The Car
So I wasn’t able to purchase the 540i. I inquired about financing, but I had to tie up some of my cash in a term deposit and I didn’t want to do that. It was a shame because it was a really nice car, but everything happens for a reason.
I’ve since moved on searching for something more modest. I’m looking for a 3-series now. I’m searching for an E46 sedan because (1) I like the interior layout better and (2) it’s a hell of a lot cheaper than buying a bungled E90 sedan. So far I’ve found two that might fit the bill;
- 2002 330Ci
Pros: it’s blue, 5spd manual, only 6 years old
Cons: it apparently has a grey interior, it’s a coupe, it’s priced extremely low - 2004 325xi
Pros: it’s a sedan, it’s only 4 years old, 5spd manual, AWD, it’s black on black
Cons: it seems underpowered with only 180 or so bhp
I might be checking out the 330Ci tomorrow. I’ve sent an email regarding the 325xi. I originally ruled out anything less than a 328i because I wanted something with a little more power, but considering how young this car is and the fact that it has AWD, it’s cool with me.
Another thing that I stumbled across while on Craigslist was a Nissan Altima SE-R . I’ve always loved the way this car looks. The factory 18" wheels in gunmetal grey are beautiful. It also comes with a VQ35 engine that puts out 260hp. That’s 70 horsepower more than my Maxima has right now and I know from experience that Nissan’s VQ engines are reliable because mine has been running strong and my car is 12 years old.
What I don’t like about the SE-R is the fact that it’s a front wheel drive vehicle and that the shifter looks pretty flimsy. Aside from that, I’ve heard pretty damn good things about that car so I might actually put it on my short list of vehicles.
A long shot would be the Acura TSX with a 6spd transmission. It’s very unlikely I’d go that route because it only has an inline 4-cylinder engine and it seems rather slow to me. It is quite a looker though!
I really hope that I can find something soon. I’ve got two people that are interested in my car but I haven’t been able to make up a decision yet. *sigh*. I really hate when I have to make decisions like this.