[sid369]

Do you guys buy new or wait for these cars to depreciate and pick up the M or the AMG cars?

I am just curious as I would love to have one of these cars, but can't afford the new sticker price and the fact that they say these are high maintenance used cars after 50,000 miles.

Do most of you work on your cars, how do you use them as a weekend car or as a DD?

As much as I love these powerful cars, I don't want to get into something that needs to be constantly brought to the shop.

[The Wind Breezes]

Sounds like you don't have enough money. I'd stick with something inexpensive and reliable unless you do all your own work and have another car.

[The_M6]

I don't think it's about how much money you have it's about how much you're willing to spend. I'm a BMW enthusiast and could've bought many different vehicles but chose my F10 550i M-Sport because it's the one I wanted. Regarding whether to buy new, I never buy new...the car just depreciates too fast. Market research will tell you an AMG depreciates faster than any specialty brand out there and while BMW ///M cars don't depreciate as bad, I prefer a low mileage used car with a warranty.

[mrmoua2u]

If you are asking then I'm going to say you cant afford one. From my experience, most people I know that do get one don't think about that kind of stuff. I always say if you can purchase a $65-90K vehicle, then you shouldn't be having a problem not paying for the maintenance when its due. If you want one, save up and then buy one.

[Frank851]

I bought my 07 Z4MC used to avoid the big depreciation cost. I also do the work on the car myself that I don't mind doing and I pay to have the things done on it that I know I would hate doing myself. I used to work on race cars so I do know what a PITA it is to do some of the jobs yourself.

M cars are not Toyotas. Thank God. Way too many celicas and camrys to annoy the hell out of anyone on a daily commute. But they require a whole lot less maintenance and cost less. Life is too short for me to drive a Toyota.

By the way, while saving up for my Z4MC I drove a sleeper 1999 A4 Quattro, no front bumper, oversized turbo and intercooler, race clutch, peeling clear coat (live in FL) pushing 350 hp. Not a bad way to slum it until I could get the Z4MC.

Good luck, it costs money to drive and maintain a M car.

[overcoil]

M235
Buy new.
Daily driver
Do fluid, filter and brake work myself if not under a manufacturer maintenance plan.
Tire's probably biggest expense while under warranty.

Have you checked out new Mazda Miata hard top coupe ?

[sid369]

I think my question was not just the M or the AMG, but the porche macans and cayenne etc.

I do get the point though, that most owners on this board or other have enough money that they don't even think about the cost of it. I was under the impression that there would be more people who buy these cars used and don't like or can afford the high sticker price.

Nothing wrong with Toyotas, reliability also means good engineering, but that does not compare to the feeling of driving a drivers car like the M or the AMG, full disclosure I have driven none. But having had a taste of the 3 series I can only image how good these would be.

[mojobmw_e90]

I personally feel Germans in general loose great value vs similar Asian/American cars over time. A s65 amg that used to cost 140k brand new can now be picked up in the 70k range. Even being 4-5yrs old that's still a lot of money being lost in a trade in. But than again if you have 140k to spend on a car, you really don't care about loosing 70k in 4yrs of ownership

[1987E30M3]

///M 3's all day

[fkim119]

I buy new. If you buy it well, you can cover about 75% of the first year depreciation costs.

[Never_Enough]

Originally Posted by The Wind Breezes

Sounds like you don't have enough money. I'd stick with something inexpensive and reliable unless you do all your own work and have another car.

Or he doesn't want to waste $ buying new when used it just as nice.

[The Wind Breezes]

Originally Posted by OrangeZ06

Or he doesn't want to waste $ buying new when used it just as nice.

He literally says he can't afford the new sticker price. If you can't afford to buy a AMG or M new then it's probably dodgy business buying a recent model used what with the fact that it's still a non-cheap car with non-trivial insurance, gas, tires and maintenance.

[David70]

I can afford new but buy used and don't see me ever wanting a new one bad enough to pay what they cost. Both my daily ATS (purchased a year old car) and my weekend Z4M cost less than a new M3 and I think a better overall combination (plan to keep my ATS until 150k and don't see this being nearly as cheap or easy with an M3).

More likely to get a third car then a new M.

