for my gf. ~$20k. safety and comfort are the most important aspects. room in the back seat isn't all that important. leaning towards a V6 based on what i've seen and driven so far.

she likes the acura TL. plenty of 06 and 07 models w/ about 30k miles in her budget. we haven't driven one yet.

what does the garage think?

[Edited on July 5, 2009 at 8:33 PM. Reason : preferably certified pre-owned]

7/5/2009 8:27:24 PM

2006 330i out of warranty

7/5/2009 8:54:26 PM

are BMWs ridiculously expensive to have serviced? can i work on the thing myself?

i've always done all the work on my own vehicles, but i always just drive old trucks. i'm kinda clueless on what kinda service i can do on newer vehicles, especially sedans.

thanks for the help.

[Edited on July 5, 2009 at 9:03 PM. Reason : btw, she plans on keeping it 10+ yrs]

7/5/2009 9:03:12 PM

if this is for the gf why are you pushing for a v6? 4 cyl is fine for a girl, probably better.

7/5/2009 9:16:23 PM

because it'll be "our" car after we get married

she's more of a fiance w/o a ring

and who says girls don't like some extra power?

7/5/2009 9:21:40 PM

G35

7/6/2009 11:47:35 AM

just don't let anybody pull some sort of grand theft auto style jump off of this car.

7/6/2009 11:47:42 AM

^which of my high school shenanigans are you referring to?

^^tires are ridiculous for those, aren't they? i'm not looking for sporty or any of that. i just want reliable w/ cheap upkeep.

[Edited on July 6, 2009 at 12:29 PM. Reason : d]

7/6/2009 12:19:17 PM

Quote :

"are BMWs ridiculously expensive to have serviced? can i work on the thing myself?"

for the last fucking time. it's the same as any other god damn car. yes you can work on it. no it isn't that expensive to work on. yes if you take it to a dealership they'll rape you just like all dealerships do.

TL is a very nice car
3 series is a nice car
5 series is a nice car

go drive them. pick one. i'd say spend $15K and be happy.. that's plenty to get a nice car that'll last a long time

7/6/2009 12:33:02 PM

thanks for clearing it up for me. i didn't know.

biggest reason i'm shying away from bmw is she's in wayne county and if something pops up that i can't do myself she'd be an hour away from anywhere that'll work on the thing.

7/6/2009 12:39:58 PM

sorry..that stereotype pisses me off.

and i dunno about that.. they really aren't hard to work on. def not any harder than any other comparable new car, imo.

i just wouldn't rule one out if that's what she ends up liking the most just bc of where it can be serviced/fixed if something breaks. it's doubtful anything would ever happen.

now if she just happens to like another one better then so be it

7/6/2009 12:42:53 PM

i appreciate the help. all i have to go on are stereotypes at this point. that's why i came here to ask some knowledgable folks.

what is your opinion on the mileage for the money? for example, her budget gets her a mazda6 w/ about 10k, a TL w/ about 30k, or a 330i w/ about 50k. any thoughts there? what's "high mileage" on a bmw? about like a toyota or honda?

7/6/2009 12:47:40 PM

my 5 series has 160K.. my dads 3 series has close to 300K. no major problems ever on either.

TL is obviously from honda so i'd expect it to last just as long if not longer..

what year 3 series is she looking at? i'd go for that or the TL personally. TL's aren't too flashy but damn they're nice on the inside.

7/6/2009 12:53:21 PM

they changed the body style for the 06 models, right? there's some of those in her price range. i like the look of the 05 models too. already 4 yrs old, but i guess that's not that much based on what you're telling me. an 05 would save her some money too.

[Edited on July 6, 2009 at 12:57 PM. Reason : we're planning on doing some test driving this weekend]

7/6/2009 12:56:33 PM

i was referring to the incident with your sister's cobalt

7/6/2009 1:03:59 PM

oh

no jumps there. the explorer is the one who went airborne.

7/6/2009 1:07:38 PM

Quote :

"just don't let anybody pull some sort of grand theft auto style jump off of this car."

reading comprehension, christopher.

7/6/2009 1:26:57 PM

you know good and well they didn't teach that at EW

7/6/2009 1:28:47 PM

go to google and type in "Acura TL Tranmission"...........read for hours. Transmissions are bad on those cars. I dont think Acura finally fixed the issues until Feb 05.

7/6/2009 1:55:43 PM

we're looking at 06 and 07 models

[Edited on July 6, 2009 at 1:57 PM. Reason : in the TL, that is]

[Edited on July 6, 2009 at 1:59 PM. Reason : but thanks for the heads up. i hadn't heard anything about that.]

7/6/2009 1:57:19 PM

bmw parts are significantly more expensive than jap or american brand parts. normal wear items, meh, but should some suspension bits or braking bits wear out, it adds up REAL quick.

7/6/2009 2:44:37 PM

but is it worth it over 10+ years?

