Quote:
Originally Posted by GINA
Cooper S right now, either 2005 or 2006. I wanted to consider an RX8, but the gas mileage is just so terrible. You recommend anything that's fun but not stupid expensive?
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I LOVE the RX8's sleek bodylines but like you I was COMPLETELY turned OFF by the gas mileage. They have next to NO torque so you really have to rev it high to get it to go and thus it KILLS the fuel mileage. I'm thinking something ridiculous like 15/22?
The Mini Coopers are awesome and since they're built by BMW they handle great and are super reliable. I have a friend with an '02 NON-S w/Sport package and he loves it. He's had it since 2003 I believe and hasn't had any issues. He bought a late 50s or early 60s model last year to restore.
I still like these:
Mercedes-Benz : C-Class:eBay Motors (item 270428345654 end time Jul-24-09 13:00:00 PDT)
Mercedes-Benz : C-Class:eBay Motors (item 380142198014 end time Aug-02-09 10:45:11 PDT)
I bought a 2002 C230 Kompressor Coupe in Brilliant Silver in April of 2006. It had cloth interior, 5spd automatic transmission, panoramic sunroof, tele-aide and Bose sound system. It had 32k or 34k on it when I sold it and I never had a single issue with it. The 2002s had the larger, more powerful 2.3 liter supercharged 4cylinder engine that put out 192 hp and was rated to get 24/30 mpgs. I had the same engine in the three SLK230 convertibles that I had and I promise you won't be disappointed in the supercharged 4 cylinder. In 2003, Mercedes started putting the more fuel-efficient 1.8l supercharged engine that was rated to get 26/32 mpg. That's the same engine that's in my car now and to be honest I don't know enough about it to form a knowledgeable opinion, but driving it home Friday we were getting 34mpg with the windows cracked and the sunroof open.
Now people will argue that BMWs are Mercedes are high maintenance and this IS TRUE if you let the dealership do all of your work. I ***THINK*** from 2002-2005, the C230s had free dealer scheduled maintenance for the first 4 years/50k miles. Its pretty much a given that most people took advantage of this so these cars should have been properly maintained during that time period.
ANY car that you allow a dealer to maintain is going to be costly. My 2005 just had a $300 'service B' performed which consisted of them changing the oil & filter, flushing the radiator, topping off all of the fluids, inspecting the brakes, and rubber lines under the hood, changing the cabin filter, and wiping down all of the seals around the outside with something to make them last longer and protect them from the elements.
I could have done everything that they did for well under half of the $300 bill, but I didn't pay for it and it looks good in the service book that will go with the car when I get bored and sell it in a few months.
Now that I've 'plugged' my current ride, I'll give a major shout-out to BMW. You won't find a better handling/driving car IMO. They don't call them The Ultimate driving machine for nothing. I've owned 8 BMWs and am on my 6th Mercedes. The main difference is BMWs are for people who like to drive and Mercedes are for people who like to be driven (unless you can find a manual Mercedes and then you're a step ahead of the game in the driving dept.)
I had 4 E36 BMWs which was from 1992-1998 with the exception of the coupe which ran from 1992-1999 and there was a slight variation in the early convertibles that isn't work mentioning because you won't get a car that old anyway. Great cars, parts are plentiful and cheap-ish. There are still a few super low-mileage examples around, but you really have to look for them. The highest mileage E36 I owned had 58k when I sold it in 2004.
I had 2 E39 5 series. I had a '99 Biarritz blue metallic 528i in 5spd but unfortunately it didn't have a sunroof, so I traded it two weeks later for a 2000 Sierra red 528i w/automatic transmission and a sunroof. I didn't have it anytime and it experienced coolant failure which fried the engine/transmission to the tune of $14k. Fortunately, my insurance company gave me $12k and some change to repair it and let me keep the car with a clean title and I sold it as it sat for $8,300 or $8,500. I gave $15.5k for the car to begin with.
Last April I bought a 2003 325i (E46) BMW w/just under 8k miles that I sold to my mom a few weeks later in favor of my Z4. Her car just hit 20k and its been absolutely problem free as was my Z4.
Another car that I like, but unfortunately I don't know anything about is the Mazda 3. I've never driven one but I do enjoy their styling -especially on the newer ones.
I still really like the look of the MKV GLI Jetta. The price isn't too bad and that's what I was leaning toward when I pulled the trigger on my C230k last week but I couldn't find one with low miles for what I gave for my car so I just gave up.
Car shopping isn't as fun for me as it once was. Its more of a stressful headache now as I'm jaded with the process and can't handle the BS of a car salesman or the arrogance of an individual owner who assumes they know more about their car than I do simply because they own it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lmhansen
Guy at the office got Cooper S. He's thrilled with it. Popped a spark plug when attempting to keep up with a Porsche, though 
I knew the S was "Sport", but it's also supercharged, so watch out... |
That's his fault.
Seriously, Minis are neat but I'm fairly certain a stock 1.8t VW could take a stock Cooper S and a Porsche would blow the doors off of both and look tacky in the process.