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  • eldirector

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    10   0   0
    Apr 29, 2009
    14,677
    113
    Brownsburg, IN
    Always fun to dream, eh?

    I've been w/o a daily driver for a few years. I work from home, so have a really short commute (about 30 feet to the coffee pot). My wife has a newer Jeep Wrangler, so our basic car needs are met in spades. I also have a 10-year old diesel truck that gets used for, well, truck stuff. My wife wants me to get another vehicle, though. She is tired of putting the miles on her Jeep, and wants something "fun" for our adventures. We are most likely getting a new Jeep Gladiator Rubicon.

    BUT... fun comes in many forms. I've been kicking around getting something used that would be an absolute blast to drive, good for our weekend trips, and fine around town. "Practical" is totally secondary. Might even be less expensive than something new. Drive it for a couple of years, put only a few miles on it, and move on to the next thing.

    Problem is, I really have no idea what I would like. Well, I know what *I* would like, but can't justify it quite yet (Lotus Elise or Exige). Needs room for the kid, and now the dog. Must be an absolute blast to drive (life is too short for boring cars). Plenty of power. Really decent handling. I've never really had anything fast or sporty, so this might be my chance.

    I've kicked around BMWs of the M3 and M5 variety. Seem pretty close. Also looked at Mercedes AMGs, but really don't know a darned thing about them. I DO know that some of the obvious domestics (Mustang, Charger, etc...) simply don't excite me. Definitely want want used. Like "driven to church on Sunday by a little old lady" 10+ year old used.

    I know the chance of swinging this with my wife is about nil. If I can afford a fun car, I can afford to remodel the bathroom, or any number of other projects on "the list". But, a man can dream, right?

    So, what am I not thinking of? What would actually sway my wife to the idea, and have her look forward to going for a drive on date night?
     

    femurphy77

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    30   0   0
    Mar 5, 2009
    20,268
    113
    S.E. of disorder
    My experience with a used BMW is DON'T unless you've got deep pockets! I thoroughly enjoyed my 540i M Sport and still find myself lusting after them when I see them for sale but they are high maintenance and seem designed to fail at certain intervals. This coming from a guy that does 99% of his own work so double the costs if you're paying for it to be done.

    If you're looking for an impractical "fun" car you can't beat a convertible! We have a 89 Mustang GT drop top and LOVE it!! We've rented new Camaro and Mustang convertibles and won't ever rent or own a Camaro but enjoyed the Mustang.

    Whatever you buy be honest with yourself in what you need/want and you'll end up enjoying it.
     

    jkaetz

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Jan 20, 2009
    1,953
    83
    Indianapolis
    My experience with a used BMW is DON'T unless you've got deep pockets! I thoroughly enjoyed my 540i M Sport and still find myself lusting after them when I see them for sale but they are high maintenance and seem designed to fail at certain intervals. This coming from a guy that does 99% of his own work so double the costs if you're paying for it to be done.
    Out of curiosity, what did you have to have done? Is it simply a case of having a maintenance budget ready to go?

    Biggest problem I see for the OP is finding a 10+ year old fun car that someone actually took care of and wants to part with. I'm sure they exist, but most people that care for a 10 year old car don't want to part with it. Those that do want to part with a fun car have usually had all the fun and now need to pay to keep playing.
     

    ATOMonkey

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jun 15, 2010
    7,635
    48
    Plainfield
    I am in the same boat. The current offerings are either garbage or completely out of my reach. It doesn't seem like there is much in the middle of the road, so to speak, in this latest SUV craze...

    I LOVE the episodes of Top Gear where they buy old(er) German or Italian cars since they're "Such Great Deals!!" Stupid things start to fail withing 100 miles of driving them.

    For being disposable, cars a damn expensive.
     

    ATOMonkey

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jun 15, 2010
    7,635
    48
    Plainfield
    Full disclosure, the Golf R is probably at the top of my list (without the Dual Clutch!!), and I can't really get excited about it.
     

    eldirector

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    10   0   0
    Apr 29, 2009
    14,677
    113
    Brownsburg, IN
    I've certainly looked at BMW. For under $5K I can get a pretty standard 3-series to thrash around. For under $10, a convertible 3-series. For under $20K a 10-year old M3. Still really clean for the age. Mileage is always over 100K. After a couple of years and only a handful of miles, I can move it on to the next sucker.

    Is BMW really the "one"? What about Mercedes? Audi? Any others?
     

