Have: 10 Grand; Need: Car

[gholman12]

YES.

I am so excited for this car now. Like a little kid at a candy store.

[Particle]

Nice! Hey I just realized one thing to consider - I believe BMW does NOT recommend chains on any of their cars. Driving to Tahoe and dealing with CHP, you are going to need chains to get up 80 at some point. So you may need to get one of those funky chain-like devices like a spider I think they're called. Pretty spendy around $300-400 if I remember correctly. So just an expense to take into account living with the CA snow/driving situation...

One more pic for ya

[gholman12]

Really? I know in the past if you have an SUV or AWD with snow tires they let you cruise right on through, why wouldn't the same be true for the bmw with AWD? Just cuz they wouldn't believe that you have AWD?

[Particle]

You've had that experience in CA before? Interesting. Any other state, yep snow tires and AWD and you're set. I've just had many experiences with CHP where they will not let you up the road without chains, no matter how capable your vehicle is.

[Huckwheat]

Just to throw one more in the mix.

Xterra. They are really cheap, but per consumer reports have similar longevity to Toyotas.

I got a 2001 for $8000, with 90k miles, 3 years ago. So far about 35k miles and no issues.

Built on truck frame too (Frontier).....so real SUV, not car based.

BTW- sold my 2001 Tacoma for $12,500 with 150,000 miles to buy it. It was a solid trade out (was having a kid so needed seats).

[gholman12]

I did my time in an SUV, loved my Explorer but I just can't justify an SUV for the gas moneyz, and I prefer a sportier ride now.

I just remember one year they wouldn't let us through in our minivan with chains, so we literally parked it in Applegate and rented an SUV and cruised right on through. Maybe the boss was confused that day, or it was one of those weird snowstorms that only SUVs can handle...?? That was at least 15 years ago now though, so things may be changing.

I'll keep it in mind, thanks Particle!

[LT]

Really? I know in the past if you have an SUV or AWD with snow tires they let you cruise right on through, why wouldn't the same be true for the bmw with AWD? Just cuz they wouldn't believe that you have AWD?

SUPER rare they actually enforce the CHAINS MANDATORY rule. 99% of the time with AWD or 4WD you're good to go even without snow tires. With the 325xi you'd be good to go. We have a friend who rallies up almost every weekend all winter long in an A4 Avant "sport" (or something it's lower than the typical A4) with normal all-season tires and he;s never once been turned back by CHP/CALDOT.

[roark]

car reg. here in CA is $$$

unless reg has grown exponentially since I moved from CA to NH in 05, CA is *dirt* cheap in comparison. Isn't that the 'issue' that got the governator elected anyway? I imagine with all the budget issues it's gone up a lot - just can't see it getting to NH levels... all they gots here is property taxes, car reg, liquor stores and speeding tix...

[gholman12]

unless reg has grown exponentially since I moved from CA to NH in 05, CA is *dirt* cheap in comparison. Isn't that the 'issue' that got the governator elected anyway? I imagine with all the budget issues it's gone up a lot - just can't see it getting to NH levels... all they gots here is property taxes, car reg, liquor stores and speeding tix...

This post makes me happy to be returning to the Golden State in a few months.

[splat]

cars at auctions are going dirt fukking cheap these days.

[Shin-to-Win]

You will pay 9.7% sales tax on any car you buy in California, so plan for a grand on top of your 10k puchase price.

Those ix's look sweet, will make for a nice ride back and forth to Tahoe. You might want to put a big white 4WD sticker on the hood so CHP will wave you through without hassle.

[Steven S. Dallas]

SUPER rare they actually enforce the CHAINS MANDATORY rule.

Sort of. In a couple years up here I've never had to put chains on the car, but have been turned around for not having chains in the car. Like BMW, Subaru doesn't recommend chains on our OB XT, but that argument is unavailing when dealing with CHP. I keep a fairly crappy set in the back to flash at checkpoints.

The 325xi is a nice ride. I really liked it when we were looking at cars but we got a crazy deal on the XT and it's been great.

[LightRanger]

G,

PM enginerd to get his perspective on his relatively low-mileage (just north of 100k I think) E46 xi blowing up recently.

Re: chains, I've never been asked on I-80 in several hundred chain-control days, but I've always had an SUV with a Grass Valley plate frame (yes, CHP up there makes judgments based on such things... I've gotten out of tickets for it) on the front. That said, it's a state law and I've heard of experiences on other highways like SSD's (on 395, I assume). I carry a set anyway, but there more for gnarly traction situations than the worry about questioning.

My vote: Buy a newer Subie or ship your existing one. My lifted Cherokee gets shit for mileage and dollars may be tight on a grad student budget if gas prices go back up.

