Views on possible 1st car purchase, 22yr male

Looking at buying my 1st car, i currently drive a 99 micra :rolleyes: which i have done since i started driving a year ago.

Am looking at a E36 316 or 318 coupe, cause of my age and cost of tax i probably wouldnt get a anything over 2 litre.

I am looking at either this 316 Here

Or this 318is. Here

I comute on the M50 from raheny to sandyford during the week.

What are your views on the 2 cars, should i go for the 318is with the extra power. The 316 has a 3 month warrenty, lower milage, longer nct, but iv read they are a bit underpowered for their weight, but the thing is going from a 1lt micra even the 316 will feel like a rocket. Budget of about 2200.

any advice or tips would be appriciated.

Delancey

Can't really advise on the cars but have to ask if you have factored in the cost of insurance on these vehicles as compared to a Micra ?

Ardennes1944

first off, just a thought, i would go with quinn and keep the bhp of whatever car your gonna buy to >125. it only cost me 100 euro more to get insured on a 1.8 astra than a 1.4 astra. i wouldnt buy 3 series BMWs at all as i dont think they are a BMW in truth. you'll get a much better and newer car for the same money i would think.

subway

Deutschlandfürimmer7 wrote: »

i wouldnt buy 3 series BMWs at all as i dont think they are a BMW in truth..

OP, check over on bmw-driver.net for advice, a lot of e36 owners there

Mar4ix

Powerful car not only make you feel like in rocket, it make you responsible for power, what you are using on road, you ready for that ?

If you want bigger car, get vw golf - 1.4 petrol, or similar.
It is dangerous jump in to powerful car from small car, as it may cause problems. I not really care about you, I care about myself or my wife, who drive around in Sandyford.

L-M

318is is nicely quick, a better spec but is it just me or is that one in the pics rough looking and just after a wash to make it look nice in the pics?

The 316i is false economy as they're as slow as a wet week and pretty bad on fuel as a result of lugging the weight around. The IS should be a better sell come a year time, too.

I have a steady job now, and get a decent enough wage, so the difference in insurance, which is about €400 a year more than the micra isnt too much of a worry.

Just feel very unsafe on the M50 in the micra, feels sketchy if i go above 80km:D

Im quite fond of the look of the E36 coupes, and E46 but they are out of my budget at the moment. I have thought about getting a golf or similar, but i cant help but think theE36 coupes look a bit more classic.

Mar4ix

Mar4ix wrote: »

Powerful car not only make you feel like in rocket, it make you responsible for power, what you are using on road, you ready for that ?

If you want bigger car, get vw golf - 1.4 petrol, or similar.
It is dangerous jump in to powerful car from small car, as it may cause problems. I not really care about you, I care about myself or my wife, who drive around in Sandyford.

He's not getting an M3

Mar4ix

cisk wrote: »

I have a steady job now, and get a decent enough wage, so the difference in insurance, which is about €400 a year more than the micra isnt too much of a worry.

Just feel very unsafe on the M50 in the micra, feels sketchy if i go above 80km:D

Im quite fond of the look of the E36 coupes, and E46 but they are out of my budget at the moment. I have thought about getting a golf or similar, but i cant help but think theE36 coupes look a bit more classic.

if I would buy BMW, would buy only "M" series coupe .... but it way over my budget, so...keep driving vw golf .

Mar4ix

RoverJames wrote: »

He's not getting an M3

he he ... dont think you'd buy m3 for 2200

L-M

Mar4ix wrote: »

he he ... dont think you'd buy m3 for 2200

I think you missed the point

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2143027

There's a genuine, original car. The worst thing about the IS is that as they became cheaper, they became popular in the skanger market. It's very hard to find an unabused, original car that hasn't left junctions sideways more often than normal.

I also wouldn't assume that buying one from a Dealer is avoiding this, buying privately you get to see the current owner

I have been driving my dads 1.6 octavia estate on the M50 some days, i know its not a powerful car but its big and i can handle it safely on the motorway.

Yep definitely not getting a M3 for a few years

Yeah the pictures of the 318 are a bit off, not sure if its cause its wet that it makes the paint look patchy. the 316 looks very tidy, but limerick man makes a good point.

L-M

cisk wrote: »

I have been driving my dads 1.6 octavia estate on the M50 some days, i know its not a powerful car but its big and i can handle it safely on the motorway.

Yep definitely not getting a M3 for a few years

Yeah the pictures of the 318 are a bit off, not sure if its cause its wet that it makes the paint look patchy. the 316 looks very tidy, but limerick man makes a good point.

It most certainly is the wet that is making it look patchy. It's what's left when the wet is gone that you should worry about

Yeah seems to be a bit of discoloration underneath the badge on the side, would give it a good inspection if i go out and view it.

There is also this one:Here for even cheaper at €1600, no mtec styling but dosnt look too bad.

L-M

cisk wrote: »

Yeah seems to be a bit of discoloration underneath the badge on the side, would give it a good inspection if i go out and view it.

There is also this one:Here for even cheaper at €1600, no mtec styling but dosnt look too bad.

A set of clear front indicators would do wonders for that. The wheels are off an E46 330i IIRC.

