgomery Burns > Where have all the lightweights gone? 04/03/2014 at 13:09

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I love to drive so mileage means a good bit. I could buy a nice performance car and not worry about mileage but then I'd probably get a daily driver. However, in a perfect world I'd like to just have one nice car.

My work commute is ~30 miles there and back. I plan on moving so it may reduce.

Voice of C. Montgomery Burns > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 04/03/2014 at 13:09

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One day I'll own a Corvette, but probably as a second car.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 13:11

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I'm a huge American Car Brand guy. But I only really push the Caddy's on people.

They are just outstanding cars. and honestly you have some pretty great options, full spec ATS or mild spec CTS and used CTSV's.

Mustang is a great option you could even do a Shelby for your budget. MPG is out the window there though.

My first thought for you was ATS/CTS, you get performance, style, and luxury in your budget while not being a typical BMW.

Voice of C. Montgomery Burns > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 04/03/2014 at 13:12

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I've selected my budget based on how much I spend on housing and other necessities outside of cars. I make decent money but living in Pittsburgh (cheap cost of living), I can move more money towards a nicer car payment.

Voice of C. Montgomery Burns > Tom McParland 04/03/2014 at 13:13

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Thanks Tom, wise words and I will hit you up if I need anything further.

Tom McParland > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 13:14

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Anytime, I would love to shop for a sport-sedan for you. Just curious what is your zip code?

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 13:16

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Yeah. I think C63 is worse.

I once drove a E63 for my daily commute (30 miles), and get about 13 mpg.

I think it's better to wait for the 4C if you want an economic sport car. Or how about the M4?

$kaycog > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 13:16

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Welcome to Oppo! :D

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 13:22

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Got it. I'm in the position where I'm spending a variable amount not far from a moderate car payment to buy parts to build with, but that's a long process and only available because I have work space. In your place I certainly see an argument for living as well as you can viz. your commuter - a long commute doesn't take much to improve.

A lot of the other remarks were related to issues of trying to gate your tastes, just because there are so many options. The fact that you're not afraid of buying what one might call a pretentious or poseur car is important, because a lot of those are *really damn good cars*. I should've clarified why I proposed my choice, and it's not because Jag is really the pinnacle of performance or the lap of luxury - it's that there *is* a je ne sais quois to their luxury GT offerings that if one is looking for a luxury performance GT, might be worth checking to see if you like. Some do, some don't. The Caddy is a good option as well, the Infiniti solid if perhaps bland...

Just as long as your clear about your aims, and don't end up spending $60k on something that would be loathsome to commute in because it has best-in-class performance, or spending $40k on something that's a bargain in every way with no complaint of every kind, yet drains your very soul every time you step in it regardless what the spec sheet says.

Voice of C. Montgomery Burns > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 04/03/2014 at 13:22

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Yeah, I'm thinking of waiting for the new M3/4. The twin-turbo 6-cylinder should be alright on gas.

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 13:22

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Can you get a Cayman with a CPO? That would probably fit, maybe not the S model though

Voice of C. Montgomery Burns > Tom McParland 04/03/2014 at 13:23

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I'm in Pittsburgh area. 15219.

Voice of C. Montgomery Burns > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 04/03/2014 at 13:25

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The new Jag is definitely not one to look over. I appreciate the thoughts and I think I will look into my options for the Pittsburgh area in terms of Jag. I don't see alot around here though :/

Voice of C. Montgomery Burns > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 04/03/2014 at 13:26

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I meant that Jag is not one to ignore, especially the last 5 years. Wording came out wrong.

GeorgeyBoy > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 13:26

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I know most suggest a C63, which I do too.

An S5 would be a good candidate as well.

Voice of C. Montgomery Burns > Santiago of Escuderia Boricua 04/03/2014 at 13:26

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I do keep forgetting the affordable Porsche.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 13:29

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A lot of people might be inclined to pfft recent Jag models because auto, but at the end of the day it's not the make/break in a luxury GT it is in some other classes (lightweight roadster).

If you do go new-Bim, be sure to wait until the factory run-flats are gone (or get rid of them) before forming an opinion as to ride. They're excellent vehicles, but the run-flats on my buddy's Z4 made it absolutely loathsome.

