Good morning! Today, with our price cap all the way up to $4,000, we’re looking at two cars that you might have trouble telling apart. I mean, they’re both wagon-y things, they’re both 4WD, they both have inline sixes, and they both mention camping in their ads! They’re practically the same car. Hopefully you can keep them straight.
Yesterday’s cars were pretty similar too, though one needed a few more questions answered about its condition than the other. But even with dashboard warning lights and a dinged title, the Scion xB pulled off a decisive win. Quite a few of you seemed to think the warning lights were not a big deal, and easily fixed. I hope for the buyer’s sake you’re right.
Me, I’m sticking with the Escort. It’s a car I already know, and it’ll be easier to get fixed if something goes wrong on a trip. The air conditioning should be R134a, so refrigerant is available anywhere. And I’ve got the vacuum setup to fill it properly, so even if it needs seals or something replaced, I’m not scared of it.
(And I just now noticed I should have waited for six more votes to come in before I took the screenshot. Oh well.)
So as it turns out, shopping for cars in the $3,000-4,000 price range is where things start to get boring. Everything runs all right, and nothing seems like a terrible deal, but it took me a while to find two things that really jumped out at me. And when I did, I was amused by the fact that they’re not only the same price, but also advertised as being suitable for the same purpose. They’re twenty years apart in age, however, and go about things in a very different way. Let’s see which one is more your style.
1985 AMC Eagle – $4,000
Engine/drivetrain: 258 cubic inch inline 6, three-speed automatic, 4WD
Location: Portland, OR
Odometer reading: 95,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great
If you’re looking for the start of the crossover craze, you may very well be looking at it. Around the same time that Audi figured out that driving all four wheels was the key to winning rallies, AMC grafted a Jeep driveline onto the underside of the Concord wagon and created, well, this thing. It sold pretty well, for a while anyway, mostly because there wasn’t really anything else like it back then. These days, the AMC Eagle is something of a cult classic: a few people love them, many more think they would love one if they had one, but I think the general public has more or less forgotten them.
Perpetually broke AMC had to make the best of things with a few simple ingredients, and one of those was its simple but sturdy inline six. This one displaces 258 cubic inches, and is backed by a three-speed automatic, a Chrysler Torqueflite if I’m not mistaken. Two 4WD systems were available in the Eagle; this one is part-time, as evidenced by the little 2WD/4WD slider on the left side of the dash. It runs and drives great, according to the seller, and just had a bunch of suspension and brake work done.
It only has 95,000 miles on it, and the interior is surprisingly nice. Most of these things are absolutely trashed inside these days; they ended up as hunting rigs or off-road toys, and that’s not easy on carpet and upholstery. This one is beautiful, and the seller says everything works, including the air conditioning. And it is very well-equipped – it has everything including the kitchen sink. Check it out.
The seller has it set up for camping, and it has a sink and a two-burner propane stove in the rear cargo area. From the looks of it, the propane tank and water tank are where the back seat should be, so there isn’t room to sleep in it, but if you pitch a tent next to it, you could make yourself a nice breakfast in the morning.
2004 BMW X3 3.0i – $4,000
Engine/drivetrain: 3.0-liter dual overhead cam inline 6, six-speed manual, AWD
Location: Seattle, WA
Odometer reading: 174,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great
By now, every luxury automaker has joined the SUV market. BMW was a little late to the party, with the X5 first sold in 1999. This smaller X3 was introduced for the 2004 model year, with all-wheel-drive meant more for snowy parking lots in Breckenridge than for trails in Moab. And while you might expect an automatic transmission in a family hauler like this, the original buyer of this X3 opted for a much more BMW-appropriate manual.
It’s powered by BMW’s 3.0 liter M54 inline six, and the seller says it runs like a top. It has been a family adventure vehicle for quite a while, from the sound of it. It has an aftermarket add-on touchscreen with a backup camera, bringing it up to more modern specifications. It also came stock with the cold-weather package including heated seats – a nice feature on cold mornings.
It’s a little dirty inside, but it’s in good shape. The seller doesn’t mention anything that doesn’t work, but if I know BMWs of this era, I bet there’s something. The 3 series sedans of this generation absolutely ate power window regulators, and when they fail, the “bang” from the cable breaking will scare the crap out of you. Just be warned.
It’s clean and straight outside, and probably rust-free underneath, considering it’s a Seattle car. Too bad it’s Default SUV Gray, but that’s hard to avoid in this market. At least it’s a stick. And it has a big-ass sunroof, which is cool.
The Pacific Northwest is full of folks who like to “get away from it all,” and the default getaway car is a Subaru Outback. But as these two show, they’re anything but the only choice. The Eagle is a good choice if you want to be able to fix stuff with baling wire at the campsite, but the BMW will be a lot more fun on the curvy roads to the wineries down past Tualatin. It’s all a matter of what you want to do outside, I guess.
(Image credits: sellers)
The mods to the Eagle would have steered me away from it, but old BMWs and their maintenance scare me.
I love the Eagle, though I’m sure I’d enjoy driving the BMW much more.
