What is a good BMW to buy as a first car?

Question

Hi i want to buy bmw as a first car, if thats not too much to ask :), so i need help decidin on which one, i want sumthin dats not too expensive, i am willin to spend around $13,000, but also look really nice flyin down the highway, lol, i also want it have good or at least alrite fuel economy, thanx for your answers, n please give me any insight i will look into all of them :)

Answer 1

dont listent to these people!!! get urself a 1999 M5!!! its SICK! or a 2000 M3. those should be around 13K. comes with rims , all that good stuff, slam some tints on there n u got urself a NICE ride!  

Answer 2

325i  

Answer 3

Go for the 1 or 3 series (manual) because the lower end has lesser things for you to worry about...

I like BMWs because it has a floor mounted accelerator that prevents slippage. Do you know, I've actually slipped off a Perodua (using Daihatsu base) accelerator pedal whilst driving before, because the pad surface was not large enough for my large foot...

Answer 4

Any 3 series except the M. Here's why, the M is great, but an M for that kind of price would be trouble. I put over 200K miles on my first 3 series and only had to do the regular service.

Another good find for you would be a z3, which in my opinion is better than the z4. They all get good gas mileage and "look really nice flyin down the highway"

Just realize, if you don't do the regular service on a BMW, you will have huge problems, so get your service done and make sure that you can afford to get it done. It's really not that bad as long as you do not go to the dealer to get it done.

Answer 5

As an owner of 2 BMWs in the past, I can tell you the maintenance costs are higher than almost any other vehicle you could think of, with the exceptions being Jaguar and Land Rover. You will spend thousands per year maintaining it.

If I had to buy a BMW and reliability was the only consideration, I would go with a manual transmission 3-series. They are not night and day better than the 5 or 7 series in terms of reliability, but there is much less stuff to go bad on them and when they do it will cost less. Whatever you do, though, don't even think of getting an 8 or 12 cylinder. The upkeep on those will send you to the poor house--even if nothing goes wrong. Routine maintenance on 8 and 12 cylinders costs far more than on the 4 and 6 cylinder models. Oil changes, 30K, etc, all cost much more. Stick with a 4 or 6 cylinder and go with a manual transmission. They are more reliable and cheaper to maintain.

Answer 6

Since its your FIRST car... i'd look for something made before 2002!!   First cars are gonna get beat up, they are learning cars. You're going to run into things, forget to change the oil, test the limitations of a turning radius and blow a tire.  In my family, first cars dont cost over $10K... period!

Answer 7

look into a late 90's 3-series, but not the 318i, which is the most dissapointing car BMW ever built,

IF you end up deciding that a BMW is not practical enough for you, I suggest an Audi A4

If you want to go down another notch, consider the Volkswagon GTI or Passat

Answer 8

my sisters boyfriend has a 01 323ci convertible with aftermarket rims. and it looks very nice. and a car like that goes for around 11-12k if you find the right seller

Answer 9

You cannot get a 2000 M3 or 1999 M5 for $13k, there a lot of young ears on this forum.

Dream on about having a BMW like the others have said.  If you want to buy a high mileage one and run your credit cards up upkeeping it buy one.  If you want money for other things- like a future! and want to look smart just buy a Honda, and accessorize it.  Most new Hondas will blow away older BMWs in performance and gas mileage.

Answer 10

There is no good BMW to buy as a first car for $13,000.

Based on the way you write, I assume you are fairly young.  The combination of aging powerful sports sedan, and a young person tends to send shivers up the spine of insurance agents.

You are going to buy a car that is in the twilight of its driving career.  It is going to cost you a fortune to maintain, gas needs to be premium, insurance is going to be high.  In short, you are asking for trouble.  There is a reason that a car that once cost $40K+ (or equivalent) is now selling for $13K.  It's not just the age or the mileage, it is how scared potential buyers are about maintenance costs.  Even the little stuff like tires are going to be way more expensive than a regular car.

Something like an 05 or 06 Nissan Altima 2.5S, would be perfect.  They look good, they are nice to drive.  They are cheap to maintain, cheap on gas.

While I am a huge BMW fan, I just think once they get this cheap and that old, they are likely to cause a number of issues, especially for a young driver with limited funds.

Save the BMW for when you can afford a new one, or at least a certified pre-owned one.

Answer 11

holden commodore