Tom McParland > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 13:29

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If MPGs really matter you can have your cake and eat it too. A6 TDI 38mpgs 428 tq! Lightly used '14 for 54k

Voice of C. Montgomery Burns > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 04/03/2014 at 13:29

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I had run-flats on my 335i (sport pkg) before I got rid of them. I lost a couple wheels due to those tires and they were just not worth it.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 13:32

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No worries - I got that. I was contemplating posting half-joke, half-serious the V12 Bim 850 (stick!) somebody on Oppo found a little while ago in Canada: only ~77k miles, supposedly mechanically perfect, for $8k. Trouble being, as absolutely bad ass as that would be, without a warranty safety-net, it would make close to zero sense on a budget. Even a high monthly budget is not the one-time impact in a month a major failure on that might be.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 13:37

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I'm not a big fan of tiny sidewall+ no spare/shitty spare that bears no resemblance, and while having those tiny sidewalls run-flats in theory fixes the problem, it makes for driving on bricks.

I have yet to own a car with modern tire profiles (nor even a sub-standard spare), so take this as somewhat of a beard-pulling grumbling old man routine. I *am* going to a lightweight spare on my custom, but in the manner of using a dragster front-runner as one. GENIUS

Where have all the lightweights gone? > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 13:39

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It might be at the top of your price range (possibly a bit over), but have you considered a Corvette? You could coax 30MPG out of t on the highway.

Voice of C. Montgomery Burns > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 04/03/2014 at 13:41

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That would be a nice 2nd car to baby, that's for sure.

Voice of C. Montgomery Burns > Where have all the lightweights gone? 04/03/2014 at 13:42

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I have considered it, for sure. I need a tad more space though. Corvette would be a lovely 2nd car.

Makoyouidiot > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 13:50

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If I were shopping in that price range...I'd probably be looking at the CLA45...no clue why, but I like it.

Voice of C. Montgomery Burns > Makoyouidiot 04/03/2014 at 13:54

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To each their own but I don't like the outside styling. Thanks for the tip though.

Axial > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 14:02

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The CTS-V, which I see many people are recommending, is going to get awful fuel economy by pretty much all accounts I have read. I wouldn't suggest that.

Instead, I would suggest looking at the regular 2011-2013 CTS Coupe, preferably in RWD format (rather than AWD). Get one with the Recaro seats, not the base seats. Those cars are really nice . They only come in automatic, though, and they don't have proper paddles (they have buttons), but I wouldn't even care because Cadillac made/makes nothing else like it.

If you want to stick with new, the ATS would not be a terrible option, either. It does have real paddles, and handles like a 3-er. The manual transmission is apparently rubbish, but I would spring for the 6-cylinder, anyway, which doesn't offer the manual at all.

I can't say I'm really up to speed on my foreign brands outside of the German options, but I'm not a fan of recommending the German cars because everybody recommends them and you can find dozens of opinions about why you should buy German for every one about why you shouldn't.

Makoyouidiot > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 14:08

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It's pretty polarizing, for sure

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 04/03/2014 at 14:15

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New one is F8x.

TheNeonDriver - Now with More BMW! > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 14:15

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I know this is not the point of this thread ( RS 5, CTS-V Coupe , C63, C6 GS ) but, what I would like to know is how has your 07 335i been in terms of reliability? I am back and forth between getting an M-Sport 335i, or springing for the M3... Fuel economy tells me the 335i. I just wanted to hear from an owner what you think, and why your moving on.

Thanks! Good luck with the new car hunt!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Tom McParland 04/03/2014 at 14:16

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Not that you're biased... ha!

Tom McParland > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 04/03/2014 at 14:17

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Personally I would rather have the M3

chuck07 > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 14:23

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You could spend 5-10 k on a Corolla or another econobox for commutes, then have your M3 for the fun times.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 14:35

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How many miles do you plan on putting on it per year? How many years do you think you'll keep it? It is possible that you'll ever take it to the track?

I love my E90 M3. I bought an '08 in the summer of '12 for just over 40 grand. Still was under factory warranty, and I opted for an extended warranty (EasyCare TotalCare).

I'll probably put less than 15k miles a year on mine (my wife's car is the primary kid/trip car, and gets 25k/year). Mileage is, as you know... not great. I get around 16 in town with a mixed commute, driving pretty hard. You can get lows 20s if all highway. I've had mine to the track twice, and it's just astounding. Sure, it's no lightweight, but it's truly amazing how capable this car is... Can't wait until the day that it becomes a more dedicated fun/track car. I truly hope I can hold onto this car forever, and that my kids get to drive it one day. It's my One Car To Do It All right now.

