What would you buy to replace your 1 series?

[champignon]

Originally Posted by Esteban

Like to start with a clean sheet of paper and don't want to inherit someone else's problems. I know that's not a popular opinion here but that's what I choose and I never try to push my choices on anyone else.

Buying someone else's (used) car can make sense under certain circumstances, forgetting about monetary savings for the moment.

The first situation where it can make sense is if you can get one that hasn't been driven too much and that has been treated well, during an initial period that is less than the original warranty period. I've done that a couple of times, and if you have a year or two (or more) of the warranty left, you can get the car sorted out before you start having to pay for repairs. You can also take advantage of the very steep initial depreciation curve that occurs for most cars, especially BMWs.

The second situation is with a collectible car that is no longer being produced. This requires more effort and more research on the car you are buying, plus you absolutely have to budget for several thousand dollars worth of work even if you think the car is in perfect shape. At this point in time I would only do this with a car I was more or less convinced that I would keep for a long time, and not for a daily driver.

This thread assumes that someone is buying another car to replace their old 1-Series car; given that nothing even remotely similar to an E82/E88 BMW is being currently produced by any manufacturer, this means one is either going to buy something very dissimilar to what they are replacing (1-Series car), or they are going to buy used.

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by champignon

Buying someone else's (used) car can make sense under certain circumstances, forgetting about monetary savings for the moment.

The first situation where it can make sense is if you can get one that hasn't been driven too much and that has been treated well, during an initial period that is less than the original warranty period. I've done that a couple of times, and if you have a year or two (or more) of the warranty left, you can get the car sorted out before you start having to pay for repairs. You can also take advantage of the very steep initial depreciation curve that occurs for most cars, especially BMWs.

The second situation is with a collectible car that is no longer being produced. This requires more effort and more research on the car you are buying, plus you absolutely have to budget for several thousand dollars worth of work even if you think the car is in perfect shape. At this point in time I would only do this with a car I was more or less convinced that I would keep for a long time, and not for a daily driver.

This thread assumes that someone is buying another car to replace their old 1-Series car; given that nothing even remotely similar to an E82/E88 BMW is being currently produced by any manufacturer, this means one is either going to buy something very dissimilar to what they are replacing (1-Series car), or they are going to buy used.

Thanks for your input. Always bought new, always will. Including the other things I mentioned in my previous post, I also love to see the odometer at zero, or damn close to it. Can't get that in a used car, no matter how well it's treated.

Not going to debate it, 'tis my choice. You buy your way and I'll buy my way and hopefully we'll both be happy and content with our buying decisions even with our differences. No matter how you slice it, I like to buy new.

[Gangplank]

I've bought & sold plenty of vehicles over the years. I've only bought one new. I buy used cars of varying number of years. Often after warranty expired. (The only one that gave me grief was my E60 545 - quite possibly BMWs most unreliable model ever produced).

It's not hard to find good used cars that don't have problems. Look for a lease return CPO or private party sale with low miles per year & all records avail. The 135i for example is often a 3rd car for people, or in my case it was owned by a woman who drove less than 8,000 miles a year and was incompletely stock form with records.

Now back on topic. The Golf R is nice but whoa $40,000 for a VW?!

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by Gangplank

I've bought & sold plenty of vehicles over the years. I've only bought one new. I buy used cars of varying number of years. Often after warranty expired. (The only one that gave me grief was my E60 545 - quite possibly BMWs most unreliable model ever produced).

It's not hard to find good used cars that don't have problems. Look for a lease return CPO or private party sale with low miles per year & all records avail. The 135i for example is often a 3rd car for people, or in my case it was owned by a woman who drove less than 8,000 miles a year and was incompletely stock form with records.

Now back on topic. The Golf R is nice but whoa $40,000 for a VW?!

The only used car I ever bought was a 'slightly used' 1968 VW bug; my first car. 53 hp, 4-speed, rear-wheel-drive, about 1750 lbs. I was 18 years old. The first thing I did was put an aftermarket exhaust on. What a rocket!

The Golf R is a lot of car for the money in my opinion. The GTI is a better price/deal but I'd rather have the advantages of the R. That said, I'm not planning on parting with my beloved 1er anytime soon.

PS - it seems like many people are told their used car was driven by a little old lady who only drove it on the weekends to church and to get her hair done, or some such story. lol

[________]

Originally Posted by Esteban

The only used car I ever bought was a slightly used 1968 VW bug; my first car. 53 hp, 4-speed, rear-wheel-drive, about 1750 lbs. I was 18 years old. The first thing I did was put an aftermarket exhaust on. What a rocket!

The Golf R is a lot of car for the money in my opinion. The GTI is a better price/deal but I'd rather have the advantages of the R. That said, I'm not planning on parting with my beloved 1er anytime soon.

