Its time to choose!

[mit5005]

So my car finally sold for real this time, and basically after Sunday I wont have a car to drive, so I need to choose.

My options have changed a little since my last post. Just keep in mind that I'm a college student who likes sports cars but also likes luxury and practicality as well.

Prices of each car:

M3: 30k average, some with only 35k-40k miles
S4: 29k-31k, with around 35k miles average
C32: 26k-28k, with around 30k-38~k miles

I would most likely be purchasing extended warranty on the 2 older cars unless it already has extended warranty. Thanks for your opinions :)

[acmarttin]

Can't go wrong with an S4. The B6 S4 wasn't out very long before the B7 took over so I consider it a pretty special Audi enthusiast's car.

[wasaabi92]

Personally I'd go for the Twin turbo'd S4 from 2000-02 (in the States).

However, given your selection I'd take the S4. I'm into sleepers and the S4 looks the least assuming, esp in Avant guise (the one I'd buy). The Bimmer's always a good choice but so many have been thrashed in their lives, everytime I walk down the streets here in Boston there's an M3 stuck in first and wailing at 7k, because the drivers just have to be noticed in their flashy Bee-M. Most of the drivers a tools anyways. Don't go for the Merc. It's flat out NASTY. The weedy sounding s'charged six with an auto. C'mon, no enthusiast would take that. And the dials ... That ridiculous half moon speedo and dinky tach. Puh-leeze.

But again, I'm partial of lighting off a couple-ah turbos in second and slingshotting from stoplight to stoplight... :P

[Zot09]

I believe you can't go wrong with any of those three. Out of those three, I have only experience the C32; my friends dad had one before he bought the new M5. That car really pushes, yet it was still very comfortable.

If I had the choice, I'd go with the M3! :D Maybe even a M3 Vert? :drool:

[novass]

Personally I would go for the Audi. I just recently drove a B6 with some minor mods on it and I was very impressed. It was a night and day difference from my A4 in terms of speed and driving feel. The only thing I would be wary about is how well the previous owner took care of it. Being that it has two turbos I would imagine a lot of the younger drivers may have chipped it and thrashed it. It would definitely be my choice if it was a well kept example and maybe even if it was a little modded.

I am not a huge fan of M3s because I see them so often and like Wasaabi said, I see a lot of dipshits abusing them. Personal choice though as im not a huge fan of BMWs in general. I do admit though, that a friend of mine once had a E36 and it was a very nice car.

As far as the C32 goes, my es-girlfriend had one and while it was a fast car, it lacked a certain level of enjoyment that I wanted. I think its more suited to the older, more mature driver that wants some power while still having a nice looking daily driver.

Its a tough choice though as they all have their pros and cons but personally, i would opt for the Audi.

[bmwmpower]

never drove one of these but i will choose M3, i like the look, sound and almost everythink, also m3 is not loosing money so quickly

[Erez]

I would go for the M3.. but if your asking.. then maybe the M3 is not for you..
one word.. stay away from the C-Class..

[dingo]

First off....what kind of jobs do college students have in the USA that they can afford these cars? Or is it a case of Dad being generous?

Anyway....

My choice would be the E46 M3, best all-round performing car IMO - and with a few simple mods can be made to look stunning (better than the other two for me). I've only driven the S4 out of these and wasn't really that impressed, have much more fun in my WRX to be honest.

[mit5005]

Thanks everyone. One of the things I like about the S4 is that its a mix between the other 2: quick and handles good but is also practical and comfortable. But I guess I need to drive them first.

Although I like the c32 a lot cause of its power and comfort, I guess you guys are right and I'll probably get bored with it.

And as for the m3, I don't really care that much about rarity or who else drives it. I'm just looking for a car I'll enjoy. I actually have a friend who works at a used exotic car place so today I'll at least be able to drive a manual m3.

Dingo: I'm pretty much payin for half the car only, being that my parents bought my rx-7 for me a couple years ago, and I am using that money as a down payment.

My dad said it was a mistake to buy it, since it wasnt very reliable relative to a newer car, but since I sold the car for 2k more than we bought it for, I did pretty well.

[Stoopie]

Definitely the S4 of these 3 :D It's an Audi!

