Daily driver BMW options

zagatoes30

Member
Messages
20,756
E55K Estates are nice

Are you leader of their fan base? If not they should pay you for all the promotional activity you do for them. Personally I can't get past they look like an undertakers weekend car.

I like the old W124 Coupe but they are a bit old now same with a W123 Saloon.

On BMW front a nice E39 takes some beating but finding good ones now is getting harder and harder
 

rockits

Member
Messages
9,167
I'm a big fan of that E55K engine/box/suspension combo as you can't tell.

There is no weak areas really. It is fast, it is comfortable, it carries lots of stuff, it rides well, it handles decent for a big lump & the brakes are good. It sounds good & can sound better & can be tuned at multiple stages from 476bhp to nearly 800bhp fairly cost effectively. It is well built inside & out & not too many design flaws or weak points. They don't cost a fortune to run either. It is why I bought one again.
 

rockits

Member
Messages
9,167
Agreed about the undertakers comment mainly on the black ones though. The best colour is a dark blue metallic like Azurite or Tanzanite. However they are very rare & low in numbers. Although silvers are OK. The Cubanite I have is also rare and growing on me.
 

Contigo

Sponsor
Messages
18,376
Like what Phil?

Ideas?

Depends there are loads out there which are on the cusp of big appreciation.

Honda S2000 (These are still pretty cheap for the package and very desirable)
BMW Z4M convertible (note the Coupes have already gone pop so the convs offer great value)
BMW E46 M3 CS (again amazing value compared to the CSL)
Audi RS4 B5 Avant (get a low miler quickly as they are already on the up)
BMW E39 M5 (leggy now but still bargains to be had)
Honda Integra Type R DC5.

There are lots of these type cars out there which if bought right offer pretty much free motoring (in terms of depreciation)
 

Lozzingers

Member
Messages
192
I nearly bought a new 335d touring 2 years ago (at a 25% discount) or a year old m135i 5 door. Having driven them both, the power out of roundabouts and the grip of the 335 was just immense. But the chuckability of the 135 and rwd won me over. Quite a price difference for just a foot's extra boot space! Have now done over 20k miles in 2 years and is a brilliant car, is our daily and only car in fact! A little small with an 18 month old so may be swapping for a new style xc90, again got to be blue... But they are great fun cars and sensible enough ( cruise at 80mph all the way to Spain gives 38mpg per tank), not bad. 140 even quicker to 60, but I'd get a 5 door for sure. They look as good imo, and a bit more space inside when you do take your kids. So over a 335 d or 135 get the latter, but I've never driven a Ghibli, but the BMW is almost as fun as my maserati was. My extended warranty is £410 for the year ( with £100 excess) and I've got the 5 year/50,000 miles service package which is brilliant as well so try find one with those if you can!
 

mjheathcote

Centenary Club
Messages
9,033
I nearly bought a new 335d touring 2 years ago (at a 25% discount) or a year old m135i 5 door. Having driven them both, the power out of roundabouts and the grip of the 335 was just immense. But the chuckability of the 135 and rwd won me over. Quite a price difference for just a foot's extra boot space! Have now done over 20k miles in 2 years and is a brilliant car, is our daily and only car in fact! A little small with an 18 month old so may be swapping for a new style xc90, again got to be blue... But they are great fun cars and sensible enough ( cruise at 80mph all the way to Spain gives 38mpg per tank), not bad. 140 even quicker to 60, but I'd get a 5 door for sure. They look as good imo, and a bit more space inside when you do take your kids. So over a 335 d or 135 get the latter, but I've never driven a Ghibli, but the BMW is almost as fun as my maserati was. My extended warranty is £410 for the year ( with £100 excess) and I've got the 5 year/50,000 miles service package which is brilliant as well so try find one with those if you can!

Thank you so much for your post.
Saw three 140i's yesterday, all thee door (my choice), all just a year old, all white, two auto's and one manual.
Also saw two Golf R's, even though I said I wasn't interested...the VW dealerships being 'on route'...
All three 140i's were as new, the auto's approx 6K miles, the manual just over 2K miles!!
All three pretty much the same price too.
The Golf R's a little more money, nearly 2 years old, and higher mileage.
Regarding spec, the Golf's are fully loaded as standard, the BMW's not bad, but mostly with no additional options. Leather, Sat Nav is standard with things like LED headlights, but no parking sensors. The manual does have heated seats though, that I loved in my 320d MSport, and is something I would miss with leather seats.
Weather yesterday not suitable for test drives, all where covered in snow parked outside on snow bound forecourts.
The sensible choice says the Golf, in Estate form too.
The heart says the BMW, in manual, with heated seats!
The BMW's all have 2 years BMW remaining warranty, and with the low miles on them, especially the manual car, in a couple of years time when 3 years old, the mileage with me doing approx 20K a year will still be less than 45K on the clock.
Just need a test drive to confirm now.
I also feel that this maybe one of the last opportunities to have such a car as a daily while the kids are pre-teen (just), big engine, rear wheel drive, and a manual gearbox!
I'm talking myself into it aren't I!
 

rockits

Member
Messages
9,167
Go for the heart decision and not the head decision for sure. I've lived most of my life with my head. I'm now starting to spin 180 & use what my head has given me to make heart decisions. If I had done it the other way round I would likely be poorer financially but richer in other ways.

