What to buy?

[Steve325xi]

I have a 2001 325xi with 149k miles, great car but underpowered. I want to keep this car for another couple of years and then buy something new that I will probably hold onto for 10 years, putting me into my late 40s.

My question is, will I be unhappy with the 135i considering it's on the small side and is not offered with AWD (I live in the snow belt with some pretty treacherous roads).

My other choices are the 335xi sedan (which I hate the looks of, I'm sorry) and the 335xi coupe, which looks great, has great power, is a great size (IMO) but costs around $45k.

I have a car fund going and figure I will have about $20k-$25k to put down after I sell my 325xi. My plan is to finance for three years and I could swing the e92, but then I keep coming back to the 135i. :headbang:

I dunno, I guess I have time to decide but it's a little frustrating. If the damn e90 wasn't so fugly I'd settle on the 335xi sedan and be done with it.

[vinazzurro]

Originally Posted by Steve325xi

I have a 2001 325xi with 149k miles, great car but underpowered. I want to keep this car for another couple of years and then buy something new that I will probably hold onto for 10 years, putting me into my late 40s.

My question is, will I be unhappy with the 135i considering it's on the small side and is not offered with AWD (I live in the snow belt with some pretty treacherous roads).

My other choices are the 335xi sedan (which I hate the looks of, I'm sorry) and the 335xi coupe, which looks great, has great power, is a great size (IMO) but costs around $45k.

I have a car fund going and figure I will have about $20k-$25k to put down after I sell my 325xi. My plan is to finance for three years and I could swing the e92, but then I keep coming back to the 135i. :headbang:

I dunno, I guess I have time to decide but it's a little frustrating. If the damn e90 wasn't so fugly I'd settle on the 335xi sedan and be done with it.

I'd go with a 1-series plus a winter beater with AWD. :biggrin:

[ducati]

A friend of mine bought my old Lexus IS300; RWD, and roughly the same size as the E36 3 Series. He ended up moving to Boston (lots of snow!). He bought dedicated snow tires, and he's been fine. In fact, the IS300 does better on dedicated snows than his wife's 4x4 Explorer on all-season tires.

Buy some dedicated snows and you'll be fine.

The 135 will feel like a rocket compared to your 325... But I personally worry about the longevity of the N54 twinturbo--it runs very hot, which will be hard on everything in the engine bay. If I buy mine, I may well trade for the next 1er in 5 years.

If I were dead set on keeping a vehicle for 10 years... I'd seriously consider a 128 or 328.

[Victor.L3IchibanM3]

If I were dead set on keeping a vehicle for 10 years... I'd seriously consider a 128 or 328.[/quote]

And why is that??? Do you think that 128 will last longer than the twin turbo 135i?

[ducati]

I think a 135 will certainly last 10 years... But I also believe it will cost more to maintain it over time. As I said above, it runs quite hot.

[Steve325xi]

I worry about the longevity of the twin-turbo motor too. I'm hoping that in a couple of years they have improved the cooling but who knows. I don't think it's enough to deter me from buying a car with that engine, although I'll be monitoring the message boards like everybody else.

The 135i is very appealing, I'm just concerned it won't be an appropriate vehicle once I hit my 40s. Guess I'll have to test drive one and decide then.

I could always get a 135i and hold onto my 325xi, but that would give me five vehicles. And the wife has given the green light to buy a Factory Five or Superformance Cobra for my 40th birthday (heck it was her idea). That would be six cars, and I just know I'll be itching to buy an e10 2002...jeesh, this is tough.

[Panda J]

There is a lovely thing called a bigger more efficient intercooler, and better oil cooler. There are plenty of ways to over come engine heat soak...Im not worried because My 1 will not remain stock for long anyway!:wink:

[Robert]

Tough question you asked. BMW has starved us of any information since the press release with the exception of the DE 135i car configurator. Personally I think the 135i might be the best performance for the buck BMW has to offer. I really like have one but I won't make a purchase until I can see one in person. I like the way 3 coupe looks but it seems a little big.

[1ster]

Modern snow tires will solve the problem.

[Oregon]

Originally Posted by Steve325xi

The 135i is very appealing, I'm just concerned it won't be an appropriate vehicle once I hit my 40s.

