hotboyjamez

i know this isnt the right forum. but cant find any good forums. so sorry if this is bothering people .

but anyhow i was looking foward on getting a cl type-s. but than again the 3 series bmw caught my eye!

but hey. i am currently looking for a 3 coupe series bmw. but im having trouble on what kind of series bmw i should look for. currently i am looking at a 323ci 2000. also i have looked in at the 2001 325ci. the thing is im only 17. . and my dad said i should try to get a car that will be under 30k. so i think i should get a used bimmer. any idea's on what series coupe i should get?

JRock

www.google.com

Lock This Thread.

Type S

either 323 ci or 325 ci will be good for u...used bimmer seems having a fair price.but look for newer used bimmers..actually 323 ci and 325 ci are almost the same.the only difference will be horsepower and steering wheel and rims. good luck with your buying

someguy

Used 328Ci

4pumpedCL

Get a 1975 2002. That way you can tell the ladies you have a 2002 BMW.

M5 Lite

If I were looking for a used BMW for under $30k, I'd FOR SURE go for a '99 M3. Forget the 323 or 328, go straight to the top and pick yourself up a '99 or '98 M3 5-speed.

I just got rid of my '98 M3 and I gotta tell ya, that car was the car that can give you a hugeee blast when you drive. You feel very tied in with the road and don't even get me started on how it handles.

Your welcome to join my board, www.bmwexperience.com if you like. I've got some very knowledgeable people on there who might be able to 'customize' a bmw to your liking.

Good luck w/ whatever you decide.

nvpscore

Im 17 with a 2002 Aegean Blue CL Type S, mods on the way Who cares what your dad says, unless hes paying for it. I paid for my car fully, 14 grand down for my downpayment. Worked hard for that, and now got 2 grand ready for mods, which I'm waiting till after the SEMA show to see what comes out, mystery mod, headers? etc...

Get a CL Type S hands down

aeon

330 xi all the way. Black on Black, aluminum finish-trim inside.

cakennedy

E30 M3: $12,000
Engine swap from 1995 M3: $6,000
X-brace, strut brace, sway bars: $1,500
Balance and blueprint, porting and polishing: $2,000
Cam, throttle body, ignition, injectors: $1,000
Intake and full exhaust: $1,000
LSD, racing clutch, roll cage, helmet, etc: $1,000
Year's worth of tires: $1,500
Entry fees: $1,000

There's your BMW coupe, under 30k...

someguy

Might as well spend the extra money for the 321 hp Euro M3 engine

hawkeye

I just bought a '01 325i for $29,500 thus you might consider buying a new one. I know the dealers are getting hungry to rid any 2001 models since the E46 had minor revisions for the 2002 model year. I use to have a 99 M3 convertible but I have a feeling that would cost around $40-45K used. I suggest a E46 over the E36 do to better quality and safety.

CL Type Slim

Try to get a 325 ci. Dealers be willing to deal with the current economy, plus the 2002 are in. So they are willing to get rid of 2001s. Good Luck.

alex2364

If a new 325Ci is too expensive, get a '00 323Ci. My friend has a blue '00 323Ci and it's awesome. Make sure you get one with the sports package. It'll handle a lot better!

Ashburner

3 series BMW = Waste of money

IMO

-Ash

M5 Lite

Good thing you said 'IMO' because I think your one of the select few who thing this.

someguy

or a 328Ci

mretif

I am 17 also, get the cls. Is so worth the money. With acura you will get more for your money.

davematthews-CLS

the 328ci is your best bet, the 323 and 325 are very underpowered, VERY. the resale on bmw's are good so you won't loose too much money in 3-4 years when you get rid of it. if you can find a 99 m3 for under 30k go for it. jump on to carmax.com and see if you can find anything there, do a search for audi s4's also. good luck. oh, whatever you do, stay german.

SilverCLS

This is my first car too, hell, I'm only 16 (granted, though, almost 17) and I would go for my CLS every time over that "BMW" 325i. In my book, its not a REAL BMW. Real Bimmers have alot sh!t on them, but the 325i is pretty bare bones in the features department. The CLS can outperform and "outluxury" the 325i every time. I really do love my car, maybe a little too much (except for that paint job ).

vince

[rest of post deleted]

SilverCLS

vince, you should look at the January 2001 issue of Car and Driver. They agree with me - "A lot of sport per dollar, nothing for luxury. No cruise control. The seats are covered in vinyl." NO CRUISE CONTROL?!?!?!? A $30k car with no cruise control? Now that is just wrong. A friggen Kia Sephia has cruise control.

vince

If you cannot regulate your own speed, maybe you shouldn't be driving.

someguy

davematthews-CLS

you really are 16, ignorance. the 325i is a real BMW, and the craftsmanship and quality fit and finish is better than the CL. i would say most CL.com members would even agree, BMW is a better built car, i agree they did not try to squeeze every last drop of dollar out of the car by cutting edges, paint, tranny, plastic wood, but make no mistake that BMW's are performers. sometimes the total package is what you should be looking at rather than just 1/4 mile times, that's what focked me in the first place.

