Gotta buy a car for the coming year. If you have been around me at all for the last four months you probably know this--I spend about an hour a day at least looking at cars on autotrader.com and ebay, usually the same shit day after day, despite the fact that I won't buy a car until the end of May at the very earliest (and then it would have to be a deal). You can probably guess what I'd like to get from the links in the right hand column (look ---->) but lemme begin by framing the process.

1. I believe in getting something cool or saying "fuck it" and buying the cheapest piece of shit possible. Thus, there's probably an equal probability I'll be driving a green Geo Metro (shit) as there is I'll be in a silver Audi TT (sweet). In terms of cars I genuinely would enjoy owning, the Audi A4is at the bottom end of the price ladder. I've been focusing on 1999 model year cars, as they're pretty common in the under-40,000 mile range and are all under $20k. The high range would be low-$20k, with 2000 BMW 323i's, 2002-2003 Mercedes C230 Kompressors , and 2000 Audi TT Coupes falling into that category. But more on that later.


You win some, you lose some. Horribly.

2. The only thing I hate about Boston is the weather (OK, the high cost of living is also bullshit, but it comes with the territory). It doesn't really bother me when I am here at school, walking or taking public transportation everywhere, but driving a car through snowstorms next year to work will suck. I'm not concerned with driving in snow, but the cars I'd really like to own are a) not the kind of cars I want sitting in the road getting buried in snow and b) predominantly rear-wheel drive cars, which obviously tend not to do as well in snow. So this is something I unfortunately have to consider.

3. It's funny how driving a fine German car costs a lot because you a) have to buy the car and b) because you pay through the noise for insurance. Great thing about Cambridge--you might as well be driving in the slums of Detroit in the minds of insurance companies. In other words, a Z3 Coupe or TT would probably mean $200+ in monthly insurance costs. Jesus fucking Christ. I might as well wreck the damn thing just to get my money's worth.

4. But insurance is insurance, and if it's a great deal on a great car I think you go with it. Unfortunately, I think it's really important to consider how you're car will affect how your coworkers look at you. If I worked at a huge company I'd say fuck it, but at a small company like NorthBridge I really don't want to be perceived as some prick when I walk in on my first day. Basically all but the secretaries and the handful of analysts make well over a $100k, so it's not like they're all far wealthier than me, but I'm sure they'd rather not see me blowing the money they're giving me on fast cars and cocaine. So I don't know...that's one reason I'd strongly consider the lull-em-to-sleep technique: show up in a crap car to look humble, then in the spring blow all my dough on something I really love.

5. Transmission is an important factor, although it differs by car. I've only driven a manual a few times, but I really should learn how to drive a manual well at some point given how much I love fast cars (let's ignore the fact that most Ferraris are going the way of F1 paddle shifters). In the TT I have no choice--only this year have they started offering an automatic version, and in the Z3 Coupe you'll have a tough time finding an automatic; plus, the better Steptronic models didn't get introduced until the more expensive 2001 models. In any case, it'd be kind of sad to drive a Z3 Coupe with an automatic, a 323i would be OK, and in an Audi it'd almost be weird to have a manual tranny. My drive to work next year is mostly highway along Route 2, so having a manual wouldn't be too bad of a hassle.

6. Reliability is definitely on my mind, especially since I'm buying a used car. I'm wary of buying an Audi without a warranty, so that might be another grand or two to cover me in case annoying shit starts happening. A 1999 isn't that old, but it'd really blow to get a nice car and then get my financial nuts in a vice while it sits in a shop. BMW's are pretty reliable, although the Z3 is built in South Carolina, which is definitely a strike against it. A new C230 would solve this problem--the warranty is 4 years/50k, and the first three years have even maintenance covered. That definitely makes the price tag more tolerable given potential repairs are capitalized into the new price.

7. Number of seats is an issue, although not a huge one. Obviously, having a four door car is more convenient for moving shit and going places with friends than a cramped two-seater. The Z3 Coupe is the big loser in this because it's a 2-seater with modest cargo room (although it is a hatch). The TT is actually surprising practical--it has miniscule backseats if you really need them, and they fold down to provide a surprisingly good amount of cargo room.