[ARMAN]

I am not familiar with lots of youngsters having expensive BMW's and making bad image to BMW as its probably in US so my vote is for ///M3 :twisted:

S4 is surely more stable due to 4wd but I wouldnt choose it myself cause that would be boring(no ass kicking etc), depends on you how much playable car you want, you will not have snow to use 4wd there dont you? :D

Merc is in my eyes for business guys and older folks :) It will add to your self image but imo theres not spark in it. Wold love to have one myself(Merc nut not C-class) when will get a bit richer :P

///M3 is the only choice for me :twisted:

[sameerrao]

M3

[ViperASR]

M3 all the way. The only thing that sucks is some of the younger owners are starting to give BMW a bad reputation, at least here by the beach. But for me the M3 would be the only way to go. RWD for plenty of ass kicking, and Tiff loved it, which makes it more than good enough for me :twisted:

[komotar]

haed goes S4
heart goes M3

[TopGearNL]

Well if it was the Audi RS4 I would have taken that, but in this case M3!

[novass]

M3

You pick M3? You not liking your S4 anymore?

[sameerrao]

M3

You pick M3? You not liking your S4 anymore?

I do like my car :)

Its just that the mit5005 is a) located in sunny Florida and b) is 21 years old - a 2 door rwd sports car seems more appropriate to him.

When I bought my car 5 years back, I was living in California. I have taken my S4 to Lake Tahoe and Yosemite a couple times when it was snowing - an AWD made a lot of sense. Also I needed a 4 door as my parents/brother visit me on occasion - need the space to cart everyone around.

I am going to keep the S4 for a couple years more for sure.

[novass]

^^gotcha. Thats pretty much the same reason I chose my Audi and I am considering a S4 Avant is that I go snowboarding as often as possible so I want the AWD and the four doors.

[TopGearNL]

^^gotcha. Thats pretty much the same reason I chose my Audi and I am considering a S4 Avant is that I go snowboarding as often as possible so I want the AWD and the four doors.

You'll need quattro when you go snowboarding :wink:

[sameerrao]

^ Go for it ... the Avants are real sleepers 8)

[Mattk]

Hmm, tough choice between the Audi and the BMW. I'd personally prefer the Audi S4. If the M3 gives out bad vibes because of the bad reputation of a lot of its drivers, the S4 is a better option. I also think the S4 looks better as well.

[Mattk]

You are rolling up to a stop light where on of the regular Yahoos are standing reving his M3, and when the light turns green you leave him for dead......now thats entertainment.....

I do that with riced-up Civics in my dad's Mazda 3 all the time.

[ARMAN]

S4 is surely more stable due to 4wd but I wouldnt choose it myself cause that would be boring

Have you driven an S4 since you know its boring?

I have seen stock S4`s doing donuts on dry tarmac, sliding their asses in turns on dry tarmac...are the S4`s different in your country?

I have a awd car and I wouldnt say its boring in the dry...of course its like christmas for a kid when its snowy...(like it is outside right now, came home a couple of hours ago after palying a few hours after an 10 hour work day).... :D :D :D

yes a rwd car will shake the ass more easily but one can do it pretty easy in an S4 too, and doing donuts with an RWD car after you have done it in a AWD car seems just pathetic and slow.... :wink:

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/7334/s5uf4.gif (http://www.imageshack.us)

nope I never drove any of AWD thats only what I think it would be... I havent driven M3 eather. Max I drove is 113ps in my beemer :)
Its only my thought that as all 4 wheels are under power than is much more stable than M3 so to have RWD is more fun, Plato and Tiff said same thing in latest M3 vs RS4 comparsion video from last year :wink:
Safe - Audi, fun - M3 :)

[Bernardo]

I would go for a 4 door - Audi/Merc, and as i love to have power under my foot, i would go for the C32 because of its torque.

[saadie]

if you want to be a real man .. you'll get the bimmer .. if you are a showoff you'd go for the other too .. ..
btw .. havnt concidered a honda civic yet? :P

[TopGearNL]

if you want to be a real man .. you'll get the bimmer .. if you are a showoff you'd go for the other too .. ..
btw .. havnt concidered a honda civic yet? :P

This is about pure German engineering :wink: :P

[ViperASR]

if you want to be a real man .. you'll get the bimmer .. if you are a showoff you'd go for the other too .. ..
btw .. havnt concidered a honda civic yet? :P

remember, big aluminun spoilers add like 30hp, decals are worth 5 a piece, wheels make your car do the 1/4 mile in 12 seconds

[saadie]

^^OMG you are one of them :o


:lol: :lol:

[dutchmasterflex]

M3. Rear wheel drive (with the ability to turn off Computer aids 100%) and a true 6-speed manual with clutch.

