BMW and Mazda advice

chloe138

chloe138

chloe138

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6 Feb 2010
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Location
Barbados (From England)
Hi guys, I'm after some help if you can. I would like to buy my girlfriend a car (I’m a guy contrary to my username) and would like to get a little more clued up on the cars I’m considering before I get my heart set on a particular car.

First off. The budget. I wouldn’t like to spend much over 3k as the car will be funded by the sale of my motorbike which will only fetch around 3k in the current market. Also I’m a tight**** and don’t feel like touching my savings account! Moving on...

She’s 20, been driving a year and so far hasn't had a crash! I don’t think she has a no claims bonus as she hasn’t been insured the full length of time she’s held her licence... She’s been used to driving a fiat punto 1.2 (latest shape) so I wouldn’t want her to downgrade if I can help it.

Cars I’m considering so far.

BMW 3 series (318 CI 2DR COUPE)

Mazda rx8

After this I’m drawing a total blank.

She loves to drive and can appreciate a decent car so I was thinking the above could satisfy her need for quality, correct me if I’m wrong. Her daily drive is approx 15miles and incorporates some awesome lanes (Bristol towards Weston S.M) so I’m not hugely worried about the car being the most economical in the world but this is something I should factor in as it all adds up!

I'm afraid I know nothing about either car, other than the Mazda could present itself as a problem with regards to the engine? Needing rebuilds?

Obviously both are rear wheel drive which is a must. Leather interior would be nice. What should I look out for when buying? Maintenance costs?

The plan is to buy a car with the intention of maintaining and keeping the thing for a good few years! Wheel refurbishment, paint restorations considered if it meant that we would end up with a good strong car for her to enjoy.

Also if anyone can suggest any other cars?

ANNNNND I’m not being lazy, I live in the UAE for most of the year and my internet connection is seriously restricted! Hard to research.... Ok I’m also a little lazy. :D
 
I can't tell you anything about the BMW 3 Series, but can inform you a bit abot the RX8.


So the RX8 uses a ****el engine as opposide to the traditional cylinder engine. Thus even 1.3L's BHP is pretty high (200's?).

The biggest issue with the RX8 has to be the MPG. It is pretty horrific and is what lets the car down. It manages around 20 MPG; I know you said you don't mind it being the most economical, but this is pretty bad and I'm sure your girlfriend will begin to complain about the amount of money and time being spent at the petrol station.


Edit: The engine name is starred out. You can find the name of it by researching the RX8 on Googley :)
 
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I would say neither. The 318 is going to be old and require attention, the RX8 is ridiculously thirsty and has other high running costs.

Neither are really worth the bother for a 20 year old girl, who once the novelty wears off will quickly begin to resent the additional ownership costs associated with these cars other something different.
 
haha at the engine blankout. The RX8 had some pretty major issues over it's production run which lead to a engine warranty increase but this might have only been in the USA thinking about it - they changed it to 8 years iirc. Rotaries naturally eat oil as well as petrol - not a big expenditure but something that should be checked often.
I have a work friend with one and he enjoys it but says it's a massive pain the backside often as it requires often redlining to keep the second injector clear (not sure how true this is but sounds plausible), the horrendous MPG and the chance the engine seal will go causing a large trip the the Mazda garage.
That said, I think it does 240hp out of a 1.3l engine which is pretty amazing on a technical level.
 
Hmmm ok. Thats fair enough. Any suggestion as to what other cars i could look at? Seems for the budget the bmw was at least the strongest contender... A shame the mazda is so thirsty!
 
Myshra said:
haha at the engine blankout. The RX8 had some pretty major issues over it's production run which lead to a engine warranty increase but this might have only been in the USA thinking about it - they changed it to 8 years iirc. Rotaries naturally eat oil as well as petrol - not a big expenditure but something that should be checked often.
I have a work friend with one and he enjoys it but says it's a massive pain the backside often as it requires often redlining to keep the second injector clear (not sure how true this is but sounds plausible), the horrendous MPG and the chance the engine seal will go causing a large trip the the Mazda garage.
That said, I think it does 240hp out of a 1.3l engine which is pretty amazing on a technical level.
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Hmmmmmm! Interesting! Quite a bit of power. Sucks about the fuel and engine issues though :(
 
chloe138 said:
Hmmm ok. Thats fair enough. Any suggestion as to what other cars i could look at? Seems for the budget the bmw was at least the strongest contender... A shame the mazda is so thirsty!
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£3k BMW's are just cack. You'll get a much nicer Focus or something for this sort of money. Unless you want to spend months trying to sort the wheat from the chaff the average £3k BMW is tired and has been owned by an increasing succession of less than careful bling obsessed owners.
 
What if i was to take the budget up to 4k, would that change things? I just want her to have a quality car, not something that was designed to be cheap to begin with. Is that asking to much for this amount of cash?
 
chloe138 said:
What if i was to take the budget up to 4k, would that change things? I just want her to have a quality car, not something that was designed to be cheap to begin with. Is that asking to much for this amount of cash?
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You are spending cheap car money. 'Quality' cars for this budget are going to be old - because newer quality cars cost more. This is fine but old cars carry with them additional maintenance costs - costs that I'm sure a 20 year old girl cannot be bothered with.

By getting a car that was 'cheap to begin with', ie a Focus, it will be newer, less likely to go wrong and when it does go wrong, cheaper to fix.
 
[TW]Fox;19566636 said:
You are spending cheap car money. 'Quality' cars for this budget are going to be old - because newer quality cars cost more. This is fine but old cars carry with them additional maintenance costs - costs that I'm sure a 20 year old girl cannot be bothered with.

By getting a car that was 'cheap to begin with', ie a Focus, it will be newer, less likely to go wrong and when it does go wrong, cheaper to fix.
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Ok, im starting to understand. Perhaps I should have asked for advice on a make and model of a car perfect for a fashion conscious 20 year old who likes and understands cars lol

Clio

Focus... really though?

mini?

mazda 3?
 
Am I missing something? Why hasn't the MX5 been suggested yet? It seems to fit the bill perfectly.
 
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