Barrett-Jackson

[janderson]

Well I have been holding off on buying a new car for some time, and have now decided that I will begin my research process in finding my new "baby."



Here is what I am looking at, and I just wanted to get some opinions on some of these cars (I trust your comments far above and beyond those of any dealership).



Volvo C-70

BMW 330i (Would love to get an M3, but I would also like to eat at night ;))

BMW M3 Coup (Z3)

Audi S4

[Brad B]

I can provide any amount of info on the S4 and my father owns a C-70 Coupe.



I have also spent a lot of time in the drivers seat of a friends M Coupe.



Let me know what info you need.



The cars on this list are very different in nature. What are your goals/expectations?

[imported_Ronin]

some nice cars on that list. I was thinking S4 too, but that car deprciates sooooo fast and does not quite have the road feel of a BMW in my opinion, but a very fast car that handles well. The 330i would be my choice. Faster than the E36 M3, the handleing is not quite as good but more creature comforts than the E36 M3 (I too would love an E46 M3!!!). Bimmers hold their value pretty well too:D . But I`m probably not telling you anything you don`t already know. What about the M coupe? Too funky looking? I love that car in black or silver. As for the Z3 and C70, don`t know much about them, sorry. I`m thinking about trading for a 330i soon too. Maybe an M coupe, or a ..........

Good luck and keep us posted!

:up

[Cybercowboy]

Here`s my suggestion, FWIW. At least consider an American-made car. You can justify it in patriotic terms. How does a nice Corvette grab you? ;)

[imported_gewb]

I don’t think Audi is offering the S4 in America this year. They will be bringing in a 3.0L A4, 225HP (I assume it’s naturally aspirated). If the dealers have any S4’s on the lot I’m sure they want to move them because the new A4’s come sometime in October.

[adjulian]

just got mine 2 months ago and absolutely love it! 02 model has some cool standards that I didn`t get on my 01, but I love mine non the less, and very reasonable. I still haven`t seen what the Sport Package will look like on US models and what wheels will go with it. Good luck on your decision. Any one of those cars you have listed would make anyone envious :)

[YoSteve]

Josh, thanks for your concern. We successfully drove 1300+ miles to Houston (from Cleveland). Once you get to the Texas border you have like 7 hours left to drive! I`m staying at my bro`s (so I have computer access) The funny thing is that 250 towels is sitting on my doorstep by now :(.



Why not a W-8 Passat? I know, I too would rather get an S4. I`ve been toying with the idea of a Audi TT only becuase it has more bang for the buck the 225 hp starts at $32K.



But they all serve different functions, personally I like my car :)

[DETAILKING]

S4 or 330i. If you want all the performance you can get, go with the S4. It can be easily modded to put out around 300 HP. Both cars have a great fit and finish. I like the interior of the BMW more, and it has more room in the back seat. The audi, has a bigger trunk though, and also AWD. Don`t be fooled by the 3.0L bmw engine. It only puts out 225HP but is VERY smooth and quick. It never stops pulling!



I would say drive both, and get dealer quotes, and availability on both and see what works out best for you. You might be able to pick up a 2001 S4 cheap now. A 2002 330i will most likely have to be ordered and would take about 2 months.

[janderson]

This is great! Man I knew that I could count on you all! Ok, I have to be honest, my heart says BMW (Ronin is right, I would have to change my handle if I got anything other than a Bimmr). But I am always open to a good car that will last and make me happy.



Maybe some more info from my end will help you all give me some advice:



1. This car will be driven every day

2. I want a car with some ponies to push her along

3. Since I drive about 40 minutes to work every day, I need some creature comforts (CD, Sun Roof, Leather, Heated seats for cold days, etc.)

4. Good re-sell value

5. High mileage car with long lasting parts (within reason)



I am sure that there are other little things here and there, but I really want a car that can handle well. I might even go with a little bit older car (`98 or `99) and get an M3, or something to that effect.



That is all for me. Hope that this helps. Thanks again for all of your input.

[imported_Ronin]

From your criteria, it looks like the Audi might be off your list strictly for the re-sale factor. It`s funny because I am almost in the same boat as you. I am/was considering swapping my car for an S4, 330i or E36 M3 4 door.



If you can stomach the wait, I would definately go 330i. Although the S4 is pretty close, in today`s ecomony I would rather own a Bimmer when it comes time to sell. I am fairly confident I could sell my well maintained car (for a insignifigant loss) to someone who wants a BMW but can`t endure the 2 month wait. In my neck of the woods S4s seem to depreicate quite a bit more than their BMW counterparts (S4 vs 330 for example).



If it comes down to Audi vs. BMW and it is too close to call, go with the more reputible dealer. Although I have heard lots of bad things about BMW service, I have heard far worse things about Audi service.



When are you looking to buy? I`m excited for you! :bounce

[Brad B]

I wouldn`t count the <strong class=`bbc`>S4[/b] out because of current resale value. All Audi S-Cars are low production and their value will always creep back up. Immediately off the lot, Audi`s will depreciate, granted. But given the fact that there will be thousands of Bimmers out there for every S4, the S4 price will just get stronger. Also the geography matters a lot. Northern demand for Quattro is very high.

I had a similar situation with a relatively rare 9 year old Audi Coupe Quattro that I sold a year ago. New, the car was in the low $30`s. I drove it for 9 years, placed an ad on the internet and literally had people bidding to get me to sell them the car for $20 grand. That`s strong resale! At that time a comparably equipped 325is was selling for $12-13 tops.;)

Exclusivity is important to me. The BMW is an excellent car, I love them, but around my neighborhood they are as common as mini vans.

I looked seriously at the 328i before the S4 came out and liked it a lot. The base sticker on the S4 was higher but by the time I added all the options necessary on the 328i, the price was about the same. Quattro was the kicker. So I went with the S4. It was a close decision but I don`t regret it.

As far as the old M3s vs the new 330i, send an email to DavidB. He just replaced his `95 (I think) M3 with a new 330i and I believe he counts the new 330i better on all counts, handling, convenience, etc.

I just love the "hunt" for a new car!

[janderson]

Thanks so much for this input. I am going to take a few test drives in the coming weeks. I will let you know how they go, and what I think. Then I can get a bit more feedback. Have a great night!

[ISLANDSBEST]

I concur with the consensus. I just finished doing a lot of new car research for myself and for a friend. The 330 or the Audi are the way to go.



I also concure with an earlier suggestion re the vette. Car and Drive magazine is highly respected. I have read it for 35 years and these guys are good. Now, they always like the BMWs. But, in the issue two months ago, in that month`s comparison test, the vette took first place, taking over from BMW.

[YoSteve]

car and driver rated the S4 first, then the WRX, then the 330xi in the one comparison they did about performance, interesting article but i`d get the BMW over an WRX.

[ihetenyi]

Call me crazy but I love the look of the SHOE! The Z coupe is very cool... too bad some of its technology is old school. Anyways, the vette is the ultimate performance machine for the dollar. However, it looks like marylandbimmer may be looking for a more practical solution as its a daily driver.. the 330i loaded up would then be on my short list. Just don`t get an XI (bad, bad test drive experiences) rather invest in a good set of snow tires. All wheel drive is Audi (and subi`s) expertise.





Steve