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Hey guys!
I’m starting my first year of college in October, and will be making a 50-mile round trip 3-5 times a week on the southern California freeways. I would like a new(er) car to commute in.
I currently have a hand-me-down 95 Camry (220k miles, 3.0-liter V6, automatic) that runs well, but is severely lacking in any sort of luxury or character. And the paint is oxidizing like crazy. It’s a good car, and just had its factory alternator and starter replaced at 216k miles. I get about 17 mpg in 98% stop-and-go driving.
I would like something with a bit more…passion, I guess. I’m thinking about several cars at the moment ($9,000 budget).
2001-2003 BMW e39 525i or 530i (2.5- or 3.0-liter inline-6, sedan)
This one would be my ideal choice. My parents are concerned that the repair costs would be prohibitive, and that the fuel costs (about $25 a week more than other options because of the premium gas) would be a problem. But these things are pretty durable, without major mechanical issues if they are well taken care of. I would love to find a manual transmission (even though I don’t yet know how), but the automatic is much more abundant here in SoCal. Many are for sale in the $4k-6k range with 120k miles, giving a good buffer for initial repair costs. The problems with these models are well documented, and there is a vibrant community that stands behind the cars. Will insurance and repairs make owning an e39 an expensive experience?2005-2007 Honda Accord Hybrid (3.0-liter V6 with electric motor assist)
More of a “mild” hybrid than the Prius, and with a significantly better driving experience. Again, I’m a bit picky as to what I want, so a model with navigation and a sunroof will run right up to $9k with 120k miles. Will the hybrid system cause problems in the future? When will I need to replace the battery and how much will that cost? This car gets the best gas mileage of the cars listed, but will insurance cost more because of it?2004-2008 Mazda3 s (2.3-liter 4-cylinder, hatchback only)
These are a touch more pricey, being newer, and I only want the more optioned-up models. About $7k-8k for 120k miles. Again, this leaves a buffer for repair costs. However, the interior of the 3 seems to be quite a lot cheaper than I would like. The Camry has a nice enough interior, though the stereo isn’t all that great.Overall, these three options are my favorite choices, with the BMW in first, Honda in second, and Mazda third. I would like to do basic maintenance myself (oil, coolant, tranny fluid, etc). Will any one of these be more difficult in that respect? Does anyone have personal experience with these cars?
Thanks a lot!
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Your going to college. Will you be living off loans? Do you think your Camry will survive 2 or 4 more years (the duration of college)? If Yes to any of these it appears the best financial choice is to keep the car you have. (unless you have extreme repair costs, which exceed your repair abilities then you should look for a new car).
From your tone though, it appears you aren’t concerned about financial aspects other than fuel consumption. Not an expert here, but cheap cars work well with cheap fluids and are cheap to find a mechanic for. BMWs tend to have special order fluids, and high performance metals, and getting a mechanic for this car is difficult (perhaps not in your area).
If you want a car for its prestige, you should buy in with that in mind, and become part of their club. If you want this, it will become part of your life and circle of friends. If you want a car as a financial saving commuter go with the car you have.
I’ve found that a good way to turn a nice car into junk is to take it to college – door dings by the hundreds and worse. Buy the car of your dreams when you graduate and are working.
Thankfully, I am living at home.
With traffic, I will probably be spending near an hour of my day in the car. I want that hour to be time that I enjoy, not just something I want to be over; that’s my main reason for wanting a newer car.
keep what you got man. Trust me you’ll be glad you don’t have a car payment when it comes time to go do stuff with your friends, and you’ll still have to work on any of the cars you listed as well.
