What car to buy with $30k??????????????

Accumulator said:
30K Ferraris are usually that cheap for a reason, and much as I wanted to love the Phaeton (too bad about the soft suspension) I wouldn't own one unless I also owned a very good VW dealership.



Some cars are just bad ideas for people who have to consider budgeting in the first place.
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Oh YEAH!!!

I bought a 308 back in the 90's, stole it!

Or so I thought, 6 months later and $6,000 in keeping it running, just for one weekend day a week, sold it and barely broke even.

The only upside is I can say I actually owned and drove a Ferrari.

Grumpy
 
Most likely an e30 M3. Not the most glorious car ever made, by todays standards. But at its time, one of the best all around cars, and even today, they are still amazing cars.





Besides that, Ive always wanted an Audi S8 (might be close with that price range)
 
pinoyheat551 said:
If you had 30k to burn on a used car, what kind of car would you buy??? Would you go for a used 7 series or s class (high mileage though), or a used m3? Or perhaps even an 07 benz E55 AMG? Heck, i've seen a lotus elise for 30k online. For 30k, what car would get you the most bang for your buck???
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i can tell you last year i bought a used e60 bmw 530i (2007). it was a certified pre-owned with a factory warranty for 9 more months after purchase and then a 2-year limited warranty that covered everything but "maintenance" items and radio parts. i paid $29k.



this was the worst vehicle decision i have ever made in my life. the car had 13 problems in 15 months, most of which were quite serious. the dealerships continually would try to find a loophole out of warrantying any of the items under the CPO. one such problem was a broken gas main seal, which they tried to tell me was a maintenance item. needless to say i sold the car after the 15 month mark and bought a brand new camaro and couldn't be happier.



i would also go ahead and suggest any foreign car like bmw would be a poor financial decision. granted i got a lemon, but bmw's customer service is sub-par at best. i would think mercedes and audi may have better customer service, but that isn't to say that out of warranty they have any less problems.
 
UBERKLEEN said:
Most likely an e30 M3. Not the most glorious car ever made, by todays standards. But at its time, one of the best all around cars, and even today, they are still amazing cars...
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I had mine built by Ray Korman. While it was really, *really* cool, it wasn't something that everybody would like as much as I did. Handful in bad weather, for one thing and a lot of people might find it a bit too, uhm....basic when it comes to creature comforts. But yeah, mine was my daily driver until some [individual] rear-ended it with his pickup while I was stuck in traffic.



Besides that, Ive always wanted an Audi S8 (might be close with that price range)
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Note that my wife and I have a '00 A8 and a '01 S8, both bought new and very well-maintained...and we're *NEVER* selling either of 'em unless there's a total-loss wreck. So I'm a huge fan of those cars.





There was an article in a car mag recently about how buying those exact cars can be a tempting ticket to financial suicide. I'm not saying I agree with that, and my wife and I simply *LOVE* ours, but they can cost a bit now and then and you have to have a mechanic who knows those particular cars (not just a guy who "works on lots of German stuff" or even "lots of Audis"). My wife's A8 just cost me $1300 the other day for a transmission service and a leaky pinion seal; every now and then they cost a few thousand dollars for something that shouldn't be put off. Don't ask what it costs to fix a dash cluster when "just a few" lights don't work right :grinno:



For quite a while I looked into buying another one. Looked at a lot of "VERY NICE!" examples. Every single one of 'em was a hopeless money-pit. By the time somebody sells one, there's a really good reason why they don't want it any more. Quit looking when a friend sold me her '93 V8Q, a car that redefines "expensive service needs" ;)



Note that the newer, and "better" A8/S8 can be much more problematic than older ones like mine are. My service manager claims he's *VERY* happy that mine have the old-tech suspensions and fewer electronic wonders to go haywire, says that a uhm...particular customer like me would be very unhappy and that he'd go nuts trying to keep me satisfied.



All-in-all I don't think they're bad choices at all. IF you can get one with no real problems, and IF you have a very good A8 wrench, and IF you can afford to spend whatever it takes, whenever it needs it, to keep things 100%. Lot cheaper, and far fewer hassles, to just buy something new though ;)
 
Gosh, and IIRC, those expenses are with very low miles on Accumulator's cars. A case of being detailed more than driven, yet still very costly maintenance, I take it?
 
Accumulator said:
a lot of people might find it a bit too, uhm....basic when it comes to creature comforts.
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It is a car left for the pure enthusiast. Personally, if I am looking at a 1991 car, I'm probably not looking at it for SATNAV. :wink1: Sadly, the pricing of a well maintained e30 M3 is still close to 25K-30K, and as such, I will probably never own one.



