Car choices..luxury sedan

[MarX]

Well I'm looking to get a nice luxury sedan thats not too slow for the weight but not something that will be unpractical for me (ie e55 AMG. It'd be nice but I'm not ready for that level of debt)

I've been looking at e32 7 series(mainly early 90's 735's) or e34 5 series. My price range is somewhat limited as I'm only 18 and don't have much for a car right now(wrong class of car to be looking at but oh well)

One car I have found although its exponentially more than I have for a car seems like a good buy. It is a 1991 BMW ///M5 that is lowered"professionally" CLaims of 340hp but I will wait for a dyno sheet to prove that. It has 190,000kms and appears to be well kept. He is asking $9000 firm so that means I will need to take out a loan to buy the car.

Does anyone have any advice on if this is a good idea or possibly other cars more in my price range(think low) that would satisfy my like for luxobarge goodness?

I have looked at the caddilac STS and some pontiacs,buicks etc but it's just not the same a a big bmw ;) . Thanks in advance for any help I get.

[me&you]

If you need a loan for one of those cars in the first place, wait until something (and it will) goes wrong with it!

Sorry to burst your bubble, but this isn't a good idea.

[MudCrawler]

Originally posted by MarX
Well I'm looking to get a nice luxury sedan thats not too slow for the weight but not something that will be unpractical for me (ie e55 AMG. It'd be nice but I'm not ready for that level of debt)

I've been looking at e32 7 series(mainly early 90's 735's) or e34 5 series. My price range is somewhat limited as I'm only 18 and don't have much for a car right now(wrong class of car to be looking at but oh well)

One car I have found although its exponentially more than I have for a car seems like a good buy. It is a 1991 BMW ///M5 that is lowered"professionally" CLaims of 340hp but I will wait for a dyno sheet to prove that. It has 190,000kms and appears to be well kept. He is asking $9000 firm so that means I will need to take out a loan to buy the car.

Does anyone have any advice on if this is a good idea or possibly other cars more in my price range(think low) that would satisfy my like for luxobarge goodness?

I have looked at the caddilac sts and some pontiacs,buicks etc but it's just not the same a a big bmw ;) . Thanks in advance for any help I get.

I personally think you should reconsider the cadillac Seville STS. 300 horse, lovely leather, and bucketloads of features. I actually looked into it for myself as well, and found tons of 98+ (the year the seville recieved the nicest looking exterior and interior changes) starting around 9 or ten grand...

[ryuen]

Originally posted by me&you
If you need a loan for one of those cars in the first place, wait until something (and it will) goes wrong with it!

Sorry to burst your bubble, but this isn't a good idea.

:werd: Something will go wrong and it'll be nothing but headaches when it does.

Having said that, the e34 is my favorite 5 series and 9000 is a really good price for a 91 M5.. I know of some e34 525i's that go for that much.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by MarX
He is asking $9000 firm so that means I will need to take out a loan to buy the car.

If you don't even have $9000 cash, you're shopping in the wrong market. European repairs are uber expensive. And gas price being so high that you are probably end up with debt and still have to take the bus.

Don't live beyond your means, get a reliable Japanese from the late 90s.

And I think this video should be stickied......
http://danwho.net/mp/index.php?id=snl_dontbuystuff

[RiceCake]

If you want a good trade off for luxry and a decent price with good reliabilty try an older infiniti.

BMWs are nice, but alike comments stated above, if you don't even have $9000 to buy the car, chances are you're going to be in a world of pain when it comes to running, and maintaining the car.

[gp36912]

^^^^ i can tell ya that one, control arms are easily 250 a piece, for my car. for a total of over 900 to get it all installed. but if you can get your parents to pitch in the m5 would be quite a good deal.

[C4S]

$9000 for a 91 M5 ?

that is a steal! Toronto? If you dont' buy it .. let me know .. :D

[Vagabond142]

If you want style, power, and just plain "cool" factor, there are tons of well priced early and mid 90's or late 80's Merc E-classes out there. There's also the world-famous 190E if you want a bit of pedigree with your Merc :) I just did a quick search on CanadaTrader and average for Canada seems to be 5000 for a fairly shit model to ~13000 for a very well kept model.

For japanese pimpage, check out older infinities and lexuses

[EnRich]

lol.. Honda Accord!!!

[Vagabond142]

Originally posted by EnRich
lol.. Honda Accord!!!

Well, they ARE comfortable O_O!

