I’ve been driving few of the E36/E46 BMWs over the years and really like the way they drive and the luxury features they come with. That’s almost enough to make up for the questionable reliability of the cars. While I’m not really happy with their reliability, I do like the fact that it’s “relatively” straightforward to work on them. A big part of that is the huge DIY community who create detailed posts and videos to fix just about anything on the car. I’m able to diagnose and figure out how to fix most problems and decide if I want to do it myself or have the shop do it.
I’ve test driven other cars, but never really clicked with them and just go back to getting another BMW. I’m sure a lot of that is from familiarity. I usually buy used and am getting concerned that the newer 3 series (post 2005 or so) are getting too complicated for me to fix. So I’m wondering if there are other sport luxury cars 10-years-old and newer I should be considering. Are there other cars which:
- Drive similar to the 3 series
- Have luxury features (leather, sunroof, etc. etc)
- Are not incredibly difficult to work on
Simple answer: no, or not that I’m aware of.
I would sat that maybe the Infinite G series would be worth checking out (I believe that series ended in 2013).
Does it actually have to be from a luxury brand? Lots of sports cars out there will check the luxury tick-boxes (leather, etc) in their higher trim levels, although they may not have that sort of indefinable feel of solidity you from a German car. Also does it have to be a sedan, or a big coupe, or could it be a smaller sports car?
My one specific suggestion I’d throw out is the WRX. Handling wise, they’re undoubtedly better than a 3-series, although whether that will translate to “driving feel” for you depends. They’re super-easy to work on and there’s a very active enthusiast base. In the high trims they come with, well, a leather-like substance on the seats and navigation and all that. Admittedly going from BMW to Subaru might make that Teutonic solidness particularly apparent.
I owned an E36 model BMW back to back with a Volkswagen CC, and actually found them to be very comparable. I would think a high end VW would give you a similar experience.
Obviously not a TDI.:o
They ain’t called the Ultimate Driving Machine for nutin’! 
I’m going with No also, but honestly I don’t keep up with the new stuff. I know people with Saabs and Audis and they are much worse to work on than the BMW.
I’ve got an E10, 3 E30s and an E38, all of which I do my own work on. Anything newer, I probably couldn’t do much.
I daily a VW GTI. I did daily a BMW 3-series with M sport upgrades.
The BMW can go suck an egg.
They G35/G37 can go suck an egg, too. Had that as a daily, too.
The GTI is solid, usable, and has an on-line community to rival any. If you want the same car, with the incredible trans, suspension and engine, and more prestige… look for Audi A3/A4’s. The 2.0 Turbo engine is just phenomenal.
I’ve driven high-performance, exotic and enthusiast-focused cars my whole life. yet, my daily driver is a GTI.
The newer cars from BMW are money pits and wrenching on them isn’t easy. My two best friends are BMW service managers. The most popular phrase uttered from their mouths is, and I quote, "Do not buy a used BMW’. And they’ve said, “I told you so” a lot. Even to gear heads who wrench on their own cars.
Let’s spend your money; give us a budget.
Ditto the GTI/Golf R route. Brilliant little cars with all the charm and luxury of the BMW 3-series.
The Audi A3 is a great little car too. S3 even better.
Sticking with the BMW, have you considered the 2 series? I believe there’s an M-sport version.
Mercedes Benz CLA with 4 motion is a great option too. Excellent finish. For some more dosh, and punch, consider the new C-class, 300, 400 or even the 450 if you can stretch that far financially.
As far as working on them… I leave that to the professionals. I have neither the time, nor the garage space, nor the tools needed.
VW/Audi do have a good enthusiast community, and there’s some pretty cool stuff you can do with the VAG-COM tool that makes them perhaps one of the more accessible brands in terms of electronic tinkering. But in terms of actually wrenching on them they’re not particularly easy to work on. That’s also going to be true of most sporty transverse engined cars.
I’m not exactly in the market now. What I usually do is look around for a while-months sometimes–until I find a great deal. One thing I like about the luxury used cars is that you can easily find a 10+ year old car that looks brand new and the owner has taken perfect care of it. They can show you the whole service record where they even went to the dealer for tires and oil changes. Other cars have more spotty maintenance and they may get stuff done at the gas station or Jiffy Lube. I’ve bought several 10+ year old BMW’s from craigslist around 100k miles for $5-6k in great shape that look and drive like new. The downside is these types of cars have lots of little, expensive parts that break, but with the BMWs I can fix a lot of things myself to keep costs down. I wouldn’t be able to afford the car if I had to go to the shop for everything.
The VW’s might fit for the kind of car I’d like. Audis drive great, but I’ve read too many horror stories about their repair costs.
I’ve driven a new GTI and felt pretty 'meh about it.
I would buy a BMW for because it is at home on a highway for a long trip, but also a pleasure on the back roads.
My impression of the GTI was that it was small and very tightly sprung. Fun on backroads, but not the best for a cruise.
Having recently owned a new VW, I was not at all impressed with the quality; they seemed to cheapen wherever possible.
As to Audi, I’m also kinda 'meh.
Personally, I can’t wait for electric cars. All that instant torque, and no more wrenching on mechanicals. It’s really pretty amazing to think of the performance possibility with such limited mechanics (basically an electric motor with a wheel bolted on).
With a budget of $5-6K, you’re fairly limited to the kind of performance cars you can buy. Many don’t make it to 10 years of age in reasonable condition, low mileage and no ridiculous mods.
If you’re after performance, I’d skip a 10y.o. VW, and focus my search on stock MB C350/C43, BMW 330/540, Audi S4/A6.
How about a late model SAAB? They can be gotten for cheap-maybe parts are a problem?
Not a bad idea. I forgot about the Swedes.
Along those lines, a Volvo S60R with AWD system was a great car (300bhp). I had a V70 Turbo SportWagon with AWD. Hell of a car. Still miss it. Only downfall was the brakes were a bit of a let down. But those were easy and inexpensive to upgrade.
Yeah… Saab and Volvo. Definitely great alternatives to the teutonics.
One other thing to consider: Detroit’s perpetual attempts to compete with the Germans in the luxury sport realm have (at least in recent years) been more marketing failures than engineering ones. Have you considered something like the Cadillac STS or Lincoln MKS or even the Buick Regal? The GS version of the Regal is pretty clearly aimed at the 3-series’ customers and while it hasn’t done all that well sales-wise, the reviews seem to suggest that’s more a problem with the Buick badge on it than the car itself. (It should also feel nice and German because it’s really an Opel.) You should be able to find any of those cars nicely depreciated and fastidiously maintained by some senior citizen, and repairs should be if not necessarily easier at least cheaper than the European brands.
Infiniti G37 is a pretty close alternative. I much prefer that VQ engine about anything, it’s remarkable.
I think it’s the Q60 now, but I’m referring to some of the older ones.