I’m going Eagle though, since these seldom pop up in decent condition. This one looks scruffy, but the fact that it’s running and driving is huge. And really, even mint AMC’s look scruffy.
I’d say reliability will be even. Even if the AMC is simpler, it’s going to have a lot of old car stuff popping up.
Reading through these comments – you guys are all super terrified of old Euro cars. Why?
That’s always been the cheap way to drive nice stuff. Put a little maintenance into them, find out the trouble spots (and don’t be stupid and buy something made out of unobtainium) and you’ll be fine.
A V12 W140 is going to be cheap and SURPRISINGLY amenable to DIY.
Same (maybe even moreso) for a V12 E38.
The driving experience is worth it. After a day or two of the “novelty” provided by the Eagle (look, y’all, it’s a Hornet with Quadratrac), you might want something that wasn’t a half-price imitation of Ferguson Formula in a structure originally drawn up around 1965.
So today’s theme is Overpriced Dirty Bombs?
Had to choose the Eagle, same year as my van!
And, as I’ve heard, nothing’s more expensive than a cheap luxury car. I know jack and shit about BMWs, but know I can do anything I need to that Eagle with the tools in said van.
The hvrdest part would be finding a road dog to caravan with.
(speaking of, anyone know an insurance company who will write a policy for an ugly hearse? Having a hell of a time getting her insured… Too ugly for hagerty, too weird for progressive or geico)
I’ve never seen an Eagle this clean for this cheap, though I’m torn on the more proper BMW…
That stickshift X3 is basically a parts-bin concoction. Good car.
The Eagle is made from EVERYONE’S parts-bin.
GM column, Ford Dura-Spark ignition (which is an absolute lie, they were NON-Dura), etc, etc. That’s not the worst approach, keeps stuff generally cheap and available, but kind of the worst of all worlds when you get everyone’s crappy sub-systems together.
And the BMW probably smells better than Gramma’s estate-sale wagon now set up for hotboxing in the Pacific NorthWet.
Very true! The E83 has the front suspension from the E9X and the rear suspension from the E46. Somehow it all works brilliantly!
Weirdness for the win! Eagle . . . fly!
the manual trans almost got me. X3 is not great, but it almost drew me over the Eagle, but low miles and a last year lifted Jeep wagon is in fact special enough to sway me. I imagine and AX15 fits in there easy enough.
I’ve owned a manual E83 for over two years now. The one shown here is overpriced. I got mine for $2k with only about 30k more miles, and mine is an LCI model, which I would strongly recommend seeking out to anyone who wants an E83.
Nevertheless, I voted for the E83. The window regulators are a completely different design to the E46 and are very robust. Mine are all original at 218k miles. The M54 is a great engine – very robust and easy to work on, and parts availability is quite good.
I’ve unexpectedly really fallen in love with my E83. It’s the perfect size – it can fit quite a bit of stuff with the seats down, but it’s small enough that it’s easy to park and maneuver. xDrive is fantastic and a very reliable system. Chassis protection against corrosion is excellent – I’ve never seen an E83 with body rust, and I live in PA. I average between 20 and 23 MPG depending on the season and type of driving I’m doing. Driving dynamics and steering feel are better than anything else in this class.
So in summary, an X3 is a great vehicle if you’re into BMWs/German cars, need a small SUV, and are mechanically competent, but don’t pay $4k for a pre-LCI model just because it has a manual.
Many euro car people have found themselves exceptionally fond of the E83. As you say, it’s surprisingly robust, easy to work on, inexpensive to maintain, and rewarding to drive.
Here’s a yardstick – if you like RWD or P1/P2 Volvos, you’ll find that the E83 is better than all of them.
That is a great way to describe the E83! I actually replaced a P2 Volvo V70 with my E83. The V70 was facelift, turbocharged, and absolutely mint. It was such a great car that I didn’t get along with at all for many reasons… shame as I really wanted to like it.
I fell in love with the E83 basically as soon as I drove it. I’ve had to replace every single suspension component and do quite a bit of engine work, but it fits my needs much better and is so much more enjoyable to drive. I also found a set of mint heated sports seats and a heated steering wheel, so now it’s super comfortable on long road trips and a great winter car as well.
That’s a bold statement! I absolutely love my P2 XC70, it was super reliable and built like a tank.
I’ve been noticing these E83’s coming up for cheap money lately, I’ve been curious about them as I like the idea of having a soft-roader for dirt road stuff and commuting in bad weather.
Sounds like they don’t get much better mileage than my 4Runner though so it might not be worth it.
The P2 Volvos are super reliable and built like a tank. They’re great vehicles for the right person. I found them to have the most uncomfortable seats I’ve ever experienced, didn’t like the engine, didn’t like the transmission programming, didn’t like the steering feel, didn’t like the boaty handling (I replaced every suspension component on mine), and hated how poor the fuel economy was. My boxy E83 gets better gas mileage than my Volvo. Lots of people love the Volvo seats and driving dynamics; it’s just preference.
The advantage to using the E83 as a bad weather/winter vehicle over a 4Runner is that the E83 is much better protected against corrosion, so you don’t have to worry about body or frame rust. Otherwise, the 4Runner will be more reliable and fuel economy will only be slightly worse. A 4Runner absolutely will not handle as well as an E83, however.