Not sure if one is better than the other. Still searching for the answers.
 

Andyk

Member
Messages
61,038
Go for heart as above....they are loads of fun....Yeslooks aren't for everyone but that's irelevant if you like...I am a fan of these....as said as quick as my E46 M3.
 

Lozzingers

Member
Messages
192
Yeah the options on bmw does affect 2nd hand prices actually quite a bit. Desirable are professional nav( is a bigger screen but I don't think it's totally necessary) and sensors and heated seats are nice, mine has heated steering wheel which is just amazing, Harmon kardon speakers and adaptable suspension good to have too (I don't).
The golf is front wheel drive until it senses slip, and being in a friends winding through Cornwall it gripped well in the wet, but the BMW is more fun! Get winter tyres if you want and you'll be fine! After I test drove one I knew I had to have one. Paid £22,300 with 12,000 on the clock (£38k new) and after 22k miles is probably about 17-£18k now 2 years later isn't too bad depreciation either.
Go for it!
 

BennyD

Sea Urchin Pate
Messages
14,994
I got my 335D with as many options as I could find; electric, red leather sports seats (nice but not essential), seat heating front (essential) and rear (not so much), heated steering wheel (fantastic), head up display (great, works really well), pro sat nav (essential as it has live traffic updates), Hardon Kardon stereo (nice if you like music), uprated braking (desirable), adaptive bi-xenon headlights (essential; very bright with good light spread), adaptive suspension (desirable), servotronic steering (nicely weighted), electric sun roof (I rarely use it), PDC front and rear (very useful), reversing camera (useful), park assist (not used it yet), surround view (fantastic), comfort access (nice to have), active cruise control (really useful), electric rear blinds (not used them yet) and all sorts of support through the car and I-drive. Plus it has sh!tloads of grunt and traction and can still get up towards 50 on a run. A fantastic all round car, but no real soul.
 

mjheathcote

Centenary Club
Messages
9,033
Just got back from test driving the manual.
What a weapon!
Couldn't give it all the balls in the conditions, but it has Maserati levels of go for sure.
Heated seats nice too!!
To be honest it drove and rode, with the manual box, just like the manual 320d MSport I had, but with over 300 BHP instead!
Had my 8 year old son in the back, he was a salesman dream...need to educate him not to express his true feelings in front of a salesman!
I'm not sure I want to test drive the auto now...I just like the 'control' of the manual box with 'loads of power available'
The VW DSG I've had for a few months is very good, but too good maybe? I always feel you can control your speed better with a manual and the modern auto's just allow speed to build too easily with not the same amount of engine braking.
 

Lozzingers

Member
Messages
192
I'm a manual man, but my wife only has an auto license... So I chose wife &auto over manual and single! I've only driven the manual 135 at goodwood bmw skid pan place which was great fun, and like being able to choose gears/pop the clutch in for some extra wheelspin, but I have to say the auto is brilliant. And being 8 speed over 6 speed of the manual I believe the grams per whatever world killer is slightly better for auto. The auto does have full manual override similar to my wife's dsg tt, but go for what you like the best! My old 2009 330d touring was manual and I loved it, but most went auto...
I agree most of BennyD's options, except sunroof I don't like for headroom, but heads up display should be standard on all cars for safety, not some ridiculous £1000 ish) option!
 

mjheathcote

Centenary Club
Messages
9,033
Bought this morning, pick up on Thursday.
One year old M140i Manual, with only 3K miles on the clock, so, as new.
Brum brum!
 

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Lozzingers

Member
Messages
192
Good man! The ONLY colour option as well, was the only colour in my search options
Enjoy, just be aware it's shocking in the snow!
 

JonW

Member
Messages
3,259
Bought this morning, pick up on Thursday.
One year old M140i Manual, with only 3K miles on the clock, so, as new.
Brum brum!

Gorgeous looking car and will be fantastic to drive in the summer... In the meantime, buy some winter tyres - otherwise it will be stuck on even the mildest of inclines, and will slip and slide more than a snowboard on ice.
 

mjheathcote

Centenary Club
Messages
9,033
Good man! The ONLY colour option as well, was the only colour in my search options ��
Enjoy, just be aware it's shocking in the snow!

Most are white, and the colour did swing it I must say, also, it had to be a 3 door too.

Nice color like the old Estoril blue my Z3 M roadster was.

Yes, the same Estoril blue.
It develops more power and torque than your old Z3M!!


Gorgeous looking car and will be fantastic to drive in the summer... In the meantime, buy some winter tyres - otherwise it will be stuck on even the mildest of inclines, and will slip and slide more than a snowboard on ice.

I'm hoping the snow is over now.
I certainly will get a set of winter wheels and tyres for next winter.
The piggy bank is a bit empty now at the moment for what is hopefully the last of this winter!
It's been specified with Michelin Supersports which is nice, rather than the standard runflats, which is a bonus.