FIrst Car

[jridgeback]

I am buying my first car and have a limit of �3,500. I have decided on getting either a BMW 318 SE saloon (about a P or R reg) or an Audi A4 1.8SE (about S or T reg). Both very similar size and spec - although Audi's are slightly cheaper so I could get a slightly newer one. Which would you recommend ?

[Skids]

Do you want a VW or an actual BMW?  I had a P reg (E36) 318i SE saloon but before I bought it I also looked at an S reg Audi 1.8SE.  To me the BMW is much better looking (less like an old man's car), has a much better build quality, has a nicer interior, and drives better.  The down side to BMWs is their offset driving position.  The pedels are offset to the right (I think) of the seat and the steering wheel to the left.  This isn't really noticeable unless you look carefully.  But it isn't good if you have a sensitive spine.

I loved my (E36) 318i SE so much I now have an E46 Coupe.

[admarlow]

Get the BMW, much better!

[jake-the-peg]

Have you checked out insurance costs? don't know if there's much difference both sound like they could be a touch pricey to insure as a first car.

[jridgeback]

I have checked the insurance and the audi is very slightly more expensive. And yes they are expensive to insure as a first car !

[Mrs_Pegasus]

Going on from what jack-the-peg.  You have chosen 2 cars that are expensive to insure not because of their spec. i.e. speed etc but the fact they are notoriously expensive to repair, service etc.

Although, for a first car they are nice cars and certainly not the calibre I drove but as opposed to a Vauxhall, Ford, Peugeot etc they will cost you an arm and a leg if anything goes wrong.  They are big cars with small engines for their size and I think you will find a 1.8 Vaux or Ford would be more exciting to drive and far cheaper to run and insure regardless of them being your first car.

My opinion only of course.

[jridgeback]

in response to Mrs_pegasus - I am quite sure a BMW or Audi will be expensive to repair if something were to go wrong - however that is why you pay more for them to start with - because they are very reliable and are much better made than say a Ford. They are also almost the same size as a mondeo 1.8 (which I assume is what you are recommending) - so the performance will not be worse. And you clearly can't have driven (a BMW especially) and say that a Ford or Vauxhall would be more exciting to drive. 

And if I was that bothered about saving money, with regard to servicing etc, I would not pay �3,500 for a P reg BMW when I could probably have a a Vauxhall or Ford of the same age and size for less than �1,500. I did not ask about insurance, servicing or for people to suggest alternatives. I asked which in everyone else's opinions is better car out of an Audi and a BMW - so in future please stick to the question asked - or don't bother posting answers which are irrelevant !

[Mrs_Pegasus]

jridgeback I know both breed of cars very well even though they were the faster versions, i owned one and had the other has a company car.  I was only trying to help which obviously you dont need.  I work in finance and assumed (which maybe I shouldnt) that you were a young driver and therefore offered some financial advice.

I do not think my post was offensive and therefore did not think it warranted the response you gave me.  In todays financial climate you have to look at the whole package and insurance and running costs can sometimes exceed the actual value of the vehicle and that is why my thread went along those lines.

And no I did not mean the Mondeo, I was generalising with manufacturers whose vehicles running costs were cheaper.

[Impret-Sir]

jridgeback, I would suggest that any more answers like the one you just gave to Mrs Pegasus, and I would be surprised if anyone responded to you again at all! How rude! to her and to everyone else who took the time and made the effort to reply.

[Alltorque]

BMW ? Audi ? as a first car ? Limited budget ? Agree with the sensible souls here; likely cost of keeping one of these on the road is high and, in the real world, they don't offer that much more than more "mundane" cars. More expensive cars are not necessarily much better built than Ford or V/xhall but priced at what the market will stand. (Have a look at Mercedes appalling current reputation for reliability). As long as people are willing to p[ay a premium for a BMW badge, then they'll continue to charge silly prices - not that they are not good cars, just over-priced in all departments..............and that definitely includes servicing and repair. Get out of the mainstream rut and go have a look at a second hand Skoda Octavia hatch or estate. Pretty much the same size as the other two, uses all VW/Audi components and beats them both on reliability. It'll cost less to buy, less to insure and if you buy from a Skoda dealer you'll get 12 months full warranty and 12 months full AA cover. Three Skoda's in our family and we wouldn't drive anything else, (well, Aston Martin without a doubt), in the normal car arena. Just a thought. Skoda's are for thinking people on a budget, not badge snobs.

[jridgeback]

Alltorque - Sorry but I am a badge snob and am getting a BMW. I know Skoda did come top for reliability this year, however I would never in a million years buy one - although I'm sure that means I'm not a thinking person. The thing you failed to mention is that yes a BMW is overpriced but it will hold it's value better and when the time comes to re-sell the deppreciation will be a lot less (relatively) compared to other cars - so I will not have lost out. The deppreciation on Skodas - I have been looking at a few in Autotrader seems huge - and the reason is they are not desirable cars. Yes they are reliable, well built and good value for money, but that is ONLY because they are built by Volkswagen. If I wanted to drive a mini-cab I would buy a Skoda - sadly I don't.

Everyone seems to be going on about cost and money - if I wanted to know about this - I would have asked. I asked about BMW's and Audi's and which one is better in the opinion of other Answerbankers.

Life is too short not to have everything you want, and I would rather pay more for it, than settle for second best. Other people are happy to settle for their Skodas and Vauxhalls but I am starting as I mean to go on - buying the best car that I can afford.

[robber1]

I was in the motor trade for many years and driven just about everything. Either car you mention would please you, its just which one appeals to you. Old Mercedes are well built, newer ones not as good as they were. Audi is the top German car right now, mainly due to  BMW 5 series design flop and a loss of coinfidence. At the price you are talking about, you wont get a lot of BMW/Audi anyway and risk repares that cost more than the car. I hope you enjoy your choice.Yes, I mentioned costs, but we are all entitled to answer questions and add information which could interest other readers too. Surely this is the whole point of AB?

[Mrs_Pegasus]

"A fool and his money are easily parted"

[admarlow]

having a family member who owns a garage, he informed me that BMW parts are actually cheaper than VW.......