Cars We Drive! - Page 432

I like the new direction, I saw a E39 estate and a F11 next to each other the other day and it almost seems like they though how would the E39 look 20 years later and made that.

I think the new F models will age better than E90 & E60.

i heard they were pretty high to maintain...but had no idea they were that bad.

you just need to dump that 355 TC. I know a guy in nashville that would look fantastic in it.

I had the new 328i Sport out for a day (friend works at the dealership) and I left feeling underwhelmed.

The engine is great, but it sounds terrible.

The interior ergonomics are great, but the materials felt cheap.

The ride was comfortable, but the road noise was intrusive.

I'm really looking forward to trying out the 335 (4 series?) coupe when it arrives...
I'm sure it will be much better.

They will, they always come out with the new coupe version a year or so after the new sedan comes out.


I'm still not liking how the F30 looks, it's just too big now and just a smaller 5-series. I thought it would grow on me by now that I see it more often but it just isn't.

I really like the front of the F30. One of the nicest in the last decade in my opinion.

Really? I hate the headlights connecting to the kidney grills. I also hate how BMW made the hood end where it does to comply with Euro pedestrian laws while Audi and Mercedes doesn't do the same compromise.

The headlights connecting to the grill is what I like haha.

Agreed that this is a very good thread. I think you should really crunch some numbers to find out how much you would owe in mileage overages if you kept driving at the current rate when the lease is up versus the transaction costs associated with getting another car. Depending on how your lease is structured, you may not be better off switching. Also, in my opinion buying CPO is always a huge markup given the prices at which you can buy from a private sale. Personally, I don't think it's worth the markup but then again I've never owned a lemon and I've also never been a daily driver / commuter. I think even if you do CPO'd BMW, with 30k miles a yr you are gonna run out whatever warranty they give you pretty quickly and then you're on your own again w/r/t the bills / maintenance costs. Unless there are CPO warranties with unlimited mileage. Seems doubtful though. I would probably lean more towards a Japanese car if I was planning on that kinda mileage. So maybe Acura is where it's at?

^ ^ ^
EmJay, try listing your car on http://www.leasetrader.com/car_lease/Car-Lease-Selling.aspx or http://www.swapalease.com/car-lease-sale.aspx.

It seems to work to a lot of people based on some car forums I visit.

Hate to break up the BMW circle jerk but I have a question for you guys who deal with the poorz: Might need to be buying a new, low priced, mid-size in the next couple of days. Any recommendations? They've redone the Altima and Camary, plus the Sonata is still fairly attractive. Never driven in any of them though.

Drove the previous gen Altima and it wasn't too bad. Decent on the gas, the CVT transmission really wasn't that bad, I thought it was nifty actually. The driving communication is a bit numb, but that's to be expected. The 2013 looks a little better and apparently has a much nicer interior.

The 2013 Camry is a good looking car imo. Far better than the previous few iterations. Should be a solid, no-nonsense car.

The latest Sonata was attractive when it first came out, but I do not think the style has aged well at all. Likely the least expensive with the best warranty is not to be scoffed at.

Another option would be the redesigned Ford Fusion.

*edit* forgot to add the Buick Verano.

I somehow feel you will have an aversion to Domestic makers.

In the mid-size sedan category, I find the Ford Fusion to be the best looking.


For resale value, the Camry is probably your best bet. They look decent for what it is but it drives like shit. Check out the new Altima, a lot seems to like it. If you want something that might be going for deep discount soon, Honda just released pics of the new one coming out this fall so the current gen will likely take a hit in price in a few months.

I know a lot of folks who dumped these mid 2000s masers because they can't justify the kind of maintenance and repair costs associated with keeping them running. In fact I think that's why the prices are so depressed. My only direct experience is with the Quattroporte(2008), and thankfully everything was under warranty when I was dealing with it. One of my colleagues has dumped something like 20k into repairs for his QP.

The 355 is a bit of a dilemma for me. I just completed the engine out major service in June, so mechanically the car is like new right now. I'm having the cats taken out next week and a little bit of suspension work done, and will then ship off all of the interior pieces to get refinished (everything plastic in these cars turns into a gooey mess after 10 or so years). By the fall this baby will be in really, really mint condition, and I hope to start driving it a lot more frequently. I really want a more modern Ferrari (or other exotic), but I can't really see myself selling the 355 anytime soon. I guess what I need is more garage space (oh, and money).

oops double post

They're not going to want an American car. Never got past the F O R D moniker. I agree thought that the Focus looks nice. It'll probably end up being a Camary. Unless the new Accord hits in a few days.