Just this one time, the Holy Trinity isn't the answer......

I figured there would be more love for the MINI then I'm seeing. That's the car I'm really leaning toward, I've just always really liked them.

I love themed MINI's get an orange one, put a rebel flag on the roof, some "01" stickers on the side and jump into the car through the windows, then I'll be satisfied with your decision.

Nothing wrong with them... we own two of them... it may be because in a $$$/performance comparison, there are better cars - the M3 arguably one of them - especially since you can find nice used E36's for the same or less $ than R53's. And this is Grassroots Motor Sports... where the focus is on performance per $.

Resale value has stayed surprisingly high, as well.

They are German and British... so they have their... quirks... but in general, they offer a $/fun quotient that's tough to beat... and depending on where you live (and how much it matters to you), the social-club aspect is very good.

They are pretty easy to work on... and relatively cheap to modify... although if you are looking to auto-x one, they drop in competitiveness when they move into modded classes. Should be interesting when the MCS moves to DS next year.

Unfortunately, they never sold the coupe in orange.

mad_machine wrote: Personally, I prefer the E36 over the E46.. looks are subjective, but I think the ride and handling of the earlier car are much better than the later

I am a HUGE E36 fan but for a daily "fun" car the E46 has won me over. Its more solid, quiet, smooth and the interior is a massive leap forward. In any form other than M3 they can be had for under 15k in near new condition. Even M3s are in the low 20s.

z31maniac wrote:

Nashco wrote: So, you've decided that your BMW toy car isn't going to cut it for regular driving, and you've narrowed down your other choices to a BMW or a BMW. Interesting. Bryce

A seriously modded 21 year old BMW, with no a/c, p/s, 40 series tires on 17s, super tight suspension on coilovers, etc vs a newer, nicer but still fun to drive BMW. What's wrong with that? I was thinking the nicest '05-'06 manual GT I could afford/find. Anyone have an opinion on these? I got to drive one very briefly a few years back, I just remember the inside feeling small but it being fun to drive.

I never said there was anything wrong with it, I said it was interesting, as noted in the quote above.

Bryce

I like Eurotrash! I can't help it!

I really want a Z4 M Coupe, but that's way out of the price range I'll be considering.

miata.

I opened this thread looking for grassroots 4WD content.

Jake wrote: I opened this thread looking for grassroots 4WD content.

That's usually me not shutting up about full-size Broncos, and everyone else talking about things more fuel efficient.

I recently bought an 1997 328is (E36) for $5.4K with 114K on it. The car is in excellent shape, former owner was the 2nd owner who bought it as a CPO and had all of his maintenance receipts for his 10 years of ownership. To me, the E36s are definitely at (or at the very least near) the bottom of the depreciation curve and represent a very good value. Comfort is very good, and mileage is impressive. I can easily get 28-30 MPG on my 75 mile daily commute which is a mix of back roads with ~15 miles of highway. I've gotten as much as 33 MPG if I pay attention to the MPG gauge.

I've put roughly $350 into it for a complete cooling system overhaul, and could probably sink another $500-800 in suspension bushings, etc. to get it perfect. So, for under $7K, it's a very fun and comfortable car.

Your budget seems to be a little higher than that, so it might make sense to step up to an E46. However, if you're looking for a decent bargain, I'd take a look at a well-maintained E36.