Tag Archives: QOTD

QOTD: What Car Would You Buy For $1,000?

In many ways, this is a question I’ve already answered. I used to live in a perfectly rectangular province called Saskatchewan in the Canadian prairies and the locals have a saying: if you live there long enough, you either grow hooves or wheels. They also call hoodies “bunnyhugs.” It’s a great place. But I chose wheels and bought myself a 1986 GMC Sierra for $600.

I got my boss to drive me an hour and a half out of the little town whose newspaper I worked at to the littler town where they filmed “Corner Gas,” for all the Brent Butt-heads out there hoping that this story would include a little more Canadiana.

When I rocked up to the street on which the truck was parked, a man with a hook met me and said he needed something more reliable to get to work, which should have been my first hint that something was off. My second hint should have been when the truck didn’t start immediately, but in order to pop the hood, he had to bang on it like the Fonz getting a record play and for some reason I thought that was really cool. He was asking $800 ($660 USD), I offered $600 ($495 USD), and he immediately said yes. I realized then that either I was the world’s best negotiator or I had overpaid.

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The truck broke down on the drive home answering my question and I had to park it in some farmer’s driveway overnight while I organized the tow that I was too cheap to pay for in the first place. But you’ll be happy to know that after I fixed a seized brake and worked out how to encourage some fuel to get to the carb, I eventually got the truck running well enough to drive it the 1,700 miles back to Toronto, in a snowstorm no less.

Shockingly, I still have it today and use it to drive stuff to the dump sometimes. Overall, I’d say my $1,000 ownership experience was great! I got a small block V8, rear-wheel drive, and a lesson on the unimpeachable superiority of bench seats. It was the muscle car experience I wanted and couldn’t afford.

But what would you get for less than the deposit on a Lucid Air? A quick search of Craigslist shows that although pickings may appear slim at first glance, there are some diamonds in the rough. Actually, it’s more like cubic zirconia in the weeds, but still.

Near Detroit, someone is selling a rusty 1996 Ford Aspire with a 5-speed manual that could be fun. Alternatively, I see a 1999 Subaru Forester that was recently hit while parked but has no mechanical issues. If you really feel like rolling the dice, there’s a Miata for sale that’s been sitting for 15 years and has no title, near Louisville, Kentucky. Or how about this 1971 Jeep CJ5 that has a good frame and a fiberglass body?

So, would you buy a car for a thousand bucks or less? Let us know in the comments.

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What Is The Quintessential BMW Driver’s Car, The One All Look Up To?

BMW’s MO has been to create the “Ultimate Driving Machine” and over the years, they’ve produced various cars that have certainly embodied that philosophy. However, as times change, so does the definition of what this means, and for that reason, it’s hard to pick just one BMW that is truly that: the ultimate driving machine.

Let’s take a look at a few of the contenders.

BMW E30 M3

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First is the E30 M3. Introduced in 1986, the E30 is the oldest car of the three. It was a homologation special based on a race-proven chassis, having seen great success in many forms of motorsport. With none of the heavy intrusion from modern electronic aids, the driving experience was about as raw as it could get. It was a no-frills car whose only goal was to be as enjoyable to drive as possible. Not to mention, on top of all its performance credentials, it was the car that started the M3 line, and one of the most recognizable performance nameplates of today would not exist if not for it.

BMW E46 M3

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Next up is the E46 M3. While the E30 may have been the first of the pure M3s, the E46 was, probably, the last. It was the last to have a naturally aspirated inline-six, as the succeeding generations used either more cylinders or forced induction. In that regard, it was the last modern M3 to retain some of that old-school driving experience. Faster than an E30 or E36, but more balanced and driver-focused than an E90 or F80, the E46 combined the best traits of all the M3s, while also dipping its toes further into luxury car territory.

BMW M2 CS

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Lastly, we come to the M2. With the other two cars in this article being 3-Series, we felt it would be nice to mix it up a bit. It is arguably the best modern BMW when it comes to having fun, and owners and reviewers alike all seem to share this sentiment. With a solid amount of power on tap, but the right amount of weight to keep things balanced, the M2, especially in CS guise, is undoubtedly the epitome of the modern “Ultimate Driving Machine” compared to its faster, but heavier, heavier M3/4, M5, and M8 siblings.

While there are of course many other iconic BMWs across the brand’s long, storied history, these were the three that we felt best embodied the brand’s philosophy of an all-around driver’s car.

Which of these cars do you think is the quintessential BMW? Or do you have your own suggestion? Let us know in the comments below.