re: Mid 2000s car

05-09 Avalon

They are great cars. You can probably find one with 150k miles for 3500

1G and 2G eclipses were the best

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he is a sensible young man but there is something sad to a petrolhead like myself seeing that list of cars at his age.

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Yep. shite, even in my more sensible years now as a parent of young kids, I still opt for the most interesting versions of the "practical" vehicles we buy.

My Edge is the twinturbo Sport version. My f150 is a Platinum with the 5.0. I've never been a boring A to B commuter style car person. Even when my wife had a Prius, we got a special version that was only offered in a particular color for one year

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By eventually, you mean after 40k miles, right? They fricked up bad with that design choice.

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I might have squeezed them to 80k

But seriously... I got my money's worth from that Yukon


I saw earlier in the thread that a guy recommended a BMW M3.... GAWD I wanted one back then.

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I saw earlier in the thread that a guy recommended a BMW M3.... GAWD I wanted one back then.

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We have a '06 Imola red over Imola red like the one I posted sans the euro plate. It is the only car we have ever owned that my wife absolutely won't let me sell despite having owned much more capable cars. While "slow" in today's terms it is an absolute pleasure to drive and a great car to drive at 9.5 tenths. Ours probably has close to 3,500 track miles on it and still drives like it did when it was delivered.

Never buy an old or aging luxury brand if you can’t afford to fix it. Parts and labor come at a premium. Stick to standard Toyota or Honda.

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They look good, drive ‘ok’, and can easily last 250K with almost no maintenance other than regular oil changes and a timing belt change every125K or so. The ones around 2008 and after have timing chains and don’t even require that.

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Timing chains started with the 5th gen (first ES 350) in the 2GR-FE engine.

As for timing belts outside of engines with high valve spring spring rates (usually engines with very high redlines) timing belt maintenance schedules are ridiculously conservative. The ES 330 engine (3MZ-FE) is a non-interferance engine so while if the belt does break or jump the engine will stop or run poorly it won't break internals so a belt replacement is the extent of the job save some bizarre knock-on failure.

I drive a lot of long distances for work and despite hating boring cars I keep a driving appliance for this duty. My former ES 300 had 500k on the clock and the current ES 330 has ~425k. Neither of them had a timing belt replaced. It isn't worth the effort if it ain't broke. It is a fairly straight forward reapair and I could replace it and the concealed water pump (which I do suggest if you are doing a timing belt job) in about 2 1/2 hours max and for under $100 in parts but knowing how long they last and the limited danger upon failure I don't even consider doing it.

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I had a 2005 white over cinnamon with the comp package. pleasure to drive and really only had the standard maintenance. Prior to that had a 1999 e36 M3. Now driving 2010 e92. the V8 screams but would take either of the older ones over it any day. haven't been in the new model but the e46 was the end of a true drivers car.

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Outside of 911s I have owned more M3s than any other car.

I have owned

2 E30s Alpine White & Henna Red
E36 Mugello Red
E36 Lightweight Alpine White (obviously) it was subsequently owned by Paul Walker Walker owned 5 and when they sold after his death the one I owned dropped the hammer at $235,000 more than half of that was Walker's pedigree
E46 Imola Red
E92 ZCP Melbourne Red
F82 (M4) CS San Marino Blue
No G80 unless they change the "Chinese" grille

Despite being unloved by the M car community I have a soft spot for the E36 but that is a long(er) story.

The E46 is just a brilliant driver's car the NA inline 6 is such a jewel. My only complaints are it is 300 pounds too heavy (I have this complaint about every modern car, well ones I can afford anyway), the rasp in the stock exhaust (though it became endearing over time) and the sport throttle mapping was a little too touchy for perfect heel and toe downshifts. Like all BMWs the brakes are incredible on the street but inadequate for more than light track usage but frankly Porsche is the only company that gets this right out of the box but it affects such a small percentage of buyers. But with the right fluid, StopTech Trophy brakes and Pagid RS-14 front and Pagid RS4-4 rear pads and the E46 will stop with the best of them all day long but it does mean switching pads for street use.

The E46 M3 is one of my shortlist of cars mere mortals can afford that should be experienced if not owned by every car enthusiast before they go to the great paddock in the sky.

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My Edge is the twinturbo Sport version.

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So edgy, bruh.

To the OP:

The mid-2000s vehicle choice is ALWAYS the Gaffigan Edition Aztek-