Advice on first 'real' car

tophurler

Hey folks,

I've been wanting to buy a new car for the past few months and i've narrowed it down to either an A4 or a BMW 316. Now I'm 22 with full license so the insurance isnt a problem - gotten qoutes for around the 1400 mark for each.

Also I want something out of the norm for my age-group, don't want to be another male in VW Golf!

I was just wondering if anyone had any experiences with either models/makes?? I'd be aiming for a 99/00 reg.

Cheers!
TH

ando

BMW!! hahah You'll be seen as a pri€k if your driving that at your age. No offence lad


as a matter of interest who's quoting you them prices? Very good quotes, how many yrs ncb do you have? A4 is nice

maccydoodies

Mmmmmmmmmm 22yo in a Beamer. Pm me please

peasant

Have driven both as rentals (on business travel ). Neither of the two in their lowest engine version is really at the races. Way to heavy and ponderous for the 1.6 (Audi) or 1.8 (BMW). And they drank like fish.
You're buying into this image of "sportiness" and class at a very high price only to find that your car might actually be more suited to the flatcap and toilet-roll-cosy-on-parcel-shelf variety of driver.


but then again ...it's your money

tophurler

Thanks for the feedback, keep it coming! Good or Bad welcome!

To be honest, I kinda knew a 22yo driving a BMW would be seen as brash, but whats wrong with wanting to drive what I consider to be a stylish and sporty car????

The insurance qoute I got was from Quinn, I was shocked with the price, Britton gave me one for over 2k!

A friend bought an A3 recently and other than that I would have been leaning towards one, but obviously can't now!

I'm aiming for a 1.6 petrol, has anyone got experiences of this????

Thanks
TH

PS. Maccydoodies, you can have the first ride in the beemer if i get it!! ;-)

aodh_rua

I've a 1.6 A3 and I'd recommend it even if you're friend already has one. I'd agree with what went before about buying an under-powered 1.6 A4 or 316. Have you considered looking at diesels - the 1.9TDi (red 'i') A4 is pretty nippy and you could pick up a reasonably priced 99-00 although the mileage might be higher than the equivalent petrol.

tophurler

Yea I really like the A3, solid car, don't think my mate would be too impressed if i drove up in one though!

I've never had much experience with a diesel, do you reckon it'd be the way to go if i was looking at an A4 or 316??? What would the advantages/disadvantages be??

TH

Juan Pablo

I bought a 318is as my first car three years ago when I was 22 (paid a LOT more for insurance though, 3600, prob due to the fact that it was a 1992) and loved every minute of owning it (till some scrote decided to drill the fcuk out of the door & steering column). you know the caveats to expect, higher fuel consumption, high servicing costs (make sure you buy a good one or this could really bite you in the ass), highish insurance (check that 1400, Im paying more than that on a 316 at the moment ) etc but at the end of the day if you really want to buy a BMW then just go ahead and buy one, just cause you are 22 doesn't mean you have to conform and drive some 1.0L fartbox.

bazz26

tophurler wrote:

Thanks for the feedback, keep it coming! Good or Bad welcome!

To be honest, I kinda knew a 22yo driving a BMW would be seen as brash, but whats wrong with wanting to drive what I consider to be a stylish and sporty car????

The insurance qoute I got was from Quinn, I was shocked with the price, Britton gave me one for over 2k!

A friend bought an A3 recently and other than that I would have been leaning towards one, but obviously can't now!

I'm aiming for a 1.6 petrol, has anyone got experiences of this????

Thanks
TH

PS. Maccydoodies, you can have the first ride in the beemer if i get it!! ;-)

The 98 - 2005 BMW 316i is in fact 1.8, The 318i is 2.0 and 320i is 2.2 - German logic :rolleyes:

The A4 1.6 struggles in the heavy body especially for overtaking, the 1.8 20v is alot better but obviously insurance would be more expensive. As already mentioned the TDi is the pick of the bunch but again insurance costs might be an issue.

magpie

No offence to you A3 drivers, but isn't the A3 more or less an expensive Golf, in much the same way as a Seat is a cheap one?

