2000 or 2001 BMW 540i 6 speed

[GuchiGuh]

That Aston (Rapide) I think is the prototype model, so expect some slight changes to the road going version. It's a 4 door coupe designed to make life for the MB CLS and upcoming Porsche 4 door coupe hard. Audi is also entering this niche with the Audi A7

Ellie, I too, would be more than happy with that 540! I'd be happy if I actually owned myself a car.

[Gurm]

My 1980 528i wasn't. To fix the air conditioning would have been more than the car cost me used. But the drivetrain never had problems.

Ahh, I see the problem now. You're confusing reliability and general maintenance/repair costs with how much it costs to overhaul a poorly-designed "for the US market only" AC from 1980. *chuckle*

On most German and ALL Swedish cars during the 80's, the AC was a purely US aftermarket dealer-bolt-on product. Volvo didn't include a factory AC with any of their cars until well into the 1990's. Even as recently as the mid-90's, BMW's factory AC's were terribly designed. My 1993 lost a LOT of power running the stock AC compressor. A $300 aftermarket compressor made ALL the difference in the world, but that wasn't a necessary fix at all - it was a "I want my horsepower back, and I want colder air" modification.

And at any rate, 10 years ago (I presume you weren't trying to keep up a 1980 528 anytime in the past few years) BMW parts WERE pricey. That has since changed, largely due to the advent of the Internet.

[Elie]

Pics of my two cars

[GuchiGuh]

sell the integra, keep the maserati.
scrape/doink/borrow some money, buy the bimmer

[az]

Or, instead of selling the Maserati and buying something new because you don't want to ruin the car in the winter, just also drive the Maserati in the winter ow till it falls apart.

[RhinoZ]

Wow,
you really take care of your cars Elie.

[Elie]

Wow,
you really take care of your cars Elie.

Actually I baby the Maserati big time, but the Acura is rusting and falling apart body wise, the engine is still in great shape even after 305,000kms