Well, the time is almost here for my first "new" (meaning new to me) car purchase in a decade. My 94 toyota truck still runs well but - well generally it isn't any fun to drive, or look at, or sit in and I'm tired of it.
My price range is $20,000 to $25,000. 25k is an absolute limit and I would REALLY like to keep it closer to 20k.
What I am after:
After researching and driving more cars than I can even remember (meaning, many were forgettable) ove rthe last few months it has come down to these:
2002 330i - with ~50,000 milesand (no giggling) the 2005 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT with ~20,000 miles
I want a car that is FUN to drive. Fast, good handling, nice interior, nice exterior, etc. I really like to drive and even used to do it professionally a long time ago.
I don't actually drive all that much these days. I telecommute to work and live in largeish city where most things are nearby. Right now I'd say I am driving about 6000 miles a year. But when I do drive, I'd like it to be a good time. I'd like a car that impresses me, my friends, the girls I date, etc (mostly me). Car needs to be a manual tranny and I plan to keep it at least 5 years.
For those not familiar with the Subaru, here are the major bullet points (pro and con):
*Accelerates like a rocket (250 HP and 250 ft lbs) 0 to 60 in under 6 secs. *Has just a touch of turbo lag in the manual *Has all wheel drive (a nice plus but not really mandatory to me) *Handles pretty well *Is not "bad looking" per se, but is not lust inducing by any means *Interior is just "so so". HAs some things that annoy me such as a factory stereo that is more or less impossible to change out (no I am not kidding) *Would be under factory warranty for several more years *Presumably would be very reliable in the long run, being a Subaru *Doesn't hold its value all that well (compared to the BMW) *I see VERY few of them on the road, so even though it isn't a "looker" per se, it is pretty unique when you do see one. *Gas milage is pretty bad. Looks like people who drive one with any verve at all average about 19 mpg *The paint job is not the bestThe 330i
*Accelerates almost as fast as the subaru, though it is smoother all the way *The handling... Oh God it's just so nice. I really can feel what it is people mean when they talk about how this car connects you to the road. I took a 330i on a 45 minute test drive in the middle of the day when traffic was sparse and I threw it around like a freak. Amazing... *Does not have AWD (and I think the 330xi is going to be too much $) *Is just absolutely beautiful to look at. I see an "average" number of 3 series on the roads here and every time I do I have to stare at it. When I see one in black that has been nicely detailed I seriously want to take off all my clothes and go lay on it. The shape, the wheels, the paint job... *Not only is it beautiful to look at, it's beautiful to listen to as well. *The interior is nicer. A lot nicer. Better seats, better leather, etc... *Better milage than the Subaru *Lower depreciationNow the stuff that worries me:
*Would not be under warranty. *As such, if it breaks it is on me to pay for it and apparently parts and labor are not cheap *Long term reliability... Based on thorough research... Well I don't know what to think anymore... Anecdotal evidence through various outlets such as edmunds, CR, epinions and so on would have me believe that BMW reliabilty could possibly be a problem. *Similar anecdotal evidence leads me to believe by and large, even a to-be- driven-hard Subaru like the GT is going to hold up better over the long haul.So I guess you can see where I am heading with this. My head says Subaru, but my heart says BMW. But I don't want to live to regret listening to my heart 2 years down the road after a half dozen major repairs on the 330 that cost me 6 or 7 grand...
I guess this post was just kind of a stream of consciousness type thing to help me sort out my thoughts, but I would like to hear any and all opinions. I am truly stuck at the cross roads on this.