[COLOR="DarkRed"]PS - it seems like many people are told their used car was driven by a little old lady who only drove it on the weekends to church and to get her hair done, or some such story. lol[/COLOR]

Exactly. Like that's a good thing anyway...

[champignon]

It's a sad (but true) commentary on this once proud brand (BMW) that the current production car the most similar to the sorts of driver's cars that BMW used to make, is a Volkswagen.

I own a 2018 R, which I was able to get on a trade from my '16 low mileage R, for not much money ($11K, all in), which got me a new 6 year MFR's warranty plus a few modest upgrades. Their take rate for manuals isn't great lately and I'm assuming they will drop the manual option fairly soon, which was further motivation to get the newer car.

For what it is, it's a great car, but it's nowhere near as fun to drive as the old BMWs were, even if it is a log function more practical, not to mention has AWD.

[Gangplank]

Surprised no one has mentioned the new 2018 Toyota Supra. Hard top, RWD, BMW's 3.0 inline6... hmmm...

[low135]

Originally Posted by Gangplank

Surprised no one has mentioned the new 2018 Toyota Supra. Hard top, RWD, BMW's 3.0 inline6... hmmm...

Both the MKV Supra and Z4 are pretty ugly to me. The Supra looks like a knockoff Zagato design and the Z4 looks like a Fiat

[Gray_Panther]

Anyone like the E55 or E63 version AMG? In black specifically. There is one for sale at a used car dealer near me that specializes in selling cool european cars. Now that is a boss dad-mobile! I wouldn't mind owning one in ten years, regardless of it having an autotragic.

[10"]

Originally Posted by Gray_Panther

Anyone like the E55 or E63 version AMG? In black specifically. There is one for sale at a used car dealer near me that specializes in selling cool european cars. Now that is a boss dad-mobile! I wouldn't mind owning one in ten years, regardless of it having an autotragic.

Yes they're great...but get ready to spend $$$$$ on repairs and maintenance. Way more than any 1-series.

[duder13]

Originally Posted by 10"

I took my kid home from the hospital in the 1M. He's now 3 years old and it's the only "family car" he's ever known....I love the practicality of the E82. Could have never been able to fit a stroller, diapers, baby, and wife in any Porsche 911.

Yeah, I'm basically planning on keeping the 1er forever, or at least until 2 seats is ok again for the family, at which time I'll probably get a 911, possibly a 993.

I'm positive both BMW and Porsche won't be making any new cars that I'll ever be interested in again. Things are just getting more electronic from here. The 1er and the Porsche 987/997 were the end of the road, for me, but we all have different lines in the sand.

[Cavpilot2k]

Originally Posted by Esteban

How about Austin Yellow?

I think this might be my favorite color for the M4.

Ugh. Sorry friend, I'm going to have to question your taste.
I think Austin Yellow is the second worst color ever produced on a car, second only to the weird iridescent greenish-yellow on the mid-90's Mitsubishi 3000GTs.

[Cavpilot2k]

I will continue to buy only manual transmissions for as long as I can get them, which rules out every single car from Mercedes, Audi, Infiniti, Acura, and Lexus (and the upcoming Supra).

The VW GTIs and Rs are excellent cars, but I've always hated the unsculpted breadbox-on-wheels look of every example of the Golf family. Simply butt-ugly to me, every one, going back to the earliest models. So they are a non-starter.

If the Cayman was still available with a 6 cylinder, that might be in the running, but the 4-bangers now just don't live up to (my) expectations.

The next-gen Subaru STI has potential, but just like with the last iteration, Subaru will wimp out on the aesthetics and will not release a car that looks anything like the beautiful concept. Instead they will continue to make ugly cars with great potential but without any aesthetic appeal.

There really is nothing like the 1er on the market right now except the 2-series, but I agree that even the M240 feels numb, despite outstanding performance. You pretty much have to go M2 to get back some of that visceral feel.

The only thing out there besides an M2 that I would really consider as an alternative (without having the money to spend on something much more expensive) is something like a new Mustang GT (or pick you muscle car of choice - I prefer the Mustang). Totally different feel from the 1er, but definitely visceral, especially with the active valved exhaust. I drove one recently and the sound is simply intoxicating. Interestingly, despite all the noise and supposedly 0-60 in the low 4's, I didn't feel like it pulled significantly harder than my tuned 135 (the extra 400+ lb are probably at fault).

Actually somewhat close, but long in the tooth design-wise, is the 370Z. Great-looking car, and similar performance. I cross-shopped them when I initially wanted a 135 (you see what I went with...). Actually the handling on the Z is far better - less body roll, much more planted. Two reasons I chose the 135 over the Z: 1: The outward, especially rearward visibility out of the Z is abyssmal. I mean really terrible. 2: I can't imagine driving a 370Z in the snow, even with snow tires. I've been DD'ing my 135 through every New England winter for the last 6 years with dedicated snow tires and I am totally confident in my ability to not get stuck or run off the road in it.

