[amitoj]

Originally Posted by mohit

Want to get a new one Amitoj?

Ah. Can't afford a new one right now. One reason for the budget cut was that I need to reduce my monthly car payments for the next couple of years or so. I have had some unexpected dents in my savings and need to rebuild them.

Originally Posted by vineethvazhayil

The links do work. Of the lot, I liked the BMW the most - but then as they say, good things come at a price. Expect maintenance costs are higher, even if there are no major issues. If there are issues, then pray to god

Can you get a 2 or 3 year warranty with the BMW? Maybe a 40000 mile bumper to bumper warranty would be a good idea? You can look for the warranty outside of the dealer - dealer prices are high.

I have been reading about the 335i's. They suffer from 3 main issues:
1. Serpentine belt failure due to bad design. Apparently this is due to a design flaw in the subframe, on the driver side engine mounts. There was a redesigned subframe released by BMW. If this car has it, then at least this part is covered. Otherwise also it does not seem like a big task, provided it is caught before it can do damage.
2. Wastegate failure in turbos. I believe this can be checked by looking for a rattle after revving. Saw a couple of youtube videos.
3 High Pressure Fuel Pump failure. This can be checked by seeing how long the car takes to crank.
Anything else, i don't know.

Will be testing this car in an hour or so:
2012 VW GTI

It is above my budget but right now this is just a trial for size.

Originally Posted by gatham.psb

EJ motors since 07 STI's started the trend of the ringland problems with Subaru's. So make sure you carefully go through the car history. Just google "07 sti ringland problems" to know more about the issue.

Didn't the BMW's of that gen have issues with fuel pump? Take a look if it was replaced as there was a recall for it.

Thanks for that heads up! I personally am happy with just the WRX, but this is a good thing you told me about.

Originally Posted by aah78

Yes, there is a recall for the high pressure fuel pump, and also one for the injectors.

By the way, 4 people will not be very comfortable in a coupe.

Also, the WRX & STi are also short on space.
Fine for 2 adults, 2 kids but uncomfortable for 3 adults in the back.

Also, older people (parents) will not like the rear suspension.

I need only 2 adults and 2 kids to fit in the car. For everything else, we have the bus, a.k.a. Honda Odyssey.

[vineethvazhayil]

Originally Posted by amitoj

I have been reading about the 335i's. They suffer from 3 main issues:
1. Serpentine belt failure due to bad design. Apparently this is due to a design flaw in the subframe, on the driver side engine mounts. There was a redesigned subframe released by BMW. If this car has it, then at least this part is covered. Otherwise also it does not seem like a big task, provided it is caught before it can do damage.
2. Wastegate failure in turbos. I believe this can be checked by looking for a rattle after revving. Saw a couple of Youtube videos.
3 High Pressure Fuel Pump failure. This can be checked by seeing how long the car takes to crank.
Anything else, i don't know.


It is above my budget but right now this is just a trial for size.

Items 2 and 3 - I have heard/read a lot - especially the fuel pump failure. It is expensive to repair too. Other than that its the usual stuff, German cars have costlier spares and labor - so you should have that in the back of your mind.

The GTI is a tossable size - I like the size of the car and it is rather peppy. Mod potential is also good. You may like it, I suppose..

[maddy42]

Originally Posted by theMAG

I've been driving around a rental Chevy Cruze here in Denver to cover my 6 week stay. I can say that the car is OK (but cant see why people should pay Rs 20 lakhs back home though), but that autobox is rubbish: its seems rather confused on when to select a down/up shift.

Mag i believe this is due to the diesel engine which is in the indian one vs the petrol one here. I faced the same issue when i rented a cruze and the car was a laggard to say the least.

Maddy

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Will be testing this car in an hour or so:
2012 VW GTI

It is above my budget but right now this is just a trial for size.

The test drive went well. The car is not as fast as the Mazdaspeed but it still has a nice punch to it. It was more refined as well. The Mazdaspeed is like a full on brat while the GTI is like the brat who grew up. GTI has more leg space but less boot compared to Mazdaspeed. And i also felt more comfortable in the Mazda whereas GTI was not so comfortable.

Anyway, this GTI is beyond my budget and the dealership claims to be a no haggle, one price dealership. Besides, they were not interested in my trade either. Didnt know that could happen!

Tomorrow, if my work permits, I will be testing out the 335, WRX and WRX STIs

Stay tuned!
Cheers
Amitoj

PS: I am also enjoying the interacting with people aspect of it too. The whole process need not be stressful at all if you just stay firm on what you want, without being rude.

[amitoj]

Ok, so i test drove the 2008 335xi yesterday. The car was in good condition. Started up with a very short crank and there was no turbo rattle either. The test drive was also ok. The twin turbos do a good job of power delivery across the entire rpm range.
The car was in average condition but the dealer was not willing to negotiate on the price.
Anyway, I am going to test drive a few more vehicles and make a list. Last couple of days of the month is when I am going to pay them another visit Unless I find something really good before that.
I didnt test drive the Subarus because they looked, well, a bit abused by previous owners.

[eq24]

Originally Posted by theMAG

I've been driving around a rental Chevy Cruze here in Denver to cover my 6 week stay. I can say that the car is OK (but cant see why people should pay Rs 20 lakhs back home though), but that autobox is rubbish: its seems rather confused on when to select a down/up shift.

