ti good for first car?

[GoEz]

Well pretty much what the title says...getting the license over the summer and been looking for cars. I guess one of the big things is the fuel economy and Iv been looking at v4's when I came across the 318 and I just really liked what I saw in the ti

Anyways this looks like a great community and I figure that if I was going to ask anywhere for opinions it should be here

[lazoh]

Originally Posted by GoEz

Well pretty much what the title says...getting the license over the summer and been looking for cars. I guess one of the big things is the fuel economy and Iv been looking at v4's when I came across the 318 and I just really liked what I saw in the ti

Anyways this looks like a great community and I figure that if I was going to ask anywhere for opinions it should be here

The TI gets my vote for being a good first car, the only thing is to make sure that you get a well taken care of TI (like any other used car). Good luck with the 318ti hunt and stay tune to this site since from time to time we see a few TIs for sale.

[SDKmann]

For the record the ti has a I-4 or straight 4 motor, not a V4, most 4 cylinder motors are in an I configuration and not a V configuration. My ti was my first car and I can honestly say I would have been much better off to wait. I really wish I would have gotten a Volvo or something as my first car and beat on that instead of this. You will do stupid things in your car, you will make mistakes, you will break stuff, its all part of learning to drive and growing up. Since your going to be doing that destroy a Volvo or a civic or something and get the ti in a couple years. You wont listen but thats my $.02.

[thesk8nmidget]

i agree it is a good car but i think a different car should come first. like a nice little honda. or toyota something that is also easy to fix, cheap and something that can get beat up on and not matter so much.

[elchicano]

i agree with josh something like a honda will be a great car. The cheper the better, most of the first cars kids get are POS and they learn alot from that car. Anyways alot of kids end up wrecking their first car, well at least i did.

[nyle]

yeah, like the guys said before. they are really great cars. solid fuel efficiency, well built (except for a couple known problems depending on the year), not too fast, but not too slow either.... but i'd hate to bring statistics into it, but the majority of young drivers get in accidents and getting a bmw back the way it was isn't like getting a ford fixed.

for the record. my first car was a 96 escort, totaled after 3 months. i went to high school with a few people who had fast cars. some of them are lucky to be alive.

[elchicano]

I wrecked my car after 3 months as well i had a Geo Prizm.

[Mallard]

the ti would be the best "first bmw" to buy, but not the first car.

Ti´s handle quite well considering the e30 - e36 mix of suspension. the drive isnt as nose heavy as other e36s, and the rear end isnt as snappy as on e30s.

but if your planning on getting a car to tune and speed in , then it wont matter which one you get..

as it wont be on the road for long. at least with a BMW you can roll it down a mountain and you wont get hurt

Good luck in whatever you choose, and drive careful

[Bluebimma]

Id say do the honda first, youll learn a lot from then, theyre cheap, and very easy to fix.

[Philly]

well if your just getting your license... I assume your only 15-16 years old. Stay away from BMW unless your parents are prepared to help you fix it when the time comes. Im not saying they are not reliable, but they arn't the cheapest cars to work on.

Im not going to out-right spoil your idea of getting one, but make damn sure you know what your getting into.... I didn't quite know at first, and it bit me hard and I had to sink many dollars into my car over the last summer.

You would be better of buying a honda or something, dirt cheap for parts and practically a monkey could work on them.

[Kohote]

I think the ti makes a great first car. Just make sure you take care of it and give it the respect it deserves. Try not to do a lot of the stupid things teenagers do to/with their cars. It is true that parts can be expensive, but try to educate yourself on forums like these so you can do the work yourself and not pay for labor. I would also make sure you have a good chunk of money saved up in the bank, insurance will kill you for the first few years and the first few years you own the car will probably be when you put the most money into it. Having a part time or summer job is probably going to be necessary, don't forget the fuel costs-they add up quick. They are great cars and you will have a blast driving in one. All the other cars people have suggested are front wheel drive, if you start to do some serious driving and care at all about performance you will get bored of front drive and wish you chose a rear drive car. The ti is probably one of the best rear drive first cars you can get. Make sure you have enough money and be careful with the car and go for it, you will not regret it.

[roadrash]

Originally Posted by Mallard

the ti would be the best "first bmw" to buy, but not the first car.

I'll +1 that advice!!

If you're shopping for your first car, it's safe to assume that you're still "young." Part of being young is learning, part of learning is making mistakes. So, regardless of what car you have, as a new driver you WILL make some mistakes, e.g. speeding, accidents,etc. As a young person, you WILL do some "stupid" stuff to and with your car, e.g. silly cosmetic mods and driving it into ditches, etc. In all of those cases, I think it's better to have a cheap, almost disposable car, rather than have a relatively nice one that's going to be expensive to repair when those mistakes occur.

[drrty byl]

Originally Posted by Philly

Im not saying they are not reliable, but they arn't the cheapest cars to work on.

Get the ti and a Bentley manual to go with it: learn to repair it yourself. Anything that's not clear in the manual is pretty easy to find explained online. You'll learn a lot and save your 'rents a wad of cash.

[thesk8nmidget]

just dont be an idiot! get the ti and respect it! dont go showing off at lunch time with some buddies and end up jumping some curb and detroying your car or worse someones life.

be smart and remember with mods.
quality>quantity

[b.u.ti-ful]

I think the best 1st car would be a Lotus plus a Bentley for a winter beater.