So I'm in a similar boat. I've got the itch a little, but there is a dearth of other good options, especially looking at new cars.
Considering a used Z, Mustang GT, M2, or M2C (the latter is only really being considered seriously so I can do a European Delivery next fall when I go on my next planned trip to Germany).

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by Cavpilot2k

Ugh. Sorry friend, I'm going to have to question your taste.
I think Austin Yellow is the second worst color ever produced on a car, second only to the weird iridescent greenish-yellow on the mid-90's Mitsubishi 3000GTs.

Haha, different strokes...

I happen to love it!

Same with the Golf R.

It seems like lately you've been getting "the itch" often.

Just do it already if you're bored and need something new and different.

[duder13]

Originally Posted by Cavpilot2k

Actually somewhat close, but long in the tooth design-wise, is the 370Z. Great-looking car, and similar performance. I cross-shopped them when I initially wanted a 135 (you see what I went with...). Actually the handling on the Z is far better - less body roll, much more planted.

Was the 370Z only better than the stock 135i in the handling department, or do you mean it's better even with your 135i mods? I've never driven a 370Z.

[Cavpilot2k]

Originally Posted by Esteban

Haha, different strokes...

I happen to love it!

Same with the Golf R.

It seems like lately you've been getting "the itch" often.

Just do it already if you're bored and need something new and different.

Well it isn't helped by the fact that in the last 3 months, my charge pipe blew (expected, but annoying nonetheless), my comfort access isn't working on the driver's side door, my TPMS system isn't communicating, and I've got a mystery boost leak with a bunch of engine codes that is still being diagnosed. If I'm lucky, it will "only" be a valve cover replacement. Oh, and there's a squealing that I thought was the belt, but turns out it may be related to a failing crankshaft seal.

My beloved is causing me some aggravation and likely costing me a bunch.

My plan is to probably wait until next fall and get an M2C on ED. Hopefully my finances will allow me to keep the 1er too.

[Cavpilot2k]

Originally Posted by duder13

Was the 370Z only better than the stock 135i in the handling department, or do you mean it's better even with your 135i mods? I've never driven a 370Z.

Stock-for-stock, the 370 was definitely the better handler. Everything else was comparable (acceleration, braking, etc). With mods, the 135 is definitely faster. Sure you can mod a 370 too, but its so much easier to get more power from a turbo than NA.

[rowsdower]

Some of you seem to be suffering from Bavarian Brainfart Disorder:

https://jalopnik.com/bmw-is-tired-of...hit-1829635007

Just kidding, of course. I like my 1er, too!

[Esteban]

Here is a link from the above Jalopnik article that I thought was worth posting. Most of us have already seen it but I enjoyed reading it again:

https://jalopnik.com/why-the-bmw-1-s...ssic-508797316

Small size, rear-wheel-drive, sweet inline-six (choice of n/a or turbo), hydraulic steering, modern enough to have ABS, and traction/stability control that's fully defeatable, plus it's a great looking car IMO. What's not to like?

[low135]

Honestly the next step for me will probably be an air cooled Porsche. Unless something comes out in the next few years that really sparks my interest, I don't see anything in the last 5 years doing it for me. I've always wanted an E88 so I got one. And I've always wanted a 964, so I'll probably get one.

[duder13]

Originally Posted by Esteban

Here is a link from the above Jalopnik article that I thought was worth posting. Most of us have already seen it but I enjoyed reading it again:

https://jalopnik.com/why-the-bmw-1-s...ssic-508797316

Small size, rear-wheel-drive, sweet inline-six (choice of n/a or turbo), hydraulic steering, modern enough to have ABS, and traction/stability control that's fully defeatable, plus it's a great looking car IMO. What's not to like?

Yep, and new cars have become so expensive that it just seems soooo much cheaper to upkeep these cars until they become "classic."

[Big boi m5]

Anyone have any opinions on Lotus? Thinking Elise or Evora.

The problem is I need a daily. My 135i, I like well, but my wife is wanting kids. I liked the F30 M3 well enough, though the steering was so odd feeling, idk that I'm rushing to get one. I know they can go fast on the track, but st my skill level I have no problem keeping up with most M3 drivers. Which makes me a little less interested in spending that much money on one. The M2 is price wise not where I want compared to used M3s.

I realize the Lotus smaller but we're talking 3rd car and I drive the 1 of for some reason I have to take a child and for some reason I can't use our Touareg. (Also I realize it's more an Audi than VW but both touaregs I've owned have been relatively maintenance free to 120k miles so the VW unreliability isn't my experience).

So basically Boxster/Caymen/997 or Elise/Evora and slightly interested in a Z4.

When I was a kid I fit in the back of an e46 M3 without a complaint at all so I'm not worried about 4 doors, except for the car seat era.

Advise personal experience welcome