ya as for styling they tend to be lacking but for a every day driver they are comfortable enough and they have never been an excuses as to why i couldn't come into work.
That is very true but honestly i enjoy things breaking sometimes haha I have a chance to get back to my mechanical ways as these days i'm a desk jocky pushing paper and telling people what to do. For people who really don't care about what their car looks and that most of them are 4 cylinder which means hills are a bitch(My alfa never ever liked hills and it was an inline 4. Not to mention my new house is on top the very top of a huge hill.).
The 325i you were looking at should have a proper i6 engine, either an N52 or N53. According to my BMW mechanic the N52 is as safe an engine choice as you can get from that year. Good enough power, and you can (and should) rev it to hell, it won't mind. The Valvetronic system tends to go tits up sometimes, and it can cost a pretty penny to get replaced, but otherwise it's a solid choice. The N53 is different in that it doesn't have Valvetronic, but it has some carbon buildup issues, especially if not trashed around sometimes (or at least taken on some longer journeys at highway speed), but the buildup only effects performance and economy if it's really severe. You have to weigh the repair cost of valvetronic vs. the direct injection, but both are decent engines in great cars. That is, if you can get used to the utter madness of the iDrive infotainment controls hahahah
Gotta say, the Mark X (2004-09 range) looks like a really sweet ride! Subdued but sporty.
I beleive the ones in the 325i is the 6 cylinder didnt know it was inline so that would satisfy me enough i still always prefer an 8 but you get what you can get right? the 325i usually runs about 5-6k for a 2007 here but i'm going to auctions about 2 times a week for the next month or until i find the car i want. I might pick one up with some body damage that is not hard to repair to try to get a better price on it(what are the compatability of body parts with other models in the same generation?)
You mean open the hood, look at the dust collecting around the engine realize its all computer controlled and you have no way to diagnose it let alone fix anything, before going yep that will be costly.
Then again my first car was an old Ford truck that lived up to its Acronym.
You mean open the hood, look at the dust collecting around the engine realize its all computer controlled and you have no way to diagnose it let alone fix anything, before going yep that will be costly.
Then again my first car was an old Ford truck that lived up to its Acronym.
The computers are not that bad and you just need a diagnostics reader https://www.amazon.com/MAOZUA-C110-Latest-Reader-Diagnostic/dp/B00VSMG4IQ and those are not that expensive. I prefer using the laptop based programs though so you can see everything that is going on and record it.(on most cars) Other than that its just swaping parts out. Just make sure you have the repair manual(Depending on the car this can be extremely hard to get as some companies force you to goto their school to get the right to buy the manual as they hold all data rights on it.), local enthusist forums with good community for those really tough problems, and well tools...hopefully not the special type....
Alfa Romeo is actually an acronym for All Loosely Fitted Accessories Remain On Motorway Enraging Others. I never understood why luxury = expensive repair bills. Go buy a Toyota or a Honda, at least their drive trains last 300,000+ miles or more with regular maintenance.
Alfa Romeo is actually an acronym for All Loosely Fitted Accessories Remain On Motorway Enraging Others. I never understood why luxury = expensive repair bills. Go buy a Toyota or a Honda, at least their drive trains last 300,000+ miles or more with regular maintenance.
Honestly most cars can last that long with regular maintenace problem is in japan NO ONE and i mean NO ONE does regular maintenance. Either because they don't know they have to or because they just don't care because they can take the train if their car breaks. Due to this dealerships and so forth are not very good at conducting the repairs and diagnosis. It's sad that i had to tell alfa what was wrong and what needed to be replaced 90% of the time(10% was the clutch seizing when i first bought it theres no way in hell i would have ever guessed that). All you have to do is listen to the damn engine lol that will tell you so many things and if something strange starts happening like burning to much oil, increase in fuel consumption so on so forth. The thing that turned me off the most was when i asked them if they had expereince with transmission repairs and they told me they had never done a transmission before................ I knew i was up shit creek after i heard that from the dealership. Now that is just straight embarassing their guys need to ensure they get proper training I need a good mom and pop shop screw these awful dealerships.
That is very true but honestly i enjoy things breaking sometimes haha I have a chance to get back to my mechanical ways as these days i'm a desk jocky pushing paper and telling people what to do. For people who really don't care about what their car looks and that most of them are 4 cylinder which means hills are a bitch(My alfa never ever liked hills and it was an inline 4. Not to mention my new house is on top the very top of a huge hill.).
I beleive the ones in the 325i is the 6 cylinder didnt know it was inline so that would satisfy me enough i still always prefer an 8 but you get what you can get right? the 325i usually runs about 5-6k for a 2007 here but i'm going to auctions about 2 times a week for the next month or until i find the car i want. I might pick one up with some body damage that is not hard to repair to try to get a better price on it(what are the compatability of body parts with other models in the same generation?)
