Right now I'm pretend shopping, but I need some convincing to leave Japanese brands. For awhile I was positive I was going to look for a used Prius, but the drive was so boring! I'm not too concerned with horsepower numbers and 0-60 times, just want something with decent gas milage and is fun to drive.
I used to have a 2003 Infiniti G35 coupe and loved it. Since they're so popular a used G35, or maybe 350z are pretty cheap. Working on those V6s was incredibly easy, but the interior of those cars are plastic ridden and not very attractive. The leather also is closer to vinyl or is thin and wears easy.
I'm not afraid of doing maintenance on my own. I've done the dirty timing belts and valve adjustments in Hondas. I am afraid of specialized service tools and expensive replacement parts that Euro cars need. I also don't want to buy something used and discover electric gremlins, or need to replace expensive black boxes.
I am mostly attracted to small BMWs. I like the nice interiors, but before I go to the dark side, I'm concerned with mechanical reliability. My Japanese brands that I've owned are easy to work on and rarely break down when maintained. I'm really thinking about a new used car under $20k. I'd like it to be under 60k miles and I was surprised to see how cheap used Z4s were. The 1series still seem too new to have a developed a used supply, so they're out.
So, for owners of the current gen 3 series or Z4s have you guys had reliable mechanics? I see lots of 5 and 7 series with 100k miles, but not very many with 150k miles. Is that pretty much the life expectancy of the drivetrain? BMW engines seem to be well built. I'm not a fan of anything VW, including Porsche and Audi. I ruled out Mercedes since their SLK forum was riddled with factory recalls and TSBs.
Any feedback or direct experiences are much appreciated!
I used to have a 2003 Infiniti G35 coupe and loved it. Since they're so popular a used G35, or maybe 350z are pretty cheap. Working on those V6s was incredibly easy, but the interior of those cars are plastic ridden and not very attractive. The leather also is closer to vinyl or is thin and wears easy.
I'm not afraid of doing maintenance on my own. I've done the dirty timing belts and valve adjustments in Hondas. I am afraid of specialized service tools and expensive replacement parts that Euro cars need. I also don't want to buy something used and discover electric gremlins, or need to replace expensive black boxes.
I am mostly attracted to small BMWs. I like the nice interiors, but before I go to the dark side, I'm concerned with mechanical reliability. My Japanese brands that I've owned are easy to work on and rarely break down when maintained. I'm really thinking about a new used car under $20k. I'd like it to be under 60k miles and I was surprised to see how cheap used Z4s were. The 1series still seem too new to have a developed a used supply, so they're out.
So, for owners of the current gen 3 series or Z4s have you guys had reliable mechanics? I see lots of 5 and 7 series with 100k miles, but not very many with 150k miles. Is that pretty much the life expectancy of the drivetrain? BMW engines seem to be well built. I'm not a fan of anything VW, including Porsche and Audi. I ruled out Mercedes since their SLK forum was riddled with factory recalls and TSBs.
Any feedback or direct experiences are much appreciated!
