Car advice?

[cloudy]

Okay, we're down to three choices. The prices are all about or exactly the same, and I'm not sure what I want. Anyone have experience to share?

1) 1999 BMW 323i - it has a lot of miles, but who cares, right? I'm not crazy about the color, though (navy blue)

2) 2003 Altima - has all the options, low miles

3) 2003 Acura 32TL - ditto the Altima

Help?

(edited to change the acura model...I was wrong at first)

 

[Wildcard Ky]

I've never owned any of the three models, but I know several people that have Altimas and have never heard a bad thing about them.

Lots of help I am, eh?

 

[cloudy]

I've never owned any of the three models, but I know several people that have Altimas and have never heard a bad thing about them.

Lots of help I am, eh?

I had a Maxima for a good while, and loved it, so pretty sure I would be happy with the Altima, as well, but still undecided.

 

[Lee Chambers]

Okay, we're down to three choices. The prices are all about or exactly the same, and I'm not sure what I want. Anyone have experience to share?

1) 1999 BMW 323i - it has a lot of miles, but who cares, right? I'm not crazy about the color, though (navy blue)

2) 2003 Altima - has all the options, low miles

3) 2003 Acura Legend - ditto the Altima

Help?

Can't offer too much advice, but when I bought my first car the main thing I looked at was gas mileage. With gas prices as high as they are, it should definitely be high on the priority list. So you might want to check and see what they each get.

 

[cloudy]

Can't offer too much advice, but when I bought my first car the main thing I looked at was gas mileage. With gas prices as high as they are, it should definitely be high on the priority list. So you might want to check and see what they each get.

Thank you, but it's far from my first car.

Mileage isn't really that much of a priority, although it is one of the reasons I'm using to get a different car than the caddy I currently drive.

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

If you haven't yet, read up on them on Cars.com, research.

Germans used to have a rep for expensive maintenance - the rap was, "if you can't afford new one, you definitely can't afford a used one." I don't know if that's still true.

How about one of these?

 

[SeaCat]

Sorry but I can't help you with this one. Now if you were talking a bit older.

My next car will of course be a custom job made by me. (Picture Dune Buggy with a bad attitude.) Of course th local police and environmentalists won't like it.

Cat

 

[cloudy]

If you haven't yet, read up on them on Cars.com, research.

Germans used to have a rep for expensive maintenance - the rap was, "if you can't afford new one, you definitely can't afford a used one." I don't know if that's still true.

How about one of these?

I think we can afford something just a little newer than that, thank you.

 

[SeaCat]

Oh and my current car is a 2003 Chevy Tracker. It's not sexy but it has enough interior room for what I want and it gets great mileage. (23 MPG mixed driving.) Oh and it is a 4x4 with A/C.

Cat

 

[cloudy]

ok, gas mileage, although not really an issue:

1) bmw: 19/27

2) altima: 23/29

3) acura: 19/29

so..the Altima is a tad better in town, which is where I'd be doing most of my driving, but not enough better to affect the decision.

 

[cloudy]

Oh and my current car is a 2003 Chevy Tracker. It's not sexy but it has enough interior room for what I want and it gets great mileage. (23 MPG mixed driving.) Oh and it is a 4x4 with A/C.

Cat

see...we have a 4-wheel drive suburban, although god only knows why we need 4-wheel drive.

I just need dependable, fun to drive, transportation, with enough room for kids.

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

I think we can afford something just a little newer than that, thank you.

I know, but they're still really cool.
(The pix don't convey how small they were.)

 

[cloudy]

I know, but they're still really cool.
(The pix don't convey how small they were.)

Oh, the 323i is small, too. I didn't realize just how small it was until I drove it. But it handles like a dream, very fun to drive.

I'm sort of leaning towards the Acura, simply because all things being equal, I just like the body style the best. Husband, though, is pushing for the BMW, even though it'd be my car, and he's too tall to drive it.

 

[SlickTony]

If you can't come to a decision between you, get the Altima, which I would advise in any case. Nissans are good cars. OTOH, I've also heard that a Toyota is hardly broken in good until it's gone its first 100,000 miles.

Before I even read what Roxanne said, I would have said that it was my impression that German cars are expensive to repair, for parts as well as labor.

 

[cloudy]

If you can't come to a decision between you, get the Altima, which I would advise in any case. Nissans are good cars. OTOH, I've also heard that a Toyota is hardly broken in good until it's gone its first 100,000 miles.

Before I even read what Roxanne said, I would have said that it was my impression that German cars are expensive to repair, for parts as well as labor.

