Am I all grown up?

[afavro24]

First of all, it feels good to be posting here again. It have been about 7 years since I sold my 2000 e46 328i and I am in a position right now to start looking for another Bimmer. My question to everyone is, what model should I consider? I am looking for a sporty, fun ride as I have an SUV that will handle most everything else. I was considering a 335xi or a 535xi, but want it to have all the bells and whistles. My e46 had the premium, sport and cold weather packages and I loved it!. I am looking for a sedan and a manual transmission. Gas mileage is a mild concern, but anything is better than my gas guzzling monster V8 I have now. I want a fun car, but don't want to be seen as a young kid when driving. I am a professional in the community. Thanks in advance!

[pizzaman09]

Any relatively modern BMW in my opinion will give off a professional vibe as long as you dress the part. There are not too many BMWs that scream boy racer. If you keep it stock looking on the outside and don't put a super obnoxious exhaust on the car most people will probably just consider your car another normal BMW.

Are you looking specifically at brand new cars or slightly pre owned?

[afavro24]

My e46 was all stock, with a few exceptions. I have just heard that the 3 series is more of a "younger" car. Not that I am super concerned, but as mentioned, I would like something fun and have read the 5 series can be a bit of a boat.

I am definitely looking pre-owned. I don't have a tremendous budget (around $22,000)

[Silverdogz]

2 or 1 series are more boy-racer than the 3. Anyway, I'd pick an e38, e46 or an e90 and I would definitely steer clear of the '36.

[afavro24]

I really like the look of the e90. Are there any years I should try to avoid? Or conversely, years I should look for specifically?

[Silverdogz]

The LCI models are best, so 2009+.

[montaillou]

...but don't want to be seen as a young kid when driving.

Wear a tie, grow a beard, smoke cigars.

[pizzaman09]

2 or 1 series are more boy-racer than the 3. Anyway, I'd pick an e38, e46 or an e90 and I would definitely steer clear of the '36.

I suspect you meant e39 as manual e38s are few and far between in the US. Most of them are conversions too rather then imports.

That being said, you can get a heck of a lot of used BMW for $20k. You could get a very classy and super nice condition 2003 540i for that sort of money. You can even get an nice M5 for that money but you said you were concerned about fuel mileage a bit.

E46s and e90/92s are also very nice cars, they are all worth a look. You should probably also drive an e39 just to see if it is sporty enough to fit your need before dismissing the 5 series.

[BimmerBreaker]

Personally, my vote is something not yet mentioned... a 2006 E90 330i. Last of the N/A I6's and with the higher-output variant of the N52B30 it makes the 330i was the "best of the bunch" regarding N/A I6's. They were only available for one year in the US, 258 naturally aspirated horsepower with 221 torque... but feels like a lot more behind the wheel thanks to the many advanced technologies in the engine (VANOS, DISA, Valvetronic all working together to help that torque come on from 2500-4000RPM).

For some reason this model is often forgotten, maybe due to rarity or being overshadowed by the 335i but if it was a main car for me I'd take a 330i any day. Cheaper maintenance than a 335i with IMO more fun factor unless you are always racing around in the higher revs. The torque curve of the N52 feels very different to the N54/N55 plants (thanks largely to Valvetronic, a technology absent on the N54/N55). The N52 is proving to be a fairly bulletproof engine as one might expect at the end of BMW's technological developments of the I6 engine. It also came in an "xi" AWD trim since that is something that seems important to OP (though with an SUV for winter duty I'd get the RWD version but thats just me - maintenance costs go up with AWD cars too). Paired with a 6 speed manual as was available, it is a very quick car. Lightest 3L I6 in the world thanks largely to extensive use of magnesium... I have a family member with a 128i with a similar engine (medium-output variant of the N52) and it is a fantastic car to drive. The parts from the 330i are upgrades for the lower versions of the N52.

That being said, you can get a heck of a lot of used BMW for $20k. You could get a very classy and super nice condition 2003 540i for that sort of money. You can even get an nice M5 for that money but you said you were concerned about fuel mileage a bit.

$20k is a lot for an E39 540i and can definitely buy a decent M5. Without going too much into why... an M5 driven the same as a 540i should get the same or higher mpg. Maintenance costs are a bit higher with the S62 but I'd argue that it being less prone to major failures (like timing chains) may offset any differences in having to buy two MAFs or more expensive oil or this or that.

[pizzaman09]

$20k is a lot for an E39 540i and can definitely buy a decent M5. Without going too much into why... an M5 driven the same as a 540i should get the same or higher mpg. Maintenance costs are a bit higher with the S62 but I'd argue that it being less prone to major failures (like timing chains) may offset any differences in having to buy two MAFs or more expensive oil or this or that.

Trust me, an M5 can't begin to dream about touching the fuel mileage of a 540i. I have many times tried my best hypermileing techniques on my 2002 M5 and on my parent's 2001 740iL. The best mileage I have yet to achieve in the M5 has been 27.3mpg on a long highway trip going across hilly Pennsylvania. Doing nearly the same trip in the larger heavier 740iL, 30 mpg has been achieved. That is calculated with real mileage and fuel used for both cases. On flatter trips like across Ohio slightly lower numbers are achieved as you can't play the hills, I can get 24.5mpg in the M5 and 29 mpg in the 740iL. I would imagine that a 540i with a manual could achieve better results yet then an e38 740iL with the same engine.

As for your other thoughts, I absolutely agree. The S62 seems to have less major failures then the M62 counterparts. Oil is dependent on your year, on later e39 M5s BMW recommended normal synthetic 5W-30 if your primary driving is not on a race track. I wouldn't even dream of putting 10W-60 in my M5 this time of year, driving it to work this morning the temp gauge read -4F .

[auaq]

Graham, the N55 came with valvetronic whereas the N54 did not. Both do have vanos though but the N55 has a more simplified version.