Best new or used vehicle for $30,000

omrster · March 2006

Just got into the market for a convertible and found a 2004 BMW 325, prev executive lease car, auto, premium, cold weather, 6 CD changer with ~6400 miles offered at $36000 with 18 months left on 48mo warranty. The dealer tells me the car was a manufacturer buyback in another state becasue of a transmission problem and the transmission was replaced and so the car is not CPO. I've looked around, but am not sure how worried to be about buying a car with a branded title.
Any thoughts?

kyfdx · March 2006

I would be very worried...

I don't know the options on that particular car, but a brand-new '06 325Ci convertible stickers for around $45K.. I'd say $36K would be the right price, if that car had no issues and was CPO..

With MBB on the title? It might be worth $6K-$10K less than that.

If you were certain that the vehicle didn't have any other issues, and you were going to keep it for 5-6 years, and you were getting a great deal... it might be worth it..

But, you can't be certain, you probably won't keep it that long... and that surely isn't a great deal....

The low mileage may be clouding your judgement on value... You would be better off buying a similar car with 30K miles and a CPO warranty.. The price should be in the same ballpark.

regards,
kyfdx
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rsterling · March 2006

Thanks for he input. Too much to be concerned aboutwith the MBB.

Started negotiating on a 04 325ci, auto with 13,700mi, cold weather, HK audio, PDC, premium pkg, sport pkg, rear airbag, xenon headlights with 27months left on original warranty, CPO, $39k.

dhanley · June 2006

You ought to be able to get a certified, 2-year-old manual s60R for 30K.

zodiac2004 · June 2006

but I don't think it will hold up very well to my 25k a year driving habit.

At that kind of mileage, if money is a consideration at all for you, I'd steer clear of European and Korean makes, and most domestics as well.

If style and comfort are important to you, find a good independent mechanic, and buy any >95 LS/GS 400/430 you can afford, and call it a day.

After 98, Nav was an option on them, and probably half of them came with them.

In terms of reliability and keepiing you comfortable at high speeds for a lot of miles, those cars are unmatched. Of course you will lose a lot of value when you sell them - but that's true of any car you mile up unless you buy beaters.

alp8 · July 2006

So, do we think the new Toyota Camry Hybrid qualifies for this discussion?

averigejoe · September 2006

See message #1:

"...What would you buy if you had 30k burning a hole in your pocket? Please assume that your needs are: sporty, yet comfortable on the highway; 4 seats minimum; over 28 mpg, and reasonable reliability.

Our discussions always focus on new cars, but shouldn't our discussions start with price, and thus include used cars, as well?

I think comparos between new cars and equal-priced-but-more-expensive-when-new used cars are valuable..."

This is a good topic, but no posts here for a long time. How come?

qbrozen · September 2006

well, maybe its all been said already.(?)

In any case, since you've brought it up, I would like to throw the EOS into the arena.

starts at $28k.
seats 4.
probably pretty sporty.
should be comfy.
with the 2.0T that gets over 30mpg in the Jetta, 28mpg is a reasonable expectation.
And you get the added bonus of a droptop hardtop!

Only part of the equation up in the air would be reliability. Alot of folks have become disenchanted with VW over the years.

alp8 · September 2006

I also think it is a great topic - so post some ideas, Joe!!

averigejoe · September 2006

New cars: Sonata or Azera.
You can bank the leftover money.

fasterthanyou · September 2006

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. If you know about cars is by far the best choice for 30000.

robbieg · December 2006

If buying used, then reliability is a huge issue. If I were to buy a used BMW or Saab, I would have to have a warranty. I probable would never buy a used Saab because even though I would get a tremendous deal on it, it will likely be worth less than my golf clubs when I would go to trade it in. Most of the people in my area buy would buy a used Lexus ES300. Clearly this car is more sporty than a Buick, but is far from a BMW. If you want something sporty, try the GS300 or 400. If reliability is a factor aren't you saying to buy Japanese?

nyccarguy · December 2006

If it were my money, I'd go with a CPO '04 or '05 BMW 325i with a stick and a sports package (at least).

