chsu74

I think the AWD drive train may be the reinforcement needed to keep subframe from cracking. I have yet to hear an AWD subframe issue.

hideehoo

2006 BMW 330xi with snows, been rock solid for the last 80K miles. It's an E90 so the interior wears a lot better than my wife's E46 M3. If you can do you own wrenching, they are cheap to own, otherwise you're doing things like paying $350 for a new battery install vs. paying $75 for a new battery and $15 for the cable and software to reset the battery mgmt module.

2007+ 335xi would be faster, but $15K isn't going to go very far there and the turbo/DFI setup has many more "issues". Between the four cars (three are German) and many, many motorcycles, I already have enough to wrench on.

alpine003

I attribute BMW subframe to IMS. It happens but can often be overblown on the net which then prompts people to fix a "potential" problem more out of fear. Of the 4-5 dozen people I have personally come in contact via bmwcca meets, I've never met one with the issue. Theoretically you might have a greater chance if you run aftermarket sways/spring and always auto-x it.

As for interiors, I buy BMW's to drive and for the driving dynamics first and foremost. If I wanted a pretty interior, I'd buy an Audi for sure. I'd rather have the interior fall apart than the engine. Actually some have said the same thing about 996 interiors...

Bottom line is OP should get a car based on his priorities which is going to be different for everyone.

M3BimmerBilly

You are smoking crack if you think the 2.7T A6 is a better car than an non-M E46 . They are the same money used, from the same era and the 2.7T will go down in history as one of the biggest fails in Audi history.

My god, look at all the nightmare stories on turbos failing, timing belt reaplcement, yes that "GERMAN" awesomeness the 2.7T is has a fukking timing belt that is 1,000 miles long and has 40 tensioners on it that should all be replaced. Want to budget $1200 for a subframe crack that affect 1 in 10,000 cars fine? Prepare for a *** raping timing belt service on a 2.7T which you cant avoid. You have to take the front radiator support and everything forward of the timing cover off the car to do it.

Id much rather spend 30 minutes of my life popping new a-pillars on my car vs getting owned at the Audi dealer.

Give me a break. Who's really talking out of their *** now?

XR4Tim

This is a bit overblown. It takes about 10 minutes to pull the front bumper and put the core support in service position.

M3BimmerBilly

This takes 10 minutes? You are an amazing wrench.

halik

You do realize that's not the service position, right?

For timing belt, all you gotta do is this:

onewhippedpuppy

The front end of the Audis is actually hinged to allow service access, i.e. the "service position". I wasn't aware that timing belts were the sign of an inferior car, better phone Honda, Toyota, Ferrari, Porsche, and a host of others to tell them the news. Maybe they could install a timing chain in exchange for an interior that falls apart?

M3BimmerBilly

Nobody cares about your E36 interior experience. That car is 15+ years old now.

I had two e36s with over 100k on them and they were fine - One I replaced the headliner and it had a hole in the driver lower seat bolster after 151K miles. So what?

Original VANOS on both and they were tracked.

Maybe you should do a better job of taking care of your car.

150K old E36 sedan interior


100K old E36 coupe interior

M3BimmerBilly

You are right. The entire process is a piece of cake. Thats why the Audi dealer charges at least 5.5 hours of labor to do the TB service.

halik

You mean the same amount of time as an Accord?

chsu74

I like bunnies

onewhippedpuppy

Awful touchy, aren't you? I thought you said that the interior falls apart, but it's cheap and easy to replace the parts? I've owned a good many European cars, both older and newer than my E36s. I've never encountered one that suffered from material failure (not neglect) more quickly. From the newer cars that I've looked at, I don't think they've improved in this department either.

Back on topic for a moment, will a Cayenne fit under your lift? I've noticed a good number of sub-100k Cayenne S for sale in the $15k and under range recently. They are getting pretty affordable.

halik

The 6 speed v6 cayenne would be neat; it's not exactly easy to find SUVs in manual.

onewhippedpuppy

They made a few of the GTS models with the V8 and a 6-speed. That sounds like fun, but way more than $15k.