Steve,

I'm 53 years young(?), goin' on 15, and, couldn't give a shiete-less if the car is 'appropriate'@myage.com, it's a small(ish) BMW hot rod. Finally. Does it get any better than that.

Cody

[mikeo]

+1 for Cody. I'll be 65 when I take delivery, and I let other people worry about what THEY drive, not my selection of a car.

[ibeam81]

+2... It's your car, drive what YOU want.

Mikeo, I'm 48 years young and your youthfulness makes you seem even younger. Bravo!

[ducati]

Steve, my father drove a Mazda RX7 2+2 from 1988 to 2003; 41 to 56 years old. He loved it. We had some good times in that car, can you say "family vacation?"

We loved that car, even though it did place restrictions on the amount of baggage we could carry, and necessitated more rest stops to stretch the legs... I sure was happy to ride in a RX7 rather than some stupid minivan.

As my wife and I start our family, I'm starting our kid out with a 1er. Gotta prepare her for a litany of small, fast cars. I'm sure she won't complain about the size, although she may take bragging rights on the schoolyard from all the kids whose parents think its necessary to have 300 cubic feet of space for one kid, instead of 300hp .

[240M3SRT]

Originally Posted by vinazzurro

I'd go with a 1-series plus a winter beater with AWD. :biggrin:

I think this is your best bet. As far as 135's small size if you have kids its probably gonna be to small for you to get them in and out of comfortably. If its just you and the misses then your set.

But i think you need a daily for the bad weather so you can keep your bimmer nice. Maybe something like a 2000-2002 4 runnner or similar.

[amdmaxx]

Get 09 WRX STi..
It will be as much fun as 135, just as moddable and fast..
Its AWD, and if u plan to keep a car for 10 years, this is it. Maintenance is minimum and generally Subarus have been excellent in reliability..
135 will get expensive after warranty and it is not a rain/snow car, if AWD is important for u.. Or old WRX beater and 135 for u..

Originally Posted by Steve325xi

I have a 2001 325xi with 149k miles, great car but underpowered. I want to keep this car for another couple of years and then buy something new that I will probably hold onto for 10 years, putting me into my late 40s.

My question is, will I be unhappy with the 135i considering it's on the small side and is not offered with AWD (I live in the snow belt with some pretty treacherous roads).

My other choices are the 335xi sedan (which I hate the looks of, I'm sorry) and the 335xi coupe, which looks great, has great power, is a great size (IMO) but costs around $45k.

I have a car fund going and figure I will have about $20k-$25k to put down after I sell my 325xi. My plan is to finance for three years and I could swing the e92, but then I keep coming back to the 135i. :headbang:

I dunno, I guess I have time to decide but it's a little frustrating. If the damn e90 wasn't so fugly I'd settle on the 335xi sedan and be done with it.

[mikeo]

Originally Posted by ibeam81

+2... Mikeo, I'm 48 years young and your youthfulness makes you seem even younger. Bravo!

Thanks, ibeam. These are truly the golden years, as I have enough money to outspend the younger set on car mods for SCCA Solo racing!

[krassanova]

Originally Posted by Steve325xi

I have a 2001 325xi with 149k miles, great car but underpowered. I want to keep this car for another couple of years and then buy something new that I will probably hold onto for 10 years, putting me into my late 40s.

My question is, will I be unhappy with the 135i considering it's on the small side and is not offered with AWD (I live in the snow belt with some pretty treacherous roads).

My other choices are the 335xi sedan (which I hate the looks of, I'm sorry) and the 335xi coupe, which looks great, has great power, is a great size (IMO) but costs around $45k.

I have a car fund going and figure I will have about $20k-$25k to put down after I sell my 325xi. My plan is to finance for three years and I could swing the e92, but then I keep coming back to the 135i. :headbang:

I dunno, I guess I have time to decide but it's a little frustrating. If the damn e90 wasn't so fugly I'd settle on the 335xi sedan and be done with it.

I'm gonna build on what vinazzurro said about getting the 135 and getting a winter beater. Since you plan on keeping the 325 for a couple years, just keep it as your winter car. With the mileage you've racked up on it, it's not going to be worth much in resale, and you can split mileage between the 135 and the 325. I mean you COULD get a 335Xi, you'd be spening much more cash and do you really need that much power on the ice?