Any BMW marked 325i from 2007 is most certainly an 2.5 litre inline 6 cylinder N/A. What I was unsure of, and can't tell without a VIN number is if it's an N52 or N53 engine. The N53 has piezo injectors which tend to die and cost a lot as they can't be repaired, only swapped for a new one. As far as I understand the N52 with it's valvetronic issues will still run at least, even if weaker and with worse fuel economy? I'm no mechanic so you I'm sure you will understand this better.
I guess all e90 panels should fit onto any other spec/engine variant of the E90 ? Ofc the doors and rear panels of a 2door coupe (E92) won't fit on the 5door touring (E91). The front of the E90 and E91 look the same up to the rear doors, but don't quote me on this. Looking at all the bumper-swapped Fake-M3 badged 316i-s running around here, I can guarantee you that at least the front bumper is mostly compatible between the E9X models from the same year :D
Do note that there was a Facelift around 2008 which significantly changed both front and rear panels and lights, and even some more serious mechanical bits like rear track width! So when your smashing that button like crazy at the auction, do keep in mind which year model you wanna actually get lol
You do still have those Nasa-mission-control-room kind of auction halls, right? Like it's shown in TG S25E03 and in Wheeler Dealers?
If you do, then it's a very good thing I don't live anywhere near Japan :D I'd spend all my free time at those auctions, trying to get cheap rides, getting a heart attack from the excitement first, then from frustration of not getting what I want for the thousandth time, and a third time when I finally win something and go totally bankrupt. Probably for the 6th time that week LoL
Yes, I'm taht kind of a nutjob, I keep a tab open in my browser of a Japanese car export site, and check it every day just for the fun of it :D
So I was looking at this the other day. Kia K7 Kinda similar in style to the Nissans you were looking at.
Any BMW marked 325i from 2007 is most certainly an 2.5 litre inline 6 cylinder N/A. What I was unsure of, and can't tell without a VIN number is if it's an N52 or N53 engine. The N53 has piezo injectors which tend to die and cost a lot as they can't be repaired, only swapped for a new one. As far as I understand the N52 with it's valvetronic issues will still run at least, even if weaker and with worse fuel economy? I'm no mechanic so you I'm sure you will understand this better.
I guess all e90 panels should fit onto any other spec/engine variant of the E90 ? Ofc the doors and rear panels of a 2door coupe (E92) won't fit on the 5door touring (E91). The front of the E90 and E91 look the same up to the rear doors, but don't quote me on this. Looking at all the bumper-swapped Fake-M3 badged 316i-s running around here, I can guarantee you that at least the front bumper is mostly compatible between the E9X models from the same year :smile:
Do note that there was a Facelift around 2008 which significantly changed both front and rear panels and lights, and even some more serious mechanical bits like rear track width! So when your smashing that button like crazy at the auction, do keep in mind which year model you wanna actually get lol
You do still have those Nasa-mission-control-room kind of auction halls, right? Like it's shown in TG S25E03 and in Wheeler Dealers?
If you do, then it's a very good thing I don't live anywhere near Japan :smile: I'd spend all my free time at those auctions, trying to get cheap rides, getting a heart attack from the excitement first, then from frustration of not getting what I want for the thousandth time, and a third time when I finally win something and go totally bankrupt. Probably for the 6th time that week LoL
Yes, I'm taht kind of a nutjob, I keep a tab open in my browser of a Japanese car export site, and check it every day just for the fun of it :smile:
So I was looking at this the other day. Kia K7 Kinda similar in style to the Nissans you were looking at.
That kia isnt bad looking ive never bought a kia before because ive heard horror stories about them they are cheap and cheap for a reason usually break down within the first 5 years or so at about 40kmiles. I'm not sure if things have changed with that over the years. Alot of cars here though look the same and yes are very bland and tasteless.
As for the auctions from what i have been told its all done by smartphone and computer now I have no idea what it is like and for at least the yokohama auction comming up this week which i told my friend i wanted to see what types of cars go around there and how much they normally go for i can't goto the auctual auction it's members only. As for the tokyo USS auction next week tuesday in yokohama i was told i can actually goto that one with an aquantance i found online after talking a bit he is going to let me go and if i want to make a bid with cash i can his fee is 600usd so who knows maybe id find something super cool lol 1967corvette anyone? Ive got no idea what i'm up on but will be fun even if i dont get anything.