As far as luxury vehicles, I love the idea of them, but after owning a 04 Jaguar X-type, I'll stay away from those service costs. Easily $600 every time I brought it to the shop.



So many nice cars that I would love to own/tinker with, that will probably never be... :frown:
 
tuffluck said:
i can tell you last year i bought a used e60 bmw 530i (2007). it was a certified pre-owned with a factory warranty for 9 more months after purchase and then a 2-year limited warranty that covered everything but "maintenance" items and radio parts. i paid $29k.



this was the worst vehicle decision i have ever made in my life. the car had 13 problems in 15 months, most of which were quite serious. the dealerships continually would try to find a loophole out of warrantying any of the items under the CPO. one such problem was a broken gas main seal, which they tried to tell me was a maintenance item. needless to say i sold the car after the 15 month mark and bought a brand new camaro and couldn't be happier.



i would also go ahead and suggest any foreign car like bmw would be a poor financial decision. granted i got a lemon, but bmw's customer service is sub-par at best. i would think mercedes and audi may have better customer service, but that isn't to say that out of warranty they have any less problems.
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another one to look at, if you like sedans, is the hyundai genesis. a lot of people don't consider a genesis a worthy vehicle for the 30k price point, but these things have amazing warranties (even buying used) and the v8 in this sedan is very quick. you would have to go used to get close to 30k, but IMO it's a much better car for the money vs. a bmw, audi, lexus, or mercedes. btw, all of those i just mentioned you could find used at 30k, but you wouldn't find any even remotely as quick unless you were looking for one 10 years or older.
 
Shiny Lil Detlr said:
You sure about that, Acc? I just spotted this...Looks like it might actually be *almost* up to your standards....
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Yeah, good find. If I didn't have the '93 V8Q and/or the Crown Vic I'd drive over and check it out. BUT...I can't help but wonder why it's for sale if it's really all that. Eh, factor in six grand for work and, well....hope you like it as much as you thought you would.



Bill D said:
Gosh, and IIRC, those expenses are with very low miles on Accumulator's cars. A case of being detailed more than driven, yet still very costly maintenance, I take it?
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Well, the S8 truly is detailed more than driven by a long shot and it doesn't need much except fluids and filters, but my wife's A8 has well over 100K and really is a year-round daily driver. The '93 V8Q has ~75K, but it's one seriously (overly) complicated vehicle...my mechanic (lucky me, he knows those cars inside and out) calls it a "four door 928". Its original owner is richer than God, and *she* was fed up with its ongoing needs!



UBERKEEEN said:
...[the e30 M3].. is a car left for the pure enthusiast. Personally, if I am looking at a 1991 car, I'm probably not looking at it for SATNAV. Sadly, the pricing of a well maintained e30 M3 is still close to 25K-30K, and as such, I will probably never own one...
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I think I'm a bit warped on the "older car/fewer features" as my wife and I are all about that no-frills type of vehicle. Heh heh, we've never even loaded the CDs for the NAV on the Audis, never used any of those fancy features on the Denali in the years we had it. Love the bare-bones nature of the Tahoe and Crown Vic!



I'd be *VERY* nervous about buying an e30 M3 unless I knew its history. Mine was from a collector, basically never drove it since new, and after Korman went through it I was confident it was OK. But these days I bet most of those cars have some scary stories to tell.
 
Accumulator said:
I'd be *VERY* nervous about buying an e30 M3 unless I knew its history. Mine was from a collector, basically never drove it since new, and after Korman went through it I was confident it was OK. But these days I bet most of those cars have some scary stories to tell.
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I completely agree. Unless it as a project shell with a s85 V10 in it... Not that I have ever given that any thought... :whistle1:
 
Another car I would consider would be a MKIV R32. Maybe even with a Twin-Turbo, if I am required to use up the remaining cash to hit the $30,000 price mark :D
 
bigltc said:
okay, how about a 8 series bmw. I've always liked the look.
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Same potential issues- maintenance requiring model-specific expertise and considerable expense. If those aren't a problem, then sure. At least I'd expect most of those cars to be less beat-on than some other BMWs I can think of.



Wonder how the parts availability is on those :think:
 
Accumulator said:
Same potential issues- maintenance requiring model-specific expertise and considerable expense.
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I do like the 850i's. However, I would stay away from them for this very reason.
 
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