Finding a car for my 17 yr. old, Sean

[Martin in Bellevue]

CCA track days can help anyone to handle a car.

Maintenance & condition count for alot compared to mileage on these cars. Age dictates that both cars would require similar work to get them where you're comfortable with the car on the road. Check Bruno's bmwe34.net site for things that will break.
http://www.bmwe34.net/e34main/troubl...will_break.htm

Another reason to go for the cheaper 535 is the opportunity to spend quality time with the kid. The 17 year old needs a car that needs him. That $6k difference will buy a ton of maintenance.

[Muratti]

I remember when I was 18 , my father gave me an old Fiat Mirafiori and I killed the engine in 1 year. Anyway it was a very old car. Later I bought a BMW 2002, 1977 and it lasted 5 years with lots of fun, speed and good time for the maintenance. So I would definitely recommend a bulky Bimmer 535 but with higher mileage. You can spend good time with your kid to repair, search for parts and accesories and he will learn a bit about cars... The rest of the money (6.5K) will help you long years to maintain and bring it in a perfect shape...