P.S.- Where are you going to med school?

[gholman12]

Shit, now you got me worried! Thanks for the opinion, I'll shoot him a PM. I found another '01 subie with 67k and a manual tranny that I'm kinda stoked about too, so we'll see where that goes.

As for med school I don't know yet, I'm a senior at Dartmouth now but I have yet to take the MCAT's/apply anywhere (hence the 2 year gap of floating around/skiing)

[splat]

Sort of. In a couple years up here I've never had to put chains on the car, but have been turned around for not having chains in the car. Like BMW, Subaru doesn't recommend chains on our OB XT, but that argument is unavailing when dealing with CHP. I keep a fairly crappy set in the back to flash at checkpoints.

The 325xi is a nice ride. I really liked it when we were looking at cars but we got a crazy deal on the XT and it's been great.

My gf picked up a 330 xi with 40K on it for 15K. What a lil ripper that thing is.
She gets waaay too many tickets in it.

[kbahus]

Even better if you can get a 330xi over a 325. The 3.0l has a lot more power on tap

[comish]

As has been mentioned above, in CA the law is you have to have chains IN your car. 99% of the time they will shut the road down before requiring them on all vehicles. With AWD and M&S rated tires aka all seasons you will be good to go. In 13 years of doing either the SF-Bay or LA-Mammoth drive I have never once seen them make everyone put chains on.

They are turning people away routinely for not having chains in the vehicle. I have been checked 2x in the last month on 395. I have an old set that doesn't even fit, but I can wave them at the CHP.

The only catch to the BMW/Audi program is when the plow puts a big berm on the side of the main roads and you have to clear this. I have been high centered once in Tahoe trying to get over one of these burms, and got stuck trying to get up the little road to our place in Mammoth 2 weeks ago when it had snowed 26" and they had only plowed the main roads. Its just a clearance issue. That said they are sooooo much more fun to drive for 99% of the frwy driving you will do that I think its totally worth it. Mrs. Comish and i are on our 3rd stick Quattro and see no reason to change. Only issue is they stopped bringing stick wagons into the US!?!?! ARGH.

My only $.02 on the BMW/Audi debate is I think the lower level Audi engines are more fun than the lower BMW engines, while the opposite is true for the larger ones. Audi's have tended to be a bit cheaper, but if you can find that kinda deal on the BMW, go for it.

[comish]

My gf picked up a 330 xi with 40K on it for 15K. What a lil ripper that thing is.
She gets waaay too many tickets in it.

Hmm, that sounds like a really good deal. Auction?

[Utter]

Owned a Volvo V40 wagon as well and will not own another Volvo product.

Be aware that the old s/v40 were a model beeing produced in the Netherlands instead of Sweden. These are known to be a couple of grades down quality wise from the Swe-made models (s/v70, (new)s40/v50, s60, s80, c70, c30, XC70, XC60, XC90).

On that note, I would go for the Subaru for the sweet "real" 4wd, boxer engine(it sucks a bit of gas though) etc.

One thing that speak for the Beemer is the chain instead of belt though.

[gravitylover]

Be aware that the old s/v40 were a model beeing produced in the Netherlands instead of Sweden. These are known to be a couple of grades down quality wise from the Swe-made models (s/v70, (new)s40/v50, s60, s80, c70, c30, XC70, XC60, XC90).

On that note, I would go for the Subaru for the sweet "real" 4wd, boxer engine(it sucks a bit of gas though) etc.

One thing that speak for the Beemer is the chain instead of belt though.

Ghent, Belgium not Sweden.

[ColinB]

unless reg has grown exponentially since I moved from CA to NH in 05, CA is *dirt* cheap in comparison. Isn't that the 'issue' that got the governator elected anyway? I imagine with all the budget issues it's gone up a lot - just can't see it getting to NH levels... all they gots here is property taxes, car reg, liquor stores and speeding tix...

My registration for my car in CA was up in November of 09 and they wanted double what I had paid the year before.

[Steven S. Dallas]

I've always had an SUV with a Grass Valley plate frame

I have "11-99 Foundation" tattooed on my forehead, works like a charm.

[Utter]

Ghent, Belgium not Sweden.

Ah yea, my bad. Anyway, almost nothing but crap has come out of that factory. Volvo (old)s/v40,340/360, 440/460, 480.

[gholman12]

So what you're saying is a 2001-2003 Volvo XC70 is swedish made and therefore is good?

[gravitylover]

Ah yea, my bad. Anyway, almost nothing but crap has come out of that factory. Volvo (old)s/v40,340/360, 440/460, 480.

Easy now. I love my C30

Nope, second gen V/XC70 also came out of the Ghent factory. [ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo_V70[/ame]