I have a 04 BMW 325i for a year now. Nice car, but now that I have a family the car feels a little cramped any time I need to strap in a car seat and take my son somewhere. Granted, this happens pretty rarely, as I have put around 5K miles on it in the year that I have had it.
I can sell the car for what I paid for it a year ago so I get out of it for basically no loss.
I have an issue figuring out what to replace it with. The other "nice" car I had in the past that I really like was a 04 Audi A4. Still a small car however and not one I want to repair again.
What I like is leather interior, bigger interior than the 325i, around $9K, quiet interior, and smooth ride. I am over the driving like I have something to prove.
I am thinking about a Lexus GS300 or GS430 in the second generation, 2001 to 2005. The passenger volume appears to be 100 cf versus the 91 cf of the 325i, so it meets the larger interior requirement. I have heard that Lexus has very quiet interiors. I have also heard that they have very nice interiors as well. I like the interior of the BMW and the Audi before it, very nice fit and finish and I believe the Lexus will match that, from what I have heard.
I can find several in the $8K to $9K range, but many have over 125K miles, but from my understanding these cars are just being broke in at this point, as long as the timing belt has been replaced. Should I be worried with a high mileage Lexus?
The 300 and the 430 of that series both use premimum gas and both get around 19 MPG average. The 430 is really quick when you need it, but that isn't a requirement. I am curious to know if there is a big maintenance difference between the two engines... i.e. one is prone to more or expensive issues.
The other thing I have read is to stay away from the units with navigation as they built in the climate controls in to the headunit and it is an added layer of complexity and I can certainly see how that would be an issue. I would probably replace the headunit anyway so that I can have bluetooth for my phone and that would mean tracking down the manual climate controls and installing them. Not something I want to tackle if I don't have to...
I drive about 13 miles round trip to work when I go in to the office. In the past 6 months though I have probably gone in to the office about 40 days if that. I do most of my work from home. We thought about using just one car but with a small child at home and one of us gone with the only vehicle we don't want to be standed without a way to go to the hospital, doctor, or grandparents at the drop of a hat. Normally not a huge issue but the past two weeks has taught us to be prepared as toddlers are clumsy, so a single vehicle family isn't in the cards for us. Before we had a child we did own just one car, but that is no longer an option.
The other vehicle I have looked at is a Lincoln LS, Zephyr, and MKZ. I have heard great things in reading reviews for them, but not a lot about the longevity of such a vehicle. They appear to be about the same price as the Lexus in my area.
My father in law is a car dealer and comes across all kinds of vehicles so if you have another recommendation please let me know and I'll be sure to check it out. Anything else I should consider given my checklist?
I can sell the car for what I paid for it a year ago so I get out of it for basically no loss.
I have an issue figuring out what to replace it with. The other "nice" car I had in the past that I really like was a 04 Audi A4. Still a small car however and not one I want to repair again.
What I like is leather interior, bigger interior than the 325i, around $9K, quiet interior, and smooth ride. I am over the driving like I have something to prove.
I am thinking about a Lexus GS300 or GS430 in the second generation, 2001 to 2005. The passenger volume appears to be 100 cf versus the 91 cf of the 325i, so it meets the larger interior requirement. I have heard that Lexus has very quiet interiors. I have also heard that they have very nice interiors as well. I like the interior of the BMW and the Audi before it, very nice fit and finish and I believe the Lexus will match that, from what I have heard.
I can find several in the $8K to $9K range, but many have over 125K miles, but from my understanding these cars are just being broke in at this point, as long as the timing belt has been replaced. Should I be worried with a high mileage Lexus?
The 300 and the 430 of that series both use premimum gas and both get around 19 MPG average. The 430 is really quick when you need it, but that isn't a requirement. I am curious to know if there is a big maintenance difference between the two engines... i.e. one is prone to more or expensive issues.
The other thing I have read is to stay away from the units with navigation as they built in the climate controls in to the headunit and it is an added layer of complexity and I can certainly see how that would be an issue. I would probably replace the headunit anyway so that I can have bluetooth for my phone and that would mean tracking down the manual climate controls and installing them. Not something I want to tackle if I don't have to...
I drive about 13 miles round trip to work when I go in to the office. In the past 6 months though I have probably gone in to the office about 40 days if that. I do most of my work from home. We thought about using just one car but with a small child at home and one of us gone with the only vehicle we don't want to be standed without a way to go to the hospital, doctor, or grandparents at the drop of a hat. Normally not a huge issue but the past two weeks has taught us to be prepared as toddlers are clumsy, so a single vehicle family isn't in the cards for us. Before we had a child we did own just one car, but that is no longer an option.
The other vehicle I have looked at is a Lincoln LS, Zephyr, and MKZ. I have heard great things in reading reviews for them, but not a lot about the longevity of such a vehicle. They appear to be about the same price as the Lexus in my area.
My father in law is a car dealer and comes across all kinds of vehicles so if you have another recommendation please let me know and I'll be sure to check it out. Anything else I should consider given my checklist?
