I've had a 2000 BMW 3 series E46 coupe with 6 speed and a 2006 BMW 3 E90 series sedan with 6 speed. I had the E46 for 10 years and it's been the best car I've ever had including my Porsche. I just gave it to my nephew (he better look after me when I get old) with 150,000 miles on it. It was still running great. I added coilovers and UUC swaybars, lowering the car and dialing out all understeer. It got 28-30 MPG and was the most fantastic, neutral handling car ever. Had separate summer and winter tires which delivered appropriate traction in all conditions. Not super powerful, but I could shut off the stability control and let the tail hang out while driving on country roads with non stop smiles.

The only reason I have a E90 sedan is my wife wanted a Porsche Cayenne and dumped the E90 on me! Its got run flats which are horrible, the interior is less driver oriented and the stick shift resembles something off a John Deere tractor. I'm contemplating mod'ng it to make it usable but it will never be as nice as the E46 coupe.

Get a E46 coupe with 6 speed, do a few mods and you will love it.

 

[QUOTESTI works. BMW - not so sure, I am tired of them and I do not care of them,][/QUOTE]

Have you driven the Xi ? It's AWD and when i used to post in ther 3 series forum Roadfly a lot of members liked the car for snow climate.
One thing i like aboiut the 3 series is all the comfort, safety , handling, lease pricing ameneties --makes for a great DD . Pluys it has free maintenance and long intervals . It's really ideal IMO.

 

Not sure what your requirements are, but how about a 996 C4S? I sold my 2002 with less than 30k miles for around $30k. It was pretty damn close to perfect and I think that was basically market correct.

For:
AWD
Same interior room as 997 - so back seats are usable in a pinch
Turbo body / brakes
Fully depreciated...I imagine
Comfortable...if a little awkward...interior
Competent / fun to drive
Updated headlights from 1st gen 996
Pretty damn attractive...IMHO...particularly for the price

Against:
Okay, the ergonomics aren't great, and the steering wheel isn't adjustable
IMS & RMS potential - but the former is pretty rare and the latter isn't THAT big of a deal, particularly when you replace the clutch

Or put another $10k in and get a turbo. But for a DD, get a good set of snow tires on a $400 set of original turbo twist wheels and enjoy.

 

Golf GTI, TDI or even a base Golf. The base Golf with the 5 cyl 2.5l is a fantastic car, especially the 2 door 5-speed manual.

 

BMW 335ix. SAFE, reliable, proven, pleasurable to drive. (and twin turbo)

That's my DD.

 

But that all depends on how much money he is looking to spend. a 335xi will be mid 40s at least, about 10k more than an EVO/STI, albeit slower. Again it will CRUSH either of the two in the lux catagory. That would be a very hard decision if the 10k didnt matter.

 

Expensive, yes. Actually my 2011 BMW 335ix was stickered at $58k. It's loaded with everything from M-Sport pkg (black headliner, 18", ground effects) to Nav, Cold Weather, Premium, audio, etc.

...but you don't have to build it out this much. The Subaru's are reliable and QUICK. But I couldn't get over the sheet metal/paint quality in my friends Sti. He has door dings everywhere and he says its a problem due to the thin sheet metal. Subaru also tries to be green with their paint process and it doesn't weather quite as well.

Don't get me wrong, the core of the Subaru is great. But unsure if he wants his daily driver to be a bat out of hell like his 911. I'd also consider the new Jeep Grand Cherokee since he lives in the Northeast. They get weather up there. You can fully load the thing with Overland pkg/leather/wood/suspension and still get out the door waaay under $40k. This way you don't have redundant utility. Can go to home depot in a Subaru

That thing is getting great reviews!

 

Where have you found them for $20k? I haven't seen them (here in OC) for under $24k.

 

I agree. Base Golf here in OC is a little over $16 or 17k. Much better reliability than Coopers (apparently), as well as more comfortable. I've considered a base Golf for DD lately to save wear and tear on the Porsche. Also, the Honda Fit for $15.5 is very reliable, roomy, and low operating cost (incl depreciation).

 

Yes they are thin metaled and the paint is not the best. But I cannot say if that is any better with the current models.

The Jeep is nice but if you dont want an SUV its a no go, something he has not told us yet.

He has said that he would like AWD so I would think that although cheap and very good on gas both the Golf and the Fit are out.

 

So far I have seen a few cars that match up to what you are looking for

a) EVO
b) STI
c) 335xi
d) A4

 

Test drive an STi, I absolutely love dd mine. It makes everyday commutes fun. And they also sound very nice with new exhaust.

 

I can tell that you are a Subaru fan and must have a pre 2008 since you appear to have purposely written STi rather than STI.

 

This is a very timely thread as I am also getting ready to purchase a new DD. Right now the leading contender for me is the Mercedes C55 - 05 or 06. Those can be had for mid 20s and from what I'm told they are absolute rockets. First off, has anyone on this board owned one and if so can you provide some feedback on the car. Second, does anyone think this is a bad idea for a DD? Thanks all.

Stan

 

I had an 05 C55 and loved it. I only sold it because I couldn't really justify to myself having both a C55 and a 997 for the low miles I put on my cars every year. I only needed one or the other, and I chose the Porsche. But I loved the C55 on longer trips due to it being so comfortable, more roomy, and quieter. The AMG models seem to depreciate awfully quickly, but as you say, as a buyer you can get a lot of car for the money. The older CLK55 (01-03), which I also owned, is another contender. You can get them in the low to mid teens, which isn't bad for a car that sold originally in the high 60's.