    1775usmarine

    Sleeper
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    81   0   0
    Feb 15, 2013
    11,264
    113
    IN
    Found 2 late 80's crown vics in factory configuration nearby. Both are in excellent shape with what appears to be little rust from driving past. Only 1 is for sale but I remember as a 3yr old driving around in 88 we had.
     

    Hoosierdood

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    8   0   0
    Nov 2, 2010
    5,360
    149
    North of you
    Ive been looking at Audi A4's lately. Driven a couple. They are a blast to drive. Be careful not to buy one that is 2012 or older as the 2.0T had a known oil consumption issue that was fixed in 2013. If you really want something fun, get a S4. 300+ HP in a compact car, but still big enough to haul the family around. I just don't want to pay the insurance rates from the S4. I wouldn't buy one that isn't a manual transmission if you are looking for a "fun" car. Cool thing about Audi, the AWD is split 50/50.
     

    Leadeye

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Jan 19, 2009
    36,693
    113
    .
    My 2014 Mustang GT is my daily driver, just passed 100K, hard to beat for fun and gas mileage.
     

    femurphy77

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    30   0   0
    Mar 5, 2009
    20,268
    113
    S.E. of disorder
    Out of curiosity, what did you have to have done? Is it simply a case of having a maintenance budget ready to go?

    Biggest problem I see for the OP is finding a 10+ year old fun car that someone actually took care of and wants to part with. I'm sure they exist, but most people that care for a 10 year old car don't want to part with it. Those that do want to part with a fun car have usually had all the fun and now need to pay to keep playing.

    Well in my case it started with vacuum leaks on the throttle body due to age of the seal between the throttle body and manifold. Acceptable. Then a water pump. Acceptable. Then an intake valley pan at the apparently prescribed 100-125k mark. Not quite as acceptable. Then the drivers side window regulator. Acceptable. A few weeks later the passenger side window regulator. Not as acceptable. 2 weeks later the rear window regulators. Really?????. Trans (automatic) started slipping slightly, "oh they ALL do that around 130K due to a cheap seal design". Not acceptable. Timing chains starting to slap around 140k. GONE.

    Oh yeah, forgot about the sunroof that opened on its own during a storm on a road trip to Michigan. It then promptly jumped track and jammed. Not acceptable. Oh and the wiring harness going into the trunklid finally coming apart due to opening and closing the trunk. The drivers seat that wouldn't move fore and aft due to a weak motor. (easy fix but frustration level nearing max). Then there's the windshield replacement that required dealer involvement because safelite screwed up the windshield wipers.

    Several other small things going on the fritz and yes it is a used car and yes I do expect things to come up occasionally but this car seemed to know when I had completed one repair just in time for the next failure. I have owned a LOT of used cars in my life and if I added up all of the failures of various cars I've owned thru the years the list would be shorter than it was for the 18 months I owned a BMW. As I said, I'd LOVE to have another but fortunately I've been strong enough not to step into that **** storm again.

    Oh and EVERYTHING costs twice to 10 times as much on a BMW compared to a Chevy or Ford. Excellent engineered car but I don't seem them as viable as a long term owner unless you have full factory warranty for the duration of ownership.
     

    ATOMonkey

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jun 15, 2010
    7,635
    48
    Plainfield
    I've certainly looked at BMW. For under $5K I can get a pretty standard 3-series to thrash around. For under $10, a convertible 3-series. For under $20K a 10-year old M3. Still really clean for the age. Mileage is always over 100K. After a couple of years and only a handful of miles, I can move it on to the next sucker.

    Is BMW really the "one"? What about Mercedes? Audi? Any others?

    They're just expensive to buy second hand and repair. A friend of mine got into a fender bender with his Audi. It had the moving headlights, and replacing one of those and the sheet metal totaled the car. I forgot what the letter number combination was...

    To the best of my knowledge Mercs are just as bad. VW isn't too hard on the wallet from my experience. They're just blah in the looks department.
     

    ATOMonkey

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jun 15, 2010
    7,635
    48
    Plainfield
    Subaru's are fun cars in the WRX config. don't even need to go all the way to STi.

    Ford has stopped making the focus (dammit!), but those are fun in ST trim and fairly reliable, so far as I know. Plus, parts aren't expensive. Avoid the RS like the plague, especially the '16 and '17 models. Heads and gaskets are guaranteed to fail. Garbage engineering and/or bean counting.