Will definitely give you more "fun" than the other too cars in my opinion..

[TopGearNL]

^^OMG you are one of them :o


:lol: :lol:

LOL!

[thepest]

Trust the vote, you can't go wrong with that!

[Ghostbat]

yes a rwd car will shake the ass more easily but one can do it pretty easy in an S4 too, and doing donuts with an RWD car after you have done it in a AWD car seems just pathetic and slow.... :wink:

The thing is that most 4wd can "Shake the ass" but you'll always end up with understeer going out of the corner no matter how sideways you entered it. But good fun on snow indeed.

My heart tells me to choose the M3 but I know that it would be hard to live with everyday.

My choice would be the C32. Comfy usable car that can go sideways easily when you want to have some fun. And then an M3 for the trackevents during the weekends and an S4 for the winter.

[ARMAN]

so whats it gonna be? :)

[TopGearNL]

so whats it gonna be? :)

Vauxhall Monaro I guess :wink: :P

[Shinigami]

I assume you're talking about a C32 AMG? If so, a $1000 pulley upgrade is a reliable way to get up to 400hp and a sub 5 second 0-100kph car.

The coupé versions were pretty rare, but being lighter then the saloons, they were already pretty much as quick as the SLK 32 AMG's, which at the time were the quickest MB's...

Since then, the 3.2 liter supercharged engines have given way to the very large ones... ho hum.

[Ghostbat]

I assume you're talking about a C32 AMG? If so, a $1000 pulley upgrade is a reliable way to get up to 400hp and a sub 5 second 0-100kph car.

The coupé versions were pretty rare, but being lighter then the saloons, they were already pretty much as quick as the SLK 32 AMG's, which at the time were the quickest MB's...

Since then, the 3.2 liter supercharged engines have given way to the very large ones... ho hum.

What coupeversion, CLK32? I must have missed that one. The performance upgrade sounds pretty sweet. What does the torque-figure land on?

[novass]

if you want to be a real man .. you'll get the bimmer ..

LMFAO you obviously havent seen the majority of dickless wonders that drive around in M3s.

I dont have anything against M3s, they are great cars. I would still opt for the S4 for myself, however, as it suits my needs more appropriately. I think the M3 would be fun for cruising around or on the weekends, the S4 would be good for snow/rain and more general, everyday driving and the C32 would be good if you were a business man that wanted something to drive to work everyday in a hurry and have enough power to pass people on the highway. I think the M3 is on the sportier side, the S4 is in the middle and the C32 is on the luxury side but they are all quick cars and will definitely be more fun than your average car. Just my opinion though :D

[Ghostbat]

if you want to be a real man .. you'll get the bimmer ..

LMFAO you obviously havent seen the majority of dickless wonders that drive around in M3s.



Haha. So it's basically the same in USA as in Sweden.

[acmarttin]

if you want to be a real man .. you'll get the bimmer ..

LMFAO you obviously havent seen the majority of dickless wonders that drive around in M3s.



Perfect example of "funny because it's true" :!:

[TopGearNL]

if you want to be a real man .. you'll get the bimmer ..

LMFAO you obviously havent seen the majority of dickless wonders that drive around in M3s.



Haha. So it's basically the same in USA as in Sweden.

And in Holland :wink: :P

[ViperASR]

if you want to be a real man .. you'll get the bimmer ..

LMFAO you obviously havent seen the majority of dickless wonders that drive around in M3s.



Haha. So it's basically the same in USA as in Sweden.

And in Holland :wink: :P

welcome to beachside :roll:

[mit5005]

Thanks for all your input guys. It seems my decision is going to be the m3.

Not just because I drove one 2 days ago and loved it, but also because I wanna try to spend closer to 25k which pretty much rules the audi out.

There are only 2 options I see around my area and I like them both. Tell me what you think.

