As I get to the end of my life,I am looking to buy a car that I could never afford.
Mind you,it will be a 2nd hand unit.
I am looking at a 2004 M3 or an X5 2004
Price is approx. 20 to 30k
I am happy to take any suggestions from my OZB friends.
Even if it is not a BMW,maybe a Mercedes?
Which BMW To Buy? 2004 M3 or 3005 X5?
grabngo on 25/03/2016 - 20:04
Comments
None of them,stick to Japanese cars, you just can't go wrong with them,Lexus is a way to go :)
X5 drives beautifully, more responsive- better pick up etc, and has most features as std.
Merc handles better( smoother turns, smaller turning circle), but things like sun roof are optional extra.If you are sub 40, go for X5, if 40+ then Merc ;-). If 40, treat yourself with a Porsche!
C63 AMG
Between the two I'd get the X5. I assume the M3 is the E36 variant?
FWIW I had an E39 528i, as wonderful as it was to drive I found some niggling things with the build quality including various parts being made of die cast metal, had all 4 window regulators replaced because the die cast parts shattered. Also had 3 outside door handles literally break off because they were die cast. All 4 inside door handles broke they were made of plastic. And it went on like that. The biggest issue I had was the impeller for the water pump was made of plastic! It shattered and left bits of the impeller all through the engine block. Oh and the time I was rear ended and because my foot was on the brake somehow managed to crack the rear crossmember holding the rear axle, diff and other important features critical to forward motion. A little sad for a car that cost $98k new.
I drive a Nissan Cube now.. a happy car for a much happier life!
I assume the M3 is the E36 variant?
an '04 M3 would be an E46.
You're right, was thinking of my E39 at the same time.
Why the fuk is tdw being downvoted?
who knows; who cares? :p that's how ozbargain is these days….overrun with trolls and/or people who can't handle the truth
Before you get the M3 - see what the next 5-10 years of service costs will be. The M series have eye watering service costs.
as stated, check the servicing and spare part costs for BMW.Just for fun check the price of replacement tyres.
The X5 is a driver's car, the MB is a sloppy "arm-chair" ride by comparison; but both are a European and the maintenance costs will kill you - ask me how I know!
The Lexus IS250 would be a better choice. But then I am biased, I own a Citroen C5 X7, by far the best value for money, european car. I know some ill informed readers will disagree.
Honestly I wouldn't touch a BMW that is 10+ years old or 100,000km+
Just on repairs you could easily spend $15k if problems occur.
With your price budget just get a 2009 C class Mercedes
my parents just had a computer thing replaced in their 2012 BMW - $6K (but under warranty luckily)
Not really that lucky, they already owned a lemon, more trouble on the way :)
Well done OP, live your dreams. Just follow your instincts.
Exactly! youve worked hard and you want to reward yourself so just buy whats in your heart.
Secondly, car advice from Ozbargain probably isnt the best place to start :)
I would get the m3, put some money aside to fix any subframe issues, and just go out and have a blast!
This is a great community at times :) [serious]
So much diversity!
I haven't driven either, but the sheer number of X5's sold here would kind of imply that it would be easier to find a good deal on one second hand than on an M3, which is much less common.
If you're not sure you should buy a supersport 2-door or an SUV, wait until you're old enough to get your learners and you can feel the difference between them
These are 2 quite different cars - one is a hi performance mid-size sedan and the other is a large SUV. If you want a car that is fast with great handling, go for the M3. If you need to transport 4+ people in comfort and likes a higher driver position, then the X5 is your choice. Servicing and parts for European cars are expensive (the M3 even more so) so take this into account as you are buying a 10+ yo car. If you are not set on BMW or MB, you can get a 2009 Volkswagen Passat R36 wagon for under $29k drive away (b4 haggling). Not quite as fast or special as the M3 but still a great drive, carries 2+ people in more comfort, more luggage space and 2009 model. If you prefer SUV, $30k will get you a 2009 Audi Q5, Lexus RX350 or Volvo XC60 T6. Go to Carsales.com.au and select the min and max purchase price and body type and you see all the other alternatives available. Hopes this help and good luck.
