[ZFrank]

Hello,

I am new to this forum and am reaching out because I am stuck in the decision-making process of getting a new car. I currently own a 2003 BMW 325i, however, I just graduated college and am fortunate enough to have some cash on hand to upgrade to something newer and more reliable. I have around $14,000 which what I have been looking at around this price range is a couple 2010-2011 BMW 328i x drives with 50,000-70,000 miles. My dilemma is my local dealer just got a 2014 BMW 320i mineral white with the m sport package off lease and am waiting to hear back on a price. the car has 38,000 miles and looks to be in excellent condition. The catch here is a would have to finance the difference which I'm guessing would be somewhere between $3,000-$5,000. I really love the look of the car and love the fact that it has the m sport package, and is one owner coming off lease. So I guess what I'm asking is some of you that are familiar with both vehicles is it worth the difference for the newer 320i? The dealership also has a 2013 328i x drive but doesn't offer many options and is priced at $19,500. Thanks in advance for all the help!

[tturedraider]

Congrats on your graduation. First question, where are you? Do you really need xDrive?

Do you have links to the two cars? Power wise the 320i will feel and will be more powerful than your 325i, so it might suit you just fine. I think it's unlikely they will price an off-lease 320i in good condition under $20k.

[ZFrank]

thank you for the congrats, and x drive is not a necessity as I will be living in Missouri or Tennesse and have survived without x drive while living in Missouri my whole life. As far as the price of the 320i it is up in the air right now why I wait for a call back from the dealership. I can't attach a link for this car because it isn't up on the site yet. As far as 2010-11 328i x drive the one I was looking at sold, but I am looking for something under 60K miles with a clean carfax. I really like the idea of the m sports package and the looks of the 2013 compared to the 2010-11, but at the end of the day price and reliability will outweigh everything.

[tturedraider]

fyi - xDrive models don't get the sport suspension that rwd models get, so if the 320i is xDrive it will lack the sport suspension.

Would you be interested in a manual transmission? This car was recently turned in off-lease by a member over at Bimmerfest - http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...odelCode1=320I

[5ilver-5amurai]

Have you considered a bare bones 2014 228i? If you are looking for a fun car right out of school, I would find a way to minimize size and maximize horsepower / torque. I'm not even sure if the 320i you're looking at and the 228i are even in the same ballpark of price - I think they might be?

[tex2670]

Originally Posted by ZFrank

Hello,

I am new to this forum and am reaching out because I am stuck in the decision-making process of getting a new car. I currently own a 2003 BMW 325i, however, I just graduated college and am fortunate enough to have some cash on hand to upgrade to something newer and more reliable. I have around $14,000 which what I have been looking at around this price range is a couple 2010-2011 BMW 328i x drives with 50,000-70,000 miles. My dilemma is my local dealer just got a 2014 BMW 320i mineral white with the m sport package off lease and am waiting to hear back on a price. the car has 38,000 miles and looks to be in excellent condition. The catch here is a would have to finance the difference which I'm guessing would be somewhere between $3,000-$5,000. I really love the look of the car and love the fact that it has the m sport package, and is one owner coming off lease. So I guess what I'm asking is some of you that are familiar with both vehicles is it worth the difference for the newer 320i? The dealership also has a 2013 328i x drive but doesn't offer many options and is priced at $19,500. Thanks in advance for all the help!

If you are a recent collage grad with $14k to spend on a car, and you are looking for something reliable, do yourself a YUGE favor--get a used Honda. Seriously. Drive the wheels off of it for the next few years, and once you are situated in your career, buy the BMW you have always wanted.

Getting a 6-7 year old BMW with 70k is not really the "reliable" car you are looking for.

[Krasna]

Originally Posted by tex2670

If you are a recent collage grad with $14k to spend on a car, and you are looking for something reliable, do yourself a YUGE favor--get a used Honda. Seriously. Drive the wheels off of it for the next few years, and once you are situated in your career, buy the BMW you have always wanted.