    I need to find out if they ever stabilized the cylinders in the open deck on the new 2.3 or closed the deck.
     

    femurphy77

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    30   0   0
    Mar 5, 2009
    20,268
    113
    S.E. of disorder
    I'm oh so tempted but I can't decide if it'd be more fun having it or stabbing myself continually in the eye with a fork:
    00r0r_iRWgZDciDpD_1200x900.jpg





    https://annarbor.craigslist.org/cto/d/ypsilanti-2003-bmw-540i-sport/7013182182.html
     

    spec4

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Jun 19, 2010
    3,775
    27
    NWI
    Wife and I discussed a Mercedes, but the ongoing maintenance cost turned me off. Ditto for BMW, Audi. My flagship is a 2014 Accord EXL with the V-6 (278 hp). I keep it in eco mode and it still burns up the road quite well. It is the fastest car I've eve owned . It also gets the best mileage of any car I've ever owned. It has the cylinder shutoff, but I've never noticed it while driving. So there's reasonable speed, great economy and plenty of room. My fifth Honda, 2 motorcycles and 3 cars. Regret not having one of the bikes, but that's life.
     

    ATOMonkey

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jun 15, 2010
    7,635
    48
    Plainfield

    BugI02

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jul 4, 2013
    31,886
    149
    Columbus, OH
    Always fun to dream, eh?

    I've been w/o a daily driver for a few years. I work from home, so have a really short commute (about 30 feet to the coffee pot). My wife has a newer Jeep Wrangler, so our basic car needs are met in spades. I also have a 10-year old diesel truck that gets used for, well, truck stuff. My wife wants me to get another vehicle, though. She is tired of putting the miles on her Jeep, and wants something "fun" for our adventures. We are most likely getting a new Jeep Gladiator Rubicon.

    BUT... fun comes in many forms. I've been kicking around getting something used that would be an absolute blast to drive, good for our weekend trips, and fine around town. "Practical" is totally secondary. Might even be less expensive than something new. Drive it for a couple of years, put only a few miles on it, and move on to the next thing.

    Problem is, I really have no idea what I would like. Well, I know what *I* would like, but can't justify it quite yet (Lotus Elise or Exige). Needs room for the kid, and now the dog. Must be an absolute blast to drive (life is too short for boring cars). Plenty of power. Really decent handling. I've never really had anything fast or sporty, so this might be my chance.

    I've kicked around BMWs of the M3 and M5 variety. Seem pretty close. Also looked at Mercedes AMGs, but really don't know a darned thing about them. I DO know that some of the obvious domestics (Mustang, Charger, etc...) simply don't excite me. Definitely want want used. Like "driven to church on Sunday by a little old lady" 10+ year old used.

    I know the chance of swinging this with my wife is about nil. If I can afford a fun car, I can afford to remodel the bathroom, or any number of other projects on "the list". But, a man can dream, right?

    So, what am I not thinking of? What would actually sway my wife to the idea, and have her look forward to going for a drive on date night?

    2011 WRX hatchback, premium if you want more creature comforts. IMO going with the STI is paying for a lot of stuff that most don't/won't use just to get 30 more HP
     

    BugI02

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jul 4, 2013
    31,886
    149
    Columbus, OH
    Wife and I discussed a Mercedes, but the ongoing maintenance cost turned me off. Ditto for BMW, Audi. My flagship is a 2014 Accord EXL with the V-6 (278 hp). I keep it in eco mode and it still burns up the road quite well. It is the fastest car I've eve owned . It also gets the best mileage of any car I've ever owned. It has the cylinder shutoff, but I've never noticed it while driving. So there's reasonable speed, great economy and plenty of room. My fifth Honda, 2 motorcycles and 3 cars. Regret not having one of the bikes, but that's life.

    I happen to know, we won't say how, that a V6 Accord can certainly see the north side of 140 indicated
     

    BugI02

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jul 4, 2013
    31,886
    149
    Columbus, OH
    Subaru's are fun cars in the WRX config. don't even need to go all the way to STi.

    Ford has stopped making the focus (dammit!), but those are fun in ST trim and fairly reliable, so far as I know. Plus, parts aren't expensive. Avoid the RS like the plague, especially the '16 and '17 models. Heads and gaskets are guaranteed to fail. Garbage engineering and/or bean counting.

    I need to find out if they ever stabilized the cylinders in the open deck on the new 2.3 or closed the deck.

    Scooped
     
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