I've had my 2001 IS300 for a few years now, and it's been a fantastic vehicle. However, something is....well....lacking. I just don't feel like this car has a soul. I miss my old benz, and I certainly miss my old a4 quattro(except for the repair bills). So, within the next year I think i'm back in the market for a german automobile. looking at the 3 series with a manual transmission. Parts actually cost about 1/3 what they cost for the lexus(shockingly enough, I.E. water pumps, window regulators etc), so I figure even if it brakes twice as often i'm still coming out ahead. Thoughts? Looking to spend under 10k, and will be taking my time looking for maintenance records and hopefully a recent clutch replacement......

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83 300SD.......sold
96 integra SE....sold
99 a4 quattro....sold
2001 IS300.......sold
2002 330i.........current.
2004 highlander limited....current.

Depends on what your overall goals are.

Well, if you're looking for a lower price end used car that requires you spend money on repairs to keep it on the road, a BMW is probably on the right track.

You can get a REALLY nice looking and driving 750il, about a '97 or a '98, for about five grand.


Great looking and great driving luxury car.


.....until the dashboard depixillates, the computer and electrical problems arise and won't stop, until the plastic pieces in the coolant system give out, and the transmission destructs at about 150k.

Remember what, the poem says:




"No matter how hard,
I sweat and toil,
I STILL can't afford,
A 750il."

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

the 3 series is supposed to be relatively bullet-proof, sans some common problems such as window regulators, replacing the water pump(which IMO is regular maintenance on any care really), and a few hit or miss things that can add up. BUT, if you do the work yourself, the parts prices arent too bad so ive got my fingers crossed. Any first hand experience with the E46 chassis? And definately staying far away from the 7 series.....I shudder at the thought of repairs on those bad boys.....

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83 300SD.......sold
96 integra SE....sold
99 a4 quattro....sold
2001 IS300.......sold
2002 330i.........current.
2004 highlander limited....current.

I'm not really familer with the older BMW's but the newer ones ride pretty stiff, and the Idrive drives me nuts. I really hate that system.

OTOH my cousin has an old 02 330CI and its a much better car. BMW was much better off staying away from all the electronic sillyness.


Luckly on the 3 series you can still order them without all those silly electronics, the base model with maybe the sport package is the way to go.


On the older cars I would check the motor for sludge, a lot of owners followed BMW's extended oil change schedual with the wrong oil. I would stick a light in the oil fill cap and they better have records of the motor getting an oil that meets BMW spec's at least every 10k-15k miles.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

hatterasguy: I saw that bmw sludge thread as well, something like 30k in between changes! !!!! maintenance records are on the top of my priority list for a used example, and i'm looking for an 01-02 330i manual transmission I beleive. I don't really care about any other options(with exception of sunroof).

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83 300SD.......sold
96 integra SE....sold
99 a4 quattro....sold
2001 IS300.......sold
2002 330i.........current.
2004 highlander limited....current.

i-Drive isn't so bad:

1. Rock the knob in one of the eight major compass points to access the main menus,
2. Rotate the knob to highlight a selection within the menu;
3. Press the knob straight down to effect the highlighted selection.
4. Call 911 for an ambulance to pick up the old codger in the crosswalk that you just ran over while futzing with the i-Drive.

I-drive is way better than having a zillion buttons everywhere, which i've seen on acuras and porsches. Not that hard, like working an Ipod.

OP get whatever you want if you can afford it. Life's too short to be driving a car you're bored of.

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1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

Pretty much the only oil's that meet BMW's specs that are easy to get are Mobil 1 0w40 and German Castrol 0w30, also of course the BMW oil they sell. On the oil forum I have seen some scary reports from BMW's, they beat the crap out of the oils, especialy the turbo motors.

A couple others do but good luck finding them in the states. So look for mention of those in the records.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Its not needed in a car thats set up properly. The W140 S600 didn't have it and they certianly are not lacking any luxury options. Bentley doesn't need it either. Manufactures use it because its cheaper than setting the car up properly and cutting switch's into a fine wood panal.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

The iPod control system is overrated, if you ask me. I don't find it particularly intuitive. iTunes software is also kind of clunky, but that's a different thread.

As the new owner of a 1999 BMW 528i (which I love) and a 1998 Honda Accord, I say that the Honda's controls are MUCH better than the BMW's. The radio and HVAC on the BMW are too complicated. The Honda has all the functions you need, with nice easy to see buttons and levers.

And while I'm ranting, I do not get the attraction of automated HVAC in cars. Is it really so hard to slide a lever, or turn a knob, from blue the red to increase the temperature? I don't think that a simple thermostat is up the the task of deciding what is needed from the HVAC system in such a variable environment as there is in a car. If my BMW's HVAC ever goes on the fritz, I will be searching for a manual control option to retrofit. I'll bet European BMWs don't have automatic HVAC.

Key words in there..........go for it when you find one that checks out.

The E46 is a piece of crap. Well, relative.



For the money, you can get a clean E36 M3. And thats alot of car for the money.

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-Justin

91 560 SEC AMG - other dogs dd
01 Honda S2000 - dogs dd
07 MB ML320 CDI - dd
16 Lexus IS250 - wifes dd

it's automatic.

VERY interesting thought, I wonder how much more insurance would be, I also wonder how much more it would cost to maintain an M3 than the e46 being that it is A. a higher performance car and B. older. Thoughts? I'm not after the "prestige of a newer bmw" more after the driving experience...

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83 300SD.......sold
96 integra SE....sold
99 a4 quattro....sold
2001 IS300.......sold
2002 330i.........current.
2004 highlander limited....current.

Last summer I was tempted by a 850i I saw for sale in MD. I never bothered to contact the owner.