There are a couple sites ive been pinging alot lately one which i found the BMW 3 series 325i 2007 is https://www.autorec.co.jp/
then these other 2 goonet is where i found my last alfa i'll defiantely be more careful if i decide to get something there again. prices in japan for used cars are stupid low because japanese throw them away after a 3-7 years. And let me tell you they get ripped off there is no trading in really you get like 500 usd and they take your car for you so you dont have to junk it then they turn around and sell it for 10 times the price. It's really awful what they do to their people here that's why japanese get those silly yellow plate box cars for like 16000 usd new. I like quality and i do most of my own maintenance always have(until the alfa). we have a garage here with lifts on base and once i get my house finished i'm going to look into buying the abbandoned house next to my house so i have larger land which will allow me to build a shop eventually(I can only use 50% of my land for house building and i'm maxed out.). That's years to come though sadly maybe after i head back to the states and come back here.
That kia isnt bad looking ive never bought a kia before because ive heard horror stories about them they are cheap and cheap for a reason usually break down within the first 5 years or so at about 40kmiles. I'm not sure if things have changed with that over the years. Alot of cars here though look the same and yes are very bland and tasteless.
As for the auctions from what i have been told its all done by smartphone and computer now I have no idea what it is like and for at least the yokohama auction comming up this week which i told my friend i wanted to see what types of cars go around there and how much they normally go for i can't goto the auctual auction it's members only. As for the tokyo USS auction next week tuesday in yokohama i was told i can actually goto that one with an aquantance i found online after talking a bit he is going to let me go and if i want to make a bid with cash i can his fee is 600usd so who knows maybe id find something super cool lol 1967corvette anyone? Ive got no idea what i'm up on but will be fun even if i dont get anything.
There are a couple sites ive been pinging alot lately one which i found the BMW 3 series 325i 2007 is https://www.autorec.co.jp/
then these other 2 goonet is where i found my last alfa i'll defiantely be more careful if i decide to get something there again. prices in japan for used cars are stupid low because japanese throw them away after a 3-7 years. And let me tell you they get ripped off there is no trading in really you get like 500 usd and they take your car for you so you dont have to junk it then they turn around and sell it for 10 times the price. It's really awful what they do to their people here that's why japanese get those silly yellow plate box cars for like 16000 usd new. I like quality and i do most of my own maintenance always have(until the alfa). we have a garage here with lifts on base and once i get my house finished i'm going to look into buying the abbandoned house next to my house so i have larger land which will allow me to build a shop eventually(I can only use 50% of my land for house building and i'm maxed out.). That's years to come though sadly maybe after i head back to the states and come back here.
Kia used to be crap for sure, but for quiet a few years now, they are pretty huge on the European small car and SUV market. The Kia C'eed (even first gen. from 2006-) and Sorrento (from the 2009 2nd gen model on) hold their values much better then expected. While bland and gray and cheap plastic on the inside, they are supposedly good value cars with decent mechanics, reliable engines, economy, and safety, especially among the diesels. I almost went for a 2010 Sorrento, if they weren't that expensive (10k USD+) for their total lack of excitement and sea-sickness inducing truck-like handling and ride. I don't know about their cars over there though, maybe their cars sold in the EU have higher build quality to be able to compete here. (also the EU models are assembled in Slovakia I think, so they might be very different on their home-turf in Asia)
1967 Corvette? Hell yeah! :D
Do post a pic of whatever you end up getting!
For sure i will i can't goto the actual auction on saturday but i can look at the cars with my guy who is going for me on friday. So i'll keep you upated i need to come up with a list of cars i'm interested in sadly today i'm so booked not sure what to do haha need to goto finish junking my old car then i also need to goto customs to finish importing my sliding door for my bathroom. i think after that though i might finally have a chance to make up my list.
alright well i sent my masterlist off to my auction guy and thought i would share it here to see what you guys know about these cars and potential issues with some of the choices. Remember i picked these for engine size and looks didnt go to deep into maintenance i'll slowly be weeding through that throughout the week.
-Jaguar XF 2007+(Minor damage on bumper fenders or doors is ok) Scratches are ok. 3.0, 4.2, 5.0, SV 8, Portfolio, XFR,
-BMW 7 series 2007+(Minor damage on bumper fenders or doors is ok) Scratches are ok. 740,750,760
-BMW 5 series 2007+(Minor damage on bumper fenders or doors is ok) Scratches are ok. 550i,540i,530i,525i,535i
-Audi A6 2007+(Minor damage on bumper fenders or doors is ok) Scratches are ok. 2.4, 2.8, 3.0, 3.2, 4.2
-Audi A4 2008+(Minor damage on bumper fenders or doors is ok) Scratches are ok. 3.2 FSI quattro
-BMW 3 series 2007+(Minor damage on bumper fenders or doors is ok) Scratches are ok. 335i,325i,323i
-Nissan Fuga 2010 Hybrid
-Nissan Fuga 2008+(VIP prefered) 2008+ 350, 370, 450,
-Nissan Fuga 2007 450
-Cadillac CTS 2008+ 2.8,3.0,3.6,CTS-V,
-Dodge Charger 2007+ R/T, SRT 8
-Ford Mustang 2008+
-Crown 2009+ 3.5 Athlete
-Mark X 2008+ (Premium, 350s, vertiga premium, vertiga 350S, Premium L package.
