Help this 18 year old choose his BMW

andrewbuch

///Member
I also disagree James.. My Fiance has a 130i Corsa & her consumption is 15l/100km & in my E46 318i I get average of 10 to 12l/100km if driven faster.. lately its about 9l/100km driving like a granny.

and parts & services are similar prices.. My clutch was R4500 and hers was R3800...
 
Moranor, Thats basically what I was thinking.
I drive a Nissan champ at the moment, practical and relatively light on fuel but I am just looking for something more.

Yes, most of my traveling is around town but every other weekend I do get out of town and the champ just doesn't do it for me on the open roads.
The champ has also been tried to be stolen, and hoping that a more modern car like an e39 would be more difficult to get taken away from me.


 

XMAX

///Member
I may have mentioned buying a Diesel.

But I find it funny that nobodys mentioned getting an E36 and saving your cash.

you could get a good 318i / 318is for aroung R40 - 45k. Those cars are bulletproof, Great handling, decent power, decent economy and if its with the motorsport bodykit, still a stunner.

I wouldnt mind getting an e36 Mptorsport.


Also, the e36 6 pots are quite nice if thats your thing.
 

moranor@axis

///Member
Official Advertiser
you going to struggle to find a bmw that does 7l/ 100km... you looking at 9-11l/100km... or a diesel
 

ZED1

Member
I agree with moroner, if you love driving and enjoy looking good while doing it, don't give those shit boxes a second thought. Yes, your fuel consuption might be aliittle higher but atleast your not hating yourself every km you drive, and hating yourself isn't good.
 

XMAX

///Member
I agree with ZED...

Look at Freeriders e36... That is a sexy car.


You could also get a 325i, or 323i with that body kit... Look awesome, not terrible economy, and still moves like stink.
 

moranor@axis

///Member
Official Advertiser
if you fine with 10l-11l/100 then you could even get an e36 6cly they a bit thirstyer than the e46 but quite a bit cheaper... i was originally looking at getting an e36 but i found that the e46 has dropped nicely in price and they were generally in much better condition than the e36s i saw... there are still some very good e36 out there...

i dont know much about the e39 but they do seem a good deal :) they just too heavy for me...
 

moranor@axis

///Member
Official Advertiser
i dont know much about the E34 but i think it will need alot of upkeep because they quite old now... i would also get a 540 if i got an E34 :)
 

XMAX

///Member
What sort of 18 year old is this.

Not being said with any bad intentions.


If you are "gifted with money in the family" then by all means get an 8 cylinder.

If not, go for the 3 series 6 cylinders. Good punch for a decent amount of money.


Sure the e34 is a great car, but is it best for an 18 year old. Im not so sure.



My advice once again. Get an e36, spend some of the saved money on some decent mods and then put the rest in a bank account and keep there till youre 50 years old.
 

CocoPops

Honorary ///Member
cocopops said:
Howsit mann, can throw around cars without knowing more details is kinda pointless..

Hows about listing what the main uses of the car will be, driving conditions most of the time(traffic or no traffic), distance travveled each day, how long u plan on keeping the car, ure age for insurance purposes, category car will fall into for ure age, etc.

From there a suggestion can be made and an informed decision can be taken.

A list of pro's and cons of diesel vs petrol.

A list of what you want out of the car in terms of luxuries, what you need and what you dont.

Used Diesel:
Pros:
1.Lower Fuel Usage
2.Huge amounts or torque
3. not affected as much by altitude.
feel free to add to the list.
Cons:
1. was car filled up with 50ppm diesel or 500ppm? u will never know and as such cannot know what condition the parts internally are in.
2.The way a diesel engine works requires much stronger parts, however when these fail they are pricer to replace.
3.Longevity of turbo cars is less then that of petrol.
4.more frequent service intervals.
5.diesel costs more then petrol.
6. Sounds Horrid when old.
7.Smokes when old.
8. feel free to add to the list.

used petrol:
Pros:
1.Great performance at the coast.
2.no lag!
3.engine longevity much greater on non turbo car
4. less frequent service intervals
5.more fun
6.Sounds great always.
7. please feel free to add to the list.

Cons:
1. higher petrol usage.
2. please feel free to add to the list.

3 series
pro's
1.
cons
1.
5 series
pro's
1.
cons.
1.

Sorry in a bit of a rush.. please forum members fill in and then he can make an informed decision..

the 330i e46 is an excellent car and i would suggest that. solid motors and a great drive.

I still think the post I initially made would greatly help in terms of what car you get.

Each to his own though.

BMW Power.
 

Muney

New member
No offense but a 3l bimmer for an 18 yr old might be a bit much. Hell, my 1.3 sh!tbox Chico got me onto a lot of trouble at that age. Well....to each his own. I'm not hating, just stating!

If you want something nice (and safe)....go for a 4cyl bimmer. Learn the dynamics of those then move on to something bigger when you are a bit older. Oh...and lets not forget the cost of insurance on a big(ish) engine at a young age. That will bite you in the balls.
 

moranor@axis

///Member
Official Advertiser
i think a 525i will be a bit limp you need at least a 3l for that weight... you could get a 325i (less weight) and insurance wont kill you... i hope :)
 

Redline

Member
PE_in_the_market said:
so would you guys recommend a 1992 - 1995 525i manual with the m50 motor

Any major things that would turn me off this car ?

/quote]

I have one not going to lie the weight does count against. But what does count in it's favour is a very smooth free revving motor. It also very cheap to run, parts are readily available & if you drive it in the upper part of the rev range it makes for a satisfy drive.

But it is NOT light on petrol I average 13lt per 100.
 
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