Found a Nice BMW

Lax_Bro40

Lax_Bro40

Active member
2000 bmw 528i used for about 6k. Good deal? if i get snow tires would it work for new england winter?
 
something can look good from the outside but end up running like shit, I would make sure you get it checked out by a mechanic and everything before you go ahead and buy it
 
if its runnin good and there arent a shit ton of miles id say go for it, make sure you get it checked out. Most cars can handle the new england winter with a nice set of snow tires, just dont cheap out
 
BMW's are sick.
however
1. very expensive to fix/maintain2. your insurance will cost a lot more
used BMW would be awesome to get, but in my opinion not that practical.
 
Miles are going to up way over 100k most likely.
Check maintenance records. If wear and tear parts haven't been replaced, you're looking at more $ in repairs than what you bought the car for.
My advice is....
Go find a nice e36 for the same price.
 
i just found a SICK m3 e36 with only 96k miles on the motor and 20k in aftermarket invesment. Under 6000k too. Only downside is its in Arizona and would cost 1000 to ship to NY. FML
 
Thats probably an even worse deal than the first one. The main reason is it was probably beaten to shit. You should never buy a car because of "aftermarket parts" they should turn you away. With that high of miles and aftermarket parts I'd expect the engine to blow soon. From my knowledge BMW's aren't the most reliable at high miles as some cars. I was in your same situation a few months ago and I will tell you Do Not jump on the first deal you find or buy a car because it looks cool. I'd recommend checking the carfax report and bring it to a trustworthy mechanic to do an inspect on the car even if it costs you $100 it could save you thousands in repairs later. Just keep looking for awhile because right now you can find a good deal and keep your options open to more than BMW. I know I sound like the rest of NS but I love my Subaru. They are reliable, parts aren't that expensive, and AWD so they kill it in the snow.
 
20k in aftermarket investment? which screams "hey look at me! i've been beat to shit and by 100k miles i'm going to fucking shit out on you!" oh and if you really want it (bad idea), buy a one way ticket to arizona and drive it back. way cheaper than $1000 to ship it.

please refrain from buying any car that's been highly modded if you want it as a DD. it will be everything but reliable. i mean intake exhaust and bolt on stuff is about as far as i'd go if buying a used car.
 
Yeah, save the German sports cars for when you have a white picket fence and can afford to lease a new one.

I am in a similar situation as you, I have 5k to throw at something. I am looking at year 1995-2000-ish Subarus, that or a Jeep Cherokee Classic.

It is a good idea to stay domestic, because you can do the maintenance yourself, and even do some larger stuff quite a bit easier.

If you go foreign, look at the reliable cars, like a Civic/Corolla. They are like toys when it comes to taking them apart, I have a friend that can do anything to his car simply because he can read a manual.
 
if it's had over 20k of "aftermarket investment"....RUN AWAY.
What you need to find is a one (or two) owner car that has been PROPERLY MAINTAINED with documentation. Talk to the owner about the car, its history, maintenance etc. Stay away from anything with too many mods.Get an independent inspection done before you buy anything. This is a must!*

What are you looking for in a car anyways? Do you want a bmw simply for the name? You flipped from an e39 to an e36 pretty quickly considering they're completely different cars.Maybe you should consider this as well.
 
rear wheel drive, it wont be great in the snow, but with really good tires, itll make it to the mountain and back. kinda.
 
i dont smoke, buster.

AND you didnt find any e46 m3 for 6k. if it didnt have 430k miles...youre a liar and/or you got had via craigslist.
 
na idc about the name, just want a nice lookin whip, something i can tint put some rims on and throw in a nice system and have it look badass
 
haha that sounds like a horrible idea! an e36 m3 in somewhat decent condition will still cost you atleast 9 grand. that thing is gonna blow up the second you start driving.
if you are set on a bmw, and you can spend 6000. id take alot more time researching them and make sure you find the right one. e39's are great, but not as good as others for reliability. if you want a 5 series, get an e28 535, or an e34. personally id go with a e28 cause they look awesome and are fun as hell to drive. if you want a 3 series, dont go with an e36. go with an e30 and you will be sooooo happy you did, ive driven 3 e30's and 2 e36's and the e36 felt like crap compared to the e30's e30's are known around the world for being some of the best track cars for the money, they have better feel, handling, and just as good of acceleration as the newer bmw's. and if you want AWD you can get an e30 325ix, which destroys most subaru's and audi's in the snow. e30's are known for going over 300,000 miles and still being reliable, but id still try to find the lowest mileage one you can because its gonna drive much better and just be alot more problem free. and for 6 grand you can find some AMAZING e30's e28 5 series, or e34's. dont let people tell you that bmw's are expensive to maintain, they can be dirt cheap if you get the right one. if you need help pm me.
 
I'm 19 too.

You should take a step back though and look at the whole picture. Sure, I'd like to have a murdered-out Beemer, but your funds seem to be a bit lower than the entrance fee. I'm sure you could make your dream work, but would you want to scrape by with a sketchy BMW, or have a decent car that should last long enough to see you through Bachelor's degree.

If you have 6k in expendable income, what else do you have? If you have a steady source of cash, and you can take disappointment well, you could look at a BMW.
 
Yeah idk what im doing yet im looking at a bunch of cars. Ive just noticed ill be paying more for a a 2004 WRX than i would for a 2000 BMW.
 
That model BMW is prone to heating failures, if anything, make sure that the radiator, Tstat, fans, and all piping and electrics have been taken care of/replaced. They are known to fail at 100k, if that happens, you are looking at a 1K plus fix, if your engine is shot.
 
