Bimmer for the wife?

[Silveresrty911S]

Hey Guys,

I'm over here from the Porsche forum and was browsing your site and thought you could help me decide which BMW to get.
It will be for my wife and daughter(7) around town and her real estate travels. I was thinking a 3 series and possibly a 5 series. I like the look of the 328ic. I've bugeted 15,000- 18,000 for the car so I know it will be in the 97-2000 year range.
One of the reasons I'm leaning towards the BMW is this site, I've had alot of help with my Porsche and the people are very understanding and give out a ton of info without being snobs, and quite funny at times
Thanks for the help
Rick

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

My only experiences have been with my Mom's 98 328is and my buddy's 99 M3.

They're both fabulous cars. Maintenance is medium-high (around Porsche levels, I feel) but they do a whole lot of things "just right". The 328 is soft enough for my Mom to zoom around in comfortably, but is reasonably fun to toss around when the road gets tight. Not that Mom ever does that, but I do get to borrow the car every once in a while when I visit... It was comfortable enough for us to take a 17-hour trip (Portland to SF, with snow in the mountains) and still be able to walk around after we got out. (The seat heaters come very strongly recommended by Mom and every other woman I know who has sat in the car!!) You can't ignore the car's 3000+ pound weight, and it definitely takes a moment for it to respond to the controls. But the responses are sure and accurate.

The M3 is the same car, only more zoomy. The price is that it is louder (makes noises I like!! ) and that the ride is firmer. But it works very very well indeed! (I haven't driven the car, but I've ridden in it a number of times.) My friend uses it as a track car as well as a daily driver, and it acquits itself quite well on the Big Track for a realtively-heavy car with street tires on it. The main problem that he has had is that the car will warp the brake rotors in between one and four run sessions at Laguna Seca. I will suggest different pads to him next time he needs to change things... It might help.

I have no idea on the convertible, really. I would assume that it is heavier and less agile, due to chassis flex. If you need a 'vert, though, you need a 'vert.

--DD

[stupenal]

That is a good budget for a later model 328ic. The 328 is a great car for daily commuting and the styling and looks are timeless. The maintenance level on these cars is not bad at all. As long as routine maintenance is done (fluids, filters, plugs) you should be ok to go. By the end of the e36 series, most of the quirks were already sorted out. The cooling system, rear suspension, all had already been updated. Suspension components such as ball joints and tie rods will wear out over time, along with shocks/struts but thats expected with most cars.

Basically, the 3 series is a great car that combines an entire package for a decent price these days - looks, class, luxury, comfortability, decent acceleration, great stock handling, and a lil badge on the trunk and hood that everyone recognizes (if that sort of thing matters to your wife). There's lots of DIY articles floating around on the internet that'll guide you through most repairs, so if you're handy with a wrench, maintenance wont cost THAT much. Parts are a bit more expensive, but if you can do your own labor, you can save a LOT of money.

[blkongry]

Both the 3 and 5 series are fantastic cars, between the two models, there is pretty much a car for any 'driver'. You can get the big dawg in the 540, or a little econo-mouse in the 318. The decision between the two series, and the model line within the series, is pretty much personal preference... a balance of features you want. If your wife/daughter wants a 4-door, then I would stick with the 5-series. If they want a 2-door, then stick with the 3 (of course, this is my personal preference). In any instance, you can't go wrong if you take your time and look for the features/configuration you want. Any choice is a good choice within these models.

[Larry F.]

I just moved from a '95 540i/6 to a '95 M3, and love both of the cars. It's all about what you want out of a ride. My 540 was the Sport, with a lowered, stiff suspension, which I appreciated (and tracked the car about 3 times a summer). My Dad, on the other hand, always claimed that the "suspension was broken". OOOOK, that was *his* experience.

I decided I was done with 4 doors and hauling the kids around (heck, my *son* has another M3 now!) so I decided to downsize for my daily driver. Again, the M3 is just a little stiff in the suspension for my Dad (sheesh!) but *I* find it more responsive than the 5, and like tossing it around more. For road trips, the 5 gave us more room to thrash around in, but the 3 has *also* been fine for my sweetie and me.

