Any BMW owners in here?

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: 97tbird
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL

You just need to be careful when you shop. You can find one that has been babied and treated right, I did. Just takes some looking.


Yep - be patient, and you'll find one, and do a thorough PPI before you purchase.
I found my 2005 330 Ci with the ZHP (Performance package, somewhat rare) with 12k babied miles several states away, and have been very happy with it so far...it's definitely a driving experience that one needs to experience - even just regular daily commute to work can be fun

When I got mine a few yrs ago: (grills have been changed to black, and the front lic. plate and holder is gone now):
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1996873

Awesome!

Problem is that the ones that aren't idiot owned are often owned by people who love their cars and will not part with them.

 

[wilnis]

Hi-we were in a similiar situation, have looked at BMWs on several occasions, finally found a 2009 CPO 528i xdrive with 20,000 miles that was essentially new, and bought it. I plan on doing the maintenance myself, it still has a warranty until 4/15 and will reevaluate keeping it longer at that time. A bit of a learning curve with electronics but we love the driving experience and this board has been helpful as well as Bimmerfest in giving me confidence as well as what maybe to anticipate as far as problems. Bill

 

[JohnathanDm]

Originally Posted By: Spazdog
I do have two clients with exceptionally maintained BMWs

One is a fairly basic 318ti. 200,000+ miles and it looks like she just rolled off the showroom floor.

The other is a 2002 745i. He comes in virtually every month with a new repair receipt. i-drive problems, cooling system, transmission, suspension, sunroof....etc... For the money he puts into it, he could probably afford a newer 7-er. But he says he does not want a newer one. He wants that one. It is pristine in appearance. Not a scratch or dent. Silver paint as good as anything on the dealer lot right now. He really loves that car.

Everything in between? Bad owners.

Worst is a kid with a 530i 5 speed manual. Fairly rare car. You know that it has a bad owner when the first thing you see is a hood scoop in the center of the hood.


Sound's like me when I first bought my 528i 4 different Tire's jerry Rigged HID's

 

[jimbrewer]

I had a 12 cylinder 98 750 iL. It had depreciated 90K in six years. It wasn't too bad on repairs. The radiator blew up, broken power window thing. Hey! it was a Bond car and I paid less than 12K. The thing could really accelerate if it were moving. I remember teaching my daughter to drive on a two lane highway on a road trip in the middle of nowhere. Truck was maybe going 50 in a 65 zone. In my fatherly way I told her to signal, wait for the coast to clear and then "briskly" accelerate around the semi until she was clear. I remember looking at the speedo as we cleared the front bumper of the semi. I think we were at 100.

Oddly, parts costs were not bad at all. Brake pads and rotors were hugely expensive. My dealer wasn't bad on service either. Maybe he was the exception. Never used a drop of oil.

Overall, German engineering is overrated. I've been told that that car had about twice the parts of a normal car. The BMW had this pulley and wire system for their windows which is all but guaranteed to need a repair. I wish I had taken better care of the appearance, but it didn't matter, because it got totaled after a very minor rear end collision after five years and they paid me 7,700 for it. I think when they saw what the parts were worth they probably almost made money on the deal. Still not bad for 40K and five year's use.

Quite a few models are questionable. You really have to do your research. Oh yeah, the Bimmer forum was a huge resource for anyone with a BMW.

 

[hardcore302]

My sister in law had a 2004. Problems every month. I wanted to change her transmission fluid. Went to the store and asked them for the fluid. I had to get the number off of the bellhousing. What a pain in the [censored]. Everyone I know has problems with their bimmers. Expensive to buy and maintain. Not that my two cars are any better, but atleast they are cheap to fix. I must admit that I liked driving all the 3 series I have driven. Solid car and handles ggreat.

 

[ecotourist]

I have a 2000 528i with a 5MT and sports and appearance packages. Bought it used at 3 years and 50,000 Km.

The 5 series were a good value used. They depreciate like a rock initially so you get a lot for your money. I paid about 40 - 45% of the replacement cost even after the inevitable few repairs.

I do minor maintenance myself on the driveway. Oil changes with GC at half BMW's recommended interval. It's far more expensive to maintain than my Honda Accord or the Toyota Solara before it, but not as bad as I feared.

I've had it about 10 years and will keep it as long as possible. I like it a lot.

Ecotourist

 

[crw]

I have a 1975 2002, and that car is so well made, it convinced me to buy a 1998 323i 'vert. I love both cars and will likely never get rid of them.

The only unscheduled problems were the water pump and thermostat housing on the 323i. This vehicle now has about 160K miles, and the engine seems to run like new.

Someday I hope to get into a current generation 128i.

 

[Noobie]

Patience . . . take your time to look for a good one.
Depending on what engine you choose, some are known to be more prone to issues than others, usually the NA I-6 ones are less troublesome than the turbo ones.