M5 Lite

Man, you've got lots to learn kid. Most ignorant comment I've read so far on this thread.

phatpat

850csi

M5 Lite

That name just makes me Most people consider this the M8 due to the ///M treatment all over along with the 380HP V12 and 6-speed.

I wish I could afford that car Now I'm depressed.

hawkeye

Buying an Acura was one of the biggest mistakes. I can tell anyone the Acura is the best value on paper, but the quality is one notch above an American car. I have owned three BMWs before (including an M3) the CLS and I have my fiancee driving a 325i. Every BMW I have owned has been well built and inspires confidence in my driving. In a straight line the Acura will smoke my 325i, however, throw in a few curves and the Acura will be in trouble. Observe the CLS closely and you'll notice poor craftsmanship, paint from a civic, metal that's thinner than a soda can, a transmission from hell, and rattles galore! What am I missing? I am going to trade in my CLS on a '02 330Ci as soon as they arrive in sufficient quantity.

M5 Lite

Lets not rant about other cars too much. Some people on this board don't like to talk about other cars. Also, we might get this thread closed by a moderator or we might get it moved.

Shhh...just mention the word 'CLS' in each post and I think we should be fine for now.

CLS

EricL

How about seeing if this baby is for sale -- I want one of these sleepers (but in the lighter 1972 2002 body)

link: http://chroma.med.miami.edu/~idickers/M2002.html



Winterfest '98 at Sebring International Raceway


The M3 engine installed in the 2002 engine bay. Note the K&N airfilter protruding through the front wall of the engine bay, ending just behind the grill.


Just add turbo...

Ashburner

M5lite, I don't think that I'm the only one who has the opinion that a BMW 3-series is a waste of money. Do you remember what forum your on right now? Any one of us that has a CL-S could have bought a 323, but guess what? It would have been a waste of money! ---And that's my point!

-Ash

Dacat

Hmmmm, not for me. I can make the opposite point. I had a bimmer which gave me nothing but headaches. My friends who have bimmers 1998, 2000, 2001 models all have rattles and problems as does any car manufacturer. The CL-S I have has zero problems so far and no rattles at all. Yes the paint is thin, but no car is perfect. It's too bad you've had a bad experience with your particular Acura, but I can't say the same for me. To each his own.

M5 Lite

Ash, your talking of a 323. You said before '3-series' not just 323. I am talking more in terms of 325i (5-speed) and 330i (5-Speed). 323 is a nice car, but not comparable to a CLS because its the 'starter bmw'.

EDIT: Also, I don't need to reminded which forum I'm in right now. When I typed up my last comment, I was fully aware of that as I am now.

Ashburner

M5, I understand your point, but again, just like a number of other members on this board, I test drove a 330ci and although I did enjoy the car, I found that it would be a waste of my money to spend almost 10K more for a car with comparable options. If I really wanted to compare a 323, I should have compared it to a Mitsubishi Galant, which, for the price, I would rather have. Again, the BMW is overpriced for a comparable vehicle.

Now lets talk about an new M3, in that case, it is a true sports car straight from the factory. If I would consider spending 50K on a Z-06, I would definitely take the M3 out for a comparison. The price is close enough that I could buy the M3 and know that I am getting my moneys worth straight from the factory.

-Ash

M5 Lite

Ash,

I'm not arguing with you regarding why you picked the CLS over a 3-series. I'm just saying that I wouldn't call it a worthless car for the money. There are many BMW owners who own 3-series (actually about 45% would be my guess) and they probably also looked at Lexus, Acura, and Mercedes and they found something in the BMW that they didn't find in those other cars.

However, in the end, it comes down to personal taste. After hearing about the tranny problems and other build quality issues (i.e. Paint, etc..), I **PERSONALLY** don't think I would have been happy with a CLS. I know that these are isolated problems, however I probably wouldn't jump into a CLS and wonder if I am an isolated individual with 10 vacation days per year and spending about 1/2 of those at a dealership trying to get my car's trans or something else fixed.

CLS is a great car for the money and also great performance, but I just don't like my odds on being an isolated individual.

Dacat

Yes, you make a good point, but when I jump over to Bimmer boards and read about problems, I think the same exact thing. You have got to expect to read more about problems on a board, because that's where they get solved or talked about more than "Gee my car has no problems". Boards are full of enthusiasts about that car, you are bound to hear every minute detail, and the problems seem amplified.

davematthews-CLS

BMW>CLS