It's real nice out so I decided to clean up and take pics of my current car and my dad's car which he's giving me in December...I really love my Max, but I can't pass up a 2003 BMW. I'm gonna do clear taillights, sides, and front corners, 20% tint, and 18" rims in the summer...pretty sad I'm already thinking about it.

 

what are you going to do with the Max..

 

325i man, you acctually might be dissapointed when you go to race people.. the max is a little faster. but they are a HELLA more fun to drive than the max, pluss MHUUHAAAAAA DRIFTING!!!!!

 

ooo...rwd...hope its a stick man...

if not, i'd rather stick with the max.

 

must be nice

 

Good Luck with da bimmer.

Instead of modding it, save your money for the repairs that are going to sneak up on you.

 

giving ? or selling to you? can't keep both ?

 

nope i have to give him the money i get from selling the max...and yah it's a 5spd

 

I dont like the 325 personally. It's too small for me. Also if you had to fix something, it's very expensive and difficult to fix. Most garages dont know how to fix German cars, so becareful when taking it for service.

 

it's through my dad's company that he has it now (lease) and they're giving it to him real cheap which is why i'm able to get it and a real good family friend owns the BMW dealership...he gets everything done free through his company including oil changes and anything else that happens like body work etc and if anything goes wrong that's not covered by warrantee then i'm sure our friend will just get it done cheap...kinda like how my neighbor owns a Nissan dealership and i get everything real cheap there...got a new MAF ..full assembly last year for like $68

Plus, in 3 years (regardless of whether i decide i want his bmw that he has now or keep my max) my next car is going to be a 2006 330i or a 2006 530i when his lease is up on whichever one he gets...so not a bad situation either way. Looking forward to 2008

 

I was going to buy a stripped down to nothing 323i 4 door 5spd back before I got my Maxima. I worked at a Audi/BMW/Benz dealer and considered getting a C230 Kompressor 6spd hatchback, 01 323 or 325i (whatever it was 2.5L 6cyl) 5spd, WRX or a Pathfinder SE 3.5L 5spd manual. My Maxima wasn't even on the list of cars to buy, I owned a 01 Audi S4 that blew an engine and I got rid of it (factory lease). When I was leaving the Nissan dealer- no 5spd manual pathfinders anywhere but NY and TX -2 in the whole nation, I decided to buy a AE 5spd Max, then I heard how much it would cost me and walked out with no car. As I was getting out a truck full of cars pulled in and my GXE was right on top all wrapped in white plastic. 30 min later I was driving away with all the plastic still on and I had to remove everything myself and install my hub caps- steel wheels here 15". 105K and 4 years later I am glad I made my purchase.

 

Yuck. Keep the Max.

 

dont hate yall. congrats on the new car, with the bmw being a 5spd it will be just as fast as the max and accutually if he still has factory warrentee it will cost him NOTHING to get anything reparied. my dad doesnt even pay for oil changes or brake jobs because the car is covered compleatly by the dealership.

 

i know some people dont like the look as much and it may be a bit slower but the fact is that it's a 2003 fully loaded BMW that is worth more than any maxima and is much more luxurious...it's all what you're looking for...to me being 21 years old and owning a 2003 BMW with not a dollar leaving my wallet is a deal i shouldn't turn down...call me crazy.

 

keep the max, if u dont let me get the clear corners!

 

I know maintenance is included in the warranty on the german cars, but realistically speaking changing the oil every 10K miles is NOT good for the engine. VW says 1qt of oil per 1K miles is ok to consume, well if I owned one I be damn sure not changing the oil any sooner than 10K. I would have my **** towed in for a engine every 10K miles thanx to their wonderfull 10 year warranty. BMW is not a VW but after the warranty runs out I would hate to be the one to do brakes on a M5- where rotors are 220 bux each plus another 160 for pads. German cars are nice to own when new, but after the warranty runs out better watch out. Benz and BMW of the early 90s where very reliable vehicles- expenssive to maintain, but reliable. Nowa days with every company trying to cut cost on everything. U will see that once reliable cars like even Accords and Civics will have issues more and more. I can't say how many times I see the same cars at my dealership for re-occuring problems, new problems etc. Acura never had this many problems in the past, now their cars are as reliable as any Dodge or Ford. Everyone keeps on bashing Nissan for their POS cars, but trade your car for any other brand and you will have problems also. Oppinions are like azzholes, everyone is got one. I sleep with a blond, you sleep with a red head. Everyone is different, and no one should tell anyone who to sleep with or what to drive. If everyone drove Maximas the world would be a borring place to live on.