[MarX]

Thanks for everyones opinions on this and I was thinking the same thing with the cash vs loan thing that is if I can't afford to buy it in cash I shouldn't get it at all (although it is a good deal)
In all honesty I seriously doubt I will get the M5 due to the base cost as well as maintenance being more than I can afford also I don't need it (then again I don't "need" anything more than a small econobox but thats another matter) and having all that power is only gonna do one thing..get me in trouble :p


The one STS I was looking at seems to be in less than stellar condition (rust on trunk,big hole in the side,beat up interior,needed a rad etc) as I have already experienced the horrors of rust with my jeep but I'm sure I could find one for a fair price.

I'd like to add another couple things: I'm primarily looking at RWD as well as L6 or better for the car not necessary but personal preference.

If I felt like signing my life away for the sheer pleasure of driving then I'd go for a new m5 but at the price of 150k+ I think I'll pass unless I win the lotto or something.

I may look into the 190e as well as some infinites and lexuses(lexii?lol)

Thanks for your suggestions so far :)

[gp36912]

a lexus would be a very nice pick for a luxury that can haul ass :D the repair costs are not going to be as high as the bimmers i can tell you that but it isn't going to be cheap as hell either

[Vagabond142]

I still have to stick with a W201 MB 190E... I've driven more than one, and I can say that they balance driving experience with comfort extremely well. Repairs aren't also an ass-raping like they are with Beemers. The MB 190E was also the car, in racing form, that could rape an M3 around pretty much any track until BMW got their act together. So there is real pedigree, power, comfort, and driving experience all in one car. Hell, **I** want one, just can't afford one yet :thumbsup:

[frostyda9]

Drive a POS for now, and when you're 30 you can buy your Lexus/Benz/BMW brand spanking new ;) No need to go into debt when you're 18 so you can rock a hood emblem, which I presume is one of the factors here.

[snowcatxx87]

yea yea hood eblems yea yea

[MarX]

Originally posted by frostyda9
Drive a POS for now, and when you're 30 you can buy your Lexus/Benz/BMW brand spanking new ;) No need to go into debt when you're 18 so you can rock a hood emblem, which I presume is one of the factors here.
Not really such a factor. More of a factor is build quality,comfort and space as I strongly dislike small cars for some reason and much prefer a larger slower car to a smaller "quick" car.

No doubt I wouldn't mind owning say a 911 Turbo or something to that effect but IMO it is not something you get as a DD(yes you can but I mean its not normal) as its a 2 seat sports car and that doesn't really leave much in the way of hauling anything(besides ass).
If it were just about "rocking a hood emblem" as you put it I wouldn't have even considered a Buick or a Pontiac as they're not really "luxury cars". On that note does anyone have any experience with early 90's Pontiac Bonneville SSEi's?(with the supercharged 3800 series I V6) If so are they reliable cars?

Unless I can find a great deal on a e32 or e34 I don't think I'll be getting a BMW just yet although it is nice to dream but I will most likely go for a caddy or bonnie for now then if it fails or w/e later on(after 25) I can have some money saved up for a nice car such as a newer BMW or MB.

Personally if the body on my jeep wasn't so trash I would keep it as it is a fairly comfortable ride for what it is (solid axle SUV) but as it sits it is not worth the money it would take to get it road-legal.I may still end up driving it until I can afford something better by just fiberglassing some of the holes and getting a ;) safety then once it dies I may have enough saved to get a car that I like.

**Edit**
One car I'd like to hear an opinion on is a 1989 MB 380SEL LWB Saloon as I have found one for about $1000 and it appears to be in good shape although the ad mentions bodywork needed so I am weary of it. I'd like to hear what people think about this car.
Thanks

[MudCrawler]

you could always get another jeep ;) :D

[Ntense_SpecV]

Personally I wouldn't buy any sort of 'luxury' car that's more then 8-10 years old let alone one that's almost 16 years old. I made the mistake of wanting to buy a new car at 20 and I did end up buying a brand new car but I should have bought a house instead. I ended up having to pay almost 100k more for a house now then if I had bought one 3 years ago when I could have. I'd be rocking a much nicer 'luxury' car now and saved myself a crap load of money. Don't make the same mistake as you will hate yourself when your friends all OWN their houses and you are renting one but driving a really nice car.

[habsfan]

if you just want a larger reliable and still relatively luxurious car, consider an older upscale camry or accord. fairly big cars(i'm 6'2 and thick, and i fit pretty comfortably in my 92), super reliable, good on gas, and you can still get your leather and other luxury features. save yourself the headaches and debt involved in buying an old bmw or merc, especially if you need a loan to reach 9k

[frostyda9]

Originally posted by MarX

Not really such a factor. More of a factor is build quality,comfort and space as I strongly dislike small cars for some reason and much prefer a larger slower car to a smaller "quick" car.

