Opinions of 850i

[SeaDweller]

Greetings,

This is my first post here, as I've been a Porsche 911 owner. I recently sold my Porsche 911SC to pursue the purchase of a newer cabriolet, when I saw a '92 850i advertised in my local paper, with 25K original miles.

I rarely see these cars on the road, but find them to have striking lines. I have no clue how they are from a performance and reliability perspective, so I was hoping someone could provide me with some general information on this model. I would assume with a V-12, they're quite expensive from a service perspective, but that's simply a guess.

Any information on performance, reliability, cost of ownership, etc. would be most appreciated. I would imagine they're quite more luxurious than a 911, but I don't want to completely give up the sports car feel and performance!

Thanks in advance!

[Javier at Pelican Parts]

This may sound a little wierd but I think they're one of the sexiest cars on the road, that a side, I beleive they weigh about 6 tons, very nice high speed highway car very powerful, no drag racer. great handling but but be cautious nose heavy, can be costly to maintain, pick your favorite local mechanic for the repair you can't do yourself and start buying him gifts, you'll need him.

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

I've heard they have lots of electrical problems. Keep in mind that that v-12 is not for performance, it's to move the 6 ton+ weight of the thing. It's a shame too, because if it were lighter, and all the creture comforts were stripped out, It could be a really sporty car. I too have always loved the way the 850 looks. I dont know if i would go so far to eqaute it to be sexy, however i am sorta getting a mental picture of Katie Holmes sprawled out over the hood of one. That helps a bit..

[brianhinfl]

I've owned a '91 850i for a little over 2 years now. I purchased it from original owner with 28k miles.

Performance: Nothing special. These are GT cars. An amazing long distance cruiser. I drove from FL to NY and back a few times over the past 2 years, and the trip just flew by. I never felt fatigued.

Reliability: Never had any issues. In two years, one brake pad change, regular oil changes, and had to replace the original batteries from '91.

Cost of ownership: I have not had any issues, aside from routine maintenance, to deal with. Cost of ownership has been pretty minimal. The one thing to remember is that everything in this car is duplicated. The V12 is nothing more than 2 I6's welded together. You have 2 intakes, 2 injection systems, 2 ignition systems, 2 exhausts, 2 batteries, etc.

One of the common items to go on this car is part of the drive-by-wire systems. When these electric motors go, you need to replace both, $1200/ea.

Another big problem is the display for the computer. Most people, including myself, learn to live with the dead pixels. I believe BMW quoted the replacement part at $350.

The 850 is loaded with electronics. Yes, they can have problems, if the car was not maintained well by previous owner.


I love my 850. It's a great everyday driver, and the ultimate highway cruiser. If you want to blast through the twisties, this isn't the car. It is not equivalent to the 911. (A better comparison is the 928) It is VERY heavy and you feel every pound pushing the car hard through corners. It is however, that weight that makes the car feel ultra-stable at 130+ on the expressway.

I'd highly reccomend you look at the car. I've found that most people either love or hate the 850.