Getting a 6-7 year old BMW with 70k is not really the "reliable" car you are looking for.

I pretty much agree with this, except I don't like Asian cars. Opinions will vary, but I'd get a Ford or if you're set on European, then maybe a VW GTI ... some used ones out there at less than $20K.

[Spiderm0n]

If you do go for a BMW, get a used jalopnik edition 3 series

[nicknaz]

If you have to finance part of a $20k car, are you going to be ok with a couple of thousand $ out of warranty repair? Not saying it will happen but good to plan for worst case.

smart money would be to get a 3yr old Nissan Leaf for $8k and bank the rest

EDIT: Might be worth it do a cheap lease on a 320 if you are really set on the BMW. At least you won't get any unexpected repair payments.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by nicknaz

If you have to finance part of a $20k car, are you going to be ok with a couple of thousand $ out of warranty repair? Not saying it will happen but good to plan for worst case.

smart money would be to get a 3yr old Nissan Leaf for $8k and bank the rest

EDIT: Might be worth it do a cheap lease on a 320 if you are really set on the BMW. At least you won't get any unexpected repair payments.

Don't want to derail this thread, but I don't think a used Leaf would be a very good choice for an only car. With the limited range you'd never be able to travel anywhere.

[PK2348]

As others have said, if all i had was 14K, i would not be considering a BMW

[ZFrank]

It seems everyone is worried about the reliability of the BMW? are you referring to both 2010 328i and 2014 BMW 320i or just one of the two? Both cars seem to have good reliability reviews, and so far knock on wood my 2003 325i has held up pretty well other than replacing the belt tensioner and repairing the secondary air valve, and it just hit 123,000 miles. Is the Honda going to be that much better than a BMW? I guess I should have clarified the $14,000 is a gift to me to use towards a vehicle somebody in my family is without one right now so I will be giving my 325i to them. Unfortunately, I cannot invest the money. lol I have loved my BMW and that is why I was willing to finance a little bit. I would love to get a 228, but I haven't found one priced anywhere near 20k in my area which is the midwest for those who were asking/wondering. However, I do have an update on the vehicle. I talked to the sales manager today, and he just got another 320i, and I will be going to look at both of them on Monday or Tuesday so I can update everyone then with pictures, specs, and a price on the vehicles. I appreciate all of you who are trying to help me through this process, and hopefully, on Tuesday, you will be able to help me even more, when I provide an update.

[beto_L.A.]

Originally Posted by ZFrank

It seems everyone is worried about the reliability of the BMW? are you referring to both 2010 328i and 2014 BMW 320i or just one of the two? Both cars seem to have good reliability reviews, and so far knock on wood my 2003 325i has held up pretty well other than replacing the belt tensioner and repairing the secondary air valve, and it just hit 123,000 miles. Is the Honda going to be that much better than a BMW? I guess I should have clarified the $14,000 is a gift to me to use towards a vehicle somebody in my family is without one right now so I will be giving my 325i to them. Unfortunately, I cannot invest the money. lol I have loved my BMW and that is why I was willing to finance a little bit. I would love to get a 228, but I haven't found one priced anywhere near 20k in my area which is the midwest for those who were asking/wondering. However, I do have an update on the vehicle. I talked to the sales manager today, and he just got another 320i, and I will be going to look at both of them on Monday or Tuesday so I can update everyone then with pictures, specs, and a price on the vehicles. I appreciate all of you who are trying to help me through this process, and hopefully, on Tuesday, you will be able to help me even more, when I provide an update.

The cost of repairs is very high...

