Advice wanted on a first car

[payam972]

I have a 97 m3 sedan automatic sitting collecting dust. Just been doing maintenance on it and making it reliable. Would that be a good first car for someone? I'm thinking yes because it would be reliable, cheap to maintain, safe and not too fast by today's standards- also being an auto.

 

[sahtt]

I would not advise anyone to purchase a 90's BMW, much less an M3, as a first car if reliability is a top concern (which it will be).

This isn't to say your personal car isn't great in every way and fairly reliable.

E36 M3 is a special car.

 

[scorp965]

I'd say it's a good first car, so long as they've been maintained and not left to rot, they're super-reliable; it's good on gas, and you've got four doors to bring your friends around to places. Assuming it's not some horrid color combo like techno violet on modena interior, it's a decent-looking car too. I'm curious about the insurance cost, but that would be the only item of pause.

My first car was an E34 M5 with the 5spd; what made it fun was nobody in my family could drive stick, so I had a friend show me the basics, then forced myself to learn over a week or two, in order to get to school. :smile:

 

[s2kNSX]

I love my M3 but I would never tell anyone to buy a old Beemer as their first car if they are on a budget...parts are expennnnnnnsive!!!

Zaid

 

[clr1024]

I agree with the other posters, would be expensive to maintain. I would think something more reliable would be better, Honda, Toyota, Nissan etc....also not sure a sports car should be someones first car...depends on the person I suppose.

 

[payam972]

I guess I just don't consider it a sports car since it is an auto sedan. But I figure w all the big maintenance things done, it shouldn't be too expensive

 

[eyecandy]

16 yr old + M3 = very high insurance imo

 

[Nefarious]

The E36 M3 is one of my all time favorites. I spent a lot of time behind the wheel of a blk/blk one. Even with yours being a sedan auto, I would not let a teen drive it for their first car. They are still very quick cars, insurance will be astronomical, parts are expensive, and the world doesn't need another M getting totaled out. They are very special cars.

 

[flaminio]

I wouldn't get a performance car for anyone's "first car".

My advice: a 2008 Honda Fit.

 

[jond]

I think it would be a great first car for a kid.
Safe, reliable, looks cool. If I had a kid, something like that is what I would get for their first car.

 

[NSX_PrecisionTeam]

IMO I feel a first car should be a non-performance oriented car that is the same model year they were born or older. Especially if the car looks like a beater. This will teach them humility. I feel it should be well maintained and solid (for reliablility purposes) but look like crap. Teenagers are very vain and egocentric. Should they want a better car (which they mostlikely will), it will teach them to set goals and learn proper work ethic to achive those goals.

When I see kids driving the car of their dreams (or something similar) as their first car, more often than not, these kids will start taking everything in life for granted. They will begin to feel entitled to everything they feel should be theirs.

Should you decide to give the M3 as a first car, and you are in your right to do so as it is your decision in the end, see how they feel about making payments toward the car like you would in the real world. This in turn will teach them fiscal responsibility.

 

[bngl3rt]

Agreed. My first car was a 1993 Toyota Corolla DX wagon. Learned to drive in it, learned to maintain it, learned to appreciate it. It was born a few years after me, but my uncle has another rule: The maximum horsepower of your car should be your age times ten.

However, I am of the opinion that your second car (and the first car you buy yourself outright) should be your dream car. Let's just assume my uncle meant wheel horsepower and not crank.

 

[SaleenS7Rs]

I wouldn't get a performance car for anyone's "first car".

My advice: a 2008 Honda Fit.

OMG most uncool kid in school lol.

 

[sahtt]

OMG most uncool kid in school lol.

Admittedly I come from the school of hard knocks but anyone who has a car given to them, much less a fairly new one they won't have to worry about, is extremely fortunate.

My first car was an 86 Chevy (I was born in 85) suburban I got for $1500. I used it for my lawn mowing company and it paid itself off many times over.

Due to leaky valve stems, every time I started it a huge cloud would billow out the exhaust. Think the honda fit is bad? Try engulfing the school parking lot with exhaust fumes.

But at 18 and in my senior year I paid cash for a black 1991 300zx twin turbo with 400whp. I sold it for a $2000 profit when I went to school.

 

[flaminio]

OMG most uncool kid in school lol.

You want uncool? My first car was a 1971 Chevy Kingswood Estate.

Google it, and enjoy the lulz.

 

[DocL]

You want uncool? My first car was a 1971 Chevy Kingswood Estate.

Google it, and enjoy the lulz.

I got you beat. I had a 1983 White Dodge Aries K Wagon. The only thing cool about it was that it was a 4spd manual. I think they only made two of them. The first one being the prototype and the second one being mine. :biggrin:

 

[SaleenS7Rs]

Wow! You guys had some waaaay uncool cars lol. It took me a while to save up enough for my 89 Mustang GT. I was known as the kid with the blue mustang lol.

 

[NSX_PrecisionTeam]

Wow! You guys had some waaaay uncool cars lol. It took me a while to save up enough for my 89 Mustang GT. I was known as the kid with the blue mustang lol.

I had an '83 Firebird but it was far from cool. It was the 173hp 2.8L V6 with a 2barrel electronic feedback carb in what I believe they labeled as "Rootbeer Brown". You know, with the gold-flake metallic in the paint. Basically it was a slow heavy sparkly turd. My firebird loved to go downhill but never liked going back up.

I'm sure my car and I were known in high school as something. No one said it to my face but I felt like I knew. lol

 

[naaman]

Meh... at least is was RWD! :tongue:

 

[payam972]

Update. Getting some big time maintenance done so it'll be reliable. He is really into the "stance" stuff so I doubt he will be racing and doing all that. I don't think the power or speed is really a reason not to get that car, considering most kids first cars these days are more powerful than an e36 m3 automatic. I think he will go for this look.

 

[etang789]

hey having a BMW 3 Series as a first car is consider a cool thing... you would get all the chicks in school, well at least back then... but couldnt afford one so I wasnt cool...

I dunno whats cool now?

 

[clr1024]

hey having a BMW 3 Series as a first car is consider a cool thing... you would get all the chicks in school, well at least back then... but couldnt afford one so I wasnt cool...

I dunno whats cool now?

I think safe and reliable is more imporntant than cool for a kids first car. If he/she can have all three then great. Of course cool is in the eye of the beholder too. Personally a 4 cyl, manual honda would be the way I would go...of course I am biased as that's what I did.