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I'd look into an '06-'12 Lexus IS350. You can get one for around $8k-$12k depending on year/mileage. Nice all round car. Got some power too! 306hp 277 ft-lb of tq. RWD.
For those who are into luxury automobiles like BMW and Mercedes, what kind of tips would you give a person who has never purchased a luxury automobile? How far back in years would you go, how much mileage is too much, maintenance costs? Dependability? And I know this is going to open a can of worms, but which luxury vehicle make would you go with? Which model out of that make? Year?
You are entering a zone of deception and lies. Dealers of luxury cars (branded and aftermarket) do not tell the truth about their cars. BMW, Mercedes, Audi are not reliable cars. Many can't even make 75K without 000's in repairs. Big city luxury car dealers charge close to $200/hr in labor costs (try $125 to replace wiper blades at a Lexus dealer). If you get one, get a warranty with it (CPO or CarMax warranty). Lexus and Infiniti are very reliable but there are still problem cars. Caddy is somewhere in the middle.
Be prepared, research - the more the better. Only buy a one owner car, don't buy a car that has been sold at auction, don't pay 75% of new car price for a car with 40K miles and aftermarket warranty. Look at KBB/NADA pricing guides. Decide what you want, be patient and negotiate. Use trusted mechanics if needed to inspect the car(s).
If you're looking for fun factor, I'd recommend the BMW. The older Z, 3 and 5 series are all really fun drivers.
All of the BMW/MB/Audi's are made to run for hundreds of thousands of miles but will (like any other car) require maintenance.
What I'd look for is a vehicle that has right around 100,000 miles on it and was serviced at an authorized dealer for its entire life. At 90K miles, almost all vehicles have a big service scheduled. You'll want to make sure that's been done. Read the CarFax and make sure all scheduled/dealer maintenance has been performed.
For those who are into luxury automobiles like BMW and Mercedes, what kind of tips would you give a person who has never purchased a luxury automobile? How far back in years would you go, how much mileage is too much, maintenance costs? Dependability? And I know this is going to open a can of worms, but which luxury vehicle make would you go with? Which model out of that make? Year?
Are you buying it as a daily driver, or as a second vehicle? In any case, find a good BMW mechanic that isn't a dealer. And find one that has been owned by an enthusiast. Be prepared to spend a little more on maintenance, and enjoy it.
Well, I absolutely love the looks of the BMW Z4 Roadster. I would be thrilled to own a 2000 model, as I think they still look as hot now as they did 16 years ago. I could add all the latest tech if I needed to. I just think the car itself is still a gorgeous piece of machinery.
That being said, there's some trims in the 3 series of BMW that seem really nice. I am just not familiar with all of the different models and trim levels. I would say that what I would want out of a luxury vehicle is all the comforts inside, sporty looks on the outside, a good mix of fuel economy but yet powerful enough to be fast.
All for a budget not exceeding $12,000. In terms of looks, doesn't matter to me if the car is three years old or 15 years old. If the car was taken care of and still looks great, I'm good.
If you're just considering BMW and Mercedes, with a budget of $12k your options are somewhat limited, even going used. You don't want to buy a model that is known for problems.
A Z4 could work, I don't know much about them. I'd also recommend a used Mercedes CLK430, CLK500 as well. They are reliable cars, look great, and can get them in both coupe and convertible form.
You could also get a Porsche Boxster for that price, and reliability should be better than the Z4.
If you're just considering BMW and Mercedes, with a budget of $12k your options are somewhat limited, even going used. You don't want to buy a model that is known for problems.
A Z4 could work, I don't know much about them. I'd also recommend a used Mercedes CLK430, CLK500 as well. They are reliable cars, look great, and can get them in both coupe and convertible form.
You could also get a Porsche Boxster for that price, and reliability should be better than the Z4.
I dont know what it is about the clk line, but I have 2 friend who have owned CLK's and both had creeks and rattles in the interior that were worse than an old wooden boat.
You are entering a zone of deception and lies. Dealers of luxury cars (branded and aftermarket) do not tell the truth about their cars. BMW, Mercedes, Audi are not reliable cars. Many can't even make 75K without 000's in repairs. Big city luxury car dealers charge close to $200/hr in labor costs (try $125 to replace wiper blades at a Lexus dealer). If you get one, get a warranty with it (CPO or CarMax warranty). Lexus and Infiniti are very reliable but there are still problem cars. Caddy is somewhere in the middle.
