Would you buy a car that was leased?

[Dreman]

Rebuilding an auto trans isn't that hard! I rebuilt a C6 in my Thunderbird to go with the warmed up 400 it had. Almost got everything right, too! The trans shop guy said the only thing I did wrong was putting one washer in backwards! Apparently one side had oil grooves in it and the other side didn't. It lasted almost 250 miles!



Keeping absolute track of where every part goes and how it fits is critical, but otherwise it wasn't that bad. Never tried it again, though!

 

[Fred]

:lol: Yeah, I've watched quite a few automatics being rebuilt and saw things like your washer incident happen. That's why I don't want to do it.

 

[Fred]

Heck, maybe if it gives me too much trouble I can put a sweet 350 in it like I did my Vega.

 

[Ben Schepper]

We bought a X5 new in 2002 sold it in 2004 that thing was the biggest PITA in the world. In the shop atleast 5 times in under 40k miles. Our aviator has been trouble free since day one.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Fred, if I were you, I would consider the Chrysler Crossfire convertible. Sure, it's not a BMW, but based on what others have been saying here, maybe that's not a bad thing!



TJR

 

[Darrel Chaney01]

My insurance bought one of the new mini's when they first came out. Got rid of it because it was to expensive to keep working. He had to replace the clutch at $1200.00.

 

[Geoff Barker]

There is also the Mazda Miata, they don't have the power of a BMW but they are cute, realiable and inexpensive. Around here they are a very popular car with women.

 

[Mark Grumpy]

hhhmmmmm



Big Money Waster

Broke My Wallet

Buys More Women

Bought My Wife

Burly Mechanic Wanted

Benjamins - More Wasted

Boxey Mercedes Wannabe (not sure this one still applies)

Buy More Warranty

Boosts My Wiener



Personally, I would not own a Beemer as a daily driver. But the question was "Would you buy a car that was leased?" Sure!! As stated previously, probably looked after better with a better service record.



But that one is old enough to have been leased three times - where has it been since the initial lease? Or does BMW have leases on used vehicles?

 

[Fred]

Phooey! Don't tell me all this stuff! Now I can't show her this thread. LOL. Just kidding. I'm starting to think another brand might be a better choice. Oh well, we're going to look at the Z3 anyway in ~30 minutes. Now I'm scared. LOL, again. :lol::lol:

 

[Fred]

Boosts My Wiener

:lol::lol::lol: I'll take 2! :lol::lol::lol:



Carfax shows it was leased from 98 to 04, then sold to....somebody.

 

[Tom Schindler]

Many "used" cars and most CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) vehicles are off lease cars.



My mother is German. She has always said Germans take pride in taking their car to the dealer to get serviced.



Parts are explensive, like others here have already said, and there are special tools for everything. Things you normally take for granted require special tools to perform. Look in the back of just about ANY car magazine and there is even a special tool to reset the service engine soon light.



My cousin had an M Roadster. She sold it after a year of ownership. She would not say why she traded it in, since I like to rub it in, but she no longer owns a BMW.



Maybe she got tired of it, but I did drive it and I could not imagine that car being boring to drive.





Tom

 

[2]

She would not say why she traded it in, since I like to rub it in, but she no longer owns a BMW.

Probably because you wouldn't quit hassling her about not buying a Ford.



To answer the question, I lease my trucks and they get all the required maintenance. Like others have said you are careful with them because you don't want to have damage or high priced repairs right before you lease ends. It would really suck paying for a new motor because you neglected it and then turning it in a month later.

 

[Rich Stern]

Fred, this is my wife's mid-life crisis car:



[Broken External Image]:



Doesn't have quite the same appeal as the Z3, but it's been ultra reliable and very fun to drive. Sticks to the road like it has AFX magna-traction. The engine is the same as the Corolla; parts costs is reasonable, with just about everything available at the local auto store.



Another reliable roadster is the Honda S2000. That is more like the BMW in form and feel. And, of course, there is the Miata. All three are good bets as used purchases because of excellent build quality.



Best time to by a convertible is in the dead of winter, NOT the beginning of summer.

 

[Matt Day]

Is that a 1.9? That engine is really reliable and I know of several with 200k+ on the odometer. The Z3 is pretty simple when compared to the newer BMWs- if you're handy, you can do 90% of the work yourself- parts are pretty cheap...a ton of places to buy them on-line.



The ATs are actually made by GM (at least in the 6cyl models, not sure about the 4s) and don't have the best reputation-



My z3 has 40k miles on it, the ST has 48k. The ST has been in the shop 5 times since I bought it (Nov 02) and the Z3 has been in once (purchased Feb 02)- I wouldnt hesitate to buy another Z3.



Edit: if you buy it, sign up for homecoming- registration opened on Sat- great fun!

 

[Fred]

AFX magna-traction.

I remember those! Actually, I still have them.



Well, the Z3 had been repainted and it looked like a body repair school student did it. The taping job was hideous. What a shame. Oh well, we had a nice evening out anyway.



Oh, and here's a carfax warning. The Z3 had definitely been wrecked, but it didn't show up on carfax. I guess only work that requires insurance or whatever shows up. Beware.



Yes Matt, it is a 1.9 and I noticed "GM" on the tranny's bell housing. Thanks.



We drove a new Solstice a couple weeks ago, but she wasn't wild about it. I wasn't all that impressed either. It was OK, but when you drive a sweet ST creampuff everyday, it makes all other vehicles seem slack... LOL!



I guess we'll keep looking. Hopefully she'll consider a different brand. My mid-life crisis 40th b'day is already gone and I need to find "her" something quickly for her big 4-oh coming in August.