jon dee 500 Report post Posted April 6, 2022 In the case of old Euros I think the lure is getting so much car for so little money Roll the dice and if you are lucky you get a good one. But like all forms of gambling, you shouldn't be a player if you can't afford to lose. From an engineering point of view I think the competition to extract ever higher outputs per litre of engine capacity comes at a price. Older Euros will commonly extract 100 hp/litre whereas older American cars with basic pushrod technology would extract 50-60 hp/litre. The current competition between manufacturers to market ever more powerful cars requires new and more expensive materials, more complex and fragile mechanical details, and more computer intervention to control engine operating and driving parameters. The car buying public has become the manufacturers testbed. Witness endless recalls to fix manufacturing faults and law suits by individuals involved in accidents due to design or product defects. But no manufacturer can afford to be left behind, so they will continue to adopt new and often unnecessary technology to protect their market share. And buyers will queue to buy the latest model I like my E92 and enjoy driving it. However, I shall probably be looking at a pre-CANbus Japanese V8 for my next runabout... if I can afford to buy gas !!! Cheers... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3317 Report post Posted April 6, 2022 I bought my e60 545i for 45c in the dollar compared to a Commodore SS. I was fully paid up dollar-for-dollar in the maintenance stakes within a two to two-and-a-half years, though with a *much* (much!) better car! From my perspective - as I don't shy away from quality maintenance - the higher depreciation of the euro has always paid off. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dirtydoogle 383 Report post Posted April 6, 2022 5 hours ago, Olaf said: I bought my e60 545i for 45c in the dollar compared to a Commodore SS. I was fully paid up dollar-for-dollar in the maintenance stakes within a two to two-and-a-half years, though with a *much* (much!) better car! From my perspective - as I don't shy away from quality maintenance - the higher depreciation of the euro has always paid off. This is the thing. They become pretty scary if you want a 10-15k car that actually just works. I honestly would be pretty hacked off buying anything other than a 50 year old British car that leaked oil at 120km. But I also despise working on daily drivers/family cars. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jon dee 500 Report post Posted April 6, 2022 Sanity Check: There is no denying that Euros have a certain cachet that makes an owner feel he/she is driving some thing special. However, I would say that the vast majority of people who buy cars in the $10-15k range are just looking for a reliable runabout that will last a few years without needing a bunch of repairs. By this definition, buying a high km Euro is not a sensible decision for the average punter. Enthusiasts, home mechanics and other masochists are another matter Cheers... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
