i know you said you didn't want new and take the big hit, bu ti just saw a commercial for the new bmw m1, starts under 30k and is 300hp. bieng bmw, it'll hold it's value, should get very respectable gas mileage and it's a bmw, lol.

did i mention it has 300hp?

wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Sacrilege they actually called it an M1, but I love it.

I will add one other bit of oh shit to the pot, for me being slightly larger than most I really prefer to sit upright and drive a truck when I go long distances. Any pickup is more comfortable than any car as you are closer to being in a recliner than on a mini-stool. The smaller the car the worse it is, it is also worse in a real sporty chassis. To me anything smaller than a 5 series, A6 etc is too small to drive for longer than 30 minutes at a pop. Not if it is occasionally, but if you have to do it all the time. I can get out of the pickup with no fatigue after an 8 hour drive, but even in my M I need to stretch every few hours.

So what am I saying? Perhaps you should spend a lot less and get an older, but super comfortable cruiser to bang down the highway and just use it for that. Nothing ever breaks going on the highway. What sort of car? Not sure, but I will tell you if the Lincoln Mark VIII didn't have an air suspension you can pick up an 80k one of those all day for around $6k and they are super comfortable, get 23 or so on the hwy, and make you feel like a pimp; however, if the air suspension leaks you are out $700 at each tire+. That wasn't a recommendation of which car, but more the idea.

In particular since you already have a truck, and the roc.

Sacrilege they actually called it an M1, but I love it.

you if the Lincoln Mark VIII didn't have an air suspension you can pick up an 80k one of those all day for around $6k and they are super comfortable, get 23 or so on the hwy, .

why? i'm no bmw guy, so i curious. teh commercial kinda caught my eye. and we have a bmw dealership about an hour south. and we'll be in st.louis saturday getting kicks on teh cooper, might swing by a dealership while there.

my m-i-l has a mk vIII, and she gets about 25 or so on the highway. topend is good, but it sucks at the stoplight. i don't feel it has any headroom either adn find myself hitting recline to get any type of headroom, though legroom it has in spades. overall, i like the idea of an older cruiser though. maybe find an imp ss like tom's?

wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

The M1 started it all, my car has the engine out of 1.

http://www.usautoparts.net/bmw/models/vintage/m1.htm

The M1 started it all, my car has the engine out of 1.

http://www.usautoparts.net/bmw/models/vintage/m1.htm

ok, i get ya, and fully agree.

but you gotta admit, especially for a bmw, starting under 30k and 300hp? pretty good deal if ya ask me. even if it is sacrilege and has to sport a manual.

wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

That is why I said sacrilege, but I love it. Like the price, like the car, just hate the use of the name. Should have called it something else although I'd have no idea what.

I love the new M1, but yeah I think they should have reserved that name for something else and maybe called it 2-series. I got to see the famous Kenwood M1 Racing car in Frankfurt. I need to scan most of those pictures.

did a little research on the 1 series (i won't call it an M). seems all you get for ~29k is 230hp, a manual, leatherette interior and it's a coupe or convertible only. still, it's teh 6 cylinder from the m3, teh 300hp version is turbo'd and just over 30k.

while i probably won't buy one, i'm still going to look at one.

wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Be careful Kent, if you drive it you will want it So I say drive it

did a little research on the 1 series (i won't call it an M). seems all you get for ~29k is 230hp, a manual, leatherette interior and it's a coupe or convertible only. still, it's teh 6 cylinder from the m3, teh 300hp version is turbo'd and just over 30k.

while i probably won't buy one, i'm still going to look at one.

wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

$35K nicely equipped. My last trip to the local dealer netted me some new information and a reason to stay away all in one trip.

I vote Cadillac just for my pure hatred of all Chrysler junk. I won't comment on anything else.