The car we get in india is the 2 litre diesel version which is really fast. Most rental cruze in the US are the 1.4 litre petrol econoboxes which are not very good.

Also in India there is a stupid positioning system where economic cars like the cruze, corolla, Octavia are given luxury placements in the market for the only reason that the companies can and no one will mind paying.

[vineethvazhayil]

Originally Posted by eq24

The car we get in india is the 2 litre diesel version which is really fast. Most rental cruze in the US are the 1.4 litre petrol econoboxes which are not very good.

I think, more importantly, he is driving around in Denver (or higher altitudes) - where naturally aspirated engines lose a chunk of their output due to less dense air. I think most rental Cruze's I have driven were the 1.8, the 1.4s are less common. Either ways, small engines, high altitude, heavyish car (the Cruze is on the heavier side in that segment) - likely disappointment.

Originally Posted by amitoj

Ok, so i test drove the 2008 335xi yesterday. The car was in good condition. Started up with a very short crank and there was no turbo rattle either. The test drive was also ok. The twin turbos do a good job of power delivery across the entire rpm range.
The car was in average condition but the dealer was not willing to negotiate on the price.

The 335 is rather quick. I wonder if you'd like any GTI's and the like after that.

The STI maybe equally quick, but a 5 year old STI may be in worse condition than a 335 due the differences in initial build quality.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by vineethvazhayil

The 335 is rather quick. I wonder if you'd like any GTI's and the like after that.

The STI maybe equally quick, but a 5 year old STI may be in worse condition than a 335 due the differences in initial build quality.

The 335xi was quick indeed. But somehow I didnt get the "wow" feeling from it. Off the block, yeah the GTI will seem to be standing still compared to the 335. But then there are some other ways to make the GTI quick

Right now it looks like even the WRXs are out of scope given my budget. They are all either too old or have more than 100,000 miles. So, it will most likely be either a GTI or a Mazdaspeed3. I just need to wait out the next couple of weeks.

[Jomz]

Have you thought of a Subaru Legacy GT?Same Engine as the WRX, But less modded. Cheaper too.

[amitoj]

Yes I did come across them. Like a total of 1 in 50 mile radius, 2 in 100 and 3 in 200 mile radius

And somehow the closer they are, the more expensive they get! The one that's in 50 mile radius, is 2006 model with 70,000 miles, for 20K. The second one is 150 miles away, is a 2008 model with lesser miles (54,400 miles), for 15,500!! And the third one is 2007 model with 67,000 miles for less than 15,000

Maybe the first one is highly marked up. But they all look so... ordinary. That hood scoop looks out of place on them because of the plain jane looks.

But thanks for highlighting them. I should at least look at one before I finalize on a car.

EDIT: What could be wrong with this private party sale of 2008 335xi?
http://nh.craigslist.org/cto/4656509643.html

EDIT 2: I am also considering VW CCs. Almost the same as GTIs but again, just like the Legacys, they seem to be cheaper and run a lesser risk of abuse.
And they have some nice interiors too!

[aah78]

Originally Posted by amitoj

EDIT: What could be wrong with this private party sale of 2008 335xi?
http://nh.craigslist.org/cto/4656509643.html

Private party sales usually fetch a higher price for the owner than a trade-in.

Disadvantage is you have to get the car checked out yourself and examine paperwork. Plus sale will be AS-IS. Meaning no warranty, no returns.

If you're not used to BMWs, I will NOT recommend buying a used car unless Certified Pre-Owned.
Most first time owners who buy older used high mileage BMWs are usually disappointed and put-off by maintenance costs and reliability.

I've said it before and will keep reiterating - it will be an expensive car to maintain at a dealership if you don't do basic maintenance yourself, or have a trusted indy shop.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by aah78

I've said it before and will keep reiterating - it will be an expensive car to maintain at a dealership if you don't do basic maintenance yourself, or have a trusted indy shop.

Finding a good independent BMW mechanic wont be a problem.

[GullwingGT]

Originally Posted by amitoj

EDIT 2: I am also considering VW CCs. Almost the same as GTIs but again, just like the Legacys, they seem to be cheaper and run a lesser risk of abuse.
And they have some nice interiors too!

Though I am not car shopping, but did some research when I landed in the US. VW CC seems to be in very good condition for a 2009 or 10 models and average mileage is around 55 to 60k Miles which I believe is great for a used car in the US. The price range is around 13 to 15K.

These prices are in the state of New York. I suggest you take a look at VW CC.

[vineethvazhayil]

Originally Posted by GullwingGT

Though I am not car shopping, but did some research when I landed in the US. VW CC seems to be in very good condition for a 2009 or 10 models and average mileage is around 55 to 60k Miles which I believe is great for a used car in the US. The price range is around 13 to 15K.

These prices are in the state of New York. I suggest you take a look at VW CC.

The CC has a couple of flaws though, it is a 4 seats car until about 2012 when they made it a 5 seat option. The other part I noticed when I looked at the CC in 2012 as a used car - the interiors seemed to look older than cars of the same age from other brands. Somehow the leather, the switchgear etc didn't seem to hold up as well.

Otherwise it does look quite good, is built rather well.

[amitoj]

Good points there, Vineeth.
Also, the CC's low roofline at the rear makes for a very cramped feeling at the back.
But compared to the GTI's cloth seats, the CC sure has nicer interiors, with a very good audio system to boot.