Loaded 435i vs used 2015 M3

[Myfirstbmwinsertcodehere]

Good evening everyone, this is my first post on these forums, as after all of my research I have deemed them one of the best places to look for knowledge on BMW’s.

My post will be about my next car, a BMW. Which model should I choose though – that, I will be relying on you experts to guide me!
Quick intro: in 2005-6, my father purchased from the only official BMW Dealer here in Puerto Rico called Autogermana, an E46 33ci ZHP package. It was red, it was manual, and had plenty of ///M parts (except the engine of course). Cost brand new was around 60,000 (taxes are almost 40% MSRP here in PR).

I learned to drive stick shift with this car and after almost 10 years, my dad offered to sell it to me, for 10 grand. I was going to pull the trigger but then got around to thinking that I was still in my bachelor’s being busy with a lot of studies and “unpaid” internships and could therefore not maintain it very well if it were to acquire any problems, which would seem common for a 10-year old car. Also, the cost of parts, as you know, is not cheap.
Fast forwarding to the present, my dad picked up a brand new 435i with a ton of upgrades, total cost of 82 grand. Keep in mind, this car drives itself on the highway with the Adaptive Cruise Control, has sensors in the back and front, and a lot of other things that can be appreciated.
He has then changed the grills to black and pedals to aluminum, also the BMW stickers with carbon fiber ones. Other than that though, the car is pretty much Stock.

I will soon be able to have a good job thanks to business school (hopefully, not guaranteed) and will have to decide which car to get soon.
The question is this, buy my father’s loaded Mineral Grey with Coral Red interiors 435i for about $15,000-20,000 and then add Dinan power package ($600 CAI, $1,800 Free flow Exhaust and $2,249 for the Stage 2 Tuner (+84 Horsepower) and later on some CF mirror caps, CF diffuser (will it fit with the Dinan exhaust?) and ///M Sideskirts?

OR

Wait 3-4 years, stick with Honda Civic and then buy a used Sakhir Orange F80 (2015 M3)?

Should cost about 40k or so, BMW’s depreciate quicker than most cars here due to high prices. The M3 is obviously in another league and should not require many aftermarket parts, if any really. Oh, and it also has 4 doors for the possible family if anything should occur. This car looks so good in that color, it brings tears to my eyes…

Quick question, is the real 0-60 for the 435i 5.0? It feels pretty fast and on some sites it says 4.5? Thanks!

I also looked at the new M2, and found it strange that the 235i on the BMW site says 4.6, yet it says M2 4.4 (not much of an improvement…right? just found it curious, and also the mirrors not being M styled).

[Damasconian]

I can only comment on my thought process.

I didn't want a fast BMW. I wanted an M car. the 435 is a very fast automobile, but the M4 is in a category all to itself. On Monday I took my car in for service and got a 335 loaner. Great car, but I was shocked at how much more impressed I was with the M4. From the interior, to the sound, to the performance - there really is no comparison. If you don't really crave an M car, the 435 will be more than enough for you.

[RickFLM4]

I'd say don't buy an expensive car (particularly one that has expense maintenance) as soon as you start earning decent wages. Save your money and wait a while before buying something more expensive. Civic.

[hwalk]

Originally Posted by Myfirstbmwinsertcodehere

The M3 is obviously in another league and should not require many aftermarket parts, if any really.

Hmmm.....i'd recommend to keep off this forum if you want to stick to your statement above...

The M2 shares many parts with the M3/M4 so i think a much bigger difference to the 235i as those 0-60 figures may express...

[Myfirstbmwinsertcodehere]

Thank you for the replies, I think I will stick with the Civic that has never failed me
(Literally, 120K+ miles and not once has it failed to start or anything.)

and when my dad changes his 435i, re-evaluate what to do.

I asked him and he said he would get an M4, if things had been going his way, so I think I will try and convince him to change the 4 series in 1.5-2 years, buy a pre-owned certified M4 from the BMW dealer, and then i will buy it off of him at a discounted -family price- and tell him to go get a Porsche x'D since he won't be needing the extra space.

Cheers!

Thanks again

[Myfirstbmwinsertcodehere]

Originally Posted by hwalk

Hmmm.....i'd recommend to keep off this forum if you want to stick to your statement above...

The M2 shares many parts with the M3/M4 so i think a much bigger difference to the 235i as those 0-60 figures may express...

Haha! There is always Dinan for those upgrades, no such word as overkill, am I right?

I hope the M2 is really good, from my research, it is very hyped and people have been awaiting it anxiously...

INB4 M2 does 0-60 in 4.0 with DCT xD!

