It's time for (start the theme music)... another round of WHAT CAR? (Long range commute edition)

Some recent repairs have me having to face that E36 BMWs do not run forever (although at almost 200,000 miles, it's about as close as one can reasonably ask). So, I'm contemplating getting something else sometime next year or so. Budget would be around $8,000.

So, I've got a commute that's about 40 miles on back roads or 60 miles on the Interstate - one way. The time is about the same, and I suspect so is the wear on the car. Here's what I need and how the BMW measures up.

Nearly bulletproof reliability - this kind of commute is pretty much shooting bullets at it. The BMW has been doing OK, but I'm not sure how long it will last.

Decent mileage - The BMW is getting around 25, which is acceptable, but it would be nice to do better, and run on regular gas.

Comfortable seats and room for a tall driver - the BMW's not bad there, but it would be nice if the seat went back more.

Fun to drive - a 3 series BMW fits that great.

Can carry the family (me, wife, and one 2 year old) in a pinch. Doesn't have to be the family car, but would rather not have a two seater.

Low cost of maintenance - Some stuff is OK, but I just had to shell out around $900 for a new clutch, dual mass flywheel, rear main seal, and the other stuff that it's a good idea to change when the transmission is out. Maybe I'm just a bit irked about that...

Some cars I've been considering:

Mazda Protege (or maybe 3)

Scion TC (does this thing handle OK, or is it just a shortened Camry?)

Infiniti G35 coupe (ok, probably not the most practical choice, but something I'm drooling over anyway)

Nissan B15 Sentra SE-R Spec V (Seems nearly impossible to find, and I'm not going for a regular SE-R with an automatic)

Toyota Matrix XRS / Pontiac Vibe GT

Would consider a Ford Focus, but my wife hates them for some reason. Seems to be a combination of the styling and interiors that rattle a lot and don't feel solid.

Any thoughts on the cars on the list? What am I missing?

G35 would be high on the list - still pegs the fun to drive meter (in a different way than the BMW), with great reliability and reasonable economy. I've been looking a bit more closely at the coupes as prices continue to fall. Oil consumption is something to look out for.

The Mazda 3 is a much more refined car than the Protege - I like them a lot.

What about another E36 but one with lower miles? Or an E46? I'm starting to see clean 330i's in that price range.

SE-R spec V's seem to have a disproportionate number of engine failures. See pre-cat failure.

I'm not sure about you, but long commutes like that tend to have me wanting a bit of refinement and a quiet cabin. Fun to drive had it's limits when I was commuting that far....

What are MINI's worth in your region?

I loved my TDI Golf as a commuter - YMMV, but saving a couple hundred a month in fuel in a quiet car with A/C made me love it more than my (much much much more fun to drive) E36 M3 for that role.

My sister had a 2007 TC. She happily just ditched it. It's been a PITA since she got it. Some things to consider that happened to her car:

-It went through tires a lot. Not sure why. Car was bone stock, BTW.

-It didn't like aftermarket brakes. Aftermarket rear rotors actually made contact with the caliper bracket on the inside.

-The glass roof on hers shattered one day when my dad was borrowing it. He was trying to open it on a nice sunny day, and the whole thing shattered! Pretty much the entire roof on these is glass. It took over a month for them to get the roof panels from Japan (no overnight parts LOL) and the insurance company fought her on replacing it because it cost them over $6k to get the parts and install the roof.

-There is a trim panel on the hatch where the hatch open handle is, and they ALL break. They are around $100-150 to replace. More of an annoyance than anything else.

-I found it pretty uncomfortable to drive, and the extreme rake of the windshield was really annoying.

-Most importantly, gas mileage was disappointing for what it is. She usually got 21-23 mpg at best, mostly highway.

I'd pass, especially if you want something that gets better mileage than the E36.

If you're considering the vibe and matrix, why not the celica or corolla xrs? I like both of them a pretty good amount. Just asking.

Thanks for the feedback so far!

Nathan - thanks for the feedback on those models. Atlanta has pretty smooth roads so it would take a pretty harsh ride to annoy me; I used to have a '86 Corvette with the Z51 suspension. Not sure there's many cars out there which came with 4 seats and an A/C where the suspension is harsh enough to really annoy me - usually if a car bothers me on a long trip, it's from bad seats or weird ergo problems. Not sure I want another European car at this point, mostly on account of the cost of replacement parts.

Silverfleet - interesting to hear about the TC. I wonder if there's some sort of fiberglass or carbon fiber replacement for that sunroof?

Vigo - Kind of forgot about the Corolla XRS. The final generation Celica is out; if I try to sit in one in a normal driving position, I end up with my forehead sticking several inches out of the sunroof.

Mazda6. I'm 6'6"...had a 2007 2.3 with a power seat. Super comfy. Miss that car.

I vote G35.
I drove an 08 G35x when it was brand new (got it as a loaner for the 92 G20 that went in for warranty work ). The brakes it had were awesome and it was fun to drive as an automatic.

I'd suggest e46 BMW. Rennie has a silver 4-door e46 with 50,000 miles and the big engine, in great shape for sale.

TDi VW

you could buy my forte=]
I owe 10,500 on it. it's a 2010 with 85000 miles with NO problems.
I was going to trade it in because I'm kinda tired of it (longest I've ever had a car so far, bought it january 2, 2010) but it trades in for about $3500 less than payoff amount=/
I have a 57 mile one way commute every day, and it makes it with no problems.
Nothing has ever gone wrong with it except for when I got a bolt from who knows where through my rad, and the oil pan gasket is leaking, which will be fixed tuesday. And it has a magnaflow on it now that isn't sounding too good after 80k miles.
It eats up the miles. Bluetooth and sat radio. manual everything so nothing can really break.
pretty fun to drive actually too=]

Another vote for the G35 - sedan or coupe

or Mazda3 or Mazda6

I like the Mazda6. The g35 is a nice car too but I prefer the sedan

The G35 is an awesome car, we had one. But it won't hit your gas mileage mark, and while it's not German car expensive, I wouldn't call maintenance dirt cheap.

