No wonder BMW is the most emulated carmaker!
Pros:
BMW cachet, superior driving dynamics--the best used car ever!
Cons:
Um...well, you'll have to get back to me on this one...
The Bottom Line:
Don't pass up the cnance to own one of these babies!
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
I've been in the market for a small car to turn into a weekend-racer for quite some time. Although I own three Audis I love (an S4, an A4, and a TT), I wasn't willing to tear them up and compromise thier original greatness by modifying them. So, one boring Sunday, while I was cruising by a local dealership hoping to see a Jetta or WRX that caught my eye, the Bimmer drew me in. It was in evidently very well cared for and had astoundingly low mileage. Wow! This would be a perfect weekend toy (not that my TT would sit in the garage for long!)! I saddled up for a test drive, and was instantly impressed. This car is nine years old, and is still rock solid. The 189hp inline six had a very sophisticated burbling exhaust note, and it pulled hard in all gears. The shifter is precise and the cabin has a niiiice "cockpit" feel to it. The sunroof is silent at speed, and the seats are almost as good as a pricey Recaro. According to the manual this car did the routing 0-60 in 5.2 seconds...not bad! When the speeds rose into the triple digits, though, one problem arose: the frameless window glass on the doors allowed for more wind noise around the A-Pillars than in a car with conventional framed windows. But, by most standards, it was hardly perceptible--i'm just being a nabob! I was also turned off by the wheels. Ugly. But, that can be remedied easily with some aftermarket duds. I was so impressed by this machine that the paperwork was completed in a matter of minutes and I was driving home. I later checked out it's history on Carfax.com, and found that it was clean. It was a steal, too, at roughly $4000 below BlueBook value! Gas mileage has been good: 24.1mpg according to the central computer.
I've become sentimental about this masterful machine. I have decided not to make serious modifications, as I feel just as guilty about bastardizing this car as I do about doing the same to one of my beloved Audis. Ah, well... There's still one more spot in my 5-car garage! I suppose I will keep my eyes open for another steal. Maybe next time I'll buy something I absolutely hate, so I won't have to feel guilty about tearing it up. Unless I want to win, I'll stop by the nearest Ford dealership!
Long live German Engineering!
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