Because of your budget, I'd also take into consideration the possibility of two cars. You could keep the 335 as a daily, or swap it for GTI or WRX, and get a little, lightweight fun car to pair with it (Cayman S, Elise/Exige, modified BRZ, etc...).

If you just need a little nudge to convince you of the M3, here you go:

Mark Magrath of Edmunds Inside Line wrote these comments after driving a 2009 E90 M3 saloon in the canyons of Southern California: "This is the best most complete car in the world. It's actually a bargain for what you get. Wow."

Clarkson: "It is... pretty much perfect... Why don't I have one of these cars?"

Arthur St. Antoine of Motor Trend magazine says: "World's single greatest car? Seriously? Yes – the new BMW M3 is unquestionably a contender. Probably no other car combines so many virtues – speed, handling, good looks, roominess, practicality – into one package. Driving the new BMW M3 is an absolutely blissful experience, flooding your brain with dopamine as if you were arriving to courtside seats at the Lakers game with Jennifer Connelly on your arm." -and- "If you put an F1 car and a premium sedan in a blender, the M3 would be the cocktail that pours out. Mmmm, nothing else like it. A toast then: To the BMW M3, the greatest all-around car in the world."

Mark Gillies of Car and Driver magazine says: "A car has got to be pretty spectacular to win over the curmudgeons here at 1585 Eisenhower Place, especially when familiarity sets in over the course of 40,000 miles. But our Sparkling Graphite Metallic M3 did indeed win us over.", and "Based on our experience, the current M3 is the world's all-around best car for the money, although several staffers would have preferred to trade some of the coupe's looks for the added practicality of the sedan.", and "This is the finest car on the market, period."

Jeremy Clarkson of BBC television show Top Gear says: "This [The M3] is the best car, and always will be, and there's no point in ever thinking otherwise."

If you're ever in doubt about how special this car is, just refer to the opinion of the collective automotive press for the past 6 years. For a car to get this kind of praise from writers whose job it is to be critical of the cars they drive is truly rare.

JEM > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 14:53

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$40-60K !??!?

Do you know how many V6 Mustangs you could get for that much!??! Why, at least 2!!

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 15:05

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C7 Vette? Great new interior and exterior. Starts right at $50,000. Plus, really good gas mileage at around 17 city 30 highway

Voice of C. Montgomery Burns > JEM 04/03/2014 at 15:12

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Haha.

Voice of C. Montgomery Burns > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 04/03/2014 at 15:14

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Thanks for all the information. Trust me, M3 is at the top of the wishlist.

Voice of C. Montgomery Burns > chuck07 04/03/2014 at 15:16

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Yeah, I may end up going that route regardless of whether it ends up being an M3 or something similar.

Voice of C. Montgomery Burns > TheNeonDriver - Now with More BMW! 04/03/2014 at 15:21

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No problem man. My 335i has about 97K miles on it and is a little rough around the edges. I'm in a situation where I need to put over $1k into it to bring it back up to proper maintenance and with my new job I've been thinking of upgrading.

I absolutely love the E9x 335i coupe. I got mine with Sport Package (not M or whatnot) and it is such a hard car to beat overall for the money, especially cause mine is basically paid off. I have had some issues with the turbo and high-pressure fuel pump around 30k miles but they were fixed under warranty (2007 was the first year of the 335i so understandable issues).

I would avoid 2007 335i's that haven't been dealer-serviced. I would honestly recommend sticking with 2008-2010 models (I believe those three years had the true twin-turbo setup, not the twin-scroll single turbo setup). I've test drove the updated engine in the newer 335i's and they don't feel as grunty or sporty.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Tom McParland 04/03/2014 at 17:00

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Good call!

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/03/2014 at 22:37

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Welcome aboard. I just got on here a few days ago myself. Perhaps a tidy used 911 like this one , or others (there are a ton of low-mileage used ones to choose from). Manual+Flat Six+RWD= tons of fun and okay gas milage. Plus, its a 911, so it looks good.

Voice of C. Montgomery Burns > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 04/04/2014 at 09:34

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Depending on the insurance and maintenance costs for a typical 911 this might be an option I didn't consider.

goingfast > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns 04/20/2014 at 21:05

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I know everyone seems to lean towards the Cadillac or the C63.

C63:

Gas mileage in the city is terrible but on the highway you can squeeze about 20 mpg out of it.

Tires are easy to go through.

The reason for both these problems is that you will love driving this all around performance beast.