Am I crazy for wanting to lease a top-of-the-line 3-series out of college?

Originally Posted by tj100

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Porsche is luxury (and Nissan is arguably) but BMW isn't? You're wearing blinders.
You misunderstood my point. I asked for non-luxury brand recommendations BECAUSE the bmw is a luxury brand and the poster went ahead to recommend two cars that handle EXTREMELY well, but are luxurious. Never did I ever insinuate BMW isn't luxurious. But anyway, I decided against the bimmer. Forgive me, but I felt on top of the world yesterday when I got the great news and did some crazy mental gymnastics to justify leasing such an expensive car.

Originally Posted by GreenFrog

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Never did I ever insinuate BMW isn't luxurious.
BMW ... luxury? Surely you jest.

Originally Posted by RSS

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BMW ... luxury? Surely you jest.
it's not the same quality as hondas, toyotas, chevys, etc.

Originally Posted by GreenFrog

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it's not the same quality as hondas, toyotas, chevys, etc.
No it's not, but that doesn't make it luxury. I always think of BMW as performance sedan ... not as a luxury sedan. It may have a few luxury features ... but it's not a luxury sedan in the way a Maybach or Rolls Royce is.

Originally Posted by GreenFrog

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it's not the same quality as hondas, toyotas, chevys, etc.

Nor is it a Rolls is what he's getting at.

If you want a fun car and can do your own work, get yourself a used, stick Miata. With a bit of work on the suspension there isn't a better car to throw around for the money. A few more grand and you can hit 200hp no problem, and the car feels freaking fast (don't try and drag race anybody or you'll find out that hard way that it actually isn't ). It's the poor man's weekend warrior, and kicks ass to drive anywhere that you have curves.

Originally Posted by RSS

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No it's not, but that doesn't make it luxury. I always think of BMW as performance sedan ... not as a luxury sedan. It may have a few luxury features ... but it's not a luxury sedan in the way a Maybach or Rolls Royce is.

I wasn't trying to imply that its luxury factor is on par with those brands you mentioned.

Originally Posted by ezlau

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Frog, I dont know if anyone has suggested this yet, but have you considered an e36 m3? I have one that I inherited from my brother, and I absolutely love the feeling of driving it (you will feel a lot of connection between your car and the road, if that makes sense at all). So far having it for a year, ive spent 2k+ on maintenance stuffs (cooling system (very vital), and misc stuff like battery & alternator. IMO if you are pretty handy at DIY on your car you would be spending much less. Consider getting a sedan e36 m3 (1997-1999 i think), good condition for around $10-12k. Gas mileage is about city 15mpg /highway 25 mpg. Also, the looks of an e36 m3 does not look too flashy, but rather timeless and masculine imo. See sig

EDIT: Just to add on, remember that 5k-7k e36 m3 are available too, but you get what you paid for. Expect to shell out the extra couple thousands you thought you 'saved' to get it back in good shape.
I am very familiar with the e36s and how popular they are with the tuner crowd but never really considered them. If anything, I was considering an e46 M3, but with the valve adjustments and whatnot, I think it would be a maintenance nightmare. I also hate how the exhaust is very tinny on the M3 (e46, that is). I'm still debating whether I want to shell out $10-15Kish for a used car, or to just lease a cheaper car (i.e. GTI). But thanks for the suggestion. I'm going to go research some miatas and e36s! Edit: any particular generation I should look at (for the miata)?

Originally Posted by GreenFrog

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I wasn't trying to imply that its luxury factor is on par with those brands you mentioned.
Then don't just mean what you say ... say what you mean as well.

Perhaps it's not obvious ... but I think you are a pretty good guy ... which is why I give you a bit of a hard time.

you are not crazy for wanting it; you would be crazy for doing it.

Originally Posted by GreenFrog

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and like i mentioned, i am a HUGE car enthusiast. i LOVE driving. i drive for the sake of driving, okay?
If you love driving that much...then you should be quite happy with some beat up used car with good bones (or are you using "I love driving" as an excuse to justify buying a flashy car without coming out and saying "I want a douchebag car"). There are a *ton* of used cars that have great feel and plenty of power to be fun (most 22 year olds will never drive a 3 series to anything resembling its limits even if they think otehrwise). If you just want an awesome driver, get something that looks ****** (faded paint and door dents drop the price nicely) but has solid mechanicals. Maybe even spend a little money on improved suspension and you are good to go. Lots of cars handle like a 3 series if you put some bilstein coilovers on them. Remember--It is not about the bike. If you enjoy it, you shouldn't need fancy top of the line bits to still enjoy it. Second...you have no idea where your money is going to go. Go work for a while, max your 401k and roth IRA and find out how much you actually spend. Also remember that anything you save now gets a lot more time to compound. Finally, remember that your 20s is a good time to spend money on things you won't be able to get away with later--spur of the moment travel, new experiences, etc--married dudes with kids seem to still be able to buy BMWs but I don't see many of them blowing half of their vacation time backpacking across eastern europe.

Congrats on getting a job! Don't make the mistake of getting a nice car right off the bat. If driving really matters to you that much, save up until you can buy it outright with cash. For now, just get a beater to get you by for a year or two. If I remember correctly you were in finance, so money shouldn't be a problem if you keep at it

I used to follow these advises: Save every penny , don't lease! buy to own! Don't rush, save save save and then when you save the real life will start...
Now, I am old and have a lot of money saved, but I missed all the fun by denying it to myself when I was young and able.
Don't listen to trite "wisdoms". Don't buy used BMW - it will cost you the same monthly payment as lease.
Definitely lease your dream car NOW, you only think you going to live forever but you might not wake up tomorrow...
And never ever buy depreciating assets no matter who advising this to you.

Originally Posted by Medwed

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I used to follow these advises: Save every penny , don't lease! buy to own! Don't rush, save save save and then when you save the real life will start...
Now, I am old and have a lot of money saved, but I missed all the fun by denying it to myself when I was young and able.
Don't listen to trite "wisdoms". Don't buy used BMW - it will cost you the same monthly payment as lease.
Definitely lease your dream car NOW, you only think you going to live forever but you might not wake up tomorrow...
And never ever buy depreciating assets no matter who advising this to you.

what are you saying? you averted crisis your entire life, good job. so you had a nice life and you want someone to take a huge chance or gamble not on their dream but on their future. this seems sub-optimal...

Originally Posted by RSS

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Few auto makes/models qualify as luxury. Of course, one can always pretend ... and advertising will never stop trying to convince.
Ugh, those car commercials "Have you seen the Hyundai Equus!?! " While we're at it...Driving around isn't a luxurious activity. Wrapping yourself up in luxurious leathers and expensive woods just to play car darts with the delivery trucks and soccer moms on their way to whatever god-forsaken after school activity...pointless. I'm just finishing up my extended vacation and moving more permanently to L.A. The driving culture is stressing me out

Originally Posted by poissa

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what are you saying? you averted crisis your entire life, good job. so you had a nice life and you want someone to take a huge chance or gamble not on their dream but on their future. this seems sub-optimal...
That post is without balance but life isn't life without some risk. Sometimes you have to be a little frivolous. Though that doesn't mean he needs to buy a BMW if he makes $75k. Yikes