-Ford Explorer 2008+
-Cadillac Escalade 2008+
alright well i sent my masterlist off to my auction guy and thought i would share it here to see what you guys know about these cars and potential issues with some of the choices. Remember i picked these for engine size and looks didnt go to deep into maintenance i'll slowly be weeding through that throughout the week.
-Jaguar XF 2007+(Minor damage on bumper fenders or doors is ok) Scratches are ok. 3.0, 4.2, 5.0, SV 8, Portfolio, XFR,
-BMW 7 series 2007+(Minor damage on bumper fenders or doors is ok) Scratches are ok. 740,750,760
-BMW 5 series 2007+(Minor damage on bumper fenders or doors is ok) Scratches are ok. 550i,540i,530i,525i,535i
-Audi A6 2007+(Minor damage on bumper fenders or doors is ok) Scratches are ok. 2.4, 2.8, 3.0, 3.2, 4.2
-Audi A4 2008+(Minor damage on bumper fenders or doors is ok) Scratches are ok. 3.2 FSI quattro
-BMW 3 series 2007+(Minor damage on bumper fenders or doors is ok) Scratches are ok. 335i,325i,323i
-Nissan Fuga 2010 Hybrid
-Nissan Fuga 2008+(VIP prefered) 2008+ 350, 370, 450,
-Nissan Fuga 2007 450
-Cadillac CTS 2008+ 2.8,3.0,3.6,CTS-V,
-Dodge Charger 2007+ R/T, SRT 8
-Ford Mustang 2008+
-Crown 2009+ 3.5 Athlete
-Mark X 2008+ (Premium, 350s, vertiga premium, vertiga 350S, Premium L package.
-Ford Explorer 2008+
-Cadillac Escalade 2008+
Jaaaaag XF - Love it! I have no idea how reliable it is, but I haven't heard any real horror stories. Although Jag is not famous for reliability either, but as far as I know that late-year Ford designed model is pretty well built. Sat in one for an hour as passenger, loved every minute of it. Apart from the ugly wood inserts, it has a nice quality interior, comfy seats, the ride was great, the handling seemed to be alright, and the power is awesome. Driven a previous gen XKR cabrio with the supercharged V8 once, doing like an 80mph over the speed limit in the city, with the dealership guy on the other seat silently screaming for taking out an 18 year old for a test drive, but that's a story for another day :D
BMW 7 - DON'T! JUST DON'T! Unless the previous owner replaced everything of the electronics/extras on the inside, and kept up with all the maintenance, and I mean all of it done on time or before it strictly needed replacing, don't even go near it! Or at least, look into replacement part costs before you do.
It might fall apart anyway as they are prone to rust, and have a generally low quality assembly. While you might not care much if the seat-heater doesn't work, it's also prone to mechanical issues around the suspension. I don't know how good or bad the roads are there, but if it's been driven through a million potholes, you can expect a hefty bill for replacement suspension parts alone, without accounting for the rest of the issues that causes.
While I hated the shape when it came out, it's something that grew on me over time, especially the Bangle-ass (pre-facelift) models. They are really cheap here when compared to other models from the same year (7000usd for a supposedly "decent" one, while a proper 2007 325i goes for 10500 usd), so I almost went for one, but they are just not worth the hassle.
I had a go in 4 of them before I gave up. The suspension was rattling, the interior was creaking, the steering was too vague, transmission was acting lazy, and usually at least half of the interior switches didn't work. The cars I tried just felt very used and abused, even the ones where the owner swore on his daughters life, and showed me bills that he payed over 4000usd for the auto transmission repairs and such...
From electric mirror adjustment to AC dials to the iDrive thingie not clicking, there was always something broken. Nothing that serious, but enough things to add another 5000-6000 usd in repair costs to the price (if I consider the much lower prices of my mechanic friend. In a proper BMW dealership, that would about double the cost).
I'd still love to have one as a hobby car, to act out my fantasy of mob-boss-in-big-black-bimmer while going to the shops once a week, but not as a daily. It's just too expensive to keep everything working.