It's one of those cars that if I was buying I would have my money in my pocket and watch the likes of donedeal and carzone every day and wait for a genuine one to pop up, and they will pop up if you're patient enough!

Ardennes1944

straight from bangernomics OP http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2093770

Yeah the wheels on that one do look sweet, does make the car really. Yeah i do have a browse on donedeal most days, have seen some nice enough ones, will keep a look out. Appreciate the advice.

What would people thought of me waiting another month or so and possible getting a e46 for around 3 - 4 k.

Mar4ix

Limerick man wrote: »

I think you missed the point

......

Ok ok might you are speaking about how good/bad bmw are, i am speaking about young guy off micra, in to pretty powerful rear wheel drive car.... not the best combination from road safety ... a specially in my point of view.

Last year saw young guy .... well ... max what i would give him ... would be 18 years old .... on South circular road ... was goin off petrol station on .... Audi R8 .... he was spinning wheels, and drift on street in middle of day, ... i was shocked ...... hope i wont meet him at any point of my live on any street.

Deutschlandfürimmer7

Deutschlandfürimmer7 wrote: »

straight from bangernomics OP http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2093770

That did catch my eye, although i feel a 5 series is a bit of an older mans car And not 100% id like an auto.

Mar4ix

Mar4ix wrote: »

Ok ok might you are speaking about how good/bad bmw are, i am speaking about young guy off micra, in to pretty powerful rear wheel drive car.... not the best combination from road safety ... a specially in my point of view.

Last year saw young guy .... well ... max what i would give him ... would be 18 years old .... on South circular road ... was goin off petrol station on .... Audi R8 .... he was spinning wheels, and drift on street in middle of day, ... i was shocked ...... hope i wont meet him at any point of my live on any street.

Generalizing a bit there, from what iv seen on the M50 its all sorts of ages and genders who do silly dangerous things.

Ardennes1944

cisk wrote: »

That did catch my eye, although i feel a 5 series is a bit of an older mans car And not 100% id like an auto.

and older man, or a young fella with alot of taste

TestTransmission

Mar4ix wrote: »

Ok ok might you are speaking about how good/bad bmw are, i am speaking about young guy off micra, in to pretty powerful rear wheel drive car.... not the best combination from road safety ... a specially in my point of view.

Last year saw young guy .... well ... max what i would give him ... would be 18 years old .... on South circular road ... was goin off petrol station on .... Audi R8 .... he was spinning wheels, and drift on street in middle of day, ... i was shocked ...... hope i wont meet him at any point of my live on any street.

Are you comparing a 316 or 318 coupe to a R8? :pac::pac::pac:

Alanstrainor

Mar4ix wrote: »

Ok ok might you are speaking about how good/bad bmw are, i am speaking about young guy off micra, in to pretty powerful rear wheel drive car.... not the best combination from road safety ... a specially in my point of view.

Last year saw young guy .... well ... max what i would give him ... would be 18 years old .... on South circular road ... was goin off petrol station on .... Audi R8 .... he was spinning wheels, and drift on street in middle of day, ... i was shocked ...... hope i wont meet him at any point of my live on any street.

Please drop this now!

If you don't have any recommendations for the OP; don't post.

Alanstrainor

Back OT. OP, i'm in a similar enough boat to you, although I have a bit more driving experience under my belt by the looks of it. Insurance on an e46 320i isn't that bad at all. I wasnt getting mad quotes when I was looking at them. Even quotes on 325cis weren't terrible. It could be worth considering.

Alanstrainor

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Back OT. OP, i'm in a similar enough boat to you, although I have a bit more driving experience under my belt by the looks of it. Insurance on an e46 320i isn't that bad at all. I wasnt getting mad quotes when I was looking at them. Even quotes on 325cis weren't terrible. It could be worth considering.

Yes i noticed that too, i had always thought the higher the cc the substantially higher the quote, seems 3 series arnt in a bad risk category. Considering i paid €1050 as a named driver on a micra. :rolleyes:

bazz26

RoverJames wrote: »

He's not getting an M3

Well the 318Si the OP linked to has aftermarket M3 type mirrors so that should make it feel like it has another 100bhp...:pac:

bazz26

Most insurance companies go on bhp rather than engine size.

Mully_2011

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2051713

thats a nice one there

Alanstrainor

Mully_2011 wrote: »

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2051713

thats a nice one there

Nah, paint looks dodgey, had an engine replacement, and by the looks of it there's a lot of condensation on the inside of it.

L-M

bazz26 wrote: »

Most insurance companies go on bhp rather than engine size.

It's more the car itself more than anything I'd say!

bazz26

Limerick man wrote: »

It's more the car itself more than anything I'd say!

Yes it depends on the car too but I got the feeling from the OP that he is ruling out >1.8 litre cars because of increased insurance costs. The E36 318Si (1.8 litre) had 140bhp whereas an early E46 318i (1.9 litre) only had around 118bhp.

Done a quick online quote on quinn, the 318is is an extra €399 over the 316.

L-M

cisk wrote: »

Done a quick online quote on quinn, the 318is is an extra €399 over the 316.

Worth it :P