8. Lastly, it's not a huge factor but my Dad will definitely hate me if I buy something too nice. Well, not hate, but the Colonel will definitely scoff at me and treat me like a retard. This is somewhat important given that he will hopefully be providing me a, uh, graduation subsidy that will wind up helping finance the vehicle.

THE CANDIDATES

1999 Audi A4
Cost: $15,000-$19,000
Miles: 25-40k
Color: Black, Silver

The A4 is the safest pick--very affordable, respectable engines, Quattro all-wheel drive, classic looks, nice interiors, not too cocky looking. I think my dad would be moderately tolerant of this kind of purchase, since we've owned Audis and he loves anything with all-wheel drive. I am very partial to the 2.8 liter V6 engine over the 1.8 liter turbo, which runs about a grand or two more for comparable '99 models. The V6 (190 hp) delivers more low-end torque and none of the turbo lag that the 150 hp turbo offers. Plus, I'm not sure if I want to buy an apparently nice car only for it to have only 150 horses. Kind of sad. The Tiptronic transmission is kind of cool (change gears with the steering wheel buttons) but unfortunately it's pathetically slow compared to a manual--to the tune of 8.8 vs. 7.3 seconds 0-60 in the V6. Sorry, but there's no way even an automatic transmission should take 8.8 seconds to go 0-60 when there's 190 hp under the hood. I've read the 2.8 isn't nearly as slow as that stat makes it seem, but I guess I'll find out when I test drive them. The 1.8 is pretty slow and Audi turbos can be problematic, but it's a very affordable car.


The 2.8 stock rims are classy enough (I kind of like them even though most would say they're nothing special I suppose) while the 1.8 rims are pretty fucking pathetic. In all likelihood I will be buying knock-off the 17" Avus S4 rims (~$600-700), which I absolutely love; I'll probably use those as summer wheels and keep the shitty ones for winter driving. I'm very partial to black on these cars for one reason--silver is great, but the side skirts on A4s are black and thus look a ton better on black models compared to other colors. Unless I found a much better deal I wouldn't buy a silver one, even though silver looks a lot better in the winter when tons of shit gets on your car constantly.

A black A4 with Avust-style 17" S4 rims

Probability of purchase: 50%

1999 BMW Z3 Coupe
$20,000-22,000
25,000-40,000
Color: Black, Silver

OK, this is a very particular choice. Lemme say first of all that most people absolutely hate the way this car looks; I admit, the average person doesn't like it, and it bears a definite resemblance to hearse built for dwarves. That said, I love it's low stance, and something about the hatch I think is really cool...the fact most people don't like it just makes me like it more. Since January I've been watching this black on black 1999 Z3 Coupe sit on a lot here in Boston, the price falling from $22,900 to $19,900. It's got the 17" sport wheels, CD, manual transmission, and only 27,000 miles. I'm kind of leaving this one to fate...if it's still around in a month or two, I'm going to have to think long and hard about whether or not I want to just go for it.

Sigh...

It's inconceivable how happy I would be if I got to drive this car to work every day. Even though it's the baby brother of the M Coupe, it's still has a 2.8 liter normally aspirated engine that provides 193 hp; yes, 0-60 is in the range of 6.3 seconds (or higher for someone like myself who can't drive stick for shit). It handles like it's on rails, it's small, and it's all black. GODDAMN! Can you tell how much I like this car? On the negative side, it only has two seats and the space for storing shit isn't exactly overwhelming. Insurance costs would blow. If this specific car is sold, it's unlikely I'd be able to find another one in the area since these cars are relatively rare. Another reason not to buy this car is that the 1999-2000 models had the 2.8 liter engine, while the 2001-2002 models had the same 3.0 liter, 225 horsepower engine found in the 330 sedan and coupes. Translation: they're newer and faster, so I might as well wait a couple years and buy one of those instead. They also have aluminum-accented consoles, which I like a lot more than the wood trim in the 1999-2000 models.

Probability of purchase: 15%

2000 Audi TT Coupe
$20,000-$24,000
25-50k miles
Color: Silver, Black

How sweet would it be to own an Audi TT right out of college? This is definitely one of the coolest, most unique looking cars on the road. It comes in both 180 and 225 hp versions (take a wild guess which one I could afford), thanks to varying levels of turbo boost from their 1.8 liter engines (adapted from the A4). I love the smallishness of this car, which delivers great handling even though the power isn't overwhelming. As noted above, it actually has four seats (though you wouldnt want to use them) and the back seats fold down to provide a really substantial amount of cargo space. Silver on black is the most common combination out there and my favorite as well. Black would also be cool, though it'd have to be a great deal for me to fork it over for a black one.