I’ve owned a Mazda3 and over the years a total of eight BMWs, including an E39 528i. While the BMW is a very nice ride I recommend the Mazda – probably the benchmark small car in the market. Any BMW is going to be more expensive to own, more so the bigger and newer you get. How would you rate your ability to work on cars – skills, tools, available workspace? View some YouTube videos on BMW repair – especially cooling system. Take a look at cars for sale on the BMW CCA website (bmwcca.org). The ones you’ll find there will have been maintained better. My recommendation for your situation is the Mazda3; and you’ll be much happier with an auto transmission for CA traffic. If you want to cut your teeth on a BMW, look around for an E30 3 Series. They’re simpler yet fun to drive.
hopefully you’ll quickly learn in college that the best thing you can do for yourself in life is make good money decisions… and spending thousands of dollars to replace something that ain’t broke isn’t a good money decision. Getting a nicer car won’t do anything towards getting you invited to parties or getting girls to like you or whatever you want out of it. being smart, having a good personality, and having money to go do things on the other hand…
As the owner of a 1999 BMW M3 who had a 1992 Honda Civic ****box when I was in college, I’d say find a that’s cheap on gas, and reliable. Don’t buy a BMW as a college car, as you’ll spend all the time you should be spending studying in the garage trying to figure out why the ABS, Traction Control, and Airbag lights are all coming on randomly, or replacing the plastic waterpump that has disintegrated and flung chunks of plastic all over the inside of the engine.
Plus, when your car gets beaten to hell in college parking lots, you won’t be too unhappy about it.
Don’t get me wrong, old BMW’s are a lot of fun, but you have to be willing to put in the time to keep them in tip top shape. Because if you buy the car and become attached to it, you’ll be annoyed with all the minor issues that constantly pop up with an older European luxury car, and then you’ll want to fix them…
IMO, drive the Camry until you’re out of college or it dies. I had a cheap Ford Ranger 4 cylinder/5 speed that got me through college and then I kept it another 4-5 years after that. Now once I got out of college, I bought a brand new 2003 Mach 1 Mustang (1st new car ever). 🙂 Keep those grades up, land a good job, and worry about the car later.
Run the Camry into the ground first and be ready to buy when the first sign of trouble comes up. You won’t sell it for much more than scrap price. Mazdas are great cars and are not crazy expensive to buy used like Hondas or Toyotas. If you’re thinking of a BMW, I would urge you to consider Mercedes. They tend to be much more reliable although they aren’t as sporty. The upside of BMW/Merc is very low buying price used but it can cost more in the long run if enough luxury features / gizmos break. My 96 C220 has 204k on it and is the most solid car I’ve ever had, never needed any major repairs, and never left me stranded. So far the upkeep costs have been the same or less than Japanese cars I’ve owned (maintenance intervals are longer). Although pretty soon I’m going to start investing in replacing things like suspension components that are “worn out” not “broken” since I plan on keeping the car another 100-200k miles.
The Camry is no doubt on its last legs and if you are doing a long commute up to 5 times a week you will need a reliable and safe car.
Forget about interiors etc and all the nice to haves. What you want is mechanical reliability and low maintenance costs because without reliability you won’t be going anywhere. A big ass stereo and a sunroof etc etc are nice to have but are totally useless when you are sitting on the side of the freeway with a blown radiator. Driving around in 95 degree heat with a broken aircon will not be much fun either.
Stick with a 4 cyl engine as you will not be paying out quite so much in fuel and it might help you with the insurance costs.
On your budget, stay well away from anything with a BMW badge unless you want to stay poor. Your parents concerns about maintenance costs and running costs are valid. A ten yo BMW with lots of miles on it will be a very bad choice for what you need. Used BMWs with lots of miles are cheap and affordable for a reason.
Mazdas are an excellent choice (as others here have advised you) but with any used car you need to be very careful what you buy. Look only for lower mileage vehicles and nothing over 60000 miles. Don’t be too picky about the model year. Just look for cars in good condition and accident free with the lowest mileage and be patient and picky. Also look at the Mazda 6 as this is also a very good vehicle if you choose the used car carefully. There are plenty of dealers and private sellers trying to offload high mileage cars at nearly the same or exactly the same price as cars of the same model and year which have traveled 50% less distance. You have a decent budget and there is normally significant fat in asking prices so don’t be afraid to negotiate very hard and walk away if you cannot get a sensible price that you want. SoCal is loaded with used cars and if you miss on one there is always another.
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