HELP!!! Is BMW 325i '97 a good car?

[vinj]

I saw this ad before, but the mileage might give me a nightmare. but i'm hearing that bimmers and benz can run upto 210k++ but of course you must still pick the lower mileage for better and longer experience right? That's one of the reasons i want to get that 320i '97 i'm mentioning.

I also saw this ad:





It also says in the ad it's orig mileage is 58k. selling for 230k until how much can i bargain?

I'm a bit worried about this car. It says 6-6.5km/l don't you think it's too gas guzzler? it's a brougham vip cefiro. with 2.0 engine displacement

That Cefiro looks wrong. 58K and yet the interior is quite worn out (mukhang pinadrive sa driver); Our 2000 Cefiro Elite had 80,000kms on the odo when we sold it and it did not look anywhere near for wear as compared to that.

Don't use mileage as the basis of the car's condition. Its still maintenance and how the owner used it. You can have a car with over 150,000kms that would be easier to own if it was owner driven and maintained regularly as against a car with 60,000kms but bara-bara naman yung may ari and he doesnt know squat about even opening the hood to check fluid levels.

I noticed also your comment on fuel consumption. If that is a concern for you outright then perhaps you should keep away from the cars you are thinking of (BMW, Benz, Cefiro).

[Gabrel]

That Cefiro looks wrong. 58K and yet the interior is quite worn out (mukhang pinadrive sa driver); Our 2000 Cefiro Elite had 80,000kms on the odo when we sold it and it did not look anywhere near for wear as compared to that.

Don't use mileage as the basis of the car's condition. Its still maintenance and how the owner used it. You can have a car with over 150,000kms that would be easier to own if it was owner driven and maintained regularly as against a car with 60,000kms but bara-bara naman yung may ari and he doesnt know squat about even opening the hood to check fluid levels.

I noticed also your comment on fuel consumption. If that is a concern for you outright then perhaps you should keep away from the cars you are thinking of (BMW, Benz, Cefiro).

I see. Hmm. So, all I need is a trusted mechanic to check the unit and give it a ride and see its performance?

About the fuel consumption, actually, it really doesn't count. I mean, it's just okay, it's the looks that i'm catching, i'm just asking, for practicality. Hmm. So, maybe Cefiro wins this. I just need to look for a good Cefiro to finish this craving of having a VIP car. Thanks a lot. :-bd

[Gabrel]

And also can you give me few points to consider and to check on buying a used Cefiro? I'm asking this cause you owned one. Thanks!

[niky]

Watch out for head gaskets.

If you're going VIP, one car that has always fascinated me is the Toyota Crown. Parts are obviously not going to be as easy as other, more common Toyotas, but if you can find one without rust, they go for a good price and are fantastic looking cars.

[vinj]

Watch out for head gaskets.

If you're going VIP, one car that has always fascinated me is the Toyota Crown. Parts are obviously not going to be as easy as other, more common Toyotas, but if you can find one without rust, they go for a good price and are fantastic looking cars.

Yup, the Crown is one nice car especially if you find those ex-Jap embassy 3.0L version. It's ageless.

Common problem on the Cefiro is engine leaks as the car ages. Check out for idling problems as well (divebomb, erratic idle) and just make sure the a/t works fine (no delays, sliding , etc). Another thing which may cause headaches is if it overheated and the owner did not mind it.

If you want to overhaul it before really using it, have the engine dropped, change all the gaskets, water pump and have the throttle body and other sensors cleaned.

[renzo_d10]

change engine nalang to SR20DE

someone already did it to a cefiro

[Gabrel]

Yup, the Crown is one nice car especially if you find those ex-Jap embassy 3.0L version. It's ageless.

Common problem on the Cefiro is engine leaks as the car ages. Check out for idling problems as well (divebomb, erratic idle) and just make sure the a/t works fine (no delays, sliding , etc). Another thing which may cause headaches is if it overheated and the owner did not mind it.

If you want to overhaul it before really using it, have the engine dropped, change all the gaskets, water pump and have the throttle body and other sensors cleaned.

Hmm. So, how much would it cost me to do these stuffs? Any other suggestions where to get these things done?

Any prevention or any maintenance to prevent the engine leak?

[Gabrel]

change engine nalang to SR20DE

someone already did it to a cefiro

Is it too expensive to get that thing done? Any idea of price range?

[vinj]

change engine nalang to SR20DE

someone already did it to a cefiro

Matibay naman yung VQ20, swabe pa and FC is quite acceptable. 6.5km/L kami sa city driving before with the a/t. Kung engine swap, maganda yung mga JDM na VQ25.

[Gabrel]

Matibay naman yung VQ20, swabe pa and FC is quite acceptable. 6.5km/L kami sa city driving before with the a/t. Kung engine swap, maganda yung mga JDM na VQ25.

Any idea of price range to get this thing done?

[renzo_d10]

Is it too expensive to get that thing done? Any idea of price range?

sabi nila 50-60k for a full SR20DE engine swap to a sentra

dont know how much will it cost sa cefiro ... dont even know if it's bolt on.

