[gloxxin]

My current beater/commuter car a 2001 Toyota Camry that I like, and which my GF hates. I think these have to be the cheapest cars to run/maintain in America right now.. super cheap parts, wonderful ease of maintenance and so long lived that they possibly the only 20 year old car which is as common on the roads today as they were in the early 00's. IMO pretty much perfect for just getting from A-B.

But GF thinks we look like hobos when I drive us out in it, and I never drive the Turbo S all winter and try to keep mileage under 3k/year in general, since I pay about $1/mile in depreciation. Her Bday is coming up and I'm thinking about buying her a 335i. She likes some sporty, luxury, and nice enough she won't find it embarrassing to go out in. Saw many nearby on CL very reasonably priced now at around 12k. They're usually approaching 100k miles though. Don't see many in the high 100's like the toyotas etc, where there are a lot of 180k mile cars still for sale.

I'm just concerned about them breaking down. I don't mind doing maintenance, but don't want to be stuck on the side of the road or to make multiple trips per year to the shop. Nobody knows their cars like enthusiast groups. Do you guys have any tips about particular things to look for in these models? Will the car become a nightmare as it hits 100k?

[aprasai]

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1517476

Try that first...

[320IN54]

Get the 328i I doubt she will feel the difference in power driving it and it is much more practical in terms of reliability and affordability. F30s are running pretty cheap nowadays.

[Bimmer_Engineer]

N55s are perfect for girls!

[apexit4]

Not meaning to turn you away from a BMW, but is there any reason as to why you're not looking at something like an Acura or Lexus? Each brand has a model that was marketed as a competitor to the 3 series. Seems like one of their models would be perfect for your girlfriend as they have the perception/feel of luxury with maintenance costs closer to your Camry than the 335i you are considering.

[CTinline-six]

Tell her to stop being a gold digger.






A 328i should do just fine, why would she need the extra power/complexity of a turbo car?

[HawkeyeGeoff]

+1 get her an Acura or Lexus. Get that Japanese reliability....you don't want to have to worry about it when she doesn't check it for 6 months at a time.

[mecheng77]

Originally Posted by HawkeyeGeoff

+1 get her an Acura or Lexus. Get that Japanese reliability....you don't want to have to worry about it when she doesn't check it for 6 months at a time.

I disagree, these cars are excellent at telling you when something is not right. You can check the oil level with the click of a button for example, very easy for a girl. I tried teaching my wife about the dipstick but I just do it for her with her Volvo

[Unknown_Car]

Originally Posted by apexit4

Not meaning to turn you away from a BMW, but is there any reason as to why you're not looking at something like an Acura or Lexus? Each brand has a model that was marketed as a competitor to the 3 series. Seems like one of their models would be perfect for your girlfriend as they have the perception/feel of luxury with maintenance costs closer to your Camry than the 335i you are considering.

The new acura tlx a spec looks really good.
About Lexus I don't like non of them all to ugly.

[b92]

Daily drives a '01 Camry but has a Turbo S for the weekend, I like your style.

[hassmaschine]

If she likes the look of the E90 but you don't want to worry about turbo headaches, get a 328i. Or maybe a newer Lexus.

[N54Society]

Save yourself the headache and just get the 328i OR a Japanese luxury car.

[apexit4]

Originally Posted by Roma_335i

The new acura tlx a spec looks really good.
About Lexus I don't like non of them all to ugly.

Yeah, I agree with you on the A-Spec and Lexus. The Acura TL's, RL's and TSX's can be found quite cheap too if you're willing to get something a tad bit older. I'm in the market for a TSX wagon myself to replace the wife's aging accord.

[ahlbe1cl]

Bmw’s are our passion, and hobby. Glad to hear that you joined to see if this car could help reduce embarrassment.

[Schmitz]

Get a Lexus unless she is into wrenching.

I've had no problems with my 328xi 2011, however, a lot of people do have a lot of expensive problems. So if looking rich is the only reason I would get a Lexus.

Also, does she like hard suspensions or cushy ones? Cause even without sport package the e90 is rough riding car.

That's just my two cents.

[delmarco]

I won't buy an N55 335i for a girl. It is not a pretty car. It is not a comfortable car. Unless she knows this and wants this or doesn't mind this then I would get her a comfy cute car like a C300 Mercedes Benz

[gloxxin]

Not all girls like soft and comfy. She drives pretty hard. The Camry is soft but she hates the way it wallows around and how the nose dips whenever she hits the brakes hard, so I don't think the cute little c300s and a4s etc are right for her. I have a well equipped garage and don't mind doing some wrenching if she needs.

I'd love to get her a Lexus IS350 or Infiniti G, but girls care about the branding and prefers an Audi or BMW in black or white and I feel like she deserves to choose what I get her since she was agreeable to be driven around in and mostly with the Camry for 2 years. I'm not rich so driving that camry for the last few years partly contributed to me being able to eventually buy the turbo S. I don't want to bore you guys with the story but I think anybody here can afford basically any car they want eventually, as long your money is going into things that can hold or increase in value, all it takes is time.

[Basedtiger]

Get an F30 328i. It looks a bit nicer and there isn't too much of a price difference between the two cars.

[cahme]

I bought my '11 335 with 110k mi a bit over 3 years ago and it has never left me stranded. It did have it's HPFP, starter, expansion tank, radiator neck leak problems,, but I feel it's done well as my daily and is sitting over 166k mi now.

I did have to have it sit a few days to get the HPFP and parts aren't always readily available, but most repairs didn't need immediate attention. I think it's done pretty well for me and has delivered good value and a great driving experience, especially for a car a few mo of providing 9 years of DD service.

[hassmaschine]

Originally Posted by Basedtiger

Get an F30 328i. It looks a bit nicer and there isn't too much of a price difference between the two cars.

Ewww...

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by hassmaschine

Ewww...

My only real issues with the F30 328i compared to the E90 are the steering feel and the 4 cylinder engine sound. Everything else I could probably live with, and neither of those issues would make a difference to a non-BMW purist.

[hassmaschine]

I can't stand the front end, especially the base models. The funny part is the rest of the car looks essentially the same from the outside.