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by ZFrank

It seems everyone is worried about the reliability of the BMW? are you referring to both 2010 328i and 2014 BMW 320i or just one of the two? Both cars seem to have good reliability reviews, and so far knock on wood my 2003 325i has held up pretty well other than replacing the belt tensioner and repairing the secondary air valve, and it just hit 123,000 miles. Is the Honda going to be that much better than a BMW? I guess I should have clarified the $14,000 is a gift to me to use towards a vehicle somebody in my family is without one right now so I will be giving my 325i to them. Unfortunately, I cannot invest the money. lol I have loved my BMW and that is why I was willing to finance a little bit. I would love to get a 228, but I haven't found one priced anywhere near 20k in my area which is the midwest for those who were asking/wondering. However, I do have an update on the vehicle. I talked to the sales manager today, and he just got another 320i, and I will be going to look at both of them on Monday or Tuesday so I can update everyone then with pictures, specs, and a price on the vehicles. I appreciate all of you who are trying to help me through this process, and hopefully, on Tuesday, you will be able to help me even more, when I provide an update.

You're not any more or less likely to have the same kind of reliability experience with a newer Bimmer than you had with your E46. Actually, that's not true; you are more likely to have a better reliability experience with a newer Bimmer.

Did you ever have transmission troubles with your E46? E46s are notorious for losing their reverse gear. And for needing cooling system overhauls.

Back to the xDrive question - is the 320i Sport package you're looking at an xDrive or rwd? I guess you read what I posted about the xDrive not having the sport suspension, even on a Sport package car? What dealer are you looking at?

[jmg]

With that kind of a budget and just starting out in the workforce, I'd get something more reliable or lease a new 320i. Lease programs for BMWs are very competitive vs their financing as far as total cost of ownership and it might be as good as it gets for awhile. You will be under warranty and in 3 years you might have more earning potential in your job and have no strings attached to your car. Yes, you will have no equity in your 320i, but then again, you aren't putting that money into a depreciating item anyway, leaving more money liquid for living expenses and investments or paying off that student loan.

Think about it hard though.

Whats your student loan rate?

Calculate your total cost of ownership for a purchase (including selling your car after 3 years) AND a lease.

Take the difference in payment of your purchase vs lease and apply it to the student loan.

Calculate for interest on your student loan and project 3 years in both cases.

Compare the 2 scenarios. How much money did you lose in interest in your student loans from the purchasing scenario, but account for your lower cost of car ownership? From this, you can determine if leasing saves you more money than buying. Oh, and don't forget the cost of maintenance if you are buying a non-CPO car.

In other words, leasing might be more beneficial to allow for a faster payment of your student loan. BUT purchasing might be better in the long run, because you can keep the car after it's paid off and not have that additional monthly expense of a car payment. The question is, after that, what will be the depreciation of that car, and how much maintenance will you be doing? D you even WANT to drive that old of a car in 3 years?

Lots of questions, even more options. Choose wisely.

[tex2670]

Originally Posted by ZFrank

It seems everyone is worried about the reliability of the BMW? are you referring to both 2010 328i and 2014 BMW 320i or just one of the two? Both cars seem to have good reliability reviews, and so far knock on wood my 2003 325i has held up pretty well other than replacing the belt tensioner and repairing the secondary air valve, and it just hit 123,000 miles. Is the Honda going to be that much better than a BMW? I guess I should have clarified the $14,000 is a gift to me to use towards a vehicle somebody in my family is without one right now so I will be giving my 325i to them. Unfortunately, I cannot invest the money. lol I have loved my BMW and that is why I was willing to finance a little bit. I would love to get a 228, but I haven't found one priced anywhere near 20k in my area which is the midwest for those who were asking/wondering. However, I do have an update on the vehicle. I talked to the sales manager today, and he just got another 320i, and I will be going to look at both of them on Monday or Tuesday so I can update everyone then with pictures, specs, and a price on the vehicles. I appreciate all of you who are trying to help me through this process, and hopefully, on Tuesday, you will be able to help me even more, when I provide an update.

You are comparing 1 single BMW to decades of Honda (or Toyota, or Subaru) reliability. It doesn't work that way. Is a BMW a POS? No. But, on the whole, you are much more likely to have trouble free miles up to and over 100k in a Honda than you will with a BMW. When you factor in the $14,000 price point, you can buy a much newer, lower mileage, Honda than BMW. Which means on top of reliability, you will not be as close to the replacement interval for many items that just happen to wear out at a particular mileage. You have $14,000 burning a hole in your pocket. You can spend it all, and more, to get what you want. Or you can spend less and get something more serviceable and practical, and use the extra money for savings, a vacation, a nicer apartment, dinners out, whatever. It's hard to restrain the urge to splurge on yourself--but it's your call.

