Best BMW for my wife?

[Cheyne]

It is time to replace my wife's car and we have decided that another BMW in the family would be fitting.

The car will also be our daily driver for four days a week and to do the weekly shop etc so it needs to be reliable and reasonable on gas. My wife enjoys driving and likes her cars to be sporty (not rocket ship fast, but nippy and fun to drive). She also would prefer a 2 door/3 door rather than a 4 door and it has to be a manual.

We aren't planning on having children so it doesn't need to be "child friendly" and we have the 7 for those times when we need to carry three or more people.

So far we are trying to decide between the following two cars (they are both pretty much the same price):

2005 BMW 325ti M Sport (my favourite). This one has the half suede interior.
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/9428/325tizy4.th.jpg (http://img209.imageshack.us/my.php?image=325tizy4.jpg) http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/1240/325tiinteriorsw3.th.jpg (http://img378.imageshack.us/my.php?image=325tiinteriorsw3.jpg)

or

2002 BMW 318Ci
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/8065/318cipw3.th.jpg (http://img209.imageshack.us/my.php?image=318cipw3.jpg)

So, which do you think would be the better car to live with on a daily basis? Are there any others that you can suggest that might fit the bill better?

[kornkid8600]

ti = yack

go with a coupe they just look so much better.

[Cheyne]

Yeah, but the 2.5 6cyl is a lot more fun than the 1.9 4 cyl and I do like the M Sport seats....

[550i]

325 >> 318
However,
Coupe >> Hatch

Guess it's a question of whether you want to go fast or whether you want to look like you're going fast.. Personally I would take the compact. 318's are so slow as a bag of siht

[arktissilber]

nothing fast or nippy about a 318

[Cheyne]

nothing fast or nippy about a 318


325 >> 318
However,
Coupe >> Hatch

Guess it's a question of whether you want to go fast or whether you want to look like you're going fast.. Personally I would take the compact. 318's are so slow as a bag of siht

I like the go faster aspect of the 325ti, but my wife prefers the looks of the Ci. I wish I could convince her on the 325i but she is really against the idea of a four door. The other option is going to 325ci but they are still more than I would prefer to spend on a depreciating item.

[geezerman402]

I loathe the headlights of the ti enough to ignore it completely and go for the 318...

[TopasBlau46]

keep looking? something else will come around that you'll like more

[Amir@AvusAutosport]

Compact. Probably just because we don't get them out here, i have a soft spot for hatches, and you can always swap the ugly front end out.

[Frogger]

How much does your wife care about aesthetics? The ti is ugly from the front (looks great otherwise), but every other thing about that car sounds like exactly what she's looking for. I would own one a 6-cyl ti if they were available here. If she's fine with the looks, buy it. If not, hold out for a 325. I'd actually prefer the ti, despite the ugly lights.

[SilverBeam]

We didn't get the E46 TI we I am unfamiliar with the car's characteristics. However, I am going to assume that it drives very much like the coupe, but maybe doesn't have as many features. Correct? The TI is a lot newer, but the coupe may be nicer with the added features. The coupe will get better fuel economy, but I'm guessing the TI is heck of a lot more fun to drive. I think it will come down to what she wants.

[victoriabmw27]

get the 05, no question

[Treepusher]

Newer car = warranty left. But if the car's for your wife, let her choose, otherwise you'll spend the next few years listening to "We shoulda got the one I wanted, but no, you had to buy this heap! You never listen to me...yadda yadda yadda."

[95325i]

Personally I think the ti E46 looks really ugly! If possible swap out the front end for one off the sedan or coupe. I would wait till something better came along. Cars are always being sold do not jump on the first one you see!

[DOUGDOUGLAS]

I think I would consider moving up to a 1 Series

[Iguana8334]

318 dude, girls and cars mix like oil and water. They dont mix at all. Get the cheaper, non-nicer one and then hand it over to the female driver. And dont give me crap about "women can drive whatever they want" cause you know as well as I do that they DONT know how to take care of a car, or drive them.

[geezerman402]

Yes, many female drivers aren't exactly pros.

But they're better than the men who drive wrecklessly on purpose.

[Amir@AvusAutosport]

318 dude, girls and cars mix like oil and water. They dont mix at all. Get the cheaper, non-nicer one and then hand it over to the female driver. And dont give me crap about "women can drive whatever they want" cause you know as well as I do that they DONT know how to take care of a car, or drive them.

paging silverbeam Lauren, babym Josie, Kelli, and Kim

[weenstan]

Failure ensues. ^

I don't think a 318 would be very fun to drive, however Ti's do look ugly.