OK, fair enough.

The situation Ntense_SpecV described is exactly what I was getting at in the end. I just hate to see people riddle themselves in debt - and that's a real possibility driving an older luxury car - when they're just starting out.

Now to actually contribute something worthwhile...if you can handle the gas bill, older Buick Regals are great cruisers. Quiet, smooth, and they have a little power on tap. Dated looking, but not too bad. The thing I like is you can work on these cars without a whole lot of difficulty


http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y38/frostyDA9/buick.jpg

[MarX]

Know what? I totally forgot about the older cars when I was looking for a car. IMO that car is pretty sexy only to be surpassed by say a GNX(who the hell am I kidding if I cant afford 9k I'm not getting a gnx-40k+:nut: ) I think I will look into the regals although I'm not sure but did they come in a sedan? Just a personal preference but for a driving car I'd like a 4 door better(easier to get stuff into,cheaper on insurance)

I'm more leaning toward an mid-80's to mid 90's GM car be it a Bonneville,regal,STS or something. Another thing that I'm thinking about is gas prices as it's now 104.5/L here and with the M5 Xtrema had it right the M5 is not a fuel efficient car so it would probably be a struggle to keep it gassed up and still make loan and insurance payments.

I'm considering an early 90's VW Jetta Diesel as they seem to be good albeit small cars(HUGE trunk though) any opinions on this choice?

Thanks for talking some sense into me guys ;)

[MarX]

Well just an update on this I seem to have found a car that meets most of my needs.

It is a 1993 Lincoln Continental.
Loaded with the bucket seats and console shifter.
3.8L MPFI V6 engine
fairly good condition from what I'm told and am going to look at it soon(will take pics)

It needs a brake flex line and a new battery(car sat for winter) has a small rust hole on the inner wheelwell (right rear)
the airbags have been replaced with coilover and the muffler is a full SS system recently done
tires are recent

Heres the kicker: He's asking $500
If I can pull it off I hope to get this car as its not too sporty, there is absolutely ZERO aftermarket for it(good thing in this case less $$ on mods) and is not bad on insurance ($2900/yr full coverage)
I know of the head gasket issue with these engines and plan to check that out.
Is there anything else I should take a look at as far as dodgy things go?

Thanks

[s dime]

find a different insurance company, that is absurd!

[MarX]

Originally posted by s dime
find a different insurance company, that is absurd!
Best rate I've ever gotten.
18 year old no insurance history new G2 driver on a luxury car.
what companies would you suggest?(I am not eligable for monnache monnex(sp?)

[AllGoNoShow]

Originally posted by C4S
$9000 for a 91 M5 ?

that is a steal! Toronto? If you dont' buy it .. let me know .. :D

Thats what I told him too ;)

[MarX]

Well I'm not getting the M5 as for one I dont have the money to get it and two insurance is about 6 grand a year :eek:
It was on www.autotrader.ca

[Neil4Speed]

It is not up to me to make this decision for you, however, maybe look at insurance w/o Collision. Just since the car your purchasing is below around $6k, I am not to sure if it will be worth it in your situation.

Also, try to take a look at Lexus ES300's. They are great cars for your moeny, have a nice badge and are safe, reliable and practical .

Another option possibly is purchasing an older BMW 525i, or a 300E/300CE from Japan if you really want to rock the nice badges.

[MarX]

Originally posted by Neil4Speed
It is not up to me to make this decision for you, however, maybe look at insurance w/o Collision. Just since the car your purchasing is below around $6k, I am not to sure if it will be worth it in your situation.

Also, try to take a look at Lexus ES300's. They are great cars for your moeny, have a nice badge and are safe, reliable and practical .

Another option possibly is purchasing an older BMW 525i, or a 300E/300CE from Japan if you really want to rock the nice badges.

Looked at liability only and it was only a difference of roughly $500 yearly between basic coverage and pull comp,collision($500 deductible) and rental coverage so it might be worth it depending on the car(ie if its some beater accord I wont bother)

As for your suggestions for cars the cheapest ES300 is $3000 and it has 352,000kms on it :eek:
For the importing- Why bother going through the hassle of importing a car that was available here anyway? Also I'm not sure but isn't there some new rule about imported cars in ON not being able to be registered?

What should I be looking at on insurance if the quote I got was "absurd"?
Thanks though.