Addendum from my mechanic: the Valvetronic in the V8 has some issues, so if you were to choose this for it's style and comfort over speed, you are much better off going for an early 730i with the M54 engine (3 liter i6). That's a good old sturdy beast of an engine with the least issues. But the early models have even worse build quality and electronics issues, so... yeah, just Don't. :D
--TLDR 7.:Unless it has been meticulously maintained, I'd not risk it. Ofc, with any car, you could end up finding a good one. Your chances of finding a good one are about as good as a ball of icecream's vs a napalm filled flamethrower, but you can never know...
BMW 5 - Generally considered to be a better build than the 7. I hate the nose unless it's an M5, but that's just me lol. As you are going for petrol engines only, there shouldn't be any big surprises. As it has the same engines as the 7 and 3 series, they come with the same problems, as I described above with the 3. Loads of extras as standard (supposedly but that might change with markets), and the ever annoying useless pos iDrive system (the 7 and 3 has that too). Good luck trying to set anything with that twisty mouse-y clicky knob thingie lol Also has some delicate suspension issues but not as bad as the 7 (less weight and all..). I've never driven one, but heard the same good and bad as with any car, so it's probably a safe-ish choice. Look out for Rust though, this gen of 5 series if one of the worst ever for that.
BMW 3 - as discussed before. I'd skip the 323i though, same engine as 325i with the same issues, just a little less power.
Generic BMW advice you didn ask for:
you are going for the wrong years here. The previous model generation was about the best that BMW ever built, with great engines (the ones starting with M##), good engineering, and proper build quality. The generation you are aiming for, while has some decent upgrades in terms of infotainment and safety, has much worse overall build quality (rust, fit and finish, electronics) and pretty unreliable engines (with the N## series engines). If you want a BMW, just buy a late production (probably also cheaper?) E39 5 series with a big engine (530i) and you won't regret it. If you want one of the best sports saloons ever built, just rob a small bank and buy an E39 M5 lol (prices for a non-crashed decent one start around 22500 usd here)
Full disclosure: most of the stuff I'm saying about BMW is based somewhat on my experiences, but mostly on the experience of my qualified BMW mechanic friend who has been operating his own (unlicensed "mom&pop" style) BMW repair shop for the last 14 years in the capital, fixing these heaps of junks day and night. Also, it's based on the experience of my other car crazed friend (he is kinda maaad) who drifts with anything on the streets he gets his hands on as long as it's a BMW or can be turned into RWD (he recently modified his limited edition Subaru Impreza WRX STI 555 into RWD just for a drift-day event... I kept hitting him over the head with a front driveshaft until he modified it back, the jackass... It's a limited edition FFS!). He has at least 3 working and 2 project cars at any one time, 90% bimmers, so he kinda knows how they are built. He sold his E90 320D cos while it was drifting alright in the roundabouts, it was too soft and heavy... I almost convinced him to buy a Bangle 7 once, but he said it was too much trouble even for him...
TLDR for BMW section above:
not the best year/generation
7 - HARD NOPE, and not because of the styling!
5 - yeah, why not
3 - it's okay
Audi A6/A4 - Not my cup of coffee, but the friend who had the 3.2 A6 had no major issues with his. It needed the usual maintenance and had some ignition issues once (I think it needed an engine management computer replacement, but that is pretty common with VW group cars), but otherwise it worked alright. Personally I'd go for the A4 Quattro, if you put some decent mufflers on it, it sounds ungodly, and goes like hell! And is practical at the same time lol. Unless you care about fuel economy, but by looking at your engine choices, I don't think you care at all lol. Dunno much about these really, to me it seems like a solid choice. Solid, as in like the bar of soap it was designed after, but still... :D Good cars.
Just as a note: avoid all smaller than 2.5 VW direct injection turbo ( TFSi and such nicknamed) engines like the plague. They Will blow up on you... Small turbos with total lack of cooling, badly designed oil feeds or whatever... Just go for the larger or non turbo ones.
As for the rest of the list, I have no personal experience and non of my friends had any of them. Some of them aren't even available on this continent lol
I've heard all sorts of terrible things about all the american cars on that list with the exception of the Mustang, but that's most likely due to me being in Europe. 90% of it probably not true, as is usual with these stories.
I like the look of the CTS-V, was very unusual at the time when it was introduced into the European swamp of mostly bubble-shaped uninteresting cars here.
That Mark X strikes me as the most interesting one of the bunch, cos I've never seen one before. It feels like the GTA version of a BMW 3/5 series mixed with a Lexus lol.
The Crown Athlete looks cool too, huge comfy sporty like an S-class. Reminds me of a Lexus LS (great car) , just sportier. Nice!
