BMW vs Accord, what should I get?

[Thunderman]

What are the pro's and cons to owning a BMW vs a honda Accord. I am probably going to buy a 1995 318i with 95k miles on it and want to know what I should expect. I don't want to have to pour a lot of money into it and am wondering if I am getting myself into some future problems. I LOVE BMWs but the wife wants me to go with an accord. Any help will do.

Mike

 

[Tom]

Welcome aboard Mike, what year Accord? And are you looking for performance and reliability?

 

[jonnyz16]

Well if money is the object then go with the accord because as soon as something needs to be changed on the bmw you'll probably get a " I told you so "

 

[Abdoman]

I have owned Hondas and BMWs, with no doubt the Honda will be cheaper to own. BMWs are sport cars shaped like a family car. If you are looking for cheap transportation, the go with the Accord. If you want something fun to drive and you can afford a little more in upkeep, go with the Bimmer.

 

[Bryan330i]

Okay, so I am probably going to get for this but I may look at an Accord with a few less miles if you are planning on keeping it for a while.

 

[MrElussive]

Get the BMW if you like to drive!
The Accord is nice and reliable and will get the job done, but in stock form, the Accord is quite boring.

 

[dzervit]

What year and how many miles on the accord? Your comparing apples and oranges.. If the wife and I are planning to buy a house/have a monster, er... kid, then a reliable low-milage with warrenty is attractive. It all depends on your priorities... 95k on a car is a lot and you could be walking into a money pit, bimmer or not...

Just playing the other side..

 

[paddyLV]

The 10 most stolen vehicles in US...

The National Insurance Crime Bureau reports the Honda Accord #2 in theft.

I don't think a BMW has ever made the list...

Just something to think about, Thunderman.

 

[Section_8]

Now that's an interesting point (the theft list).

I can't recall seeing BMW ever on there, I wonder if the list is made from the % total # sold vs the total # stolen, or if it's just a overall total of what's been broken into the most.

I think everyone else made good points about the obvious. The BMW will cost you more in the end to maintain. How much, well that depends on it's current condition, and how you drive it. The Accord will be less to maintain than the BMW, part for part. How often you go shopping for 'parts' again is based on the current condition of both vehicles.

If they were close to the same year, milage, and both in good running condition, I'd say BMW and mainly because of the driving experience! That's what you should ultimately purchase any car for(imho) if you don't have anything else pressing, (baby, other car payment, mortgage, etc). It just depends on what your 'fun' level is while driving.

If you're in a Camry now, the Accord won't feel or be much different - it's main function being reliablity and cost to maintain. That might ultimately be the most important thing to you though!

 

[bahnstormer]

the new accord v6 though is a very nice car.
of course if i understand your price range, u
won't be getting anything new

please don't ever buy a 318 - it was a horrible
joke that bmw played on unsuspecting people.
the car is so underpowered that its a pain to drive.

so what's your price range, and besides you and your
wife, how much space do u need?

 

[CHUMDIGITY]

MY WIFE HAS A 96 ACCORD AND RUNS OK, I AGREE WITH EVERYBODY IT IS CHEAPER TO OWN THE ACCORD, BUT TO DRIVE THE BMW WELL THERRE IS NOTHING LIKE IT. I HAD A CIVIC BEFORE WITH A WOPPING 124HP. NOW 224HP FEELS LIKE A SPACESHIP. GOODLUCK.

 

[Dave8812]

go for the BMW

 

[My Toy 95]

I had a Camry before my BMW, yes the BMW will cost more to maintain/repair but there is no comparision, the BMW is hands down a superior product if you like to drive, if you can afford a little more on maintenance/repairs buy the BMW you won't be sorry you did!

 

[codex57]

There's a difference in driving feel btw a Camry and an Accord. The Accord is sportier. Nothing like the BMW, but there is a noticeable difference.

 

[pydo82]

I had a camry before my bimmer too. It was a 94 green 4banger and I can tell u my 04 325ci is so much different. Accords are cool b ut in terms of driving experience, there is nothing like a bmw. Not just in pure engine performance, but other things like the stiffness of the car, the quiet ride, and the feel altogether is different. I noticed this most after having driven my new bimmer for a few weeks, then driving a friends car again. I noticed noises, lack of power and other things about my friends car that I hadnt noticed until after i got my car. U should drive both of the cars u wish to purchase and then decide.

 

[dzervit]

Thunderman hasn't replied what model year and how many miles the Accord had. If it's a NEW car or CPO, a wise choice may be the Accord. A 318 isn't a specatular car with that whimpy engine. then tack on almost 100,000 miles of only-god-knows what kind of driving style. There are so many other factors besides 'BMW drives better'...

So again, what type of Accord? New/Used & how many miles?

 

[Xyrium]

Geez, this thread sure makes BMWs seem as unreliable as VWs.

 

[Bear6360]

Yeah. We need more details on the year/mileage/packages/options/etc....

...as for the theft list, you need to keep in mind what kind of people drive what kind of cars where. Generally, wealthy people drive BMW's.....and there aren't usually car jackers at the country club or the office or the private golf club. Accords on the other hand are driven by more people overall. They get parked in parking garages, on the street (on street parking), in the ghetto. I'm not trying to make it look like Accord owners are poor. Lots of them have money and park their cars in the garages and country clubs, blah, blah, blah. My main point stating that you should ignore the theft list is that since there are more Accords on the road and parked in more "common areas" so to speak, they are going to be victimized a bit more.

More Fords get stolen in American than Ferrari's. That makes sense since there are a million more Fords in the US than Ferrari's. Not only that, but when was the last time you saw a Ferrari parked by a dumpster at McDonald's? The analogy is a bit out there, but does it make sense?

 

[Murray BMF]

If you go with the Bimmer, then the pro is its a Bimmer, if you go with the Accord, well then the con is its an Accord. You never saw James Bond drive and accord!

 

[swig]

Besides...no one ever goes "ooOh...nice accord!"