Hey guys I am turning to you all with 3 very different cars in the radar.

An 07 well equipped BMW 328xi with 12,240 miles and no maintenece until 2012 for $31,900

A new BMW 128i convertible with a few options. 35K?

AN 06 STS AWD 24K mileage loaded for $33,500 certified.

I know it doesn't seem right to compare these cars but this is to be a two person car and I must allow the wife input. And all of them are sweet cars but in very different ways. The no $$ for anything on the BMW is holding some sway and I have been a little feraked out at some things I've been reading about the STS and brake noise and wear and other issues.

Your thoughts appreciated.
Thanks

take the STS...if its a v8 ...it a def...those BMWs are underpowered, overpriced, IMO unless your getting into the 540 and/or M series....the caddy is certified..that means longer warranty...you'll be glad you did....IMO of course

Ya it is the Northstar. The wife worries most about mileage and repairs on the caddy.

If the STS is a Cadillac Certified Pre-owned unit there will be no worries about repair costs until about 2012 or another 76K miles since it has a bumper-to-bumper warranty. If MPG is a big concern of hers, she should be looking at a different class of cars.

I was going to say go with the Bimmer until I saw that the STS was a Northstar. I think maintenance is a wash between them - they all have their issues. On the logical side, you should go with the one that has the best local dealer support. If there isn't a clear leader there, go with your visceral side. For me, that would be the Caddy - you won't regret having the power and the fuel economy in both the 3er and the Caddy both suck anyway (although the Caddy more so - natch).

I essentially have the same drivetrain on my '04 SRX (V8, AWD) and its "issues" have been dealt well, promptly, and courteously by the dealer.

If the STS is a Cadillac Certified Pre-owned unit there will be no worries about repair costs until about 2012 or another 76K miles since it has a bumper-to-bumper warranty. If MPG is a big concern of hers, she should be looking at a different class of cars.

But I don't believe pads and rotors are covered are they? Where I know they are on the BMW. I think the MPG issue is hedging the bet. A what if scenario figuring gas goes up another two bucks a gallon in the next two years like it has the last two years. The car would go 4 miles to work each day twice a day in stop and go and while not a lot of milage I imagine it would be the least efficient operating under that scenario. Cruising the highway I don't think is an issue.
I have been reffering to the Caddy as America. It bold, it's NY. It's Vegas. It's a stripper with tassells :yup:
I've been calling the BMW's a guy in a white lab coat. :stirpot:

Why not the 135? The 135i is anything but underpowered. With a near perfect weight distribution and the twin tubro 3.5 liter, it is a beautifully handling and powerful machine. Don't let its small size and looks fool you.

I say go with the 1 series if you want a driver's car. If you want luxury, then go with the STS.

A certified car should not need anything.. THere is a huge checklist in order for the car to be certified. After I closed the deal I took out a copy of the certification list and told the dealer to check off everything on the list and sign that every item on the checklist was taken care of....

Sure enough they installed new brakes, installed onstar upgrade, fix some nicks, and a few minor other things and detailed it before I took possession.

After the fact I realized the Nav disk was old... Called Cadillac Customer care and they ordered me a new Nav Disk as well for no cost... It fell under the certification program.

OK, On a CPO everything is covered except normal wear items,ie brakes,tires,windshield wipers etc..
If you can afford a BMW or Cadillac you shouldn't be concerned with gas mileage or cost of gas, it goes with the territory. IMO the BMW will probably hold its value better than the Caddy but the IMO the Caddy costs less to own.

it all depends on what's more important to you: if cruising (with no negative spin attached to that word) is your forte then i would go with the caddy, especially since it's the 8...the 6 is more like the bmw in handling, better balanced but runs higher engine speeds on the turnpike.
if handling and squirting around traffic is more to your liking, get the bmw, either one.

as far as the brakes are concerned with the caddy, if the car has the performance brake system then you might have issues with the brake dust, brake squeal and the fast wearing pads. the base brake system on my 06 sts is totally capable with no noise or dust.