My P2s broke constantly, just after I fixed the last thing that broke. Lovely assembly quality. Bad assemblies.
The engines were great. Transmissions were not. Front ends didn’t last long. CAN had dementia. A lot of nope – you spend on them MORE than a contemporary BMW or Mercedes costs to keep up, and yet the driving experience is always worse.
And I hated the head restraints in the P2s.
Does this spark joy?
X3: No
Eagle: Yes
So I’ll take the Eagle.
You will feel the joy of anticipation, and then the joy of a sore back once you drive it.
I’ll take the sore back over the sore ass I’d have after emerging the BMW mechanic.
That $4000 is just the down-payment on heartbreak for that BMW. The AMC is all up-front cost and it’ll break your heart the first time you have to explain it to someone whose parents were born after it was made.
The Eagle as I genuinely want one
A fright pig and a Break My Wallet…hmmm,
All my heroes drove Ramblers.
And who can forget Mark Donohue in his Trans-Am Series Javelin? Any company who had the stones to chance the two-seat AMX, Marlin, Rebel Machine in red/white/blue/, Gremlin X, Any version of the Hornet, and the Pacer of course…gets my nod.
[We don’t need to mention the Matador Police Package]
Also, the fresh thinking and timing behind the Eagle concept is to be admired–at least my me.
Ramble On!
I’m not sure about the long-term maintenance costs of this era of BMW, but it does sound like a decent asking price. Still, I’m in for the Eagle, and like others, getting rid of the corny stove & sink. What’s the point of a wagon that can’t carry anything?
AMC, based simply on the cost and availability of parts.
AMC, I can get parts at any local NAPA, AutoZone, etc. And, they probably have most of the basics in stock at all times.
The BMW: “It’s going to cost how much!?! It has to ship from where!?!”
But with later model AMCs, you always need to remove the old part and take it in because AMC was constantly changing suppliers (probably because they weren’t paying their bills). It might have an alternator from Delco for 3 months of the model year, Motorcraft for 4 months and Chrysler for the remainder of the year.
This is ridiculous. FCP has had everything I’ve ever needed for my E83 in stock in the US. You really think a 40 year old car from a company that doesn’t even exist anymore will have better parts availability than a late-model BMW?
German cars are some of the easiest cars to get parts for. BMW even has RealOEM, so finding the parts you need is a breeze. I have more trouble finding the right parts for my friend’s 2011 Sonota than any of my BMWs.
I’d be afraid of a BMW from that era. They’re just not good cars 🙁
so I voted for the AMC. The stove in the back should be easily removable.
That propane stove in the trunk area as ‘bad idea’ written all over it.
And I know enough about these to know that they suck to drive… at least compared to that much newer BMW.
So in this case, I’ll go for the BMW with the manual transmission.
I voted for the AMC because it is interesting. The trunk “kitchen” is a minus, but I presume that can be removed relatively easily.
Honestly, I hate this BMW. Grey, car-based SUVs make me sad. That this one is a BMW with a manual transmission only makes it worse. I have no idea why someone would want a 3 series stretched in the vertical axis. If you want a small SUV, just buy a damn Toyota. At least the RAV4 is willing to admit it is a practical transportation appliance and not the ultimate driving machine.
I hate this BMW so much that I want to buy it just so I can torch it without getting arrested.
I almost abandoned the Eagle after seeing that it had no backseat and no trunk, but a 20 year old BMW with a sunroof is one of the scariest things I’ve ever heard of. I think I would take a risk on finding a back seat for the Eagle and cleaning out the trunk.
Oh look! A full AMC Eagle wagon back seat is available on eBay for $300.
Sold. Eagle.
Well, the AMC is interesting and brings back some memories of when those were new. But I have a feeling that the low miles aren’t necessarily because it just didn’t get driven as much. I bet it was broken a lot and in the shop like every neighbor who had an AMC where I was growing up. And while the rolling trunk bomb hack job is cool, I’d probably want a back seat.
Voted X3 for the ‘reliability” an d the manual transmission.
As an Eagle Scout, I have to go with the AMC. Not to mention the fact that if anything breaks on it, you just need a hammer, a screwdriver, maybe an adjustable wrench, and some duct tape to fix it.
I actually saw an Eagle a couple of days ago, and could believe it was still on the road. I thought time and poor build quality had killed them all off. I told my kids it was basically a cross between a wagon and an SUV, they pretty much just thought it was ugly. Conceptually it was way ahead of its time, but in execution? It was very much of its time, and not even a decent version of its time.
I don’t want either of these, because as ‘neat’ as the Eagle is, having driven one I know better. As much as I love a manual, I pretty much see any 2000s plus BMW as a timebomb waiting to explode my wallet, depite it not even having enough tinder in it to combust. I suppose that after owning a number of VWs, my supply of torx and triplesquares is full enough that I could probably fix the majority of the issues that would come up with the BMW, so I’ll go that route
The Eagle has landed , and with a kitchen sink no less! 😉