JesusG

Hello Honda owners! I'm in the market for my first car and so far, there's two striking options:

2005 Honda Civic Coupe Special Edition
~169,000 miles
-light silver paint job
-have not personally looked at the car's condition (not even pics)
-sells for $5,300 from the dealer

2002 BMW 330i
~177,000 miles
-steel light bluish paint job
-I've seen it every day for the past 8 years, it's in perfect shape
-my neighbor sells it for $5,800 but I've talked to him and he says the price is negotiable by a few hundred

Given the fact that I'm on a Honda forum I know there will be some inherent bias, but I'm a little bit bias towards the BMW so it evens out . Give me some feedback! Also, what makes the "Special Edition" Civic special? I've looked around online but can't find a definitive answer.

toyomatt84

iTrader: (1)

For that many miles, $5300 is not really a bargain on the Civic. Even on Autotrader, that's a high price... and for roughly twice the mileage as listed on Autotrader.

Honestly, a 330i for similar money is the better deal.

JesusG

@toyomatt84 I was thinking the same thing. My uncle found the Honda at a dealership while getting an RSX for my cousin and the dealer said he'd give us a good deal if he got a second car. I'm not sure exactly how good of a deal it could be, but it will most likely knock it a bit under 5k

Hites

The civic has cheaper maintenance, which might be a consideration with the higher mileage of each.
Sadly, it's getting harder to find good older used cars with reasonable miles for a reasonable price.

JesusG

Yeah that's definitely a point in favor of the Civic. Once I turn 17 my mom says that she expects me to pay for maintenance and insurance, which might prove difficult to keep up with on the BMW.

-DJD-

I am on both BMW and honda forums, and the advice so far I agree with. Check maintance history on both. Would the honda have any warranty? Hodas compared to the BMW of that year are easier and cheaper to work on. More local shops can fix a lot that goes wrong with them

JesusG

I'm not sure yet if the Honda would come with a warranty but its probably not likely. My neighbor has a regular mechanic and he encouraged me to drive the BMW there (about 10 minutes away, they specialize in German cars) and ask about past maintenance and future problems that might occur. As soon as I get a chance to, I'll probably do that.

Falloutkid90

For the civic I think its a high price and if you do go for it I'd bargin down the price. I paid $4700 for my 2003 civic ex coupe with 98k (5sp, sunroof, black, stock silver alloy rims, no rips scratches ect). Even though that one is two years old it has 60k less miles.

How much do you know about working on cars?

If you know enough and they are both good cars. The bmw parts are going to cost more but it'll be alittle faster and a more luxury ride.

Insurance will cost more on bmw im 24 and I pay 93/m full coverage with a $500 deductible but ive had my license and car since I was 16 with no accidents or tickets at all on my 2003 civic coupe.

JesusG

Well, I currently have absolutely NO experience ever with working on cars. However, I do plan to learn. Its true that the civic is a bit overpriced and the 330i will be expensive to maintain. I've been looking at the Lexus IS 300 today which appears to be a marriage of both of the car's good qualities. I found a 2001 model for 5k with 169k miles on it. Looks to be in good shape . If family members agree on my decision, I might go for that instead.

Hites

Always liked the is300, and your assessment is fairly accurate.
If you get snow where you live, then the civic may be a bit less... dramatic.

JesusG

Snow isn't very thick down here in Georgia . Half an inch of snow is enough to cause school closings.