I agree on the Nissans. Every one that I've had has been virtually indestructible. I'm just not that crazy about the body style.

Maybe I'm too picky?

 

[cloudy]

the Acura (although it's silver, not white):

http://www.summersauto.com/images/2003%20Acura32TL%20-%20sn0916p1_1.jpg

the Altima (silver, also):

http://images.securedwebform.com/reviews/images/03-altima-hero.jpg

and the BMW (but navy blue):

http://bmwben.googlepages.com/DSC01323Small.JPG

 

[SlickTony]

Well, I've heard good things about Toyotas, too, and I'm enjoying the one I just bought. I still advise against the BMW, though. That won't change.

 

[cloudy]

Well, I've heard good things about Toyotas, too, and I'm enjoying the one I just bought. I still advise against the BMW, though. That won't change.

Yeah, I liked the way it handled...very much, but it's just too tiny, I think, on the inside, and then maintenance is definitely an issue, especially in this area. It'd probably be tough to find someone to work on them here.

Toyota was a possibility for me, but just haven't found one in the price range we're looking at that I was happy with. What model do you have?

 

[cheerful_deviant]

My mother has the Acura TL. I think hers is a '03 and she absolutly loves it. She bought it 3 years ago used, it was a program car. It now has probablly about 60k on it and has been flawless. It's also a great driving car, solid, quick and comfortable with top notch resale.

The BMW is a drivers car. Perfectly balanced and very refined. Interiors not a plush as other is the smae range, Germanic austerity and all. But repairs tend to be more frequent than others and cost alot more. Buyer beware. Also, while most shops will service them, there are less shops that can service them well. Same thing goes with Mercedes VW and Audi.

The Altima is a solid car. Not as flashy but well rounded and more generally servicable to most people. With the 2.5 inline 4 it's a generic middle class car. With the 3.5 V6 it's becomes something more playful. With the V6 it's probablly the most sporting of all the 'midsized family sedans'.

 

[cloudy]

My mother has the Acura TL. I think hers is a '03 and she absolutly loves it. She bought it 3 years ago used, it was a program car. It now has probablly about 60k on it and has been flawless. It's also a great driving car, solid, quick and comfortable with top notch resale.

The BMW is a drivers car. Perfectly balanced and very refined. Interiors not a plush as other is the smae range, Germanic austerity and all. But repairs tend to be more frequent than others and cost alot more. Buyer beware. Also, while most shops will service them, there are less shops that can service them well. Same thing goes with Mercedes VW and Audi.

The Altima is a solid car. Not as flashy but well rounded and more generally servicable to most people. With the 2.5 inline 4 it's a generic middle class car. With the 3.5 V6 it's becomes something more playful. With the V6 it's probablly the most sporting of all the 'midsized family sedans'.

The one I'm looking at has the V6.

Thanks for the view on the Acura, since I don't know anyone who's owned one. That's what I'm leaning towards right now.

 

[SlickTony]

Yeah, I liked the way it handled...very much, but it's just too tiny, I think, on the inside, and then maintenance is definitely an issue, especially in this area. It'd probably be tough to find someone to work on them here.

Toyota was a possibility for me, but just haven't found one in the price range we're looking at that I was happy with. What model do you have?

I have a Rav4. We wanted something that would be good for road trips and hauling stuff.

 

[cloudy]

I have a Rav4. We wanted something that would be good for road trips and hauling stuff.

I like those, but just don't need the hauling option, since my husband has a crew-cab Ford truck, and then we also have the hulking Suburban.

I had originally started looking at smaller SUV's, but then realized how insane it was to have yet another truck.

 

[drksideofthemoon]

Go with the Acura, Honda builds better engines than Nissan. The only problem with the Beemer is that it's a few years older than the other two choices.

 

[Edward Teach]

A high-mileage BMW is going to cost a fortune in repairs and a '99 is getting to the age that starters, window motors, windshield wiper motors, etc are going to give out. Ain't nothing on one cheap to fix and not just any mechanic can work on them.

Don't know much about an Acura.

Nissan is building great cars these days and hold their value pretty well.

This advice is probably worth about what I'm charging you.


Eddie the Advisor

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[Guest]

A high-mileage BMW is going to cost a fortune in repairs and a '99 is getting to the age that starters, window motors, windshield wiper motors, etc are going to give out. Ain't nothing on one cheap to fix and not just any mechanic can work on them.

Don't know much about an Acura.

Nissan is building great cars these days and hold their value pretty well.

This advice is probably worth about what I'm charging you.


Eddie the Advisor

.

Eddie - Advise me, hmm?



Cloudy, love - I wish you luck on your choices!