[ZFrank]

The 320i I am interested in is just rwd not a xdrive. I also have not had transmission problems with my 325i thankfully, and I wasn't comparing my BMW to every Honda, Toyota, Subaru ever made. I was just clearly stating that my interest into a newer BMW stemmed from my luck with my current BMW. It seems a lot of people are worried about the reliability/maintenance on a newer 320i. It seems most of you have newer BMW's, is this something you guys are bringing up because you are running into this issue? Perhaps I am miss informed, but I was under the assumption that the 320i was a reliable car from what I have researched. If I am wrong please correct me. jmg the breakdown you have suggested is something I am/have taken into consideration, but I don't know how I feel about leasing a vehicle. You have no equity, and at some point, I want to avoid a car payment. I'm looking at this situation from the point of view that I have been given money to buy/put towards a car that doesn't come out of my expenses. Later down the road, this won't be the case, and I will be solely responsible for purchasing the entire cost of the vehicle. Is a 2014 Honda/Toyota/ETC compared to a 2014 BMW going to be a noticeable difference when comparing maintenance in general whether that be time spent in the shop or cost? I don't know anything about Honda so this is why I'm asking. The dealership is my local BMW dealer to whoever asked.

[keylime503]

I know this is a major nit but I don't think there was ever an Msport package available with the 320 was there?

[jmg]

Originally Posted by ZFrank

The 320i I am interested in is just rwd not a xdrive. I also have not had transmission problems with my 325i thankfully, and I wasn't comparing my BMW to every Honda, Toyota, Subaru ever made. I was just clearly stating that my interest into a newer BMW stemmed from my luck with my current BMW. It seems a lot of people are worried about the reliability/maintenance on a newer 320i. It seems most of you have newer BMW's, is this something you guys are bringing up because you are running into this issue? Perhaps I am miss informed, but I was under the assumption that the 320i was a reliable car from what I have researched. If I am wrong please correct me. jmg the breakdown you have suggested is something I am/have taken into consideration, but I don't know how I feel about leasing a vehicle. You have no equity, and at some point, I want to avoid a car payment. I'm looking at this situation from the point of view that I have been given money to buy/put towards a car that doesn't come out of my expenses. Later down the road, this won't be the case, and I will be solely responsible for purchasing the entire cost of the vehicle. Is a 2014 Honda/Toyota/ETC compared to a 2014 BMW going to be a noticeable difference when comparing maintenance in general whether that be time spent in the shop or cost? I don't know anything about Honda so this is why I'm asking. The dealership is my local BMW dealer to whoever asked.

BMWs are more expensive to repair than Hondas,Toyotas, etc and generally require more of them. Reliability is always relative. Toyotas are more reliable than BMWs, but BMWs are more reliable than Land Rovers or Alpha Romeos... to an extent.

[bimmer456]

I felt the x drive car handled well enough for me didn't really notice lack of sport suspension as you have the front wheels to help with cornering. This was a 340i with MPPSK so a higher power level than 320i.

[Twindubs]

Originally Posted by PK2348

As others have said, if all i had was 14K, i would not be considering a BMW

Disagree. In 2010 I bought a 2005 325i for about 15k. Just started a job and paid it down. Yes I had to put some cash over the years but I loved driving that car. Had 60k miles and I put another 60k over 6 years just sold it 2 months ago and picked up 2013 335i. It was a solid purchase and car served me well. I'd say go for it!

[tex2670]

Originally Posted by keylime503

I know this is a major nit but I don't think there was ever an Msport package available with the 320 was there?

Nope. You can only get a sport "package", and there were never any "lines" available for the 320.