Jaaaaag XF - Love it! I have no idea how reliable it is, but I haven't heard any real horror stories. Although Jag is not famous for reliability either, but as far as I know that late-year Ford designed model is pretty well built. Sat in one for an hour as passenger, loved every minute of it. Apart from the ugly wood inserts, it has a nice quality interior, comfy seats, the ride was great, the handling seemed to be alright, and the power is awesome. Driven a previous gen XKR cabrio with the supercharged V8 once, doing like an 80mph over the speed limit in the city, with the dealership guy on the other seat silently screaming for taking out an 18 year old for a test drive, but that's a story for another day :smile:
BMW 7 - DON'T! JUST DON'T! Unless the previous owner replaced everything of the electronics/extras on the inside, and kept up with all the maintenance, and I mean all of it done on time or before it strictly needed replacing, don't even go near it! Or at least, look into replacement part costs before you do.
It might fall apart anyway as they are prone to rust, and have a generally low quality assembly. While you might not care much if the seat-heater doesn't work, it's also prone to mechanical issues around the suspension. I don't know how good or bad the roads are there, but if it's been driven through a million potholes, you can expect a hefty bill for replacement suspension parts alone, without accounting for the rest of the issues that causes.
While I hated the shape when it came out, it's something that grew on me over time, especially the Bangle-ass (pre-facelift) models. They are really cheap here when compared to other models from the same year (7000usd for a supposedly "decent" one, while a proper 2007 325i goes for 10500 usd), so I almost went for one, but they are just not worth the hassle.
I had a go in 4 of them before I gave up. The suspension was rattling, the interior was creaking, the steering was too vague, transmission was acting lazy, and usually at least half of the interior switches didn't work. The cars I tried just felt very used and abused, even the ones where the owner swore on his daughters life, and showed me bills that he payed over 4000usd for the auto transmission repairs and such...
From electric mirror adjustment to AC dials to the iDrive thingie not clicking, there was always something broken. Nothing that serious, but enough things to add another 5000-6000 usd in repair costs to the price (if I consider the much lower prices of my mechanic friend. In a proper BMW dealership, that would about double the cost).
I'd still love to have one as a hobby car, to act out my fantasy of mob-boss-in-big-black-bimmer while going to the shops once a week, but not as a daily. It's just too expensive to keep everything working.
Addendum from my mechanic: the Valvetronic in the V8 has some issues, so if you were to choose this for it's style and comfort over speed, you are much better off going for an early 730i with the M54 engine (3 liter i6). That's a good old sturdy beast of an engine with the least issues. But the early models have even worse build quality and electronics issues, so... yeah, just Don't. :smile:
--TLDR 7.:Unless it has been meticulously maintained, I'd not risk it. Ofc, with any car, you could end up finding a good one. Your chances of finding a good one are about as good as a ball of icecream's vs a napalm filled flamethrower, but you can never know...
BMW 5 - Generally considered to be a better build than the 7. I hate the nose unless it's an M5, but that's just me lol. As you are going for petrol engines only, there shouldn't be any big surprises. As it has the same engines as the 7 and 3 series, they come with the same problems, as I described above with the 3. Loads of extras as standard (supposedly but that might change with markets), and the ever annoying useless pos iDrive system (the 7 and 3 has that too). Good luck trying to set anything with that twisty mouse-y clicky knob thingie lol Also has some delicate suspension issues but not as bad as the 7 (less weight and all..). I've never driven one, but heard the same good and bad as with any car, so it's probably a safe-ish choice. Look out for Rust though, this gen of 5 series if one of the worst ever for that.
BMW 3 - as discussed before. I'd skip the 323i though, same engine as 325i with the same issues, just a little less power.
Generic BMW advice you didn ask for:
you are going for the wrong years here. The previous model generation was about the best that BMW ever built, with great engines (the ones starting with M##), good engineering, and proper build quality. The generation you are aiming for, while has some decent upgrades in terms of infotainment and safety, has much worse overall build quality (rust, fit and finish, electronics) and pretty unreliable engines (with the N## series engines). If you want a BMW, just buy a late production (probably also cheaper?) E39 5 series with a big engine (530i) and you won't regret it. If you want one of the best sports saloons ever built, just rob a small bank and buy an E39 M5 lol (prices for a non-crashed decent one start around 22500 usd here)
Full disclosure: most of the stuff I'm saying about BMW is based somewhat on my experiences, but mostly on the experience of my qualified BMW mechanic friend who has been operating his own (unlicensed "mom&pop" style) BMW repair shop for the last 14 years in the capital, fixing these heaps of junks day and night. Also, it's based on the experience of my other car crazed friend (he is kinda maaad) who drifts with anything on the streets he gets his hands on as long as it's a BMW or can be turned into RWD (he recently modified his limited edition Subaru Impreza WRX STI 555 into RWD just for a drift-day event... I kept hitting him over the head with a front driveshaft until he modified it back, the jackass... It's a limited edition FFS!). He has at least 3 working and 2 project cars at any one time, 90% bimmers, so he kinda knows how they are built. He sold his E90 320D cos while it was drifting alright in the roundabouts, it was too soft and heavy... I almost convinced him to buy a Bangle 7 once, but he said it was too much trouble even for him...
