Good decisions...?

Kinja'd!!! "Snuze: Needs another Swede" (markg)
04/01/2019 at 11:57 • Filed to: None

Kinja'd!!!1 Kinja'd!!! 8

I didn’t buy it.

I went and looked at that BMW that I posted about yesterd ay morning. I was a bit concerned that the mileage was wrong (a 2014 with only 7500?), or that if that were true, it was pretty ragged out or otherwise had something wrong with it. Well, I can report that is not the case. The odometer reading is legit and the car in good shape . T he CarFax shows 2 incidents of “damage” (not accidents). It turns out it was a DC car and the owner mainly walked to work. He got tired of making payments and never driving it, so he traded it in for something cheaper (a Mazda 3). So my guess is the damage was from it getting tagged while parked on the street. If work was done on the front right (first incident), it was done well and I couldn’t find any solid evidence of it. On the rear (second incident) there’s a spot of spider web cracking in the paint on the bumper, but otherwise everything looks good .

Overall, at $27k I think it’s an NP for a car that’s practically new. The salesman even indicated there’s some wiggle room on the price. But I never went into negotiations. After my test drive, I think I realized that I’m just not a BMW person. Or at least not a modern BMW person.

On paper it’s everything I could want - good power, good gas mileage, manual trans, rear wheel drive, decent room and cargo space. The reliability is lacking but for the right car I could live with that. A few months ago I drove a 328 and they have some really serious issues so I passed. A 335i is (relatively) more reliable, and it’s more powerful, so naturally I figured it should be a much better car and I’d fall in love with it.

But much like dating a stripper, what seems like a great idea quickly turns into something I can’t see myself living with in the long term. While it was a nice car, it wasn’t “fun. ” It just didn’t elicit that sort of deep stiring in my soul that made me want to yell “Shut up and take my money!” so I could hurry out of the dealer and drive it home everywhere .

To be honest, I’m having a bit of a crisis of automotive faith . It’s like everything I thought I wanted in a car turns out not be at all what I want, and now I have no idea what I want. 


DISCUSSION (8)


Kinja'd!!! KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Snuze: Needs another Swede
04/01/2019 at 12:03

Kinja'd!!!0

It just didn’t elicit that sort of deep stiring in my soul that made me want to yell “Shut up and take my money!” so I could hurry out of the dealer and drive it home everywhere.

You need to go older BMW in that case.


Kinja'd!!! Chariotoflove > Snuze: Needs another Swede
04/01/2019 at 12:24

Kinja'd!!!1

I had the same feeling when I test drove a convertible E350. There was nothing wrong with it. It should have been everything I wanted. But it just didn’t speak to me.

Don’t think of where you are now as a crisis. Think of it as an opportunity. Go drive a bunch of other stuff. Maybe you’ll find your car spirit animal. Hope it isn’t anything too embarrassing.


Kinja'd!!! 412GTI > Snuze: Needs another Swede
04/01/2019 at 12:25

Kinja'd!!!0

Sounds like a F30! Ticks all the boxes, but comes off a bit soulless. Shame since that sounded like a very nice example.

Have you tried a GTI? Sorry you knew one of us would have to say it haha!


Kinja'd!!! PS9 > Snuze: Needs another Swede
04/01/2019 at 12:32

Kinja'd!!!0

Remember when NSXs were $27k used? sigh. Not anymore...


Kinja'd!!! Snuze: Needs another Swede > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time
04/01/2019 at 12:33

Kinja'd!!!0

I think you’re right. A good friend of mine had an E36 325i when we were in high school. That was a fun car. I think maybe that’s the sort of feeling I was looking for and not finding. 


Kinja'd!!! Snuze: Needs another Swede > PS9
04/01/2019 at 12:34

Kinja'd!!!0

Great minds think alike - that was one of the cars I’ve checked but they are definitely bouncing hard of the bottom of the depreciation curve now.  


Kinja'd!!! Snuze: Needs another Swede > 412GTI
04/01/2019 at 12:35

Kinja'd!!!1

I haven’t yet, but maybe I’ll  go test drive one for fun and see what I think. 


Kinja'd!!! PS9 > Snuze: Needs another Swede
04/01/2019 at 12:46

Kinja'd!!!0

By the time I could afford a $27k car, NSXs will be like quadruple that.

Kinja'd!!!

:(