1st
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-M3-03-5-SILVER-GREY-M3-COUPE-6-SPD-56K-MILES-MUST-SEE_W0QQitemZ220068697428QQihZ012QQcategoryZ6131QQ rdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

2nd
http://www.autotrader.com/dealers/dda/detail.jsp?car_id=211926642&dealer_id=5758142&car_year=2001&dealership_view_name=scottisauto&result_car_id=208035948&sort_type=make_modelASC&cardist=25

The white is definitely one of my favorite colors and the cinnamon is beautiful too. The problems with the white one are it has a couple of rips inside of the soft top (an inch or 2 long) and has a rock chip on the winshield which I would definitely have to replace. Luckily I see replacement windshields for only around 500 bucks.

The only problems with the gray one it seems is it has a dent which the guy claims he is going to remove. I like the color too but not as much as the other. And it is also 2 years newer but with almost the same miles.

[novass]

I like the gray one mostly because I dont really like convertibles, but thats personal opinion. They both look pretty nice though.

You may want to get an estimate on the windshield before you buy cause labor may get pricey if they actually do have to replace it. You may be able to get the car a little cheaper if you have an estimate too.

[mit5005]

Yeah thats what I was thinking. Since the white one has a couple issues like the windshield thing, it would be more leverage for bringing the price down.

[sameerrao]

If you are thinking about the grey one, make sure you change either the front or rear tires - you dont want two makes on the car - it is dangerous. the leather/cloth option seems a little wierd to me - I think a full leather might be better from a resale standpoint.

[lambocars]

The white convertible ... no question about it.

I'm from Europe, and over here the M3 convertible is a lot more exotic than the closed version, don't really like white myself, but with the black wheels it does look nice.

I know when you buy the M3 convertible over here you get the hardtop with it, does this also come this way in the US, I only see the canvas top on their site ?

I think that the grey one will drop in value more quickly than the convertible, and you can enjoy the sound of the engine much better with the top down, especially when driving through a tunnel ...

Mark

[HeilSvenska]

I say the grey one. The convertible I hear is not as good as the coupe. And I think it looks better with the black wheels. And I actually like the interior, unlike some of the guys here. Understated. As for the faults, well, you'll have to negotiate with the owner about those.

[BACR]

I would say M3 as its just a more exciting car.

[mit5005]

I think I would like to have the gray one, just with better matching wheels and tires. The interior isnt as nice as the white one, but its not bad.

[yg60m]

I hesitate between the M3 and the S4 but I would pick the BMW I think :wink:

[ARMAN]

I'd try convertable and coupe in some of the rental companys to see if I can live with convertable(as I have no experience with it) and then decide. Its not so worm overhere so here coupe is probably the only way but in Florida its a different story... I'd take coupe anyways :D

[ViperASR]

I'd take the coupe, I have an odd thing against converts. I think white converts are for women :lol: :lame: .

Someone said converts are more rare, not in Florida buddy.

The coupe would be more fun plus you wouldnt have to worry about replacing the top, which is not cheap.

Oh, and as for the tires, thats just an old wives tale. As long as the tires on the same axle are the same, it really dosnt matter. But whatever makes you feel more comfortable.

[mit5005]

Whats the cheapest you guys think I could get the m3 thats listed for 28,800? I was hoping 25k, or even 26 would do.

[RC45]

Whats the cheapest you guys think I could get the m3 thats listed for 28,800? I was hoping 25k, or even 26 would do.

The cheapest?

That will be the lowest price the seller is prepared to go to :P

[mit5005]

Good point.

I know having the cash with you helps when buying from a private seller, but does that help with a used car dealership as well?

[mit5005]

Ok so the dealer with the gray one wouldnt budge, so its out of the question.

It is now between the white vert and this one
http://www.autotrader.com/dealers/dda/detail.jsp?car_id=215496476&dealer_id=1359578&car_year=2001&dealership_view_name=www.hillsboroautomart.com&model=M3&start_year=1981&result_car_id=null&search_type=both&suppressStyle=null&make=BMW&min_price=&sort_type=make_modelASC&end_year=2007&max_price=&cardist=25

I like the lower miles and I slightly prefer the coupe, but also the interior isnt in as good shape as the white one and the color scheme isnt as nice either.