TLDR for BMW section above:
not the best year/generation
7 - HARD NOPE, and not because of the styling!
5 - yeah, why not
3 - it's okay
Audi A6/A4 - Not my cup of coffee, but the friend who had the 3.2 A6 had no major issues with his. It needed the usual maintenance and had some ignition issues once (I think it needed an engine management computer replacement, but that is pretty common with VW group cars), but otherwise it worked alright. Personally I'd go for the A4 Quattro, if you put some decent mufflers on it, it sounds ungodly, and goes like hell! And is practical at the same time lol. Unless you care about fuel economy, but by looking at your engine choices, I don't think you care at all lol. Dunno much about these really, to me it seems like a solid choice. Solid, as in like the bar of soap it was designed after, but still... :smile: Good cars.
Just as a note: avoid all smaller than 2.5 VW direct injection turbo ( TFSi and such nicknamed) engines like the plague. They Will blow up on you... Small turbos with total lack of cooling, badly designed oil feeds or whatever... Just go for the larger or non turbo ones.
As for the rest of the list, I have no personal experience and non of my friends had any of them. Some of them aren't even available on this continent lol
I've heard all sorts of terrible things about all the american cars on that list with the exception of the Mustang, but that's most likely due to me being in Europe. 90% of it probably not true, as is usual with these stories.
I like the look of the CTS-V, was very unusual at the time when it was introduced into the European swamp of mostly bubble-shaped uninteresting cars here.
That Mark X strikes me as the most interesting one of the bunch, cos I've never seen one before. It feels like the GTA version of a BMW 3/5 series mixed with a Lexus lol.
The Crown Athlete looks cool too, huge comfy sporty like an S-class. Reminds me of a Lexus LS (great car) , just sportier. Nice!
Thanks again for all your support in this alot of good information here haha wish i could print this out and take it with me. I'm surprised that the 7 series in the BMW is just that bad the prices for the 7 series are so much higher than the other models. There are not an abundance of potholes here in japan as the roads are constantly worked on so suspensions don't really need to be changed out very often not to mention they have some pretty nice custom ones out here. As for the nose i'm not worried in any model because i plan to get kits later to modify the look of the cars to whatever i want. From the sound of it you are pretty much saying stay away from BMW after 2007? the 90s BMWs were never really my style and are missing alot of the features i enjoy in modern cars these days due to age.(the E36 models) so trying to be cost effective and aim for something less than 10 years old as most modern cars start dieing at around 10 without standard maintenance(i never trust previous ownders) with less than 90k KM(like 55K miles which in america isnt bad) i was aiming at the E90 group. I'm most interested in the jaguar as i have been informed they have improved their quality in the last couple decades are are viable in the market again. Of course im going to do my own private research on each make and model starting from top to bottom. You got me scared to get higher end cars anymore haha i might as well just go get the fuga and call it a day as its a japanese car with probably the biggest engine im going to get without going to euro cars and yes i dont care about fuel consumption to much anymore haha
This lovely thing broke down on me 2 weeks ago, I managed to limp back home, however, i have been not working for 2 weeks since its been in the shop, finally got it back today, with a total bill for the repairs at just under $5k USD this time around. Needed 4 new batteries, new torque rods, new Drums and Shoes, a new brake chamber, a new fuel pump, new abs sensor, a bunch of new air fittings, new shocks, needed a bolt drilled out of the block and replaced on my exhaust manifold, and had them do an oil change while they were at it. This comes after a 10k dollar turbo replacement in march, and a 25k dollar overhaul last november, im starting to think its time to trade it in and look at buying new this time around....
The worst part of the last 2 weeks is i have had no paycheck because i haven't been working, so i've had to cut my budget way down to avoid having to dip into my savings too much.
This lovely thing broke down on me 2 weeks ago, I managed to limp back home, however, i have been not working for 2 weeks since its been in the shop, finally got it back today, with a total bill for the repairs at just under $5k USD this time around. Needed 4 new batteries, new torque rods, new Drums and Shoes, a new brake chamber, a new fuel pump, new abs sensor, a bunch of new air fittings, new shocks, needed a bolt drilled out of the block and replaced on my exhaust manifold, and had them do an oil change while they were at it. This comes after a 10k dollar turbo replacement in march, and a 25k dollar overhaul last november, im starting to think its time to trade it in and look at buying new this time around....