jackg
06 sts6

Here's another thing...if you are counting pennies to buy either of the 3 cars, Then maybe you ought to buy something less expensive and give yourself a little bit of a cusion for future/if any repairs. I hope this doesnt offend anyone, it isnt meant to. I did the same thing when I bought my 05 STS....buying a new one was out of the question at over 60k...so I found myself a cherry 05 with only 28k miles, 1 owner lease turn-in for around 27k out the door..that left me and my payment in the area that wouldnt leave me in a pinch if a major repair came to be. I still have almost 1 year on the factory warranty so all is well anyway in that dept but...in todays economy...every little bit helps...it's nice to plan ahead sometimes...but as far as my 05 sts w/ the northstar.......it's almost as fun as the c5 corvette it replaced...and I can take 4 of my buddies along with me...food for thought! If your only going 4 miles to work...brakes should last you quite a long time...lol

...I have been reffering to the Caddy as America. It bold, it's NY. It's Vegas. It's a stripper with tassells.

Outstanding! Cadillac needs to use those images in their next ad campaign.

Update to the story for anyone that cares. By the way thanks guys.
There are some funny comments in here in response to some incredibly stupid comments from me. Yes gas mileage and brake wear are the things that go through the head even though it's only 4 miles to work each way :bigroll: Maybe beacuse of the way it's driven and also brought home for lunch and that this car has the perf. brakes :)

Anyway, the story has shifted. the first two BMW cars are out of the equation now.
The new player is a 2006 330ci convertible with the sport package.
$35K with 24,000 miles certified and beautiful. This is now a much harder decision.
The STS is both a beauty and a beast.
$33,500 with 23,000 miles. Mesh Grille, AWD, N* 1SG, NAV, loaded, loaded, loaded.
The BMW is also a beauty and god knows the fun it must be top down all summer and spring and fall. Trully an awesome machine.

The difference is $1500 but I know when I sell the car in 5 or 6 years I would likely expect to get 5-9 thousand more for it at resale or trade in time.

Any new thoughts? One thing that does surprise me is the Caddy is still on the lot while most of the 06 verts that we have looked at have disappeared before we could think twice and all of them were more expensive than the deal I have pending on this one.

depends what your looking for...you speak of the "way the car is driven" which leads me to believe that you drive a bit spirited....if so...dont forget that 3.0 V6 in the 330 only has 225 hp....think how much fun the caddy is with another 100 horsepower.....and room enough for 3 or more of your buddies...not 1 buddy and his 2 little kids for the backseat of the 330...... I love my 05 V8 STS..the only thing that might come into play soon is the million dollar per gallon fuel prices.....the STS isnt exactly the gas sipping auto that we all wish it was....but "you gotta pay to play" so while I had strong feeling toward the STS in previous posts, I'd say the drop top BMW is a bit higher on my list than your 2 previous bmw offers but I'd still drive away the Cadillac if I had my choice of the 2.....must be nice to be so burdened with such hard decisions....lol good luck

Yes the decision is wreaking havoc on my brain!!! The gas issue is wash though because the lower mpg on the Caddy is offset by the BMW's need for premium fuel. So that actually is one point at least for me that I am now thinking is irrelevant because like you siad "you gotta pay to play" and the gas issue is equal.

Thanks!!

my experience with driving large and small cars in different settings (around town versus hiway commuting) tells me that size is everything: if you do mostly local driving with lots of traffic and looking for a spot to park, then go with the bimmer...for hiway driving, there's no replacement for lots of room and the bmw will be tight, to say the least. which brings up another point: if you're over 6'1" and you like an upright driving postion, then a bmw, anyway bmw (except for the crossovers, maybe) are not for you. they are severely limited in headroom and they don't help matters any by making sunroofs as standard equipment. not good when you're nearly 6'4'' tall. this is why i ended up getting the caddy...and i couldn't get the 1sc due to the packaging of the option groups. i love the fact that i can wear a hat inside the car and still have plenty of headroom...i could never do that with a bimmer, and i absolutely love the new 1 series, nice tight dimensions, great fuel economy and a decent price for the unblown 3 liter six. being tall does have it's drawbacks.



the size of the vehicle is something you will have to live with for the time you own it...to me, that's a major consideration.


jackg
06 sts6

hey...how about a follow up...what did you end up deciding on?....and how is it?