 

I sleep with a blonde

 

Honestly, I think those who say keep the max need a good ! I mean come on, a Nissan or BMW.. Not a hard decision. I love my max, but just saying you have a BMW to someone gives you to anyone. I was so pissed when I totaled my 98 M3 and I would do anything to have it back. But that is my .02 even though you are going to keep the BMW basically no matter what, I just can't believe the people who are saying don't take the beamer...

 

I'll believe it when I see some numbers.

 

Who cares, it will probably almost as fast if not as fast, but what for? Lets pull up to a light next to someone, rev the engine, peel out, race around a corner, get pulled over, get handcuffed, goto jail..Sounds like fun to me! I can guarentee you more chicks would rather ride around in a Beamer than a Nissan, ha from experience, my girlfriend always tells me she liked my M3 more.. But oh well..

 

I would mod out the max....don't get the bmw...I like bmw's but a 325i? they are nice and all but I think they are a waste of money, if you are going to buy a luxury car then go with a 5series, 6series, 7series....I don't consider a 325i to be a "luxury car" it is nice yes, but it just doesn't say I have tons of money....it says to me "I wanted a bmw and this is all I could lease" I would keep the max....I think they look a whole hell of a lot better, if your going to get a bmw....get a 750IL with the v-12....good luck with your car this is jus my opinion...it looks nice I hope you enjoy it....


EDIT: or if you like the 3series then get an m3

 

$$$=BM
Econ=Max

 

i am not trying to hate....i hope you have good luck with ur bimmer.....just if I had a choice i'd take the max because at least most places can fix them for a decent price...and i just like the maxima better....its got a little of everything....luxury...performance...size...looks. ....reliable......fixable.. just .02

 

His plus side is he has a family friend who can get him repairs cheap at a beamer dealership, so that is a big plus.

 

thats going to be a even nicer ride when you do all that to it.
and you got the hook up on repairs?damn
cant beat that....

 

stick with the max

 

Congrats on the new BMW. I have had BMW's as company cars and as soon as I finish Grad School I will probably get an X3 or a 3 whatever (never know what it will be called then). BMW 3 series have been on Car and Driver's 10 Best list for like 10 years. It's an awesome series. Good luck, have fun... and enjoy the Ultimate Driving Machine.

 

Haha all of you who are saying no to the Beamer... Don't be hatin, you know you would take one if it was given to you

 

well this car is being given to me and it's nicer than a 2000 maxima and my dad got it bc he needs a nice car for business and he didn't feel like spending any money on a car when his company pays for one for him and he'd rather not make monthly payments for going over the company limit when he can pull off not doing it...he's leasing this last one and giving it to me then he's buying either a 5 or 7 for good...the only 5 worth getting is the 545i bc its the only one faster than any of the 3's if you're talking about speed..and that's at least a $10k difference which is not really worth it...obviously the 7's are nice but i don't think my dad would spend that much money on a car just out of principle...he'll go all out on our house or my college tuition/spending money (lucky me) which results in not a penny outta my pocket for anything (including gas..Speedpass to his account which will be nice all summer with 2.42 for premium around here)....sorry gettin off subject...basic thing is that I'm out of the whole let's drive real fast thing and i'd rather have a luxurious 2003 BMW regardless of what model it is and once i mod it right when i get it...it'll look nice regardless...any yah the whole money for fixing it thing doesn't really concern me bc of the hookup and if it was anything that wasn't due to my modding it then my rents will pay for it anyways...isn't the maxima referred to as the poor man's bmw? heh i thought i read that on here once...i do have a choice obviously but i think even with more mods to the max i just can't justify passing on this opportunity...as others said...i have a modified 2000 maxima just can't be compared to I have a 2003 BMW especially at the age of 21.

