BMW 740 iL $$$

[68TriShield]

Can someone point me to the inexpensivly maintained domestic cars please.It cost a bloody arm and leg to maintain and repair anything newer then say 1990 or so.Sometimes even then.Proper upkeep and repair are a expense of life if you plan to drive.
I will say that there are exceptions to this but not many...

[poker]

Originally Posted by trogdor

... sure, you won't find a japanese M3 or RS4 killer, but you'll save in gas!

Havent you heard whats coming? Nissan is going to be bringing over the Skyline GT-R for 2008/2009 to the USA
http://www.nissanusa.com/09gt-r/


"The 3.8-liter engine will be fed through a front mount intercooler and make at least 450 horsepower."
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=117104


I bet with less than 3K in mods, one can tune it to put down 500+hp at the wheels on a dyno.
Guys in Japan have older Skylines that put out close to 1000hp with no reliability issues. They go out on weekends and go Ferrari & Lambo hunting lol

[4WheelVFR]

I've had some really good experiences with Honda and Toyota, and I'll go there for all my vehicles until Chevy and Ford can make something nice besides the new Vette.

Lexus (toyota) as a luxury marque is unbeatable in my opinion. Rock solid reliability from what I've seen. I really like Acura (honda) too, but their vehicles are a little overpriced for what they offer compared to competition.

[txmatt]

The maintenance on two SAABs was killer for me let me tell you. I think labor at our dealership is now $200/hr.

When the 1999 9-5 was looking at 6k of repairs I wished it good riddance and we got an Odyssey. I am not against American cars or spending money on maintenance though. I have had several very reliable GM cars.

Now that I am a Dad, the FIRST priority for all my car purchases is to get the safest car I can. I would probably have purchased a Kia Sedona but the redesigned 2006 model had not yet been crash tested at the time we bought the van (about a year ago). Now that it has been tested, the Sedona outperformed the Odyssey slighty in IIHS testing.

When my 2001 SAAB 9-3 gets too expensive to keep on the road I will again find the safest midsize-ish car I can. If it were to die today I would probably replace it with a Subaru Legacy.

As to BMW specific lately they have been running 4 star-ish in test (3 series and 5 series). A likely safer car (since the 740 hasn't been tested by NHTSA, IIHS, or NCAP) would be an Audi A6 or a Benz E Class.

-Matt-

[mtb996]

As stated before, BMWs are fantastic cars, but NOT built like they used to be. The newer ones are so full of fancy electonics and questionable reliability that if you get a "bad one" it can be a nightmare. If you get a "ggod one", they are great though.

Only advice is CPO and PPI and check the history, most cars that develop problems are problematic forever (ie. electrical/ computer issues).

I wouldn't risk it if maintenance/reliability is important/critical.

[Puffin Fresh]

Originally Posted by txmatt

Now that I am a Dad, the FIRST priority for all my car purchases is to get the safest car I can. I would probably have purchased a Kia Sedona but the redesigned 2006 model had not yet been crash tested at the time we bought the van (about a year ago). Now that it has been tested, the Sedona outperformed the Odyssey slighty in IIHS testing.

I'm going to be selling our '05 malibu with the side airbags in a couple months or so. One of the 10 safest cars in '05 of all sizes (4 got gold, 6 silver, malibu was a silver winner).

only 18.5K miles.

JK, I wouldn't recommend the malibu. No major problems, but a few warranty issues (freaking rotors at less than 12K, which I've read is an issue with the stock rotors on this car).

[JaKaAch]

I've been reading owner reviews on this car. It seems to be all or nothing. Most love the car, but others have reliability problems and have little good to say.
This is the second owner, he has owned it for 6 years. If it was a money pit I doubt he would have kept it that long. I can tell that he doesn't really want to sell, but uses a company car for most of his driving.

[schnell987]

Forget the BMW. Buy a Porsche!
BMW's are more show than go. At least with the Porsche you can have some real fun (165mph+) at the track.

ANY German car will cost you big $$ for repairs. The difference is, with Porsche, you shouldn't have to be in for repairs very often. When you do go in for repairs, be prepared for AT LEAST a $1,000 bill.

Hope that helps.
[SIZE="1"]FORGET THE BMW...BUY A PORSCHE (SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE)[/SIZE]

[4WheelVFR]

If you're interested in luxury, check out a Lexus LS or GS series or Acura RL. Great cars and very reliable.