[Blindside_137]

Originally Posted by Myfirstbmwinsertcodehere

Thank you for the replies, I think I will stick with the Civic that has never failed me
(Literally, 120K+ miles and not once has it failed to start or anything.)

and when my dad changes his 435i, re-evaluate what to do.

I asked him and he said he would get an M4, if things had been going his way, so I think I will try and convince him to change the 4 series in 1.5-2 years, buy a pre-owned certified M4 from the BMW dealer, and then i will buy it off of him at a discounted -family price- and tell him to go get a Porsche x'D since he won't be needing the extra space.

Cheers!

Thanks again

That's a good plan, delayed gratification is much better.

[jzmundy]

Originally Posted by Blindside_137

That's a good plan, delayed gratification is much better.

[scheneider]

m3

[ASAP]

Originally Posted by Blindside_137

That's a good plan, delayed gratification is much better.

Very rarely... especially when most things don't live up to people's expectations.

[nicknaz]

If your dad will sell you an almost new 435 for 15-20k that is a great deal. Go for it.

[sandwi54]

First question is, how are you able to buy your father's 435i for $15,000-$20,000? Is he selling it to you at a huge discount?

You didn't state what stage of life you are in, how old you are, etc. But it sounds like you are just about to graduate from business school, so I am going to make an assumption that you are around 26-27 years old. At this stage of life, I really wouldn't dump money into cars; they are simply depreciating assets and after a few years, all that money is just going down the drain. Even a 435i brand new is an expensive luxury item for a newly graduate. You should focus on building a career, buy a house, and maybe start a family. Once you have all that done and have extra cash laying around, then maybe you can start thinking about putting a significant money into cars.

The US economy is going to enter another downturn in the coming years, and having as little debt as possible is what you should focus on. If I were you (just graduating from school), I wouldn't buy anything that costs more than $40,000. You can pick up a nice non-luxury brand sports car, fully loaded, for less than that.

[Amgeater2]

go make the money and then we can talk !! you need to save money and then jump in a BMW in my opinion your priorities are all F up... you want to run and you are just learning how to walk. (Specially if you are living at home with your parents) I am assuming here...

base on what you wrote SAVE money 70K+ then buy a BMW (used one), them when you have a better JOB 90K++ a year and you have 70K+ save you can buy and M car... just my 2 cents

[nicknaz]

Originally Posted by Amgeater2

better JOB 90K++ a year and you have 70K+ save you can buy and M car... just my 2 cents

That's so open to opinion and other factors like where you live etc etc

Why does every thread always go to "you need to make X $" whenever someone asks about getting an M car

If OP can swing an M4 early on, heck ya, go for it

[Myfirstbmwinsertcodehere]

I've already found the answer I was looking for, but just FYI, here are some details:

I finished my undergrad when I was 23, I majored in Public Relations and Advertising and did 2 minors in Business Administration, one in Entrepreneurship and another one in business communication.

I'm now finishing my MBA and am 25. In the states, the stats. say that I will be able to get a job with AT LEAST 115k salary, since my B school is in the top 20.

My school was kind of cheap, like 30k annually so I really don't have much of a debt. (Undergrad was free because my parents are professors)

Anywho, that huge salary is in the states, in PR, success pretty much comes from building your own company.

Money aside, because that won't be that much of an issue later on, some of you guys have a point in the "stage of life" that I am at, yet, we only live once, and life could end at any moment.

With that, I simply decided to focus on everything else and forget about cars until my Dad changes his 435i. Someone said, the 435i is great, especially when modded, but if you crave that M car, you need to go for it.


I crave it...

...Has to be in Sahkir Orange too

So yes, whether it be in 1 or 3 years, I will aim for the ///M 3/4.



Thank you for all the inputs once again, they really did help.

[TheFlyingMouse]

Wait until your job nets you a 6 month cash reserve for expenses in your own apartment, including the payment for the M3/4. Build up the cash for 20% of the total cost of the car (on top of that) to keep from being upside down on it, then revisit this question. Drive the civic until then, or get a really cheap old BMW if you want a better experience, but don't take out a loan for it. (Think less than $5k).

I made the mistake of buying a 128 when I really wanted an M car after 6 months at my first job. End result is looking to be around an 8k loss on it after 2 years due to depreciation, tax, loan interest, etc. It was 3 years used at the time too. I bought the 128 because I destroyed the a/c compressor in my 250k mile 1984 E30 beater that I had been driving for the previous 8 years.

The decision is ultimately personal and really depends on your situation, but please make sure you have a good cash reserve before buying any car. That will guarantee you have time to get out of it if something bad happens with your job and you can't find new employment.

EDIT: I see you're leaning on a conservative mindset for this purchase after some of your posts above, so just listen to your better judgement without emotionally killing yourself and I think you'll wind up buying the car at the right time for you.

