For August 8, 2020, our used car find is this 57k mile 1988 BMW 320i Touring, which is listed on craigslist by a private seller in the Charlotte area for $11,900.
Here’s what makes this car special.
For July 25, 2020, our used car find is this 53k mile 1999 BMW 528i sedan, which is listed on craigslist by a small specialty dealer in the Tampa area for $12,500.
Here’s what makes this car special.
For July 4, 2020, our used car find is this 42k mile 2014 BMW 228i, which is listed on craigslist by a private seller in Beaverton, Oregon, for $16,500.
Here’s what makes this car special.
For June 28, 2020, our used car find is this 64k mile 1999 BMW Z3 Coupe 2.8, which is listed on craigslist by a private seller in the Denver area for $15,900.
Here’s what makes this car special.
For June 26, 2020, our used car find is this 72k mile 2002 BMW 525i, which is listed on craigslist by a private seller in the LA area for $3300.
Here’s what makes this car special.
For the week of June 20, 2020, our used car find is this 2007 BMW Z4 3.0si, which is listed on craigslist by a private seller in the Portland, Oregon, area for $14,700.
Here’s what makes this car special.
Imagine a spirited drive along your favorite road in a top-down roadster. The scenery rushes past, and there’s nothing but sky above you. With nicely weighted steering and near 50:50 weight balance, the chassis becomes an extension of your fingertips, while your feet coax beautiful arias from the smooth-spinning inline six under the hood.
It’s no pipe dream. Thanks to the magic of depreciation, this fantasy, in the shape of the E85 generation BMW Z4, can be yours for less than $10,000.
It would have been rare a few years ago for hybrids to show up on most used-car shopping lists. There weren’t that many in the market, and there wasn’t much choice. Toyota’s hybrids dominated, with gas-electric models from Honda and Ford in distant second and third place. But stuff happens. Things change.
Today there’s a wide selection of used hybrids available, from almost every manufacturer. Because of their often-stellar fuel efficiency, plus the high-end trim and standard equipment levels among many of the more recent models, they are cars – and crossovers, SUVs, and trucks – that most every used-car shopper should consider.
Many enthusiasts hold that the E46 3 Series is the pinnacle of the BMW formula: a marvelous combination of sporting character and everyday usability in a timeless design. In fact, we heartily sing its praises in our E46 buying guide, calling it “one of the most enjoyable drives available in an affordable used car.”
But there are downsides. For example, the E46 interior can age poorly. Rubberized plastics on the center console and the door cards tend to scratch and flake; headliners are prone to sagging. And there are a few dogs in the range with sub-200 hp ratings that can feel pretty anemic compared to more modern machines.
While there are some excellent battery-powered vehicles like the new Chevrolet Bolt trickling into our garages, the good, old fashioned, oil pumping, octane swilling, internal combustion engine is still at the heart of the automotive experience. It has been ever since, some 130 years ago, Karl Benz bolted a one banger of his own design onto the back of a three-wheeled cart.
And it’s been a glorious run. Sure, there were low points, like the anemic power plants that wheezed through the 1970s while automakers struggled to cope with strict new emissions and fuel economy regulations. Anyone remember the 1975 Ford Granada? Its 4.1 liter inline six had a California variant that puttered out just 71 horsepower. Folks, that’s less than 20 horsepower per liter.