I'm in the market for a new car. I really want a Wolfsburg Jetta 1.8T, so I can play with the engine.... But I came across a 1999 or 2000 BMW 328i yesterday, and I really think I can afford it, actually the 99 is the same payments as I am making now. If I was going to get it, I would wait about another year, and start looking for something similar..... So whats up (Pat), do you recommend it? Would insurance be any higher on a BMW then a normal car? I would not be buying this until I got to Halifax, cause there is not any dealers on the Island.
My insurance is perfectly reasonable, it's actually less than on my Integra ('tegs are stolen lots here). I can give you one pretty solid reason not to get it: maintenence. Be ready to pay about $2K/year worth of that. If that doesn't turn you off, then go for it. They are awesome cars that are very safe, reliable, and a blast to drive. MAKE SURE that the one you get has the sport pack... the seats are 1.6trillion times better than the base seats.
Add up your oil changes, brake jobs, tire rotations, alignments, etc and see what they come to. I'm talking about main-dealer service on schedule with the book here... but instead of a book it's your instrument cluster and it tells you each time you fire it up.
Nice cars! My buddy had the same model. Was sharp, very comfy! His biggest complaints where repair bills. Everything cost so uch to fix! Parts where expensive. But still, great car! Actually im wrong, his was a 318 if i remember correctly..if that is a model..lol
'bout $140USD for me to get one, someone quoted $115CDN for an oil change on an E46 car in Halifax... either way, it's every 15,500 miles so do the math.
I've looked at some E36's in the past as well and unless its a stellar deal I don't think I could bring myself to buy one. Good cars but we have one BMW dealership around here and by all accounts I've heard their service department is a pain in the ass. Dealer monopolies are never good things. Having said that I've been told that Altrom is starting to make more aftermarket OEM-alike parts for them now so if you're willing to wrench it yourself they're getting cheaper to work with.
I've got one - works great! 2003 Jetta TDI G/F's dad has one with over 420,000 kms on it - never a problem! '98 Jetta TDI I'd say that they are good enough!!!
No I can't afford one actually. If I could there are plenty of other cars I would purchase over some VW.
It'd do well with an LSD, I'll say that... but I don't like how it'll wash out under power. That's terminal, man.. it drove me nuts.
Agreed, FWD is shitty for high power or racing apps. My Scirocco has an LSD but its still not enough when you get on the power on exit. RWD is definitly where its at. My next car will be a bone stock, or maybe slightly modded E36 M3. This whole high strung FWD car thing has turned me off of highly modified street cars. Might as well get a great sports car right off the bat. Hey Dubsta, do a bit of reading up on the different models and options that you are looking for in a car. Not all Bimmers are created equally. If you ask the parts dept. at the dealership they can give you a whole printout on your vehicle's options based on the VIN. And to tell you the truth I wouldn't do much more than brakes and oil changes in my driveway. Other stuff requires special tools for the most part, or diagnostics. Oh and coupes are a 100 times better looking than the sedans.