7/6/2009 2:49:27 PM

parts for my car are no more than japanese cars, i have no idea if its true for newer bmw's but its not true for old ones

7/6/2009 2:52:58 PM

so what do you drive?

7/6/2009 2:56:15 PM

An 07 G35 should be in your price range.
My brother drives an 05 and my mom drives an 08.
Both have been great so far.

7/6/2009 5:05:09 PM

my dad's fiance had a g35 coupe

expensive fucking tires that you can't rotate

[Edited on July 6, 2009 at 5:23 PM. Reason : seems that the sedan's tires would be somewhat cheaper]

7/6/2009 5:19:58 PM

LoYotaNCSU has a G35 that he may be thinking about selling (fresh from carmax, maxcare warranty, low miles, very nice)

7/6/2009 5:31:07 PM

she's gotta decide what she wants, so here's what's on our list of cars attainable w/ her budget to drive to figure that out

mazda6
acura TL
acura TSX
G35 sedan
accord
camry
330i
altima
maxima

anything else y'all would add or automatically remove from this list?

^thanks. i'll keep that in mind if she decides she likes the g35

7/6/2009 5:38:36 PM

remove all of the nissan / infinity crap from the list

go drive the rest and decide what she likes best

7/6/2009 5:40:28 PM

got a reason?

7/6/2009 5:42:04 PM

Quote :

"biggest reason i'm shying away from bmw is she's in wayne county and if something pops up that i can't do myself she'd be an hour away from anywhere that'll work on the thing."

is the BMW dealership in Kinston still there???

what about a new malibu??

7/6/2009 6:06:55 PM

the new malibu is a good looking sedan.

i hope i didnt commit a crime with that statement!

7/6/2009 6:14:38 PM

^^i forgot about sale bmw in kinston. still about 45 mins from her.

i guess i can add the malibu to the list

7/6/2009 6:27:46 PM

yah, nissan makes some good looking junk

7/6/2009 6:33:10 PM

they were at the bottom of the preliminary list

7/6/2009 6:44:22 PM

i like the list

what about

lexus is250/300/350
volvo s40
volvo s60

7/6/2009 7:05:05 PM

she said she doesn't like the lexus models, but i don't understand why

thanks, i hadn't even thought of volvo. i checked them out and they look nice and are within budget. not sure about a 5 cylinder. any opinions on it? i'll make her look at the volvos and reconsider lexus.

all these cars are the same to me and honestly it's frustrating for me. nothing like picking out a truck

[Edited on July 6, 2009 at 7:22 PM. Reason : any more nissan/infinity opinions?]

7/6/2009 7:21:53 PM

i'd say stay away from nissan. they're the most 'american' of the imports.. and that's not a good thing haha. they used to have seriously retardedly weak transmissions. not sure if that's still the case but they still seem cheap. i dont have anything for you to google to back that up though.

7/6/2009 7:28:42 PM

2006/2007 Audi A4 2.0T for $18k or less

7/6/2009 8:01:33 PM

w/ how many miles?

[Edited on July 6, 2009 at 8:08 PM. Reason : i rode in one and it didn't have any damn room in it]

[Edited on July 6, 2009 at 8:08 PM. Reason : might not have been an 06/07, though. i forget]

7/6/2009 8:05:58 PM

subaru legacy

7/6/2009 8:12:22 PM

^^30k miles or less, price depends on location though, it seems they are like $2-3k more in NC... n/m.

I love the A4, plenty of room for a mid-size... you DID say mid-size didn't you?

7/6/2009 8:16:54 PM

i was gonna say they might be cheap in colorado, but w/ comparable options and mileage, they're out of range for us

it ain't going on the list

7/6/2009 8:30:06 PM

06 accord 6 speed

7/6/2009 9:12:27 PM

gotta be an automatic

[Edited on July 6, 2009 at 9:18 PM. Reason : she has a hard enough time w/ 2 hands on the wheel and only two pedals to think about]

7/6/2009 9:17:26 PM

haha dont all females.

7/6/2009 9:24:24 PM

actually, no

7/6/2009 9:31:51 PM

Quote :

"i just wouldn't rule one out if that's what she ends up liking the most just bc of where it can be serviced/fixed if something breaks. it's doubtful anything would ever happen."

Taking my Audi to gets its free service work done under the New car warranty is kinda a pain in the ass having to drive to Raleigh. Where as if i had a BMW; I can literally see the damn BMW dealership from my house in Wilmington. This was a trade off though that i factored when picking an A4 versus a 3-series.

7/6/2009 9:49:16 PM

Hi! I'm the girlfriend that's buying the car. I really appreciate all of your opinions and recommendations. It's definitely opened my eyes to a few cars we hadn't considered. I'm definitely looking forward to driving some of these this weekend!

that Audi is sexy!

Quote :

"she has a hard enough time w/ 2 hands on the wheel and only two pedals to think about"

tis true, tis true

Thanks again and keep the ideas flowing!

7/6/2009 9:51:31 PM

bmw has free service too (he's not looking at new though)

7/6/2009 9:52:10 PM