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I am currently looking to start saving up for a car. Here's the scenario:

Just go with the fact that I make $10 an hour (~$200/week during school, ~$400+ summer) and I will most likely be pooling insurance with my mom.

I love BMWs, and it's not the image they portray or anything, its because they are fun to drive, they are very comfortable, not too sporty, (looking towards the <200BHP, don't want to wreck it) for the most part, reliable, and very safety-loaded.

My mom has a '92 Mazda Protege that she would readily pass down to me for free, with less than 85000 miles on it, and it has a new radiator, and has never broken down in any way, it always starts easily on the turn of a key, it's just not ME.

If I were to get a car, and I had my way, I would get a 2001-05 3xxci (3-series coupe) BMW, and it has to have less than 100,000 miles. I'm just wondering what one of these would cost to own, and how hard it would be for me to own one. I live at least 300 miles from a BMW dealership, but there are plenty local shops around. Are 3-series' of this age very reliable? There have been a few students in my high school with one, and they really weren't necessarily rolling in cash.

If I were to buy another car, (from the millennium) what, besides a Beamer should I be looking at? or should I just stick with the Mazda for now?  

I fix cars all day and I keep getting asked that question whenever I work on a clunker  -"what should I buy next?"  -and my answer is always the same; "Whatever looks good on you."

There are so many cars that look like one another these days, it's really a matter of personal choice.

Good time to buy -prices are low -offer cash and finance it yourself if you can, to get the best deal.


-take your time, take your mom's car until you are sure.  

For a first car, you probably don't want a BMW.  THe cost to repair for those vehicles are very expensive.  You should probably wait till you graduate college, but before, any import car like honda, toyota, hyundai, etc, should be good.  Since you're looknig at something with less than 200 hp, imports have great horsepower and great gas mileage.  

I'm in the same boat, I have been asking so many friends and online. Still can't decide..I hope I get some answer from here =). I'm willing to spend 15k for used car though.