[xtremsiege2]

I think the 318 would be fine for your wife from the description you have posted here. The coupe looks like a real clean, good looking car, not so much the newer Ti but to each his own.

[PixMan]

The best BMW for your wife is the one SHE chooses! I've been married to the same girl for almost 28 years. I bought cars I thought she'd like for her for about 18 years, and heard all the complaints anytime something went wrong. Now that she picks them out (I still pay for 'em), she has not one word of complaint, and I am a happier man.

[Francisco]

i like the 318 because its a coupe...but you wont get fuel economy because the car by itself its too heavy for that engine and i dont like how the TI looks maybe because its raaare i will get it but i dont like it..

in my opinion i will keep looking for a E46 coupe 6cyl 320,323,325,328,330

because i dont hink you want to give a M3 to your wife!! jejejeje

[95325i]

The best BMW for your wife is the one SHE chooses! I've been married to the same girl for almost 28 years. I bought cars I thought she'd like for her for about 18 years, and heard all the complaints anytime something went wrong. Now that she picks them out (I still pay for 'em), she has not one word of complaint, and I am a happier man.

You are a wise man! my wife to be told me to pick out her next car and gave me so many limitations on it. I wish she would just get a new one herself!

[Cheyne]

Thanks for all of your helpful suggestions. We are still looking, I'm just pleased that we don't need a new car urgently as I don't see this being easy.


How much does your wife care about aesthetics? The ti is ugly from the front (looks great otherwise), but every other thing about that car sounds like exactly what she's looking for. I would own one a 6-cyl ti if they were available here. If she's fine with the looks, buy it. If not, hold out for a 325. I'd actually prefer the ti, despite the ugly lights.

She actually prefers the look of the the Ti front end.....I don't know why either.


We didn't get the E46 TI we I am unfamiliar with the car's characteristics. However, I am going to assume that it drives very much like the coupe, but maybe doesn't have as many features. Correct? The TI is a lot newer, but the coupe may be nicer with the added features. The coupe will get better fuel economy, but I'm guessing the TI is heck of a lot more fun to drive. I think it will come down to what she wants.

The 325ti actually has more features than the 318ci we are looking at because it is the M Sport spec. Sitting in it it feels just like a "full-size" 3 until you look over your shoulder.


Newer car = warranty left. But if the car's for your wife, let her choose, otherwise you'll spend the next few years listening to "We shoulda got the one I wanted, but no, you had to buy this heap! You never listen to me...yadda yadda yadda."

Lol, I can already hear her saying that :lol


I think I would consider moving up to a 1 Series

3 problems with that idea:
1) Price of 2005 Ti is $22,500, price of '08 116i is $40,000. Even 2005 118is are still going for $30,000.
2) We can only get the five door version of the 1 in New Zealand and my wife only wants a two or three door car.
3)I think the 1 series looks like cack (although I am torn as to which is uglier the 1 or the Ti).


318 dude, girls and cars mix like oil and water. They dont mix at all. Get the cheaper, non-nicer one and then hand it over to the female driver. And dont give me crap about "women can drive whatever they want" cause you know as well as I do that they DONT know how to take care of a car, or drive them.

My wife has her competition licence and is actually a pretty good driver, if a little quick sometimes. She even has her no-claims bonus intact.


i like the 318 because its a coupe...but you wont get fuel economy because the car by itself its too heavy for that engine and i dont like how the TI looks maybe because its raaare i will get it but i dont like it..

in my opinion i will keep looking for a E46 coupe 6cyl 320,323,325,328,330

because i dont hink you want to give a M3 to your wife!! jejejeje

She does want an M3, and I would love one but I couldn't justify daily driving it and I already have two weekend/trackday cars.

[Aarodynamics]

From everything you just said, I would go with the 325ti as long as she is extremely happy with it. If she doesn't love the car then just wait for something else to come along.

[1985mb]

the best bmw for your wife is the one she chooses! I've been married to the same girl for almost 28 years. I bought cars i thought she'd like for her for about 18 years, and heard all the complaints anytime something went wrong. Now that she picks them out (i still pay for 'em), she has not one word of complaint, and i am a happier man.

lol

[Vdubb2BMW]

get your wife a mk5 GTI with an APR chip and use the extra money to get a BMW motorcycle.