 

I see only 2 reasons to consider dropping significantly more $ for less car (options, room, HP, etc.) in a BMW:
1. Handling
2. Image

I don't autocross, so a making a few tweaks to the Max's suspension more than pleases me. And image? I don't buy vehicles to impress people. If that was my goal, I wouldn't buy a BMW. Or any 4 door for sedan for that matter. They're all "grocery getters" in the eyes of most. I guarantee most women wouldn't salivate over the difference between a Max and an M5.

I'd grab a 4x4 pickup or any large SUV if I was actually concerned about vehicular approval from the opposite sex. No thanks, I choose quick yet practical. Inexpensive but still relatively luxurious. BMW's are amazing vehicles, but the law of diminishing returns is definitely worth consideration.

All that said, Kruppa - I'm sure you'll love the new ride. I've never driven a car that felt more "on rails" than the 330i coupe with the sport package. If Bimmers weren't outrageously overpriced on our shores, the 330 would've been on my short list. Now a 325i given away? That's a no brainer. Enjoy.

 

Trying to impresss other people is one thing, but I like to impress myself... not others.

 

i never said i was trying to impress anybody?...someone else mentioned that aspect of it... I just said i was taking a better and free car...the "i have a modified max vs bmw" comment was not supposed to mean saying it to somebody else it was just the fact of having one at age of 21

 

this is the way i figured it out in my head...first off private party value:

My Maxima: $11,290
Dad's BMW: $21,765

Handling
Maxima: progress rsb, otto fstb, h&r, illuminas
BMW: stock and rides tighter/smoother than max...can pull a u-turn anywhere

Performance
Maxima: PR CAI, Budget Y-pipe, Short throw, shakes when breaking and don't feel like you should have to buy new rotors to have smooth breaking
BMW: stock and not planning on touching it bc i don't wanna mess with it at all...out of the "drive fast" stage and just enjoy the incredibly smooth shifting and quiet engine...breaking is awesome with no shaking whatsoever and it's also extremely quiet on the inside when driving unlike the max

Audio
Maxima: Bose (yes i know not best but it's what i have)
BMW: Blaupunkt sounds better than Bose and i'm putting in my system as well

Interior
Maxima: Cloth
BMW: Black leather and incredibly clean/luxurious and orange lights at night are so nice

Exterior
Max: Clear corners and tint
BMW: will get clears all around and get darker tint 20% and getting 18" rims in the summer so i think that will put it past the max as far as looks go altho i am in no way saying that i dont' love my maxima and its looks

Lighting: HID's are so nice and they adjust to the road...uphill they shift down etc and better visibility than the max (including 5.5 gens i've been in)

I'm just trying to take all things into consideration and what i wrote above is simply the truth from my experience with both. i do realize many like the appearance of the max better and i agree to some extent but just can't pass this up and i think with modding it, the difference in appearance will be marginalized.

 

You really don't have to justify this to anybody. Clearly, most would take the BMW as a free replacement. It's a great car in plenty of ways. So enjoy it when you get it.

 

I'll never grow out of that stage. Or at least don't think I ever will.

 

I was just saying I don't consider a 325i to be a luxury car it is a nice car, I jus don't think that it is nice enough to be call a "Luxury car" kind of like the C class mercades, or the x-type jag, or the cts I don't consider any of those luxury cars. I didn't mean in speed, I was talking about in "luxury factor" for lack of better words...I just dont consider a 325i to be a luxury car, but I hope you like your car....its a free car nothing can be better...

 

Perspective: My neighbor had a 99 TL for several years, that was purchased new. It gave him some problems but it was a 1st year model. Last year, he upgraded to an E46 3 series. I found out this morning that he traded that for a cert used TL-S.

Bimmers are definitely lookers but at the end of the day, I dont want to worry about QC issues. However, a free car is a free car.

 

my friends 99 m3 is sweet, just a little aged for me.

i feel the same about the 325 as massmedia. whenever i see someone with a 325 it just makes me think they wanna be rich or they are rich and didn't know wtf to buy so they got something they can call a "bimmer"

 

You guys have to understand, this site is bias so of course most are gonna say "o' keep the max!" but if this conversation was on a BMW forum, it would be the opposite.. Whatever, free, nice, car whatever.. And if he ever wanted to sell it, he could get a hell of a lot more out of a BMW than a Maxima..

 

well in comparison i think anybody would take the newer 3 series regardless. now if it was a choice between my car and that, i'd probably keep mine