Sp00led Ya

I am in a dilemma reguarding the car I want to have when I get home from AIT. I am an Army Engineer and will be returning home from AIT in about 3 weeks and at that time I will be buying my new car. I have a budget of $12-13000 MAX. I want rear wheel drive, something that will be reliable, something that will handle well and be fairly quick... I want a 14 second car. I plan on going through with bolt ons, some cosmetics such as wheels etc etc. I want to have a car that I can modify without going overboard, something that will look very clean and nothing that will be a pain in my ass.

I was considering either an E36 BMW M3 (95-99) which I have seen sell anywhere from $10-13,000 with 80-100K, the reason being for this car to be on the list is because I like the look, it's a 14 second car stock, I hear the 3-Series handle very well and I am hoping it'd be a very reliable car... Automobile magazine had an article on top 100 cars of all time and they said the E36 M3 still to this day is arguably the best sports car bargain on the market but my concern with it is can I count on it to be strong and not give me problems... I will be looking for a clean title, and maintinence records on all these as well, as long as it's been kept up with, needs nothing and has been taken care of.

Another car I considered was an E46 BMW 3-Series (99-05 323i, 323ci, 325i, 325ci) I have seen the prices at about $12,000-13,000 as well with between high 80k-110k and though they are not as fast as the E36 M3 I think the more rounded look is alot more attractive and hopefully some bolt ons could get me to break into 14's. The last option was a Lexus IS300 and I have seen 2000-01s go for $11-13000 with between 80k and 110k, now this car is sexy and I KNOW I can count on Lexus even at higher mileage to not give me problems however they are damn near impossible to find in 5 speed and that puts a big damper on my plans. I'd like an opinion on quality of these car, which car would give me the least trouble reguarding the mileage I would be buying them at, which one would be the best bet, I would love to have one of the BMW's however I am in the dark as far as how high maintinence, how reliable they are... I can't deal with a nickel and dimer. Thanks for the help

thumbnail

seems like you're looking for a reliable car. go with the lexus.

I wouldn't buy a E46 323/325. Those cars are weak. The E46 330 is a better car but obviously cost more.

I have owned a 98 E36 M3 since 2001, and so far, there is no problem at all.

If I were you with limited cash, you can't go wrong with the lexus.

Sp00led Ya

I was very intrigued by the E36 M3 and if I could get my reliability questions about it answered then it would make the ordeal go away considering I have performance and reliability in mind vs JUST reliability. Though I love the Lexus's styling and overall appeal the fact that a 5 speed is very VERY difficult to find puts a large damper on going with the Lexus, it just takes so much of the fun out of driving the car, I was told that reguardless of the make and model the E36 is a 10-12 year old car and things will break... I was just hoping to find one that has been kept up with making when I buy the car it needs nothing and if there is indeed an owner who would be able to let me know what may be needed and when the piece of mind would be that much greater, I know people have 200-300,000 miles on these BMW's but if making them run that long is going to cost a ton the interest will diminish for me when it comes to that car. I understand what you mean about the E46 323-325 being weak, they really are making them boring but the E36 M3 which I have never driven seems like it'd be a ton of fun to drive. I just need to know if owning it at that mileage is going to be more hassle then it's worth. Too bad a high mileage S2000 is not an option, insurance is crazy for me on that car, suprisingly the age of the M3 brings the cost to insure down considerably even though I am only 21. I just want no regrets when buying my next car, and I know an M3 is not a car that would get shat on, it's an M3. Any more feedback on your ownership would be great.

CKit

Wait for the 5sp lexus.

Unless you have lots of repair money available.

thumbnail

The E36 M3 is fun to drive. I love driving that car. I was thinking of selling it to get an NSX but I just can't let it go. I decided to keep it. I chose it over the new E46 M3 in 2001 when it(E46 M3) just came out.

A 100k mile M3 shouldn't be a problem if it's well maintained. If you don't need a car right away and the E36 M3 is the car you really want, then take your time to search for a good one. My car has always been very reliable. Other than regular maintenance and a new battery, it has been good to me for the past 5 years. BMW with 200k-300k miles are not unheard of but I don't think it's the norm. BMW ain't Honda or Toyota when it comes to reliability, statistically.

My friend has a 330 and he loves to drive my car than his.

Some info on the E36 M3:

http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/forumdisplay.php?f=62

http://www.eurospeed.org/m3faq/m3faq.html

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...splay.php?f=63

http://www.unofficialbmw.com/frame_e36.html

Good luck.

GPMike

///M

Sammyzuko

You're not going to find excellent examples of any of these cars with a $13k budget. I've owned my '97 M3 for three years now and no problems. That said, things do wear out and it will take some cash to keep the M3 performing at it's peak. Some things I've replaced over the past couple years: Brakes(rotors, pads, sensors), Shocks, Belts, Rear Shock Mounts, Rear Trailing Arm Bushings, Tranny Fluid, Diff Fluid, O2 Sensors. As the car ages this list will continue to grow. You can let a lot of this stuff slide on an average economy car, but when you have a fun car that's made for performance, you gotta keep it in tip top shape.

CalBear

E36M3

Just make sure you get one with all the service records and set some money aside for preventive maintenance, etc. BMWs are great cars but they generally do require more $$ for upkeep.

If you just want something more worry-free, go with the Lexus. It's still a nice car, but nowhere near the BMW as far as the driving experience is concerned.

C U AT 9K

Lexus no doubt. You put down 12k for the BMW and then youll be scratching for a penny when it falls apart

JonBoy

Lexus all the way. No question if you need reliability at that price.

I was in the same boat as you and a well-maintained M3 for under $15K was quite tough to find (especially a '97 or '98). You can find lots for under $15K - they just haven't necessarily had the maintenance done (or else are really high mileage). I found two, one for $14200 and the other for $13800, and I looked everywhere.