I saw an ad in the paper on Friday for an '03 CPO Black/Black 325i with stick, sports package, leather, sunroof, & NAV (34K miles) for $21K & change. I'd spend the rest of the money on driving schools & modifications :shades:

hackattack5 · May 2010

"

"With $31K you can get an 06 TL non-navi and call it a day."

My brother said that he had the dealer down to $31,000 for a brand new TL but he did not buy it because it is so ugly. Looks like the Joker in the front. The TL sales are way down because of that.

dan3434 · May 2010

I just got a 2007 335i sedan with 14,850 miles on it for $28K. Premium and sports packages, nav system, cold weather package. I had the same criteria as you, and this meets my needs, especially in the sporty department! Time will tell about reliability, but right now I'm very happy with it.

bvdj84 · May 2010

I know, the TL just looks too harsh in its line. The grill is just too odd! Even, creating a smaller wing for the grill would look so much better. Though, I have seen a painted one, it looks much better. That could be an option.

plekto · May 2010

So get a 2007 or similar model for a bit over 20K. The older TL was beautiful.

jsou · June 2010

hey dan,

i'm in the market for a CPO 335i as well. Was your price $28K OTD?

dan3434 · June 2010

It was actually approximately $29K OTD.

jmertt · July 2010

i saw a VW phaeton w12 for $28,000 with about 74,000 miles on it

lovemyclk · July 2010

Absolutely! FWD aside, I find the prior-gen TL to be the closest Japanese sedan design to my '03 e39 530i. Hanging on to my BMW, but find the prior TL to be a terrific design... tidy dimensions, fairly elegant lines, nice interior design without the need to make it look like a teenager's study-hall doodle.

stever · May 2011

Did you go looking for a used car and find that prices were so high that it made more sense to buy a new car instead? Or found that your trade-in was worth a lot more than you expected?

If so, a reporter wants to interview you. Please email pr@edmunds.com no later than 3pm Eastern on Thursday, May 5, 2011 and include your daytime contact information.

jfdsccm · May 2011

I am seriously considering the CTS wagon. I was shocked to find out that none of the 3 cadillac dealers in central texas had Any 2011's in stock. They say "wagons" aren't popular in Central Texas. I will see if I can get my hands on one to test drive. If I like it I'll have to have them order it.. Do you think I can get a good deal if a dealer orders a vehicle?
Thanks
JFD

plekto · May 2011

Ken Batchelor Cadillac in Austin has several. That's probably an hour or two drive from where you are.

gmcustsvc · May 2011

jfdsccm,
The price of the vehicle shouldn't be different due to if the vehicle is ordered or in stock. I would recommend visiting the brand web site and using the live web chat option. They are able to locate vehicles in your area. Web chat is able to assist with pre-purchase questions such as availibity of different features, differences in trim levels, as well as incentives; however, they dont have specific pricing or payment information. Web chat agents can also assist you in requesting a quote or locating a dealer, and using the different tools on the web site. If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail me.
Christina
GM Customer Service

tdbmd · April 2012

I was in this situation. I was driving a 2005 Buick LeSabre with 105k miles on it that had been basically bulletproof. I had owned it since 2008.

I wanted to move up to a more sporty car that my kids would not make fun of for being a "grandpa car" (I am 44!). I wanted something that would be decent in the snow, as we get plenty around here. So, I started looking at AWD sports sedans. Drove the Audi A4, MB C300, BMW and Caddy CTS. Ended up going with the CTS, found a 2010 with the performance package and 3.6 DI motor, AWD and have now owned it for about 10 days and 400 miles. Great car so far, does everything that I want without being too much of a "boy racer" and my price for it with 8800 miles was right at $32k, so in the range you are asking about. Will see how it goes long term, hopefully it is as reliable as my old Buick was!

Best new or used vehicle for $30,000

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