Not sure what your beef about being a male-in-a-golf is. Golfs are nice cars without being flashy. Wish I could have afforded one when I was 22 and driving a Mountain Bike.

tophurler

I dont have a serious problem with golfs, but i think they've lost alot of the appeal as far as I'm concerned with the amount of them on the road, theres obviously nothing wrong with them as a motor but its just my opinion on them.

The same mate who bought the A3 has a brother with a golf, and the brother has conceded that the A3 is a better car! Not often that would happen!!

Bazz, are you sure about all 316is being 1.8??? I've seen a few advertised as 1.6 from 1998 onwards.#

TH

bazz26

Check out www.carzone.ie and do a search for a 316i or 318i from 1999 onwards. I think there code name was E46.

Old 316i - 1.6:
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=221741

New 316 - 1.8:
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=222465


Maybe you are thinking of the old model 316i from 1991 to 1998 which was 1.6.

CTU_Agent

I bought a 1995 A4 1.8 Petrol last week, im same age as yourself and I tink its great. Very quick, looks quite sporty very solid car... and drives well. And i would be of the same mindset as yourself...Id much rather drive a nice, reasonable size car that looks and drives well, than drive a little micra r fiesta r another stereotypical car for drivers my age...

aodh_rua

The E46 is the model that's currently being replaced (98/99?-05) - the older model is something in the E-30's (can't remember which). The engine capacity did start to diverge from the model number in the last few years with 318's going to 1.9 and the new ones being 2.0 litre.

As for diesels - the smallest BMW diesel is a 318d which has only been available for the last two years or so. I'd still recommend the A4 1.9TDi, although you'd have to see what would happen with your insurance. The upside is that they are nippy and good on fuel, the downside is the potential for high mileage so you'd have to make sure that the timing belt had been changed recently and that the engine has been well-serviced.

prospect

Yep, Bazz, www.carzone.ie is a great site for research etc.

Tophurler, why limit your choices to BMW and AUDI?

On carzone, go to the advanced used car search.
Put in your budget, preferred year, engine size, fuel type, etc and see what comes up. You may spot something else which would be more 'unusual' e.g. Alfa 147.

ds20prefecture

This is my obligatory Alfa 156 post wherever I see anyone looking at a small engined BMW 3. The 1.6, 120bhp Alfa is surprisingly nippy, as long as you rev the bejaysus out of it.
The 147 is no lighter, and therefore no quicker. Still a nice car though.

Both are much less to buy than the Audi or BMW, and both are much more fun. Insurance should be around the same.

aodh_rua

I presume if you're buying an older Alfa it would've broken already if it was going to break, but I'd still be wary.

Dades

tophurler wrote:

I dont have a serious problem with golfs, but i think they've lost alot of the appeal as far as I'm concerned with the amount of them on the road

Cos there's sooooo few A4s and 3 Series!

I drove an Audi 80 for ten years and would definitely buy another Audi if I was in the market for a saloon.

No interest in a Volvo S40?

ds20prefecture

aodh_rua wrote:

I presume if you're buying an older Alfa it would've broken already if it was going to break, but I'd still be wary.

And this is the obligatory response. Sigh.

Will I say, "I presume if you're buying an older BMW it would've broken already if it was going to break"? Of course not, because this statement is nonsense, and not because of the marque of car. IF ANYthing was definitely going to break, the chances are that it would have broken by the time it's old. Well DUH! You're assuming that the Alfa is definitely going to break. There are plenty of 60s alfas around.

You'd still be wary - can you explain why?

I'd be wary of old Audi's, based on experience. An Audi 80 and an Audi 100 have let me down with gearbox failure. On the otherhand, if I were to go on what i've heard, Audi's are absolutely indestructible no matter how badly you treat them.

I have no experience of BMWs, thankfully, but I'm sure their reputation is as deserved as Alfa's is undeserved (from the 156 on, of course)

kdevitt

Learnt to drive in a BMW, bought one as soon as insurance was decent (320i Coupe) - at 23. The 4 cylinder ones (316 and 318) are reasonably economical, servicing is cheap if you stay away from main dealers.

Build quality on the E46 (99 on) BMW is excellent by the way, the 316 got a valvetronic engine in 02 I think which is far superior to the previous unit, so it'd be worth paying the extra if you can. There are loads to choose from, so don't get stuck with a poverty spec one.