I drive about 25,000-30,000 miles per year. I had a 2005 330i with performance package and luxury package and I traded it in on a 2006 STS V-6 with performance and luxury packages after putting 60k on the Bimmer. The Caddy was a leftover model on the dealer lot, I bought it midway through 2007.
Here's a comparison of BMW 3 series to STS:

BMW: Incredibly communicative and visceral automobile with great reflexes and responses. The engine, suspension and driving dynamics are among the best of any car I have ever had. On the highway, 80-85 mph is easy. It carves through mountains and hills with confidence.
On the inside, it is a tight fit in back, and some passengers complained about the firm ride on long trips.
I averaged 23 mpg in combined highway/city driving.
There was one unscheduled maintenance problem when the car was disabled due to a fuel pump failure. It took two or three trips to the dealer to figure it out. So twice in 60,000 miles the car didn't run. Tires/brakes and routine stuff was pretty expensive. I didn't believe the zero maintenance promise of the dealer. My Bimmer never ran better than the day I got it back from its first maintenance by an independent BMW shop that I paid $400 out of pocket for (at about 20,000 miles).

STS: Supremely smooth, quiet and a thoroughly modern luxury car with very good driving dynamics, excellent steering and brakes and fairly neutral handling for a big car. The 255 HP V-6 is an excellent engine with very good response and it runs on 87 octane regular. The STS is a very high featured car with satellite radio, navigation, bluetooth phone, air conditioned and heated everything, Onstar ...etc. The car totally spoils you and it is very easy to spend the day in it on a trip or running errands.
Very comfortable in the back seat for passengers and a great stereo.
I have averaged 22 mpg over the first 28,000 miles.
No unscheduled maintenance, (yet)
I have changed the oil every 3,000-5,000 miles (not included by Manf) I may need brakes in the next 10,000 miles.
The STS has had one recall for sealing of the rear drive axle.

In summary, I have enjoyed both cars, so you can't go wrong. If you need a little more space, get the STS. But if you want pure driving performance, get the 1 series or 3 series--these cars just read your mind while you are driving. If you get a BMW, I recommend servicing it at a independent shop rather than the dealer. The Caddy is really an example of the finest car GM can make. The dealer has been pretty good with me on servicing the Caddy.
Good luck.

hey...how about a follow up...what did you end up deciding on?....and how is it?


Ha! :) Nothing. I managed to lose my job pretty much when I was set to go with the STS. As a result I decided I should just hold off and and now both cars have been sold.

So I am about to start a new job and have seen a new left over 07 demo Ford Mustang Convertible that is the California Special package. Zero percent financing which is very hard to ignore.
It is the V8 and a huge amount of fun to drive. I will be using this car as my everyday driver in Buffalo, NY. The winter drive with my new job wont be that bad at about 8 miles. Even with the stang and snows on it I should be ok. I think? :cookoo: So I continue to be lost.

My son drives a 2007 Mustang and it is absolutely terrible in the snow! My 2005 STS V-6 RWD was also very bad in the snow too. (Chicago). It was so bad that I was even thinking about going to a Lexus ES350 (FWD) instead of another Caddy (Gasp!) :eek:

But I just leased a 2008 STS-4 AWD and it is the finest car I have ever owned so far. I have driven it in some light now and heavy rains and the AWD makes a big difference. And the price adder for it is about as much as a sunroof option so IMO it's a great value.

Still thininking of doing the Mustang with snows and that 0.0% financing and now I stumble on an 07 STS4 but with the 6 and the only options on it are AWD and a moonroof. That's it that's all.
Very hard to ignore this car though even though I had wanted the V8.
It's hard to ignore because the car has only 1500 miles on it and they want $28,900 for it.
Now I have to think to myself if I can live without all the things that originally attracted me, or just take this one and be done with it all? :thepan:

End of story, I bought the Mustang and am thrilled with the car. Just want to say thanks to the members on this forum. You have been extremely helpful and I'm sure I will continue to visit as the wife will likely be looking at a Cadillac in fall of next year.