New Daily Driver Suggestion

[nousablenames133]

I need a new daily driver. I want a smallish sedan with a manual transmission and FR layout for under $6000. To my knowledge the only vehicle that meets all these requirements is a BMW E36. I don't know if it's because I got used to my old S14 or if it really was perfect for me, but not only are E36's expensive on insurance and maintenance/repairs, hard to find, and a bit tool'ish, driving it didn't feel right. The steering wheel wasn't at the right height or distance away from me. The steering took too much effort and the wheel itself wasn't very comfortable. Steering sort of felt like there was too much caster. The pedals didn't leave much room for heel and toe downshifting and the clutch and shifter feel was like butter. Throttle response was slow unless the accelerator was pinned. Not sure if that's related to the VANOS VVT or not. I really don't want to buy a FF or a coupe.

Should I keep looking for bimmers, bite the bullet and get a FF, not care about my 6ft.+ friends who fold themselves up to get in the back seat, or does anyone know of a better sedan that's FR?

[DreamN]

How bout AWD B5 A4s? You can find really nice ones for around that price range.

[KA24DESOneThree]

E36s are giant steaming turds. I'd rather ride a bike. How do I know? I'm driving one right now... for the moment. Most of the time, it's undriveable.

E30 318iS with a Downing Atlanta supercharger (or one stolen from a T-Bird Super Coupe) would be much, much, much better.

[BustedS13]

how much do you care about appearances? why does it need to be a sedan? fuck your friends, make them drive. that's how i roll.

old volvos are rwd and come in stick. i'm looking for a volvo 240 at the moment. take a look. if you're like me, you can see it as a cheap, economical, indestructible daily driver with "classic" european looks. if you're not like me, you'll see it as some old shitbox. which it is.

other than that, rwd sedans are relatively hard to come by, especially in a manual, for a decent price.

[ByeByeSti]

How bout AWD B5 A4s? You can find really nice ones for around that price range.


+1 for you my friend. b5 a4 is where its at! i own one and love it but selling it to fund my s14... if you buy a 6 cyl make sure its not the 12v (96-97) its un moddable and gay. the 30v is the 98+. but buy the 1.8t, awd is amazing and the body roll isnt to bad on them at all. and the 1.8t's have pretty good pick up for little 4 cyl and a good dd. they drive like a dream

[nousablenames133]

I thought most Audis used their CVT. Manual is a must for me. KA24DESonethree, why is the E36 crap? Steaming pile of crap doesn't really help me. I've heard and witnessed the interior falling apart, but I've heard mechanically they are good.

Oh, and I'm quite tired of being driven by my friends. They aren't good drivers. One of my friends had a FB RX7 now an Accord. He's not very attentive and doesn't usually shift til 4500rpm. It really bugs me when you're driving on a highway at 60mph in 4th running 4000+ rpm.

I was sort of going for a newish car, but I'll start looking at Volvos. Thanks

[TheTimanator]

I second the AWD notion however different make.

2000-01 Subaru 2.5rs available in 2 or 4 doors. Most sell for 6k-8k. Great little car, handles great, and good gas mileage, 25-28 mpg. The awd is great and since you live in oregon it would make for a great winter car. Downside is they are kinda hard to find. You could also look into Impreza L. They just aren't as attractive but much eaier to find and cheaper to boot.

I have a 98 2.5rs coupe (4 door became an option in 00). I love it. It was probably the best car buying decision I have ever made. Screw monthly payments.

[KA24DESOneThree]

I thought most Audis used their CVT. Manual is a must for me. KA24DESonethree, why is the E36 crap? Steaming pile of crap doesn't really help me. I've heard and witnessed the interior falling apart, but I've heard mechanically they are good.

Oh, and I'm quite tired of being driven by my friends. They aren't good drivers. One of my friends had a FB RX7 now an Accord. He's not very attentive and doesn't usually shift til 4500rpm. It really bugs me when you're driving on a highway at 60mph in 4th running 4000+ rpm.

I was sort of going for a newish car, but I'll start looking at Volvos. Thanks

VANOS solenoids, control units and actuators themselves go bad and are $360+ tools+ VCG to replace.

Ignition coils go bad and are expensive to replace. New boots are $15 each.

Door handles go bad very often. Window regulators go bad very often. Sunroof clips go bad very often. OBCs go bad. Windshield wiper fluid warnings are commonplace. Power seats will pop and cease to move, sometimes flopping down.

Rear damper mounts go bad very often. Rear damper towers will tear out. Swaybar mounts will tear out if the car is driven hard.

Random stumbling, hesitating, or loss of power is an 88-page thread topic on Bimmerforums. The cars are very sensitive to vacuum leaks, and there are plenty of areas to leak in an E36.

The water pumps with plastic impellers are grenades, the plastic thermostat covers will crack, the thermostats will stick, the radiator necks will crack, the heater core hoses will blow, the heater pipes will crack.

Everything that should be made of metal in the cooling system is instead made of plastic. The fan clutch will die, and the fan is often forced into the radiator when a hard 1-2 shift is made.

Heaters can blow cold, hot, or hot all the time. Random heat issues are commonplace. My car is currently blowing hot out the driver's side, cold out the passenger's.

[muddafakka]

Volvo 740, 760, 780, 940, 960, S90, V90, etc.

There you have it. A bunch of smallish FR sedans w/ manuals. As a bonus, some are turbocharged.

S90
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o254/rr_s13/1272171-bilde1-p1010003.jpg

[jyon9689]

I've always loved the volvo's. The last DD I owned was a '94 850 w/ 5MT. Absolutely great car, couldn't have been any more comfortable. Although it was FF.

[nousablenames133]

Yea, I've kept my eyes open for newish imprezas. I started looking at those last year for a friend. They're pretty hard to find and the 4 doors usually go for $8k ish. plus the back seat is tiny. I've sat in one with a horrible driver. Bad experience. Asshat had no concept of corner apexes.

Thanks for the examples KA24DESOneThree. I remember hearing about the coil and water pump problem. So BMW suspension is just that shitty eh? I heard upgrading to coil overs is sort of unheard of and hard to do, not sure why though. Apparently ground control is one of the best sets to go with. Go figure

[BustedS13]

I've always loved the volvo's. The last DD I owned was a '94 850 w/ 5MT. Absolutely great car, couldn't have been any more comfortable. Although it was FF.

i had an 850 a couple years ago. bought it for 400 bucks, it got hit by a truck on the driver side, dented the driver door and fender ever so slightly. worked great for about a year, started having electrical problems, sold it for 400 again. it was an alright car.

[jyon9689]

I'll one up ya, mine was free and in excellent condition cosmetically, yet the timing belt hadn't been replaced which lead to it snapping on the interstate and absolutely cashing the motor. It hurt to see her go to the yard.

[silviaguy240]

late 90's 5 series bimmer

[Dutchmalmiss]

If you can find one, a 5-speed cressida would be pimp. There's also E30 sedans, which IMO can look better than E36's when done right. If you can deal with a coupe then some roomy coupes could be an E30 coupe, Infinity M30, or Lexus SC300/400.

[norcal_black240]

5-speed cressida, 4 door E30 bmw. You could get a Q45 if you do not mind driving a automatic.

6,000 bucks can get you one hell of a nice ride. Try to branch your choices out more. 6k can buy you one hell of a fun daily driver.

[Bobafreak]

Just buy a civic for a friction of the cost. Save on gas and mileage.