My experience is probably no help at all, since I enjoyed both cars, and leave it to you to decide what is more important to the primary driver - space and cush, or sporty and small.

Both cars have their weak points mechanically, but most are easily spotted and remedied. My 5 had 135K on it when I sold it (original Nikasil block, no less) and still tests and runs perfectly. We had to put a head gasket in my son's M3 at 95K; oh, well.

Above all, have fun!

[Silveresrty911S]

Thanks for the tips guys, it looks like the 328 and 528 are the cars my wife likes and I'm searching ebay, trader and these sites for the average price.
WOW there are alot of black cars (which is a no go for wifey) silver and white are the preferred colors for her, I'm more concerned with maintenance and shop records on the cars we look at.
How are these compared to my Porsche as far as a DIY on most maintenance and upgrades? I've done all most all of mine on my P-car except for 4-wheel corner balance & alignment.
TIA Rick

[blkongry]

If you've done most of the work on your P-car, you'll be able to do most of the work on your soon-to-arrive BMW. They truly are fairly simplistic vehicles, with a few weird quirks (like the stupid door switch within the locking mechanism on my cabrio). Another good resource for pricing cars is www.edmunds.com ...they will even run a 'true market analysis' for you, itemizing accessories/ammenities to give you an accurate price. Another listing board for cars for sale is www.cars.com ...I've had the best of luck with Autrotrader online (both selling and buying). Hmm... no black cars, eh? I didn't know they came in other colors

[Larry F.]

Rick:

I completely agree with your wife on the color issue - my black 540i/6 showed dirt the moment it left my driveway - my silver M3 still looks decent even though it has been two weeks of rainy Pacific Northwest weather since it's last wash.

I have also found more prospects in AutoTrader than anywhere else. There *are* numbers of cars on the various boards, but many of the ads are not well-tended - they are sold but still listed, etc. Also, some read like go-fast "test mules" that I really would not want as *my* daily driver. I ran into lots of those on roadfly. My preference was for a low-miles stock example, which is exactly what I found.

Presuming you are not in a hurry, it was very helpful for me to put together a summary of what I found on the market, and it's key data. I'll try pasting a little of it into another post, but I would be happy to shoot you the Excel file if you are interested.

Have fun! Larry F.

[Larry F.]

Let's see how this paste works:

E30 M3 Search Data
Revised 08/10/2003a

Year Price Miles Color Location Ad was in: Comments

88 $8,625 97,000 n/a WA n/a Retail Kelly Blue Book
89 $9,650 97,000 n/a WA n/a Retail Kelly Blue Book
90 $10,850 97,000 n/a WA n/a Retail Kelly Blue Book
91 $12,035 97,000 n/a WA n/a Retail Kelly Blue Book

89 $8,500 109,000 red MD 05/03 Roundel Some mechanicals
88 $8,900 150,000 charcoal Gig Harbor Tacome paper 2nd owner, all stock
88 $9,000 147,000 not listed TX 04/03 Roundel Supersprint, K&N, 16"
89 $9,500 156,000 red/blk NV 03/03 Roundel 16K on 2.3l, suspension
89 $9,900 133,840 gray 2456 mi. Aug Autotrader
89 $10,000 117,000 blk/beige OH 03/03 Roundel Wheels, suspension, brakes, exhaust
88 $10,000 175,000 Cinnabar/blk TN 03,04/03 Roundel Valve job, chip, ss, Borla, K&N
90 $11,000 121,000 white/blk TX 03,04,05/03 Roundel Tri-flo, needs paint
88 $12,000 95,000 blk/gry NJ 03/03 Roundel 2nd owner, all stock
89 $13,000 55,700 blk/blk CA 04/03 Roundel "serviced"
88 $13,000 128,000 silver/blk NC 03/03 Roundel Rebuilt head, clutch, stock
91 $13,000 89,740 white 970 mi. Aug Autotrader
91 $13,500 125,000 red/blk PA 04/03 Roundel orig owner, stress bars
90 $13,900 87,000 blk/blk PA 04/03 Roundel Dinan, fresh
89 $14,000 63,000 blk/tan NY 03,04/03 Roundel Paint, tires, brakes

Well, the formatting got clobbered, but you get the idea. I even graphed the mileage against the price, which has a very high correlation, as you would expect.

