How Would You Spend Eight Grand? 1972 Ford Mustang vs 1995 BMW 525i

What constitutes a “cheap” versus an “expensive” car is different for everyone, but I think everyone has a number where a car purchase crosses the threshhold to a more serious number. For me, that number is about eight thousand dollars. If you’re spending that much, you have to mean it, and you have to be sure. So for our Friday Showdown this week, I’ve found two very different cars that come in just under that amount.

Yesterday, we spent considerably less fake internet money than that. We looked at a Ford Probe in need of some interior and suspension repair, and a Voyager minivan whose only flaws are cosmetic. Many of you made a good case for each, but in the end, the Probe took the win.

I think I’d go the other way. I test-drove a ’94 Probe equipped the same as this, in roughly the same shape, for $800 several years ago, and I passed on that one. This is an even harder sell, even with the increase in used car prices in recent years. The Voyager feels like a better deal, and it’s more practical to boot.

As it so happens, today’s choices mirror yesterday’s somewhat. One of them is highly original, but tired and in need of some refurbishment, and the other is well-used, but well-kept and still looks great. They’re the exact same price, and you could drive either one home. Let’s take a look.

1972 Ford Mustang – $7,900

Engine/drivetrain: 302 cubic inch OHV V8, three-speed automatic, RWD

Location: Playa Del Rey, CA

Odometer reading: 99,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives well, but needs restoration

This is a prime example of my favorite kind of old car: the regularly-driven survivor. You can find them all over, if you look hard enough, but the western half of the US definitely has a higher concentration of them, without the ravages of road salt thinning their ranks. I like to think about everything they’ve driven past, how many changes have happened along the same old roads while they just keep rolling along. This Mustang was undoubtedly someone’s pride and joy back in 1972, but it’s not a special model or anything. Five decades and change have worn it out, but given it a sort of dignity that it probably didn’t have when it was new.

There are no surprises under the hood; it’s got the same 302 V8 and C4 automatic transmission as hundreds of thousands of other Mustangs its age. It’s a good sturdy combination, and it sounds like a Mustang should. This one runs fine, thanks to a new carburetor and radiator. The brakes have been replaced as well. The suspension is a little tired and rattly, but it’s a Mustang; there are plenty of choices available to whip it into shape.

This is the only photo of the interior in the ad, and it’s really hard to see. I tried to mess with the brightness and contrast a little to get a better look, but it didn’t help much. I can see that the dash top is cracked badly–no surprise there–and the seats have covers on them. The door panels look all right, though. And again, restoration parts are easy to come by.

The paint is weather-beaten and coming off, and it has a few dents and scrapes that tell the story of a life well-lived. But since it’s a California car, it doesn’t have any rust. And I love the fact that all four of its dog-dish hubcaps have survived all these years. You could restore it, and I’m sure somebody will, but I kind of love it as-is.

[UPDATE: The lead photo of the Mustang was clearly AI-enhanced, so we’ve removed it. Thank you to everyone who pointed this out. – MH]

1995 BMW 525i – $7,900

Engine/drivetrain: 2.5-liter DOHC inline 6, five-speed manual, RWD

Location: Tarzana, CA

Odometer reading: 180,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives well

A lot of enthusiasts, including me, feel like BMW has sort of lost the plot in recent years. But opinions vary on when the last “good” one was. I could make a case for this car, though, the E34-chassis 5 Series. New enough to use daily, but old enough to be simple, with timeless styling and that signature inline six, this is a car I could see myself driving – and I can’t say that about a lot of BMW’s products.

This 5 Series has the smallest engine offered in the US, a 2.5-liter six with BMW’s VANOS variable valve timing on the intake side only. It’s paired with a five-speed manual as the BMW gods intended. It has 180,000 miles on it, and the seller says it runs and drives with “no issues.” The brakes and shocks are new, and it just passed a smog test. No old German car is risk-free, but this one sounds just about as close as you can get.

Inside, it’s got that good old driver-centric no-bullshit BMW interior design, something I wish would come back. It has enough toys to make you feel special, but nothing gimmicky or unnecessary. The seats are classic tan leather, with what looks like some heavy wear on the driver’s seat, but they’ve cleverly not shown that seat clearly. It doesn’t look too bad, though. And according to the seller, everything works, including the air conditioning.

Outside, its classic lines are shown off beautifully in that spectacular dark green of BMW’s, and it’s completely stock and original. This car is a great example of how spending a little more up front can get you a much nicer car right away. You can find cheaper E34s and fix them up, but it will probably end up costing you more than this in the long run. It’s so much easier to keep something nice than it is to make it nice.

So there you have it: two cars for just under eight grand. You have a faded elder statesman of the California beach highways, and a well-kept German sedan from the Valley. Either one will get you home, and either one will likely cost you a bit more money before too long. You’ve got all weekend to decide which one earns a place in your imaginary driveway.