Buy Used Bmw or New Honda?

J

jasonreserve

New Member
#1
Messages
13
Likes
0
Location
north california
#1
I own both a bmw and a honda.

A friend of mine has about 18k to spend on a sedan. He is debating if he should get a 5 year old 325i (1999) or a brand new 04 Accord.

I told him as much as i love bmw's, he should get a new accord since they are new and easier/cheaper to maintain.

What are your thoughts?
 
J

jasonreserve

New Member
#2
Messages
13
Likes
0
Location
north california
#2
by the way, you can get a used 99 323 or 325 with 50-70k miles for about $18k in california.
You can also get a new 05 or 04 accord automatic (loaded but with 4 cynlinder) for same price before tax and lic.
 
B

Bryan330i

2
#3
Messages
1,617
Likes
0
Location
Dallas TX, Kennesaw, GA
#3
Last edited:
S

sly

Member
#4
Messages
232
Likes
0
Location
Monkton, Md
#4
jasonreserve said:
I own both a bmw and a honda.

A friend of mine has about 18k to spend on a sedan. He is debating if he should get a 5 year old 325i (1999) or a brand new 04 Accord.

I told him as much as i love bmw's, he should get a new accord since they are new and easier/cheaper to maintain.

What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...
I agree. Why anyone would want to buy a car, especially a German car, out of warranty is beyond me. The maintenance on German cars is extremely high, so unless he can do all the work himself, he is taking a big financial risk just to be able to say he is a BMW owner.
 
T

TheBry

Member
#6
Messages
348
Likes
0
Location
San Francisco, California
#6
He'll be happier if he puts that $18K toward the lease of a new BMW [:)]

Personally, I prefer to own than lease, but if money (value) is a concern, leasing a BMW is a way to have the best of both worlds (low payment, excellent performance, stellar warranty). I love the fact that BMW replaces everything for the first four years or 50K miles -- even wiper blades, brake pads, rotors, everything!
 
MrElussive

MrElussive

2
#7
Messages
6,984
Likes
0
Location
New Jersey
#7
I say hang on to the $18K and just lease the car. All you need is like $1K down and the first month's payment and he has a brand new car. For $18K, he can afford a $30-$35KK new BMW and he'll get free maintenance for the duration of his lease and he doesn't have to worry about resale value!
 
B

Big Daddy

Senior Member
#10
Messages
10,446
Likes
5
Location
PNW (Left) Coast
#10
I'd buy the Honda as money seems to be an issue. Leasing a BMW is not the way to go, you throw away all that money at the end of the lease, unless of course you can write the lease off, like say a business. With the new Honda you'd have the warranty and a new car on a budget you can afford.
 
T

TheBry

Member
#11
Messages
348
Likes
0
Location
San Francisco, California
#11
jasonreserve said:
he doesnt want to lease. he wants to keep the car for at least 5 to 6 yrs.
Click to expand...
Seems like he's really budget conscious (not exactly the target customer for BMW). If leasing isn't an option, he should get the Honda and be done with it. It'll be good, reliable transportation. He just won't be able to experience the joy of the BMW "drive" everyone talks about. When he's finished paying off the Honda, if his financial situation changes, maybe he could trade it in on a new B'mer.
 
B

Bryan330i

2
#12
Messages
1,617
Likes
0
Location
Dallas TX, Kennesaw, GA
#12
If he is thinking about a lease, at least take look at swaplease.com.

This can be an excellent way to get a deal on a BMW. There are 455 BMW’s listed and 163 are 3 Series.

I personally would not pay any money down for a BMW right now because the market is saturated with resales of the common lines. You should be able to get a lease assumption with zero cost and perhaps some seller incentives thrown in like a free payment or two.

There are only 31 Honda Accords on swaplease.com so you may need to go to the dealer for this car.

BigDaddy hit on this also on the lease points. Plus I think BMW is a bad lease deal right now for new cars and you should only do this if you plan to buy the car at some point. I leased my car last year but I sure would not do it now from what I see in todays rates.
 
Average Jae

Average Jae

2
#13
Messages
1,869
Likes
0
Location
Mo town
#13
for the price range, i'd try to get a new car, and save up to get into a new bimmer or whatever other car he really wants few years down the line.

he may not want to lease, but have him look into a cpo lease program. (i heard they do those now.. altho i never looked into it.) straight up lease would be nice, but i doubt he's looking to just spend 18k in matter of 3 or so years, w/ nothing to show for it at the end.

swaplease maybe a good place, but the terms are rather short, and he may end up in a similar situation a year later with even a shorter stack of cash to deal with. swaplease sounds like a really good way for you to have a car that you wanted for a short duration, rather than being locked into high payments for 3+ years..
 
codex57

codex57

2
#14
Messages
3,476
Likes
0
Location
Lincoln, CA
#14
I'd get the Honda since money is kinda tight. The Honda's a good car. Great transportation. Reliable and easy to maintain.

Then later on, when he can afford a more expensive car, then he should get into a newer BMW. He'll appreciate the BMW more that way. If I hadn't had the lower driving experiences of my old cars, I wouldn't appreciate the BMW nearly as much as I do now. And I don't even have the fast model either (although it's not that bad).
 
T

TheBry

Member
#15
Messages
348
Likes
0
Location
San Francisco, California
#15
codex57 said:
...He'll appreciate the BMW more that way. If I hadn't had the lower driving experiences of my old cars, I wouldn't appreciate the BMW nearly as much as I do now. And I don't even have the fast model either (although it's not that bad).
Click to expand...
Totally agree with you, codex57 -- TOTALLY. I traded a VW Passat V6 for my 330Cic earlier this year (in March) and still can't get over the difference in ride quality, the feel of the car, and that legendary "BMW Drive". I wonder if I'd have this appreciation for it if I hadn't driven a more "pedestrian" car prior to the purchase.

One thing's for sure -- BMW has me in a headlock. I can't imagine driving any other car. My next... and next... and next will be BMW.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


Top