Subaru's are notorious for holding their value, that's why you can't find a cheap 2004 Rex, It's because they don't exist haha.

I know it is of little use to you, but a quick search yielded me this. I know it's an automatic, but the clutch is on it's way out past 100k anyways. If I had a chance to get this, I would check it out for sure.

http://idm.carsoup.com/used/detail.asp?usedvehicleid=6817702&xdealerid=4369&makeid=72&minyear=1991&maxyear=2010&searchid=X4008&vehicletypeid=1&uvviewid=4&page=1&certified=0

 
if you buy a used BMW, you're retarded. it WILL drain all of your money. a used BMW will inevitably require some fix-ups, as it is known to be unreliable with time, and they're extremely expensive. have fun throwing every single penny you own down the drain for a beat-as-fuck car you think looks "badass". if you buy it for 6000$ and plan on running it for more than two years plus with all those mods you want to throw in, be prepared to spend at LEAST twice as much over the course of those two years following the purchase.
 
towelie.gif

 
Don't buy a BMW. My family has a bmw and a mini (made by bmw) and all you see is repair after repair.

The transmission went on their way to ottawa meeting me at a competition, etc etc etc...

Also i crashed it, a ford focus hit me, the focus had like, a $100-200 repair, and my car had 7k in damages.

If you have any accident, or ANYTHING goes in it, get ready to spend at least 1000.

Get a VW or subaru.
 
It should have the M50 under the hood if it's a regular E36 M3.

as for your e39, stay away from high millage e39's they are expensive to keep running.

I was in a similar situation as you when I was 17 I guess. I wanted a sick car to ride around in and make look ridiculous. So I got a 1996 Audi A4 with 184K on the odometer, one owner the car was in great condition and the price was right. fast forward till now, I'm 20 and still have the b5 (now with 202K) (still love how it rides, but want to cram a 4.2l V8 from a B6 S4 under the hood for some real power) I've also spent about equal to what I've paid for the car in repairs and I've decided (after tearing a gaping hole in my oil pan last summer) that I'm not modifying the car minus the tint I had done.

So while getting German cars for your first real car is fun and does look really cool, it also comes with a price tag to play. If you don't have about 2K a year to spend on random things that go wrong or need regular maintenance stay away from German cars.

Also you have to realize that since you live in NY most of the cars around you are gonna have a decent amount of rust from the winters there, so check the underbody for signs of rust and everything.

I can't really recomend you a car because I'm not sure what you really want in a vehicle besides a banngin' System, some Chrome RIMMMZZZ, and a tint so all my friends know I'm a BALLER.

as for RWD in the snow, it depends on the car and the tires because of BMW's excellent balance they can preform pretty well in the snow with good tires, but still it does not come close to the handling you get from AWD or 4WD in the snow.

sorry this is so long, I like talking about cars
 
oh god.....
please don't subject a bmw to that kind of treatment.
if you want to donk something, buy something domestic.find a nice old caddy to put some rimz on....
 
good choice, that is sounding like the best option for you and a system in that car done right should do everything you want it to and then some.
 
Just like with most german cars, VW, Audi, BMW, MB, they are notorious for several big $$ items and repairs, but if you find the right one, that was owned by someone who cares for their cars, they can easily run well past 200,000 miles. I would suggest looking for on a BMW enthusiast forum site such as:

http://www.bimmerforums.com/

http://www.bimmerwerkz.com/

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/index.php

Keep in mind also, your only 19, say you keep the car for 5 years, and drive it the industry average of 15K a year, that a total of 75K miles in that time period, you CAN find a minty 5series for $6K. Remember that it will take time to find the right ride.

Youll love the Jeep though. Im getting ready to sell my Grand Cherokee, it has 220K on it now. The I6 is a beast of an engine. Reliable, and parts and labor are cheap. The NV231/242 T-Cases are great in the snow and mud too. Check out these jeep sites:

http://www.jeepsunlimited.com/forums

http://www.jeepforums.com

 
no not really. my dad has a e60(look at profile) and its not really expensive to maintain. fixing isnt really cheap but the car hasent had 1 issue yet.
 
dont do it i bought a saab 9-3 love the car keep having problems and am paying more than you even imagine to get it fixed, foreign cars as attractive as there are, once they are at 100,000 i wouldnt touch em
 
make sure you always get a used car inspected by a garrage. that wya you can go to the seller with the list of problems and negotiate easier
 
i have a 94 accord and the only problem i have with it is that it has rust because it was left out for like 2 years out of service because the previous owner didnt want to fix the front end after they hit a deer.

i love it though, it does just what i need it to do
 
I have a e39 bimmer and I really like it. By owing one I can tell you a couple things one that the I6 are reliable. Also they are very easy to DIY oil changes brakes the basic. If you get it you will need to find a good indy near you. Also join bimmerforum you will learn so much. They is ok in the winter I have to put snow tires on it or it wont go anywhere. if you have any questions PM me. Check out my car on page 15

https://www.newschoolers.com/web/forums/readthread/cat_id/2/thread_id/399778/page/15/
 
this is NOT TRUE!!!! people have the same idea with audi, thinking that all of them are money pits. yes some are extremely unreliable, yet some are as reliable as a honda. the older 90's were extremely tough and reliable, a friends dad had one for 300,000 miles before he got rid of it, and it never gave him any problems.
ive owned an e30 myself, and i know a couple other people who have also, and they are extremely reliable. over almost 3 years i spent maybe 1000 on it. yes some bmws are bad for reliability, e39's are one of those, you just have to know what to look for. there are so many people i know with subaru's who just have problem after problem, they are cheaper to repair, but it really adds up and its just plain annoying.
 
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