i like the new G35/37 sedans h:

 

Yes, I have eyes, I know they're ugly. I'm more concerned with reliability and driving experience, so I'm willing to look past the ugly factor.

 

fyi, my friend's 05 g35 sedan auto averages 20mpg. highway/streets.

 

yes because you are in CO.

you have the opposite problem in CA. all you can find here is the RWD, xi are rare here.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/wiki/index.php/BMW_E46

read that if you are at all remotely interested in any E46 models.

 

Damn, I wish every car had that thorough information online

 

then get a Pontiac G8 GT

 

Price range is ~$15k neighborhood, and I'm not particularly interested in domestics. Even the CTS-V or e39 540, which I love, I would probably pass on due to practicality. MPG isn't a huge factor for me, but I would probably shy away from anything large/heavy enough to warrant 8 cylinders.

So I ask if you like the g35, and you say they're sweet cars, but then I specify sedan and suddenly it's the worst car in the world :chuckles:

 

look for a e39 530i then I6 and it's the same engine as the e46 330i so any repairs etc are very well documented. I actually preferred my old 530i over the 330i. it was only about 200lbs or so heavier but somehow when driving it, it felt lighter. probably due to the extensive use of aluminum in the suspension in the e39.

 

bump :hsugh: I'll be in a position where I can actually make a purchase in a month or two.

 

as others have said, avoid the '03-'04 G35. the interior was heavily revised in '05, with a restyled dash, gauges, and soft-touch materials. they also added MP3 playback on the CD player. the exterior upgrades greatly improved the looks of the sedan, which started to mimic the coupe (especially the front bumper and revised taillights).

i had a lot of early build quality issues on my '03 coupe: interior rattles around the clock, rear speaker deck rattle, passenger side window regulator failed, and the passenger door lock actuator failed. there was also a 1/2" gap between the rear quarter panel window and the interior trim.

mechanically, i had the same alignment issues in the front, which caused the tires to feather/cup. there was a TSB on the 350Z for the exact same problem, but it was never acknowledged on the G. the other major issue i had was with the transmission. other than being a bitch to drive smoothly because of the high engagement point, it sounded like marbles were jumping up and down in the gear box h: i dont know if you were looking at manuals, but the car is much better suited to the automatic.