Be prepared, research - the more the better. Only buy a one owner car, don't buy a car that has been sold at auction, don't pay 75% of new car price for a car with 40K miles and aftermarket warranty. Look at KBB/NADA pricing guides. Decide what you want, be patient and negotiate. Use trusted mechanics if needed to inspect the car(s).
All of this is excellent advice. Definitely the most objective advice I have seen in this thread. Just a minor correction; Audi is actually one of the most reliable luxury car brands:
To expand on what he said; I would only buy a BMW or Mercedes (or any model with lower reliability) that still is under factory warranty with a certain mileage. For example, BMW has a 4 year/50K factory warranty. The sweet spot for buying a BMW would be a 3 year model with less then 35K miles. This would maximize the depreciation of price for you, be under warranty and still give you a pretty new car.
I would also ask to take the car to a mechanic of my choosing for a full detailed inspection before I purchase the car. Honest dealers will have no problem with this provided you pay for the inspection. This way you can be sure the car is in good mechanical shape. I have always done this with used car purchases and got problem free cars every time. The 1 year left on the warranty will provide you with ample time to test out the car for any arising problems and if problems come up you can get them fixed free of charge.
For more reliable models like Lexus I would be willing to buy a car out of warranty provided I can get the above inspection done before purchase. If the car is in good mechanical/electrical shape before purchase chances are you won't have any major problems for years to come.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ThomasCrown
If you're just considering BMW and Mercedes, with a budget of $12k your options are somewhat limited, even going used. You don't want to buy a model that is known for problems.
Agreed. Your just asking for trouble when you buy a BMW or Mercedes in that price range. There is a very good chance that those models in that price range will need expensive repairs. Just think about how you will feel if your stuck with a 1.5K+ mandatory repair bill just 1 year after you buy the car. The only way I would even consider buying those models in that price range would be if I planned to keep the car for less then 2 years. But that would be a total waste of money and I don't see too many people doing that. If you are in love with those models consider increasing your budget.
Last edited by griffon652; 08-15-2016 at 01:27 PM..
Hey guys. Just to let ya know, I'm only kicking the tires right now. Just gather information. Which, by the way, you guys are giving me some valuable info and I really appreciate it. Now, the question was asked if this would be my daily driver. Yes and no. Depends upon the situation. Right now, I am just in the mode of trying to pay off some debt. I'm thinking of having our family drop down to one vehicle for a little while, just to help get rid of the debt a little faster. So, it's one of those deals where I'm looking at all possibilities of what I would want to do when I go to purchase my next vehicle. I would prefer to save up and purchase in cash, and I'm thinking saving up $12,000 would take me awhile, so I threw that figure out as probably the best case scenario of what we could save up within a year and some change. I considered an older luxury car because a lot of them are still really attractive, and if I happen to have the perfect deal fall in my lap where a well taken care of older Z4 or a i328 was available around that price, I would grab it and enjoy the car for a few years. OR, I could simply take the $12k and buy a Nissan Sentra that's a few years old - something like an SR trim, and then save for a fun, weekend, sports car. I'm just looking at all possibilities.
I do like the idea put out there of finding a vehicle that is in the second to last year in warranty and under $40k. I would suspect most luxury cars with that description is going to be much more in price. I also don't really go for the certified pre-owned thing. I think that's mostly marketing. I mean, it's still a used car no matter how you look at it. A reputable dealer should be inspecting and repairing all of their used inventory they wish to sell, not just the newest used stuff. But that's just my opinion.
So I see we have some Lexus fans, some BMW fans, haven't heard much from the Mercedes crowd. Porsche is an interesting suggestion.
The only used luxury car I'd ever consider is Lexus! Stay away from anything German that's out of warranty unless you enjoy spending lots of time at the shop while dishing out large sums of money on repairs.
Can you afford the insurance? My 13+ yr old German car insurance cost a tad more than my 2016 60 grand Lexus.
A few years ago my buddy bought a e46 325xi manual for about 10 grand with 85k miles on the odo. He is now pushing over 160k miles in it now as a daily with regular maint....biggest work was the strut & shock which I helped him DIY. He is still on the original clutch.
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