Fifth Avenue Forum

I'm having a similar problem with a used car. It's a stripped down three series BMW, only factory option included was the heated seat, it's even a manual. It's been sitting on this lot for a month now because the dealer is asking $2k over NADA value, which is 40% over what the car is worth. There are maybe 20 people in the country looking for this particular car and because he found one of them he thinks he has a gold mine on his hands and won't budge on the price. Rare doesn't equal valuable.

How many cars do you buy per year? Not being a dick. I just feel like monthly you are buying or selling a car. Lol

This is the last piece of my garage-puzzle.

No offense taken, cars are a hobby, beats building ships in bottles.

I'm thinking this is dodint's garage.

Pfft, domestics.

My current cars werd made in Ireland, England, and Germany.

Pretty amazing I get anywhere if we're honest.

I'm thinking this is dodint's garage.

But, man, is the floor clean.

I'm thinking this is dodint's garage.

I'll take at least half a dozen of those C2s - especially the split window up front. I actually looked for a 427/435 not too long ago, but the market really did go crazy on them. There's no way I could justify it [with my wife].

That looks like a pristine vintage Matchbox cars collection.

. . . especially the split window up front.

That's the only one that interested me.

To mac's original query:

Since I joined this community in 2013 my car garage has looked like:

2013: 535xi/325i/M6 and RC-51

Traded the M6 for a K75S
*5AF happened*
Traded the K75S for an R1200CLC
Traded the 325i for the MINI
Bought the Mustang (to replace the 325i as track car)
Traded the 535xi on the 650i
Sold the Mustang
Bought the DeLorean
Trading the 650i down to a 330CI (to do double duty as DD and track car)

2018: 650i/DeLorean/MINI/R1200CLC

Hopefully I can trade 650i this weekend.
Once that happens I'm set for the next few years. When the 330ci transitions to non-street legal status in 3-4 years I'll probably take the MINI back and buy my wife a Cayman. At least that's the plan now, it could change. Eventually I'll need a tow vehicle and trailer as well.

If I could go back I'd keep the 535xi and go straight to the 330ci but the 535xi was acting up at the time and I wanted to cut and run.

Random question on people that buy cars like you do - I know people that finance cars, and get a new car two years later. No idea how/why they do it - I found out this one guy I know has a payment of $600 a month for just a base F150 because they've switched so many times.

It just seems so irresponsible to me. Also the people I know I would think usually can't truly afford to do stuff like that, yet do it anyways. Because they got "bored."

Probably going to lease the next car. It'll be my wife's. Our trade-ins are all but worthless according to NADA & KBB. Starting sort of from scratch and I'm not sure how my wife's going to enjoy having to have the 'big" car for a change.

That's what's funny about it. Before I started the above string I had no car payment at all and prefer it that way. Between my wife and I we've only owned one brand new car, an '04 Dodge Neon that was the dealer demo car so we got a great deal on it.

I generally buy older cars that are interesting to me than buy a new car. And in the past I've held cars for a long time. I'd be happy to drive the 650i for the next few years, but I don't have a track car right now and the 330ci can pull double duty as a daily driver and a track car. I've noticed that having a big garage (3 cars + 2 bikes) is a ton of overhead in terms of upkeep and insurance, etc. So rather than buy a track car and keep the 650i I'm going to buy a car that can do both and push down the overhead.
Plus I've already owned that model of car before and have experience working on it, the 650i's V8 looks pretty impossible for me to get into if I had to.

As for your 'bored' comment, yeah, the 650i was a poor purchase overall. The car didn't fill a need that I actually had and I got it because it was nicer than the 535xi. Not a very rational decision. Everything else has some kind of purpose. I'll be hugely upside down on the 330ci with the debt carryover from the 650i, but I'm okay with it because the 330ci offers me more utility as a daily driver and a track car. The fact that the seats fold down in the back already puts it way ahead of the 650i in terms of daily practicality.

Gotta admit, the 650i is fugly, even by BMW standards. IMO, of course.

The rear is awkward but in profile it's a stunning car. I've gotten more on the street compliments about that car than any other car I've driven except the DeLorean. It's actually a really great all around car for what I use it for, driving from Pitt to St. Paul and back, but I took it to the track once and it was a whale of a car, was like racing a power boat.

I should have just done what I've always wanted to do and bought a Z4M Coupe. That's on my short list of dream cars, but when I bought the 650i I bought it as an automatic so the wife could drive it if need be. So far she has driven it zero times, so I'm trading it on a manual. Like I said, the purchase was a misstep in a couple different ways.

Source of the post I should have just done what I've always wanted to do and bought a Z4M Coupe.

I feel as though that's the ultimate "hate it or love it" BMW ever built.

Yeah, I'd take two so put me in the love it list.

bought it as an automatic so the wife could drive it if need be

That's funny, we just started looking at mid-size SUV's and my wife asked why none of them are offered with a stick.

Probably going to lease the next car. It'll be my wife's. Our trade-ins are all but worthless according to NADA & KBB. Starting sort of from scratch and I'm not sure how my wife's going to enjoy having to have the 'big" car for a change.

Yeah, I am kicking the tires on a lease too for our next one. My wife has a secure job that has a 8 mile round trip commute. Seems ripe for a lease. But I still cant get past the idea of having nothing to show for 3 years of payments... even though after three years of 'buy' payments, often times you're even or underwater.

We've been thinking about lease for the wife for the first time ever as well, but I'm just soured by new car buying all around. Such a depreciation hit. I'd rather wait a few years and buy a car that just came off lease, and add my own aftermarket warranty (Assurant is great).

I know I said this over the summer, but I was pleasantly shocked at our new car buying experience in July. I really dreaded doing it, but it was really smooth - even the financing part of it (which usually sucks). The salesman said that because consumers have so many options - think dodint buying a car in Georgia - that dealers have to put their best deal forward. Now, this was a Honda dealership, so YMMV at the higher end manufacturers.

We'll be out car shopping in March. It'll be my wife's first new vehicle.

That's not untrue. The information age has been unkind to dealers as it takes about 20 minutes to conduct a legit market analysis, and see what every other dealer has on their lot. The days of the family wandering into the Ford dealer and settling for whatever high pressure sales tactic they're pushing is gone if the consumer is willing to do any leg work.

USAA has a 'Car Buying Service' which is just TrueCar with their logos skinned on it. I love used car shopping with it. We bought the 535xi with a pre-printed certificate that guaranteed the price, the total transaction time was about 35 minutes.

We'll be out car shopping in March. It'll be my wife's first new vehicle.

Are you going to the Pittsburgh International Auto Show next month? I had a really good time last year, looking forward to taking the wife this year.

Didn't even know it was a thing, TBH.

If you're going car shopping for new cars in March, the PIAS in February will be very informative for you. It's surprisingly large, you can go through and sit in most cars (Porsche locked theirs last year, but I did sit in a BMW i8) and it's a very laid back environment to check out and compare new cars. They'll have some exotics and classics on hand from PVGP, but it's a new car show.

Hmm, I see they have a Hyundai exhibit (looking at getting a Tuscon). We might just go ahead and check it out!

Yeah, it's about one block from work. Last year I went twice, took a friend one day and then went back on a long lunch and walked through by myself. It's the first and only time I've seen the Kia Stinger in person which is actually a pretty fun looking car for a Kia.