Southern09

I have about 10,000 price range looking for a new car and i've always been intrigued by the IS300. But my friends have been telling me I can buy a 3-series for the same price and have better everything(performance, exterior, interior, etc.) and also an A-4 and G35 have come up. Just wanted to get some opinions on what is the best I can get with my money? Thanks for yalls input

NCis300

iTrader: (2)

i am a car audio installer and people are in some kind of illusion that bmws have great interior. its not. once its taken apart 1 time, it doesnt go back the same way, the clips wear out after being removed once, the climate controls scratch easily, been doing installs since i could drive never have i seen a car like this. repairs/maintenance are going to be a lot more on european cars. just my $.02 worth. go is300, youll be happier in the long run

a4 is in the same category as the bmw, expensive to service and you have to take it to a specialized shop

the g35 on the other had is very nice, and similar to the lexus as far as maintenance and service, and the sound so sick. going to be hard to find one that hasnt been raped in a 10k budget though, most i see are from 13-16k

p.s. im not a rookie on this site anymore!

boostedis3

iTrader: (1)

I've personally owned multiple SC300s, a turbo IS300 (current), 2 big turbo B5 A4s, a Stage 3 B5 S4, an E36 M3/4/5, and an E46 328i....

My experience has been this:
SC300: Dated interior, and a very dated but classic body. Given you spend money on aesthetics (IS300 seats, refreshing trim, 97+ body or Auto Couture), they offer a very reliable and attractive car with gobs of "go fast" potential. Seeing as you can scrounge craigslist for 5-speed for under $3000, you could potentially have quite a bit of money left over for cool guy stuff.

IS300: It has been my personal experience that while the interiors are much nicer than the SC300 (and the audis for that matter), they typically still look a little cheap. Even guys that sink money into their interiors still have plastic everywhere. Modability in terms of performance, again the sky is the limit, just with a slightly larger budget, as internals aren't as strong as the pre-vvti motors, and the ECU is a pain in the ***. And finding a mint condition 5 speed in your price range will be difficult, so plan on trying to mod an E-shift car...which is still fun, but increases cost for reliability.

Audi (B5 & B6 A4/S4/S6): The B6 interior is MUCH nicer "feeling" than the aforementioned cars, and is MUCH nicer than the B5. They are expensive as **** to mod and maintain though, and there are very few people putting down respectable power with them...and it costs a fortune. If you can find an S4 (and they're plagued with issues) that is already Stage 3 for under 10K, I'd probably jump on it...its another sedan that is quite attractive with just a drop.

BMW E36: Probably one of the funnest cars I've ever owned. Mine was a Dinan Supercharged M3, and it was a complete freaking blast. I think the interiors on well maintained E36s is just classic...its elegant for as old as it is, and its simple enough that its not gaudy. If you want to buy an older 325i 5-speed, there are a million and one things you can do for "relatively" cheap to make it faster, handle better, and look better. I'm definitely a fanboy of them, although I've become a much bigger fan since 2JZ swaps have become so common.

BMW E46: Good looking car, although everyone prefers the coupe over the sedan. You can find them for under 8 grand, which will also leave you some money for wheels and suspension, which makes them look exponentially better. More expensive to mod than everything except for maybe the Audi when it comes to performance stuff.

Overall, if you can't find a nice 5-speed IS300 for under 10,000, I'd just settle on an E-shift 2001, or an SC300. If you MUST have a sedan, buy the IS, or *maybe* the E36 M3. If you can't find a manual M3, I'd hands down take the auto IS over it. Cheaper, more reliable, less issues with subframe and motor, easier to mod, etc.

My $0.02....

USMCgs3

Idk man I've had a 2001 328i and it was nice, but if you plan on dealer maintenance, be prepared for 89.99 oil changes and other high priced services. But I still got my *** handed to me by my buddies mostly stock sc300.... So it all depends on you. The is300 can be the best route if you plan on keeping it for a while, BMW and Audi gets old after a while, just look at what you get got the money between the cars: what year car you can get and with what mileage and features. Good luck man

Southern09

thanks for yalls input. i appreciate it!