Later,

[Silveresrty911S]

Larry,

Iv'e got a simple list going now, no hurry.
I've got silver metalic on my Porsche and have had white, they both are an easy choice for looking clean longer. My F350 is dark green (at night it looks black) and it's a bi#*h to keep clean, but I'm in construction so can't complain too much.

We've found a few cars, most are out of state and I want to physically inspect them. Thanks for all the help guys.
Rick

[blkongry]

Having anything less than a black car just makes it too easy to not give your car the attention and maintenance it so rightly deserves (how's that for a philosophy to justify having a black car? ) Actually, while living the PNW too, my little ride has constant beads of rain on it throughout the winter. I use a California Water Blade each morning to 'shuck' the water of and it tends to keep the exterior relatively clean (when it totally dries, you can see a haze on it, but you can't help that). If your car is well waxed, it helps tremendously in keeping it clean... dirt and debris tend to nearly rinse off a properly cleaned and waxed exterior.

[Eli at Pelican Parts]

Having a black car is like having a child, you need to dedicated time everyday in order to keep it. The last time I owned two black cars was back in 1997, since then I have decided to keep it simple. I can remember dedicating about 5 hours a week keeping just one car clean. I would wash it almost every other day, I can remember my neighbor back in Texas then telling me “You're going to wash off the paint”.

The darkest I own now is a Dark “Greenish-Blue” and that stays under a car cover all-day and all-night-long! Aren’t garages wonderful!

http://www.drivewerks.com/catalog/shopcart/STUF/POR_STUF_BKBEST_pg3.htm

[blkongry]

Hmm... so... I'm not the only one who has heard, "You're gonna wash off the paint." My 4Runner is silver, and that is such a great color for hiding dirt... although there is not much satisfaction in washing it (and it tends to get a little neglected because of it)... it pretty much looks the same... silver. Now, on the other hand, when I wash and wax my black E36... to where it looks almost liquid like... and drop the top on a warm sunny summer day, there is nothing more sleek, mean, and smooth looking.

[Eli at Pelican Parts]

I agree silver seems to hide just about everything except that dirt on your windows....

[Larry F.]

Eli:

Funny you should say that about the windows - I have exactly the same predilection - my car is kinda dirty, but I cleaned the glass thoroughly this morning . . .

Larry F.

[Eli at Pelican Parts]

In 1996 I had a silver RX7 with tinted windows, as long as I kept the windows clean everyone seemed to think the car was clean. I would clean the rim rings on the stretched out rims and the windows as well and everyone would tell me my car was always clean.... go figure.

[blkongry]

Yep, pretty much the same on my 4Runner (tinted windows all around). Clean the windows and rims, and the whole thing looks freshly washed. The most unsatisfying thing is when I wax and detail the thing... an afternoon of polishing/buffing the entire rig, just to stand back and say, "Yep... still silver... it looks the same." So now I just use NuFinish... and it only gets it once a year (waxing that is... it gets washed daily here in the PNW just sitting outside ).

[Eli at Pelican Parts]

Good Call, I would probably do the same too if I got a other silver car!

[stupenal]

black cars sure are hard to keep clean!!!!

i have mine at school and I just dont have time these days to wash it. And let me tell you, nothing screams dirty like a black car that hasnt been wash, combined with bmw brake dust.

[matthew-m]

You could do like me and not wash it at all - ever. The wheels become a cool looking platinum and the paint looks like a beige/black metallic blend. The dealer washed it and it took me 3 days to get used to it again! Too bad I'm going to have to rewash it to get all the stuff they missed...