The worst part of the last 2 weeks is i have had no paycheck because i haven't been working, so i've had to cut my budget way down to avoid having to dip into my savings too much.
ouch but really freaken cool rig what do you haul and how much do you rack in? ever thought about hauling containers at ports to their destination? i hear its good money.
Thanks again for all your support in this alot of good information here haha wish i could print this out and take it with me. I'm surprised that the 7 series in the BMW is just that bad the prices for the 7 series are so much higher than the other models. There are not an abundance of potholes here in japan as the roads are constantly worked on so suspensions don't really need to be changed out very often not to mention they have some pretty nice custom ones out here. As for the nose i'm not worried in any model because i plan to get kits later to modify the look of the cars to whatever i want. From the sound of it you are pretty much saying stay away from BMW after 2007? the 90s BMWs were never really my style and are missing alot of the features i enjoy in modern cars these days due to age.(the E36 models) so trying to be cost effective and aim for something less than 10 years old as most modern cars start dieing at around 10 without standard maintenance(i never trust previous ownders) with less than 90k KM(like 55K miles which in america isnt bad) i was aiming at the E90 group. I'm most interested in the jaguar as i have been informed they have improved their quality in the last couple decades are are viable in the market again. Of course im going to do my own private research on each make and model starting from top to bottom. You got me scared to get higher end cars anymore haha i might as well just go get the fuga and call it a day as its a japanese car with probably the biggest engine im going to get without going to euro cars and yes i dont care about fuel consumption to much anymore haha
I forgot that cars in Japan have such a low mileage, 90k km is like nothing. Your chances of finding a decent one are much much better!
Most of the ones I tried are were well over 200k, some well into 350k.
What I was told is that from that generation, the mentality shifted from "make the best quality we can" to "just throw it away after 5 years" .
I totally get why you would go for something less than 10 years old. I got our 2009 X3 30d with the same thought in mind. Although I went for the 2003 generation e83 instead of the newer one, as I was told it's cheaper to run and has less issues. Yesterday while looking for some small interior trim parts I found out that an original bmw cup holder for the passenger side (spring loaded hidden in the dash) costs 350 bucks hahahaha. That's the cost of two front aftermarket drive shafts! =D
So don't be afraid of buying a high end luxury car, just be prepared with a thick wallet lol
I forgot that cars in Japan have such a low mileage, 90k km is like nothing. Your chances of finding a decent one are much much better!
Most of the ones I tried are were well over 200k, some well into 350k.
What I was told is that from that generation, the mentality shifted from "make the best quality we can" to "just throw it away after 5 years" .
I totally get why you would go for something less than 10 years old. I got our 2009 X3 30d with the same thought in mind. Although I went for the 2003 generation e83 instead of the newer one, as I was told it's cheaper to run and has less issues. Yesterday while looking for some small interior trim parts I found out that an original bmw cup holder for the passenger side (spring loaded hidden in the dash) costs 350 bucks hahahaha. That's the cost of two front aftermarket drive shafts! =D
So don't be afraid of buying a high end luxury car, just be prepared with a thick wallet lol
Oh trust me with as much money as i wasted into my alfa nothing will compare. The more i look into that jag though the better it looks i found i can order most of my parts if needed from america which is a huge bonus as parts here in japan are multiplied by 2-3 times from american prices. for my alfa i had to either get it from japan or britan and from japan prices were insanely high and some stuff i couldnt have shipped here from england for cheap. i think the XF is half the price maintenance wise and it just looks comfortable with all the added bonuses i want. It depends though if i can get one at a cheap enough price and availability. we will see though.
ouch but really freaken cool rig what do you haul and how much do you rack in? ever thought about hauling containers at ports to their destination? i hear its good money.
Thanks, I haul mostly flatbed/stepdeck freight, but in the winter I occasionally rent a dry van and haul that because I am a light and skinny dude that hates dealing with tarps in the winter. My gross income last year was 145k, I net'd roughly 70k of that in take home pay, the rest went to various funds, repairs, and tax write offs . I wont touch those port cans, mostly cause I live in the midwest so there aren't any local ports for me to set up contracts with
Thanks, I haul mostly flatbed/stepdeck freight, but in the winter I occasionally rent a dry van and haul that because I am a light and skinny dude that hates dealing with tarps in the winter. My gross income last year was 145k, I net'd roughly 70k of that in take home pay, the rest went to various funds, repairs, and tax write offs . I wont touch those port cans, mostly cause I live in the midwest so there aren't any local ports for me to set up contracts with