The Protege/3 is a can't miss car.

What about an Integra/RSX... if you can find one that's not beaten and Pep Boy'd to death.

1st-gen mazda6. i have the V6 / MT, but recently rode in the I4 / MT and it was not as slow as i expected it to be. i average 24 mpg in mixed driving, have seen 27-ish on pure highway but that's at 80 mph.

NGTD wrote: TDi VW

+1

40mpg+ hwy @ (70-80), heated seats, sat radio, AC

Honestly, in looking at your list, I'd stick with the E36 unless you're going to go for a completely different car with the Mazda3 or the Vibe/Matrix/Corolla XR-S. My friend has an '04 G Coupe with the 6MT and Brembos, and it's a great car. However, it's not a car that I would call cheap to maintain. They're complex cars in general, and the electronics can be expensive to fix (sunroof, power seats, stereos, wiring, etc.). Definitely price out some of the more common repairs so you have an idea of what they cost. I would guess that most G's down in the 8K price range have some deferred maintenance for the next owner to catch up on (similar to BMWs).

The clutch (25-30K), brakes (25K), and tires (25K) don't last long if driven hard. Depending on the wheel size (his had 18s), tires can get pricey, especially when compared with an E36 on 16s. Mileage in town and on backroads is not great, but with the tall 6th gear highway mileage is pretty good. He drives his in the CT winters on a separate set of rims and dedicated winter tires.

I enjoy driving and being a passenger in the G35, but I have a feeling a used one could cost you a fortune. Sometime between the mid-90s and the mid 00s, cars started getting very complex (ABS/traction control/stability control/climate control/power everything/10 speaker stereos/etc.). That's a general statement, and BMWs of the same vintage have many of the same challenges as the G35. When relatively new, the complexity gets masked a bit because the components are new, but I have a feeling they'll get very expensive to maintain properly as they age.

Nobody recommended two Miatas yet? We're slacking.

What about a Mazdaspeed 3, are these in your price range yet?

Mini Cooper S.

BoxheadTim wrote: Nobody recommended two Miatas yet? We're slacking. What about a Mazdaspeed 3, are these in your price range yet?

Unless your roads are way better than mine I'd never suggest an MS3 as a DD especialy for a long mileage comute.

What about a mint E39?

V6 MTX Mazda 6 vote, here.

I'll even out the tC thoughts so far. I didn't find them to be bad cars, but i've never spent a lot of time with them, so the tire aspect might be worrisome. I thought they handled decently for a stock "Sport compact." Nothing to write home about, but not terrible.

I like the Matrix XRS/Vibe GT/Corolla XRS idea.

Also, why not a late 01-02 626 V6 5spd? They're dirt cheap, cheap to maintain, and you've already got some experience with them with the Probe test vehicle you guys had.

Prius.

No I'm not kidding.

Dead nuts reliable, awesome on gas, entertaining in their own right due to the low rolling resistance rubber. I'm sure putting real tires on it would make it much better, and you can actually get some aftermarket suspension parts for them too.

We just passed 109k on our 2007 model and it has been absolutely faultless minus needing a new water pump ($350 done at the dealership). It's pretty tough too, given the fact that it spends most of its time hauling SWMBO's horse stuff to and from the barn.

48 mpg without effort, as many features as you could want, comfortable for me over long distances (6'2" 190 pounds), ample room for 4 and gear.

Thanks for the extra feedback! Looks like there are several Mazdas I ought to look into.

The Prius is an interesting thought, but I'm a bit worried about what sort of maintenance a high mileage one might need. I don't think I'd be able to get a low mileage one for $8000; what sort of repairs is a high mileage one likely to need? Would rather not have to deal with replacing a battery pack...

An Integra or RSX might be worth considering, but being in Atlanta, not sure what the odds are about finding one that hasn't had a Pep Boys catalog thrown at it.

A bit worried about the upkeep on a MINI or VW...

My mother happily just ditched her MINI after using it in a commute as you entail. She was throwing thousands at it seemingly on a monthly basis.

I've heard recent VWs are great for the first owner, not so great buying secondhand, especially given resale on TDi.

How about a Volvo S60? It won't get the mileage, but they're very comfortable beasts and resale is lousy. Or there is the smaller C30 if you're leaning that way.

We bought an 07 G35 Sedan this summer. We love it. It's zippy and sporty. The seats are great for long drives, etc.. Even though we're not getting the "best" gas mileage, the "304 or so HP" engine makes up for it.

Even though it's an Automatic, my wife will be tracking it next season just to get her foot in the door. Then, it's an E90 M3.

Good Luck!

MadScientistMatt wrote: Thanks for the extra feedback! Looks like there are several Mazdas I ought to look into. The Prius is an interesting thought, but I'm a bit worried about what sort of maintenance a high mileage one might need. I don't think I'd be able to get a low mileage one for $8000; what sort of repairs is a high mileage one likely to need? Would rather not have to deal with replacing a battery pack... An Integra or RSX might be worth considering, but being in Atlanta, not sure what the odds are about finding one that hasn't had a Pep Boys catalog thrown at it. A bit worried about the upkeep on a MINI or VW...

Lots of people talk about replacing battery packs but I still regularly see first gen Prii and first gen Honda Insights running around. I don't think the packs are a problem. Ours certainly hasn't shown any symptoms of going bad over the course of five years.

Most Prius owners haven't been beating on their cars either, so there's that going for it in the second-hand market.