XC60 is more of a wagon, the XC90 is really the SUV shape.
Are you confusing the V60 or XV70 with XC60? The XC60 is a 5-seater mid-size SUV that competes with the Q5 and X3. Until the new model XC90 last year, the previous XC90 was a boxy 7-seater that was long overdue for a replacement. Unless the op really needs a 7-seater, the X5 would be a "better" car than the XC90 of the same vintage.
M3 of that year is a coupe.
In that price range, you will find few standard comforts in a lower end German car — you will get prestige, perhaps style (that is highly subjective) for your hard-earned. For reliability, features, interior quality and finish, economical running and maintenance costs, you cannot beat a Japanese or a Swede, in the sub-100k car market — you should seriously consider Lexus, Infiniti, Volvo.
If you can stretch to 30k you could get an E39 M5
I'd get a Lexus. For your budget you can get a much newer IS350 which has one of the best engines around and it won't cost you the rest of your cash to maintain and will be a hell of a lot more reliable than those old BMWs/Mercs. For 30K you could grab a 2010-2012 IS350 depending on the model. 233KW of power, RWD, and pretty luxurious, certainly a stack more features than a 10-12 year old BMW/Merc.
Two very different cars.
I assume you don't really need a SUV if you're considering the M3. A US built 2005 X5 is just rubbish, old car, poor quality. No redeeming features.
I'd go E46 M3 as it was my dream car growing up.
If you do go M3 make sure it's a manual not a SMG.
I don't think that E46 M3 in a manual will depreciate much more, they are a classic. It wouldn't surprise me if they they go up in value in future. That doesn't mean it won't be expensive to maintain.
BMW parts aren't that expensive (lots of parts/support from the UK/Europe/US), but finding a good mechanic to look after it for a reasonable labour cost can be difficult.
There is nothing like a manual BMW with a straight 6… even better when it revs to 8,000rpm.
The other option you should think about which will be cheaper to maintain and insure is the 2003-2005 (LCI) 330ci with M Sport Pack in a manual.
2004 M3 not even a question.
Propper manual , straight 6 probably THE BEST M3 ever made. I don't think you could get one for $30K unfortunately. They are a classic now.
I would suggest buying from a dealer and one with FULL service history.
In terms of servicing take it to a BMW specialist.
If you post on Whirlpool there are a couple in Sydney that are well trusted.
Ok…The manual's are more fun but both SMG and manual have their place.
There's a current holy grail of M3's on the market right now. It's a 2006 manual. He wants too much in my opinion. I've never seen a 2006 Manual before (they're all 2001-2003) - so in short, it's rare! Why is the 2006 so much better? Well, for one, you won't lose much (if anything) on them as they're the last of the run (and manual), and in 2006, they changed the material in the rear where the subframe usually cracked, so you don't need to worry about giving it a boot and your gear box falling out. All e46's prior to 2006 suffer from this problem.
If you want to buy a manual, now is the time. There's about 3x as many for sale right now as there were on the market over the last couple of years. They are higher though, so if you're wanting to bag a manual for under 30k, you'll need to get one with higher milage (around 140,000 - 160,000).
SMG isn't the worst thing in the world. Once you learn how to drive them, they are fun. The boot into gears is awesome, but you got no third pedal. People complain about the lag when when changing in an SMG, but there is an art to it, and it can be smooth. If you want a unique SMG, there are two competition package M3s online at the moment. They're in between a regular M3 and a CSL. Competition package M3s aren't all that common, so I'd go with one of those if you're keen - You just need to put up with the lack of cruise control as that's one 'feature' of the competition package.
e46 M3s is the last of the proper M3s in my opinion. I'm tossing up between a high end e46, or a low end e92. The e92 look great, but there's a part of me that wants an e46. It just comes down to whatever comes up first.
Anyway - I've rambled, but if there's anything else you want to know, let me know.
Being 1001 years newer, I'd say the X5 is the clear choice here