Seems like 75% of you want a V-12, and despite the Alpina’s appeal, I agree with you. This week, I need some genuine help because I must find a daily driver. And I do love making bad decisions. Would this BMW 550i qualify as a terrible one?
The 2011 BMW 550i
The used market is a bit of a mess right now. Nothing is cheap, and I’m not going to pay $30,000 for a used 228i. Sorry.
It’s common belief that a decent daily must be the opposite of your “special” car, and that means boring. But does it really need to be? This 550i from Carvana (we’ll talk about them in a minute) might just make a case:
- $15,990
- 78,290 miles
- Clean CarFax
- It’s just a totally gross color combination – beige on tan? Wood trim? Big yuck.
- But it does have the glorious N63. How ’bout 400 horses and 450 lb-ft or torque
- A few dings in the body, nothing major
- The interior is not great, but I have a feeling some steam and an AMMO bath would bring it back to life.
- A hilariously outdated iDrive system. But we can update the module to accept Apple CarPlay.
- No M Sport, or anything resembling an M badge lives here.
- Ugly tint across the windshield
Now, Carvana. They offer a free 100-day warranty after purchase (meh), but also allow you to add a warranty at purchase. This on a 12-year-old car with a V-8 known to have more problems than your relationship after a Vegas trip with da’ boys. One thing is certain: ownership would be eventful.
But is there a better way?
The 2014 BMW 335i Gran Turismo
BMW, you gotta love ’em..
“You don’t like ze wagons? What if we make a regular 3 Series ugly, and make it less useful than ze wagon?”
Big surprise that the GT did not sell well. But you know what? Since we never got a 335i F30 wagon here, this car is about as close as it gets, and it is more practical than the sedan, so…
- $20,990
- 62,917 miles
- Jet Black? Black Sapphire? It’ll be a surprise
- Oyster inside again – why would you order a light interior and not clean it, ever?
- Pre-LCI, so N55, no cool LED lights
- An iDrive not quite as ancient as the BMW 550i, but still old
- Clean CarFax
Now, if you asked me to pick the two worst engines BMW made, reliability-wise, these are probably up there. But they are cheap, and I can drive them right to TySpeed, where no doubt they will look at me with disdain as I pull in the bay. And I didn’t exactly make a clean getaway with my previous N55 experience.
400 horses for less than $20k is hard to pass up though.
What do you think? Should I take one home, or find something better?
Want your car reviewed?
If you live in the tri-state area and want me to check it out, send me an email!
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