[Amgeater2]

(I'm now finishing my MBA and am 25. In the states, the stats. say that I will be able to get a job with AT LEAST 115k salary, since my B school is in the top 20.)

Sorry to break your bubble but this is most likely not going to happen... 115K out of school mo way Jose.. I sure hope it does and I wish you the best of luck !!

[Capt Crunch]

Originally Posted by Myfirstbmwinsertcodehere

I'm now finishing my MBA and am 25. In the states, the stats. say that I will be able to get a job with AT LEAST 115k salary, since my B school is in the top 20.

Hey, not to be a total downer, because getting a sweet car is a lot of fun, but there are only a couple ways that I see the above happening:

1. You are hot shit and become an Associate a McKinsey, BCG, or Bain (2nd tier in big cities too, perhaps, not sure)
2. You get a Wallstreet job, but in Chicago (because you're not going to get a car in NYC)

Let me give some unsolicited advice, generally, the salary you are given is proportional to the value you provide (money you generate is a good proxy) for the company you work for. It is generally very had to demonstrate to any company that you can generate that kind of dough straight out of school. In fact, I'd bet good money that the greatest jump in the value you can provide will be the first 3 years of your career, not the 3 years of grad school you have.

I don't want to discourage you. It doesn't take long to demonstrate value. In 3-5 years, if you're hot shit, then you can make a LOT more than $115k, but it's unlikely right out of the gate.

[sandwi54]

Originally Posted by Myfirstbmwinsertcodehere

I'm now finishing my MBA and am 25. In the states, the stats. say that I will be able to get a job with AT LEAST 115k salary, since my B school is in the top 20.

My school was kind of cheap, like 30k annually so I really don't have much of a debt. (Undergrad was free because my parents are professors)

Anywho, that huge salary is in the states, in PR, success pretty much comes from building your own company.

Money aside, because that won't be that much of an issue later on, some of you guys have a point in the "stage of life" that I am at, yet, we only live once, and life could end at any moment.

Glad to hear you are making the right decision by staying with your civic and not spending the money that you don't yet have on a BMW.

However, not to burst your bubble, but the salary that you think is "huge" (115k or whatever you think it'll be) is not really that much. To make 115k right out of college, you may have to live in a metropolitan area (NYC, San Francisco bay area, etc.), and rent/real estate prices are very high and that's where most of your paychecks will go into, not cars. If you make say 115k and try to buy a 70k car, you'll soon find yourself strapped for cash flow, assuming you will also try to own a house and make mortgage payments.

A good rule of thumb is that the cost of the car should not exceed 1/3 of your total salary, if you want to comfortably own it and still have cash to do other things in life. As a point of reference for you, I own a 70k M3 and I make well over twice the "huge" salary you stated, and I graduated from the #2 school in the country (or world) in my field.

[fusionchicken]

I would stick with the Civic, and whenever you get the itch borrow the 435i from your dad, and save for an M3.

Have you driven an M3? If not please do, maybe the 435i has more than enough power for you. Having an M3 loaded with the same features won't be cheap. Also, some actually prefer the exhaust note on the 435i (I like both but prefer the unique aggressiveness of the F8x M exhaust note)

[Devilzmantis]

Once you go M... you never look back at the others that are looking up

[Myfirstbmwinsertcodehere]

Hello again guys, I'm here just clear up a few things:

http://www.payscale.com/college-sala...ls-by-type/mba

http://www.usnews.com/education/best...hool-graduates

http://poetsandquants.com/2015/07/07...-went-to-work/

Starting salaries among all sources: 110-135k

As for my previous comment on "huge salary" I meant that 115k is pretty much -huge- (for me) in PR, where living expenses and pretty much everything else is cheaper than in the US, except for cars.

In PR, you can get a luxurious apartment with ocean view/beach access for less than 2.5k a month.

If you separate, let's say 1.5k a month for a car, including insurance, food and other immediate expenses, let's say it totals to 5-6k monthly.

6k a month, in one year is 72k, so if my job left me 115k, that's a surplus annually of 43,000 for everything else. Which is pretty nice, if simply starting out.

Anywho, salaries are VERY relative. In Texas, earning 60,000 a year is the equivalent of 100k in San Francisco, due to higher living expenses. In PR, I expect less than 115k which reinforces my "wait some years" decision.

All I can hope for is that long term reviews on 2015 M3/M4s turn out positive in 2-3 years, I do not want to be paying so much on a car this early in life, need to travel the world with the wife and like many have said, need to save for unexpected situations.

In any case, I can always buy the 435i the next year, and get "used" to the BMW experience, as an owner of one. And then, with proper savings, jump to the M3/M4 and bask in the upgraded glory!