What Car Should I Buy?

shrpshtr325 said:
i think the pony/muscle car type is going to be physically too big for you, they all ballpark 3500-4000 lbs or better depending on trim line, certainly fun to drive, but a different experience from the e46 by alot.

the 2008-(idr) bmws have a fair bit of seal issues with the gaskets and such on the engines (according to a guy i work with who has the 4.0l v8 in his x5) so expect to be spending time doing seal replacements if you get one of those. sorry to not be much help, just wanted to try and spare you the pain iv watched another friend go through(he swears he will never own another BMW after this one)
Click to expand...
BMW died in 05 right after the designer left. Man they don’t make anything with style any more. I’d much rather an 03 m5.
 
E90 M3 is such a good looking car. I love the F80 but the E90 is sexy, too. C7GS? Maybe but damn it's tight inside. I'd go C6Z06. Cadillac interior looks like shit in 3 years.

I did a bit of driving today at an event at Princeton BMW and then Princeton Porsche. I'll post up here (I sent this to a friend who wanted my thoughts) as it's mildly relevant.

M2C: Wow, really nice. The new seats are comfy, no better or worse than mine, really. Less adjustable but still comfy. The S55 motor is defintely more torquey and you feel it. It sounds good, drives a little tighter and sharper. It really is just a touch better overall. Not huge, but it's a slight improvement all around. It's fast, dude. I hit XXXmph on 295 within a mile. I don't like the wheels as much as my current car. The DCT is so great, too. $70,000 but it had a bunch of M Performance accessories that add nothing to the way the car drives. The guys told me they are pretty sure the M2CS will have the S58 out of the X3M and the upcoming Z4M with about 450hp. It will be exciting for sure. I'll try to drive the Z4M when it comes out to check out the motor in non-SUV form.

X3MC: Fast, comfy, but pretty stiff ride. Trans is ok, not great. Doesnt really feel like 475hp, but i guess that's because it's 4XXX pounds. Some turbo lag, but hopefully the down-tuned M2CS will not have that problem. Roomy. I like it better than a Jeep GCSRT but less than a Macan GTS, but the Macan back seat is much tighter. $79,000.

M340iX: Very nice. Regular seats, not overly sporty. Newest interior (2020 model). Trans is decent. It's quick, roomy, comfy, and would be a great DD but it's not worth 2 GTIs. Sunset Orange is a great color in the sun. $59,000.

M5C: Monster of a car. AWD rocket. I hit XXXmph on 295 and it didn't even break a sweat. Carbon ceramic brakes. Silly. Stupid silly. $133,000.

Princeton Porsche:

2017 Carrera S: $109,000. Underwhelming. About the same acceleration as my car (420hp). Very slick shifter and clutch like the Cayman but the pedal box is tight and takes me some concentration. Interior was comfy but tight, like the Cayman. Handled very nice...like the Cayman. It's cool to have the motor sound right behind your ears, like the Cayman. The difference is the steering feel. It's very different. Such a light front end that almost has no feel to me. Turn in is great but I'm just not used to the feel. It's odd. No way I'd spend this money to get a Carrera S.

2017 Carrera 4S with X50 power package. $119,000. Basically the power package gives you GTS level power (450hp) and the AWD gives you the GTS suspension to support the extra weight. So it's like a AWD Carrera GTS. It also had a Fabspeed catback. Noticeably quicker than the Carrera S. Sounded much better. Handled a little better but was stiffer as well. Otherwise it drove the same with light steering feel. I railed a few exit ramps and it did great. I think you'd have to get on a track to really tell a difference between my M2 and a Carrera GTS, to be honest. Again, I'm not convinced it's worth 2X a M2C or 150% of a upcoming M2CS.

Would a GT3 really wow me? It might. There are a number of used 2015 GT3 cars around for $125,000. 2015 and 2016 were PDK-only GT3 cars. I should go drive one.

At this point I think a new Cayman GTS for $100,000 is probably a better choice than any 911 (other than maybe a GT3) for me. I'll try to get seat time in a used Cayman GTS, too.

The upcoming Cayman GT4 will probably be impossible to get without a prior Porsche purchase. And many guys swear the GTS is the better street car (the GT4 being better for track rats). The new GT4 will start at $105,000.

Overall it was a good education and at this point I'm glad I'm on the M2CS list. When I got back in my car, I appreciated a little more room. It felt no slower, handled no worse, but the shifter felt really rubbery for a few miles. But having the clutch and brake just a little wider apart is so much easier to live with. Maybe in a 911 or Cayman I would need to invest in a good set of driving shoes. Gay, but might actually help.

Who knows, I might end up with another BMW in a year or two after all. Or keeping mine and calling DINAN after the warranty expires in 2021.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom