z06Bigbird

Son owned a 2006 Z06 garage queen (1400 miles) and sold it (back to orig owner--long story). Everybody lived happily ever after.
Then son buys an 07 used 530i with 4500 miles; at 11,000 miles, he appears to have another buyer.

Now he is looking at late model garage queens of the following makes:

07--09 vette (no z06)
07--09 A5
07--09 BMW 5 series.
07--09 CTS or STS

We know all about the 5 series--pluses and minuses.

He and I am seeking advice on selecting a vette coupe, CTS/STS, or an A5 Audi.

I feel that the vettes are pretty much bullet proof and that the BMWs have more problems than the vettes. Turbos have many problems with high pressure fuel pumps, injectors, and cooling. Inconvenient if under warranty; expensive if not under warranty. BMW has extended the warr on fuel pumps to at least 100,000 miles. Cooling systems have plastic in them that breaks, and I am unsure if these problems are covered by warranty (versus normal wear and tear at some point in vehicle's life).

Some late model CTSs (05--06; maybe later ones too) are having timing chain failures. Any and all advice is appreciated re the selection of a late model:

vette coupe
Audi 5
CTS or STS


Thanks in advance.

Kent1999

Not trying to be a wiseguy -- just trying to understand the question.

If your son is just interested in buying and selling low-mileage garage queens (and apparently not driving them too much between buy and sell), why is reliability a factor?

Cheers,
Kent

AORoads

how does one compare all these cars? you've got coupes, 4 door sporty cars, 4 door sedans, etc. I don't know what to suggest other than, get a Vette, even if he's gonna have it for what? 6 months?

calmtgguy

I say try to get a DEAL on a 08, or 09 Vette coupe, and keep it.

dvilin

I would just tell him to get whichever one he liked best. He certainly does not drive them much or keep them long enough to be concerned with realiability issues. He had a Vette and the BMW so try the CTS or the Audi. Neither of which compare to a Vette but not sure what he or you are looking for.

EDinPA

Does he need help picking out a Tshirt too?

jsims002

Prius' resale pretty quickly in metro areas

z06Bigbird

When Geo metro (3 cyl) sold in the early 90s, msrp was about $6,000. When gas was $4.00 a few years ago, same Geo sold for $6k to $10k.

z06Bigbird

I believe he is leaning towards your advice.

Halo 2

Rule out the A5 and CTS as I would not consider anything but a S5 or CTS-V. Also saw another post about someone considering a Porsche Boxster that your may want to review. My wife really likes hers.

z06Bigbird

No, but he has some t-shirts for Langhorne speedway, Reedman test track, McCafferty's crane with a new car way up in the air, Greenwood dairies, Flannery's, Betty's hoagies, Scrappy's garage, Philly Art Museum, Franklin Institute, Rhodin museum, and motel behind Neshaminy mall with round water beds, wrought iron cage around water bed, and mirrored wall/ceilings.

z06Bigbird

I love the looks of a Boxster, but he and others say it is a chick-car.

If I wasn't such an old fart, I might consider unloading my LeSabres and get a Boxster.

Gold Z

If the car is just going to sit in the garage and depreciate why buy one at all?

EDinPA

Then he should google 'what car to buy'

cclive

So he is looking at buying a garage queen as opposed to creating another one????

Xedes

Garage Queen???? Save some money and just buy posters of all of the cars listed (there's a great poster guy that's a vendor here.). my .02

shurite44

I don't understand why guys who want a vette just to sit in the garage don't buy the highest milage cheapest one they can find. They all look the same sitting still for the most part.

Like was posted, they just depreciate.

Someone who is going to do some driving needs a good low milage car.

But most of the world seems backwards to me anyway.

jimmie jam

getting back to the question - i have 33k on my DD CTS. trouble free except for the wiper motor module that was replaced last month, FWIW.

z06Bigbird

Junior gets his pressure for a garage queen from dad. I regularly get wholesale prices on 4 or 5 year old garage queens. I put about 4,000 miles a year on my cars. When I sell them, I get retail pricing. For the past 10 years, I have driven nice fairly new cars with almost no miles on them. I drive them until a neighbor expresses an interest in buying. As a result, I have driven nice Cadillacs and Buicks for the past 10 years. Several years ago, I bought a red 97 sedan de ville with 22,000 miles on it. After driving it for 5 years, I sold it for $13,500. 27,000 miles on it at that point. End result: 5 years of luxury with no car payments. Then I made $3,500 on it.

I drove my CTS for 2 years and broke even. Again, no car payments.

That is why and how I drive garage queens.

BringOnSpring

A5 (nice car) - keep it for 6 months......sell it
CTS - keep it for 6 months......sell it
STS - keep it for 6 months......sell it
C6 - KEEP IT