[niky]

You don't want an SR20 in a FWD Cefiro. In the A32 rear-wheel drive Cefiro, maybe you want an SR20DET... but if you're not going racing, no need.

The VQ V6 is more genteel, more refined and a whole lot quieter than an SR20. The Cefiro was one of those cars whose engine was so smooth that you could start it without the passengers noticing.

[GTi]

Since you were originally contemplating the 325i, what with it's huge-ass 192hp I-6 engine, I believe FC is of little importance to you? I agree with what our bros said here about the Cefiro. It's really nice and cheap to buy. But I'd go a step further and suggest the Cefiro 300EX. There's a 2005 unit I saw selling for 400k (matatawad pa yan, trust me ) with just 40tkms on the clock. 3.0V6 engine should yield you 4-6km/L in city driving with 4 being pretty much the worst and 6 in the best conditions with a very, very, very light foot. 220hp is 220hp and the satisfaction you will get is really very much worth the money. You don't have to spend much on performance too since it's already powerful.

However, if you want to work your way up the power curve, get an A32 Cefiro with manual transmission. Since only the pre-facelift A32's have manuals, you can start with facelifting it, and then go on with the performance stuff. Or, if you want something newer, the A33 Cefiro with the VQ20 engine has 10hp more than the one in the A32.

[renzo_d10]

Since you were originally contemplating the 325i, what with it's huge-ass 192hp I-6 engine, I believe FC is of little importance to you? I agree with what our bros said here about the Cefiro. It's really nice and cheap to buy. But I'd go a step further and suggest the Cefiro 300EX. There's a 2005 unit I saw selling for 400k (matatawad pa yan, trust me ) with just 40tkms on the clock. 3.0V6 engine should yield you 4-6km/L in city driving with 4 being pretty much the worst and 6 in the best conditions with a very, very, very light foot. 220hp is 220hp and the satisfaction you will get is really very much worth the money. You don't have to spend much on performance too since it's already powerful.

However, if you want to work your way up the power curve, get an A32 Cefiro with manual transmission. Since only the pre-facelift A32's have manuals, you can start with facelifting it, and then go on with the performance stuff. Or, if you want something newer, the A33 Cefiro with the VQ20 engine has 10hp more than the one in the A32.

Yuck, poser.

[GTi]

Yuck, poser.

Haha~ Hindi naman sa ganon... Since gusto ni TS kumalikot-kalikot, ayun. And then you get the VIP look he wants along with a manual tranny.

[renzo_d10]

Haha~ Hindi naman sa ganon... Since gusto ni TS kumalikot-kalikot, ayun. And then you get the VIP look he wants along with a manual tranny.

Parang mga 01 ES lang na nag-convert para magmukhang 04-05. :rofl01:

Okay na sana, sablay lang plate number. Haha!

[zap.FREEDOM]

since the TS is more onto VIP style/elegance which also he can put some modification twist on it.

my suggestion would be Mitsubishi Galant VR4 V6 (a.k.a Mitsubishi Galant VR shark), 2.0 V6 engine 168hp with 4-speed INVECS automatic tranny with a fuel consumption of 6km/L city driving and 9km/L highway driving (according to the review), I guess you have some gas allowance right? may budget ka ngang pampamods e pang-gas pa kaya, I guess a gas up of 500php everyday or a full tank everyweek would not be a big deal for you. hehehe!!! and btw since VIP Style ka nga, di mo naman siguro kelangan ihatawhataw ito like other teen drivers around (they driving like a maniac, natural lang yun, teenager e, ganon rin naman ako minsan, minsan lang pagnagmamadali talaga/ kapag mala-late na sa klase hahaha!!...), easy and light foot driving lang would do the trick to save a gas in every trip







kung gusto mo medyo fuel-efficient ng konte rito, other options would be Mazda 626 and Toyota Corona 1998 - 2000

[GTi]

IMHO yung Galant is powerful but not exactly what I'd call "VIP-like". The 2.5V6 engine is known to be unrefined when compared to Nissan's VQ, and even when compared to it's predecessor's 2.0V6 engine-which makes the same amount of power. The exterior design is sporty and aggressive, but I find the interior a tad cheap looking.

[cs_nognog]

Was never a fan of the Galant "Shark", however, if I had one, could I easily trade it up? Is there a market for the Galant Shark or this is the "tulog" kind of car?

Personally I like the Mazda 626, I would prefer this over the Galants.

[GTi]

The 626 is a good car. It's fast, comfortable and handling is excellent with a perfectly tuned suspension. But then it was as if the engineers made an excellent car but ignored the designers! I really do not like the 626's looks both inside and out.

The only midsize sedans I would consider for the TS would be the Cefiro and Accord. The Cefiro if he's after comfort and Accord if he's after sportiness. However, the Accord that fits the TS's budget only has an inline 4 so it's still not as enjoyable as the Cefiro in the engine department.