Drive the Audi and the BMW and see what you prefer, and don't listen to any arseholes who say you'll look like a prick in one or the other. Try posting on some decent car forums - BMW and Audi ones, to get specific feedback, you might avoid some of the sweeping generalisations that tend to fill up this kind of thread in here.

ando

tophurler wrote:

I dont have a serious problem with golfs, but i think they've lost alot of the appeal as far as I'm concerned with the amount of them on the road

exactly, go with something different. For instance I bought myself a Seat Leon Tdi 130bhp 220lbs torque a few weeks ago and she goes like stink, and insurance was only €100 more than a 1.4 Focus, being 23 that aint bad for such a nippy car! Getting insured on a petrol equilivent would of cost me €1500 extra ontop of my current policy. The Leon's are pretty rare aswell, not many young lads drive them and they are basically a Golf/Audi underneath the skin

Eoin

ds20prefecture wrote:

This is my obligatory Alfa 156 post wherever I see anyone looking at a small engined BMW 3. The 1.6, 120bhp Alfa is surprisingly nippy, as long as you rev the bejaysus out of it.
The 147 is no lighter, and therefore no quicker. Still a nice car though.

Both are much less to buy than the Audi or BMW, and both are much more fun. Insurance should be around the same.

If only there was a nice 1.6 one for sale ...

I dont have a serious problem with golfs, but i think they've lost alot of the appeal as far as I'm concerned with the amount of them on the road, theres obviously nothing wrong with them as a motor but its just my opinion on them.

Actually, IIRC the three series is one of the most common, if not the most common car on the road in Ireland.

ds20prefecture

ando wrote:

exactly, go with something different. For instance I bought myself a Seat Leon Tdi 130bhp 220lbs torque a few weeks ago and she goes like stink, and insurance was only €100 more than a 1.4 Focus, being 23 that aint bad for such a nippy car! Getting insured on a petrol equilivent would of cost me €1500 extra ontop of my current policy. The Leon's are pretty rare aswell, not many young lads drive them and they are basically a Golf/Audi underneath the skin

A friend owns a black Leon Cupra. Very nice car, and rather brisk too. Needless to say his insurance is quite high, but he loves it.

528i

I agree with everyone else here in that you're way too young to have a BMW, what about a nice civic or something korean instead ? (and not be another statistic who drives up insurance on ultimate driving machines for the rest of us..) :cool:

ds20prefecture

What's small, hairy & lives under a bridge?

Oh yes, a troll.

Dades

528i wrote:

I agree with everyone else here in that you're way too young to have a BMW, what about a nice civic or something korean instead ? (and not be another statistic who drives up insurance on ultimate driving machines for the rest of us..) :cool:

Your attempts to put people off BMWs are probably working - but for different reasons than you think. :rolleyes:

maccydoodies

[

PS. Maccydoodies, you can have the first ride in the beemer if i get it!! ;-)[/QUOTE]

Ok ill remeber that!

Turner

Go for the bmw.. There are some lovely e36 318is models out there. Thats what i have at the moment and its easy enough on fuel.
Looks great and is such a solid car. I love the german engineering everythjing is so simple to do from changing a lightbulb to changing a fuel pump. They make it so easy.

Might try quinn direct for a quote.. Im 24 and paying E1280 fully comp with Axa for the beemer.

Stephen

My ould fella has an E46 318i, and it is indeed a 2.0 litre. It has a good bit of poke in it too

I understand the reason for the variance between model names and actual engine capacities is down to the ever increasing weight of the cars - i.e. an older 318 would be fine with a 1.8 litre engine but the newer ones are that bit heavier, so the 1.8 just isn't powerful enough.

Eoin

Stephen wrote:

My ould fella has an E46 318i, and it is indeed a 2.0 litre. It has a good bit of poke in it too

I understand the reason for the variance between model names and actual engine capacities is down to the ever increasing weight of the cars - i.e. an older 318 would be fine with a 1.8 litre engine but the newer ones are that bit heavier, so the 1.8 just isn't powerful enough.

Then they should just call it a 320i !

OfflerCrocGod

eoin_s wrote:

Actually, IIRC the three series is one of the most common, if not the most common car on the road in Ireland.

Exactly, you see them everywhere.