Help with BMW's and other RWD/AWD

[chuckler3]

I'm having trouble finding a car that fits my wants. i have up to 14k to spend but it has to be '03 or newer.. that's probably the biggest part of my problem.. stupid loans. i'm looking for RWD/AWD with some pep. i like BMW's because of the RWD, but i can't seem to find any with less than 100,000 miles in my price and year range. any help with other ideas or help finding one of these illusive bimmers would be greatly appreciated.

[DinanM3_S2]

You'll probably struggle to find a BMW 3-series that new with an acceptable amount of miles in your price range. Its probably impossible. BMWs have some of the highest resale value of any mainstream cars.

You'll have to give up one of your restrictions. I doubt price is very negotiable, and I don't think anyone should buy a car with 100k + miles on it, so that leaves year. All 3-series made between 1999 and 2005 are more or less the same. So there really won't be much difference between a 2001 325i and a 2004 325i given the same milage. If you arn't willing to give up on the 2003 requirement, then a BMW is probably out of your range.

Two other options are the Audi A4 and the Lexus IS300. Both were built to compete with the BMW 3-series. Most A4s are AWD and ones in your price range will be available with either a 1.8l turbo or a 3.0l. Audi's generally arn't as reliable as BMW, but the AWD is nice in adverse conditions. Some people really like their styling too. The IS300 is a RWD sedan with a 3.0l V6. They should be more reliable then the BMW, but some people don't like their looks and they arn't as fun to drive. Both the A4 and the IS300 should have depreciated a bit faster then the 3-series BMW.

[chuckler3]

thanks for the information.. if i dip back into 01 or 02 cars i have to lower my money ceiling to 12k. something with my credit union. but definitely thanks for the help