[trogdor | the burninator]

this is true...but for some reason, i thought he was looking at used cars, tho, that's probably not the case. on top of that, i think a skyline might be too "Fast and the Furious" for some...although, i wouldn't mind having one. from the pics i saw, i think the new gt-r basically looks like a G35 on crack.

Originally Posted by poker

Havent you heard whats coming? Nissan is going to be bringing over the Skyline GT-R for 2008/2009 to the USA
http://www.nissanusa.com/09gt-r/


"The 3.8-liter engine will be fed through a front mount intercooler and make at least 450 horsepower."
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=117104


I bet with less than 3K in mods, one can tune it to put down 500+hp at the wheels on a dyno.
Guys in Japan have older Skylines that put out close to 1000hp with no reliability issues. They go out on weekends and go Ferrari & Lambo hunting lol

[txmatt]

Originally Posted by Greerzilla

I'm going to be selling our '05 malibu with the side airbags in a couple months or so. One of the 10 safest cars in '05 of all sizes (4 got gold, 6 silver, malibu was a silver winner).

only 18.5K miles.

JK, I wouldn't recommend the malibu. No major problems, but a few warranty issues (freaking rotors at less than 12K, which I've read is an issue with the stock rotors on this car).

Yup that is a very common on that car. It shares the chassis and many parts with the SAAB 9-3 sport sedan. (that was also in those 10 safest because it is essentially the same car crash-wise) GM has brake pads that get very hot, spew brake dust everywhere, and wear down or warp the rotors in no time at all. They are a cheap part but stop the cars quickly. If I were to get a new Malibu or 9-3 I would be tempted to have the pads replaces as soon as I drove the car off of the lot.

My wife's 9-5 needed new pads and rotors at 12K, my 9-3 made it to 18k. Another set of OEM rotors and pads (good for another 12K) were $800 from the dealer... I didn't use them. I ordered cross drilled and slotted EBC rotors and Kevlar pads from Tire Rack and then had them installed at a Pep boys. The total bill was $500 for much better performing brakes that have lasted. I still have the same pads and rotors, will be repacing them in about 5k more miles (70k)

There is actually a pad in the Delco parts bin that would even fix the problem -- have less brake dust, less heat, longer life for both pads and rotors. There is a ceramic pad that is used on one of the "Redline" Saturns, many people on SAAB discussion boards are using this Saturn pad now instead of EBC Kevlar or Akebono ceramics. GM is still however installing an inferior and destructive pad though which makes me

[omowasu]

I wouldnt go anywhere near a used 740, especially without warranty coverage. A new engine costs $20000.00 in a 740iL - there was a local guy who did just what you are considering, bought the car because it was flashy, etc. Then the engine blew 15k miles later. Faced with the 20k repair bill, he dumped the car in a lake and filed an insurance claim. Got caught and ended up behind bars. Ugh.

Originally Posted by txmatt

GM has brake pads that get very hot, spew brake dust everywhere, and wear down or warp the rotors in no time at all. They are a cheap part but stop the cars quickly. If I were to get a new Malibu or 9-3 I would be tempted to have the pads replaces as soon as I drove the car off of the lot.

There is a ceramic pad that is used on one of the "Redline" Saturns, many people on SAAB discussion boards are using this Saturn pad now instead of EBC Kevlar or Akebono ceramics. GM is still however installing an inferior and destructive pad though which makes me

Not all GM brakes heat up and burn dust, I have seen that trend with the cheaper models - the better vehicles have better pads, and GM has really turned up the quality on brakes in the last two or three years. I can sympathize with Matt on earlier models though - my 1998 Yukon warped discs constantly, I think I went through 3 pair in 3 years.

On my vue Redline, I just did the brakes at 45k, and there was 1/4 life left in the pads. Rotors were well within tolerance. I replaced everything with Stillen gear to get the extra stopping distance, but I was very surprised at the life left in the brakes. Also, the Redline had dual piston calipers. Very few production cars use dual piston calipers, it was a nice find, thats for sure.

[azn_fury]

Those older 740s are nice cars and the rear end likes to slide out if you like to have some immature fun every now and then lol. All I can really say is make sure to get a compression test on it and make sure the carfax on it is clean. Also make sure to look for maintenance records. I have only had one Euro car so far but my Volvo has been nothing but reliable so far and I'm pretty sure there are other forums out there that can help you out with you 740 iL if you choose to buy one.