Insurance would be very obviously, and reliability would be a concern as well. Audis don't have the best rep, and I'm always kind of nervous about dealing with temperamental turbos. There are a fair amount of high-mile TTs out there which suggests they make pretty decent everyday drivers. Plus, most have Quattro as well, so they're decent enough in snow. There's not much more to say though...it's a beautiful car and would be an unbelievable set of wheels.

Probability of purchase: 10%

Mercedes C230 Kompressor
$20,000-$26,000
New-20,000 miles
Color: Black, Silver

The irony of course with this car would be that by buying it I'd have the same car as my Mom. Unfortunately I don't think she wants to sell it--the idea of ME buying it from her right out of college seems amusing to my parents--and in all honesty I was excited when she got it because it was the first time I saw her really excited about a car. I REALLY like my mom's silver 2003...it's not fast per se, but it's very quick (thank you mr. supercharger), handles nicely, and it's an unbelievable value for the price. I'm really surprised by how much these have depreciated on the market--used 2002's (with the slightly more powerful 2.3 liter engine) can be had for $20 grand. I've also found loaded (ie leather, automatic) 2003s here in Boston for $26 grand--about 4k below sticker. This is probably the only new car I'd consider buying, namely because they only started making them in 2002, they can be had for well below sticker, and the MB warranty means I wouldn't pay a dime in service or repairs for three years.

The black with 17s would be slightly sweeter than my mom's silver with 16s.

The backseat is surprisingly roomy, the Panorama sunroof is huge, the trunk is large and the seats fold down to make it huge. It's a very practical car, and I really like the classic MB front, even if the back is a little schtubby. I'd definitely get some 17" rims for this car, most likely the C7 package wheels or perhaps even some aftermarkets. I think I'd go for black because the Panorama roof makes the roof and spoiler black regardless of the body color, and so it blends in nicely on the black car. Plus, the chrome grille is gorgeous set against a black car. Silver would also be nice, but my mom's is silver, so I might as well have something that's slightly different. It's a very safe car, but insurance would be bad, mainly because it's a new car that would be worth more than any of the other cars I'm considering.

Can't tell it's the Baby Benz from this view
Probability of purchase: 10%

2000 BMW 323i
$20,000-$24,000
35-50k
Color: Silver, Black

BMWs are great cars, but for some reason I've never been the biggest fan of them, probably due greatly to the fact that they're so common. Among the entry-level luxury sport sedans, no one can touch the 3-series. The reason I like the 2000 323i is that it was the first year they put the newer body-styling on the entry-level BMW engine--in other words, it looks cool without costing too much. I actually don't like the post-2002 3-series sedans because of the changed headlights--dunno why, I just think they don't look nearly as cool as the 2000-2001 models. The 323i only has 170 horsepower but the BMW chassis and transmission make up for it. These are really great-looking cars, especially in silver with the 17" rims. To buy one of these with sub-50k miles though I'd have to fork over a considerable chunk of change, and I'm not sure if I love the idea of owning a BMW enough to do that.

Plus I think there's kind of something about owning a BMW 3-series--it's a very obvious outward sign that you're a successful young male, and while I obviously don't have a problem with buying a nice car at a young age, I think I'd rather own something a little different (hence my interest in something like the Z3 coupe). "Hey look, it's another young fuck who blew his paycheck on a 3..." I don't know, that's kind of the vibe I assume you get when you have one of these, and I don't think I'm into BMWs enough to do it. Whatever...this probably doesn't make sense....

Probability of purchase: 5%

Unnamed shitty car

So this would be the "field"...in other words, something less than 5 grand that will get me to and from work for at least six months before I decide to get something I really like. I was talking about this with Ray, and I'm actually against getting anything vaguely sporty for some reason...I don't know, I don't want to act like my Hyundai Tiburon is a sports car, so I'd rather save a grand and getting something really shitty and stupid looking that shows I really don't give a shit. BTW, I realize how totemistic this is...

Probability of purchase: 10%