Need DD and fun car opinion

Ok, it's one of those What car thread. I highly regard opinions from this board so here it goes. I am faced with a dilemma. I am currently driving a 2001 BMW 330Ci with about 80Kmiles as my DD and fun/autocross car (85%DD, 15%fun/autocross) and I'll need a bigger car (i.e. 7 seater) for my family hauler in the near future. My options are:

1. Sell my 330Ci, get a 2006 Pilot for DD and spend about $6 - $7.5 K for a fun car. I am thinking either E30, if I can find a clean example, or E36 and build it to ST spec (whichever class is applicable in ST).
2. Keep my 330Ci and spend about $4K upgrading the suspension, brake and intake exhaust stuff and do the preventative maintenance and get a 2003 Odyssey that I'll only drive on week-end as the family hauler.

I plan to change the composition to be closer to 70%DD and 30%fun/autocross but I don't envision being competitive at all, mainly to have fun and have some guidance to follow when building/modding the car.

Which option would you take? By my estimate both will cost around $22 - 23K total. Thanks all.

I'd take option 2. You already know the history of the car, and the Odyssey should more than fulfil your needs.

Do you really need seven seats?

Sell 'em and buy a Swift and a newer Entourage!

John Brown wrote: Do you really need seven seats?

Unfortunately yes. My wife has a CR-V which is big enough for now and we plan to keep it, but we are expecting our second child so it's nice to have a 7 seater plus when we have family come and visit us we don't need to rent a minivan.

For the Swift idea, I am not sure I can find one that won't need lots of work. Plus I'd rather not use the minivan as my DD.

Ooh!! I know of one! http://miami.craigslist.org/mdc/cto/1057775987.html

My Swift domination has begun... bwahahahahha bwahahahahah

I prefer option 1.

Only, I'd buy a Miata, instead of an E30 (but go E30, if that's what you prefer). And I'd get a DD that is slightly older/cheaper, and use the extra money to buy a trailer to tow the Miata to track days.

Heck, save yourself $3k, and you should be able to use that to cover basic expenses for running track days for the rest of the year.

Between the two options I'd pick option 2.

If it was me. I'd sell the CR-V and buy the wife an Odyssey. (And if you buy a new one you're helping pay my paycheck. )

Okay, we have a 2003 Odyssey...which I am quite happy with. Check the Ody Club forum for links to possible tranny problems (we haven't had any in almost 60K miles).

I would opt for an '04 if possible, they look more updated, and I believe that you can get a moonroof in them as well.

Great Family Hauler.

FWIW - The Kia Rondo is about the same size as a CR-V but seats 7 and is affordable. The Mazda 5 seats 6 and is a blast to drive for a people carrier.

The BMW is an awesome car and you will be more competative in a car you care comfortable with and develop over a few years than starting over with something else.

The correct answer of course is to get the Odyssey (great minivan and fun to drive) and tow a Civic or Miata to the track with it.

I like #2 (haha I said number 2). Manly becouse belive in MY cars, the wife can have some thin new when she wants/ and when we can aford it.

JFX001 wrote: Okay, we have a 2003 Odyssey...which I am quite happy with. Check the Ody Club forum for links to possible tranny problems (we haven't had any in almost 60K miles). I would opt for an '04 if possible, they look more updated, and I believe that you can get a moonroof in them as well. Great Family Hauler.

2005 was the major model change year if you want the newer body style.

jwdmotorsports wrote:

JFX001 wrote: Okay, we have a 2003 Odyssey...which I am quite happy with. Check the Ody Club forum for links to possible tranny problems (we haven't had any in almost 60K miles). I would opt for an '04 if possible, they look more updated, and I believe that you can get a moonroof in them as well. Great Family Hauler.

2005 was the major model change year if you want the newer body style.

Gotcha....bought the '03...haven't looked at any others.

jwdmotorsports wrote: Between the two options I'd pick option 2. If it was me. I'd sell the CR-V and buy the wife an Odyssey. (And if you buy a new one you're helping pay my paycheck. )

The thing is we are also planning to replace her CR-V with a ,gasp, '06 Passat. She only wants either the '06 or later Passat or current gen Volvo V50. Between these two I'd choose a Passat.

Thanks for the feedback guys.

If you're anything like me, you'll want your "fun car" to become a track car. Get a competent, reliable daily driver that will tow your fun car. Get a fun car that will make a great track car, and drive it on the street as much as possible until you eventually make it into a race car.

If your fun car is paid for, you'll drive it faster on the track. You'll go even faster if you trailer it behind a reliable second vehicle.

VW Passat = bad news. I've never met anyone that didn't have big problems with them.

Holy cow! At this price, I would buy one... http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/ctd/1058588012.html

Then I can dedicate my wife's Subaru Outback Sport to full time Rally-X status! WooHoo!

7 seats for 2 kids? My brother and I rode around in the back of a mid 80's Jetta.

parker wrote: 7 seats for 2 kids? My brother and I rode around in the back of a mid 80's Jetta.

Hah! My sister and I rode around in the back of a 70's Rabbit.

ww wrote: VW Passat = bad news. I've never met anyone that didn't have big problems with them. Holy cow! At this price, I would buy one... http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/ctd/1058588012.html Then I can dedicate my wife's Subaru Outback Sport to full time Rally-X status! WooHoo!

I'll try to steer her toward a TSX of the same year instead of a Passat. Also, if I am buying a minivan, the one you found on craigslist is right on my target price range.

As far as having a 7 seater with only 2 kids, we don't need a 7 seater to haul our kids, we need it to haul our family when they come visit us.

Thanks for all the feedback guys. Now I am seriously considering getting an '04 or '05 Pilot for my DD (cheaper than '06 model year I initially considered) and an E36 for a fun car. An article I read on a UK magazine (Total BMW Magazine) gave me some ideas of how fun and affordable E36 platform can be. I prefer E30 but finding an E30 in decent condition for a decent price is like finding a needle in a haystack. Whereas E36 can be had cheaply these days since they are stuck between the classic E30 and newer E46.

ZOOMiata wrote:

parker wrote: 7 seats for 2 kids? My brother and I rode around in the back of a mid 80's Jetta.

Hah! My sister and I rode around in the back of a 70's Rabbit.

Gotcha beat.. sis and I rode around in the back of a 1968 Opel Kadett Rallye and an MGBGT

I rode in the back of an extended cab S-10 with my older brother. My dad still talks about listening to our heads bounce off the windows/walls.

Why wouldn't you rent a minivan when the family comes to visit, and save the difference for your track car?

How often do they come to visit, and not have a rental or some kind of car of their own. I think you're falling in the trap of buying 7 seats you have to live with everyday (and pay more at the pump) that will only be filled a few days a year.

mad_machine wrote:

ZOOMiata wrote:

parker wrote: 7 seats for 2 kids? My brother and I rode around in the back of a mid 80's Jetta.

Hah! My sister and I rode around in the back of a 70's Rabbit.

Gotcha beat.. sis and I rode around in the back of a 1968 Opel Kadett Rallye and an MGBGT

Under an aluminum camper shell in a 1983 Isuzu P'up diesel to LA and back (5k mile round trip) in July.

Tim Baxter wrote: How often do they come to visit, and not have a rental or some kind of car of their own. I think you're falling in the trap of buying 7 seats you have to live with everyday (and pay more at the pump) that will only be filled a few days a year.

It's only a cost at the pump if you buy something uneccessary. There are plenty of vehicles that can hold that number of people and not kill you at the pump. You just have to compromise and buy what you NEED and not what you WANT.