welp, it's been ruled out. i don't even know at this point. i'm overwhelmed by the lack of choices that i've deemed acceptable.

 

Just get the damn S4 already. It's got the best interior in the class, is just as RWD-y as competitors' AWD options (not to mention a better AWD system), and has a sweetheart of an engine. It doesn't offer a manual anymore, but neither do any of its European competitors, so I can't hold that against it.

 

so, another wrench thrown into the mix, albeit a pleasant one and one that we fully welcome and are grateful for - my SO's parents are gifting us about what we had budgeted for a second car, but that puts the decision more in my SO's court, not mine and would pay for the car outright which is awesome.

sooooooo, do i continue on my search and get rid of the little x2 m35i that could(n't) in favor of the s4? i don't know! it's tempting! i mean, i am going to test drive it because if i'm going to be paying for a vehicle, might as well pay for the one that's better and i'm pretty sure the s4 is better. according to online calculators i'm 2k in negative equity if i were to trade it in. 1k according to carmax if i were to sell it to them. i've already secured financing, so might as well try the s4 out?

a few other alternatives to the s4 popped into my head this morning as i was searching:

the 2021 jaguar f type p300 - beautiful car, but doesn't have as robust of an engine as the m35i
the 2021 lexus rc350 f sport - old as f, but decent looks and it'll last forever (not that i'll keep it forever haha)

last option, keep the little x2 m35i that could and maybe get rid of the alpine white color in favor of a pearlescent white by having the car wrapped? i've never wrapped a car before, only ppf. i have no clue as to whether wraps can mimic paint enough to be undetectable and also attractive. because it's white, i feel like i have to stay in the white family to avoid opening the doors and seeing the door jambs white while the car would be some other color that would be super off, e.g., something akin to matador red mica.

 

i'm definitely test driving it, but now that new and pleasant surprises have entered the picture, all eyes are on the m35i.

p.s. i'm a millennial and so like many of us, i don't know how to drive stick. i know how to paddle shift haha.

 

I think you are all over the place from FWD based near luxury compact sedans to RWD 2 seat coupes lol

Get the M2comp - it has 4 seats, looks better and performs better than any of these other options.
At $60k its a bargain for a real M car.

Otherwise just get S4 although S5 would be the better choice for most ppl.

 

Modern manuals with auto rev match are just as easy to drive as auto.
Even the new Mustang now blips the throttle for you when you engage 1st. So the car starts moving forward even if you’re not in gear.

 

find me an m2 comp for 60 otd or even 70 otd and i'll be impressed. they aren't easy to come by. they also aren't comfy cozy. even the m35i isn't particularly comfy cozy. i want adaptive suspension.

 

i definitely have to try one out that's modern. the last time i drove a manual was when i was a grad student in like 2012 and it was an older porsche 911 and yeah, i was stalling the thing all the time. hah.

the base 718 cayman popped into mind as well, btw, as i was just reminded of more performance-oriented cars, but you really have to spec that thing into entry-level 911 territory for the interior to not look like a subaru brz.

 

There is no true performance car under $100k with a “luxury” interior.

Cayman is not more comfortable than M2 and has much worse usability. Its also a much higher price for a 4cyl. Look at Supra for $50k or less.

M2 - you have to find a dealer with available allocation at MSRP. Not hard at all. Go on BMW forums, plenty of leads there.

 

no, but i have a trade with 2k negative equity. so msrp on these things is not going to be 70k otd. it's gonna be over and i'm not spending more than 70k on an m2 comp that i'm gonna daily. the supra's okay, but i'd rather have the z4 and that thing isn't available anywhere within southern california. i'm not spending more than 70k which i have raised from 60k because there is nothing new that's good that'd be 60k otd, so 70k it is and no more. i can't keep raising the amount for a daily.

 

Shouldn't take very long, especially with your level of intelligence as a schoolteacher .....as a teen-ager, I got the basic hang of it in just a few minutes.

First, on a level surface, in a parking lot or away from traffic, with the engine off and the parking-brake engaged, just practice pushing the clutch pedal in and out with your left foot, and the double-H-pattern gear-shift linkage with your right hand so you get familiar with how the linkage feels and operates. Then, when you are used to the actual physical feel, push the clutch in, start the engine, and try a few starts and stops by shifting into first gear, giving the engine a little gas (maybe 2000 RPM), and slowly letting the clutch pedal out while keeping your foot on the gas...you will feel it engage and the car start to slowly move forward in first. It might lurch some at first, until you get used to the feel of the clutch. Then, push the clutch pedal in and brake to a stop. Try that again a few more times till you get the basic feel of it (the engine may stall once or twice as you get used to it....don't worry, everyone goes through that). You may also get the wrong gear at first and stall the engine out...but that is also very common, so don't worry. After you are used to starting and stopping, then try upshifts and downshifts while under motion by using the clutch pedal and moving the lever to the proper gear...again, you may get the wrong gear a couple of times and stall, overspeed, or lug the engine, but that's part of the learning-curve....and the computer won't let you exceed red-line on the revs. When shifting under motion, you don't have to let the clutch out slowly like you do to first start from rest...you can do it more quickly. Just always remember to use the clutch for any starting or shifting actions you do and when you come to a dead-stop, so you don't stall the engine, do your actions smoothly (no rough stuff), and, before long, you will get the hang of it and be able to drive almost anywhere.

 

This changes the conversation by quite a lot. Just 4 months ago when you traded a brand-new X2 28i for an X2 m35i, you posted this:



And now you're looking to replace a brand new car for effectively the 3rd time in a year. We're all car nuts here, but this is an extremely destructive path from a financial perspective. Each of these transactions likely has a real cost of somewhere in the range of $10k (loss on trades, taxes and dealer fees on purchase, etc). Maybe even more--you did after all, trade in THREE cars on the m35i and STILL have negative equity.

You can get a LOT of car for $30k/year. None of which are particularly prudent on a teacher's salary. But then again, neither is getting a new $50-70k car every 4 months. And based on your post history, we'll be having this discussion again in June/July, where you're looking to trade the S4 for an M3 comp. And so on, and so on.

Apologies for being the party pooper.

 

see this is what i needed to hear. i needed confirmation as the situation has changed.

i mean, because my spouse's parents are writing us a very generous cheque, we can afford it, but it's not financially wise now that we have a source for another vehicle.

so, that would mean that if i were to choose to trade in the m35i, i would really need to love the vehicle because i'd be keeping it for the entire length of the loan and i don't, clearly, love any of the options currently available. the audi s4 comes close and yes, it doesn't make sense financially, but i happen to be in a financial position to drop money on cars that i want because my parents purchased our house for us as a wedding gift in wine country.

also, i'm not a classroom teacher, i work at the district level in literacy curriculum and development. my salary is well above six figures. my spouse is a PA, so his salary is higher than mine. we're VERY comfortable.

but yes, something to think about, indeed.

p.s. i realize that i provided a lot of personal info, but it puts everything into context.

 

Do what makes you happy. Sounds like you have the finances in hand. Honestly, I wouldn't even consider an M2 or Cayman if I could put a little bit more down and get a C8 vette. My brother in law has one and its magnificent...just the best sports car under $100k. I think you need to test drive one of those

 

yeah, i have the money - i'm in no financial distress. life is short -- live it up. my retirement savings are in check, our house is paid in full and is located in a very desirable area of southern california's wine country, both of our careers are stable (we didn't go through years of graduate school for nothing). i don't mean to come across as elitist, but since an old quote from a post within the m35i thread was referenced, i needed to make clear that we are financially very stable and we have money to play with.