$2000 To Spend: Advise Me Please.
 

Would sure appreciate any guidance. Lost my vehicle this morning due to mech problems. I MUST have transportation to commute 100 miles/day to school. I should try to buy over the weekend. Years ago I owned a 320, now long gone, but I remember how much I loved that car. My curent financial situation is "less than great." I can get together about $2,000 only. I'm seeing a few late '80's: 535's, 528's, 735's, 750's, and 528's on Autotrader and Craig's LIst, in that price range. - What should I buy? Of course everthing has high miles. What should I beware of? Or am I foolish to be trying to get into a beemer for that kind of money? - What I DON'T want is to find myself saddled with a money hole, something that I'm gonna be stuck pouring money into as things break down.
THANKS!!!

let me put it this way, even though this isnt what you want to hear, but BMW's older 4 cylinder engines are some of the most bulletproof, so high miles, doesnt make a difference, go and test drive it, if the engine sounds nice and(get a stickshift make ur life easier) the tranny is good, go for it, just if its older(like 20 yrs) make sure all the rubber components are intact, ie outer tie rods, ball joints, bushings, center driveshaft bearing, guibo, cv joints etc etc

Also, a used late 80s 535 or 525 are also bullet proof engines, if taken care, oil changes and maintenance or an e30. Not sure if you $2000 will do it. Good luck

for $2000 your going to be hell-bent to find a bimmer in good shape with less than 250,000 miles on it.

looking around that the best your going to get is like a 318is from early 90's or something around that.

Ummmm

$2,000....the best thing that I can recommend....a Honda, Toyota, or Nissan.

An older BMW is going to require more maintance....and the older the BMW is (e30, e24, etc.) they're fragile and things are going to break....and require more money. In this situation is a big factor. And being a Senior in college getting Finance degree....don't go into debt. Debt sucks.

Buy a 93 Camry with 120,000 miles...drive it for 2 years, save up, and buy a BMW when you have the money.

^^^ agreed.

^^^+3

Autotrader.com
That's an autotrader search nationwide for a 318is. As you can see, your hard bent on finding anything near your limit, unless you want one banged up? Then still come the maintenece issues as ALL others have mentioned. It's so true. My car cost me $20k when I got her, and to date have dished out $5,144.57 in repairs, NOT including maintence stuff (yea, I had to calculate it twice to be sure :cry ). So that's more than twice what you can afford. And that shit I paid out over the past three years, and this car is only 7 years old.

Save your money bud. The money you save while buying something more affordable for yourself, you can invest it, stick it into a high interest account, CD, stocks, etc. Give it a few years, then you can afford something more suitable.

Here's another autotrader search: Honda Accord, Nationwide from 1981 to 1991

Goodluck,

Dough

As the others are telling you, bank your bucks while in school. Plus with the length of commute you have, a cheap car like a honda/toyota (anything good on gas) will pay for itself in the long run. Time is on your side - save your $$$, get through school then when you can afford it and can afford to look at many models in your price range - then go for it - never make a decision on a shoestring budget - it will always come back to haunt you.

Oh sing my story.... :(