OC 335d

Background:
Looking to buy a house soon (actively looking/bidding) so it definitely affects my decision. My lease ends in May on my 335i.

Requirements:
I need a car that can seat 4. Does not necessarily need to be a 4dr but I don't mind it if the car is somewhat sport as well. Must be RWD or AWD. Do not want to down that much or have high payments. Looking in the 400 or so range. I will not purchase the car until I secure a home as I don't want it to possibly affect my rates.

Few possible options...
1. Purchase a used car. Don't want to down too much or have a high car payment.

1b. Friend bought a used 2004 S4. It was a dealer showroom car that didn't get driven. He put 7000 miles on it after the purchase. It has 7xxx miles. It is very clean. Only cons are it is Red and has Tan interior. I'm not a big fan of Red although I think the Audi one looks very nice. I'd prefer Black interior but I might live with Tan as it looks nice in this particular combo and the car might be a real good deal. It would be around $22,000 for me.

2. Lease another new car. Options could be STI, Evo, 370z (if I forgo the 2 seater requirement). Any other recommendations? Not a big fan of the G37 Sedan I drove for a month.

Thanks! Appreciate the thoughts.

Note: Please don't turn this into a bashing XXXX brand thread as I'm pretty open minded when it comes to cars. We have an IS so that is out of the question.

LexFather

Since you are buying a home do you want something with some utility? Wagon, hatch, SUV or not really? I believe the last S4 could be had in a wagon.

Just thinking ahead for those home depot runs

(Cj)

I think a used car would be best for your situation. Whether you take your friend's Audi is up to you, but there are a lot of used BMWs, Audis, Mercedes, and Lexus you can get in your price range.

Do you want something midsized or compact?

OC 335d

Smart man. I thought about this but would only occasionally need it. The parents have a extra (third car) older LX450 in case I needed something larger. They will live > 10 miles away from where I will be purchasing a home.

Probably prefer something mid-sized but would consider something compact. However nothing as small as a Mini-cooper as I just don't feel safe in them with all these gargantuan SUV drivers in their own world around here.

Edit: I think I would also prefer something more on the fun side as opposed to something like a SUV (I would not go off-roading) or pure luxury sedan.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

imho if you are getting a house, i would be conservative and get a reliable used car (meaning japanese). keep the cost down. you can always go with more "fun" when you are ready.

mmarshall

My advice is try and get the house before May (if you can find one suitable for your needs), settle on your payments for it, and THEN see how much you have left over, in the rest of your budget for for car payments and other expenses. Then we can talk about a replacement for your 335.

If you need to actually replace your car BEFORE you get a new house.......well, then, we can go from there.

joe80

i would lease another car. Evo would be my choice.

LexFather

What about a used 5 series if you enjoyed the 3 series?

rdgdawg

Practicality- CPO 3 or 5-series

FUN- S4- but I live in the snow belt...

IS-SV

Not sure how tight you are on qualifying for the loan on the house, but something to keep in mind is the size of the monthly car payment does get factored in. Might be better to close the deal on a house first.

OC 335d

I think I mentioned I won't be getting the new car until I finalize the house, thanks for the concern though. (no sarcasm)

5 series, interesting. I know roughly how much the payments will be, it's just time to settle for something a bit cheaper.

mmarshall

That was my earlier point (and IS-SV). Settle on the new house first, then find out how much left over you can spend on a car, and we'll talk.

MrIan

Evo and STi would definitely be fun, but I think you would miss the refinement of your 335. How about a Legacy GT?

DASHOCKER

iTrader: (2)

Congrats on the prospective home. I know what it is like to be a prospective home owner. It took time but now my driveway is complete.. I say go with a BMW 545i Sport. You can slap on the BBS's on that car or sell them to me Do you have a part out thread on the post?

caddyowner

How about a CPO 1st generation Cadillac CTS, 06 or 07, with the 3.6L engine? I had an 04 CTS and it was good car for the 50K miles I owned it. I would recommend getting the Cadillac certified warranty which is bumper-to-bumper for 100K total miles / 6 years from original in-service date.