[chunho01]

Originally Posted by mojobmw_e90

I personally feel Germans in general loose great value vs similar Asian/American cars over time. A s65 amg that used to cost 140k brand new can now be picked up in the 70k range. Even being 4-5yrs old that's still a lot of money being lost in a trade in. But than again if you have 140k to spend on a car, you really don't care about loosing 70k in 4yrs of ownership

Well... but he could've easily invested that $70k that'll generate double or triple the amount in 4 years.

A well maintained 4 years old car is as good as new in my opinion.

[Nkc]

I've had 5 Ms (soon to be 6) and never bought new. I'm still debating whether I just can't afford it or there's nothing new that I like from the brand anymore. Both are equally as sad.

Here's an idea, go on YouTube and learn how to fix shit on your own. Find a respectable used M (ie, E39 M5, e46 M3, Z4M Coupe, E90 M3 if you're a bit younger etc) and get it for cheap. You sound like you just want something new and fancy and know nothing about cars. Be a man, do the right thing.

[Never_Enough]

Originally Posted by The Wind Breezes

He literally says he can't afford the new sticker price. If you can't afford to buy a AMG or M new then it's probably dodgy business buying a recent model used what with the fact that it's still a non-cheap car with non-trivial insurance, gas, tires and maintenance.

So that means everyone that has bought or is buying them used can't afford them too? C'mon man. Stop judging people.

[New2Roundel]

I've only bought one M car, which my first BMW and the first premium car I ever bought. I came from a '12 Mustang GT that I bought new. The M3 was purchased used. I don't have black and white rules for cars. If I can afford it and I like it, I'll buy it. Sometimes that's a new car, other times it's a used car.

I have to say however, that I often wonder if a large proportion of people are in over their head with any higher end vehicle they end up purchasing. I've read lots of posts on different forums about people complaining about spending what they consider an excessive price on various fluids (transmission, coolant, etc) or the price for replacement trim pieces. Then they go and brag about cheaping out on something that may or may not offer the same level of protection or quality as the OEM version. To me, whatever I spent on OEM fluids for my car is what I consider cheap insurance. I'm not excited by the prospect of spending $600 for a set of decent front rotors on my car, but I don't do it enough to where it would be a problem. When the time comes, I'll see what's out there and buy what I consider a decent quality rotor even if I have to spend $600 to do it.

SO yeah, it's definitely important to consider what maintenance will cost and if you can do it yourself. I do some things myself and others I'll farm out because either I can't or don't want to do it myself. I'm about due for a set of spark plugs on the M and I'm not sure are at this point if I'll do it myself or just get it done when I get the car inspected.

I will say that A) in general, I think M cars are more durable than non-M cars. I've heard this for a while and my own experience doesn't detract from that conclusion and B) although I'm not crazy about the idea of buying a brand new idea, I'd love to do so in order to participate in European delivery. And with Porsche cars getting outrageously more expensive with each year, BMW is probably my best bet from the perspective of affordability and desirability. I don't want a 4-cyl Cayman either...

[sid369]

I guess what I am trying to get at is if I can learn from owners here who love their cars yet are not able or choose not to pay the new car price. I want to learn if buying a used makes sense or reliability is such a hassle that you should save up and buy these new (lease) so you can turn it in before the warranty runs out.

If I choose to I can buy one of these cars, but I have family and there are other priorities first for me, but that does not mean that I cannot satisfy my need for a sports car, which is why I asked if maybe people in similar situation can give me a sound strategy to owning these beautiful well engineered machines, yet not have to pay sticker price.

[paliknight]

Originally Posted by sid369

I guess what I am trying to get at is if I can learn from owners here who love their cars yet are not able or choose not to pay the new car price. I want to learn if buying a used makes sense or reliability is such a hassle that you should save up and buy these new (lease) so you can turn it in before the warranty runs out.

If I choose to I can buy one of these cars, but I have family and there are other priorities first for me, but that does not mean that I cannot satisfy my need for a sports car, which is why I asked if maybe people in similar situation can give me a sound strategy to owning these beautiful well engineered machines, yet not have to pay sticker price.

CPO solves both problems.

[R3dliner]

Never finance a German car. Lease or buy used

[saeyedoc]

Originally Posted by R3dliner

Never finance a German car. Lease or buy used

Make that never finance a NEW german car. No reason not to finance used with rates so low. Just got a hair over 2% recently for 66 months.

[R3dliner]

hahah +1 what he said. I financed a very small portion with lightstream. They are great.