Good man for leasing. BMW has really fallen far..

You view the cars much differently when you have to work on them. The most annoying aspect is the usual overnight software update garbage that always goes wrong.

I'm leasing my X1, but if it proves reliable I'll buy it off lease. I like it a lot, and it is the last of the hydraulic steering racks (iirc).

Of course that is *if* it proves reliable...

You may be surprised to hear....but the E9X M3 is extremely reliable. I've had 2 and they only went in for routine stuff.

LOL. If you say so.

Yeah....they are a lot different than Saabs from the mid 90s. :D

But what would I know.....right?

You do realize that mechanics posting about a car's reliability can be akin to Tobra, a podiatrist, writing that the human foot is a poorly designed device because all he sees are broken ones everyday?

Owners' experience is the only one that counts. Don't believe me? Stop by a Toyota dealer and visit a large building full of cars that took a schit on the carpet.

Bmw
 

I recently acquired a 2014 335I. I ordered the car with the options I wanted:
M Package, 19" rims, sport automatic. The car came with the 4 piston front brakes as well.

In the "sport mode" the car is transformed into a pure sports car. It is incredibly fast, the shifts are quick and seamless. Throttle blips on down shifts and makes all of the right sounds. I can’t imagine needing anymore of a car. I lease so this is my 4th BMW in 12 years and the best one yet !


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1395943836.jpg

I remember seeing pics of your '74 which is a dead ringer for mine just in a different color. Didn't realize you had an '11 M3 as well. If its an E92 we're living oddly parallel lives here in Indiana.:D

I'm also considering the F82M as a replacement but not sure I'm done having fun with this one yet. The S65 motor is just so sweet, I'm going to have a hard time giving up that sound. Looking forward to Dreyer getting some demo cars in to make a comparison. The roll out has been excruciatingly drawn out.

the e92, '74 just visible in the background;

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...ps706c0ec7.jpg

I could tell you a thing or two about Bob Smith BMW/Mini.. Leasing is the best way to go.

I bought mine with 65K, perfect condition for $1900. I needed a cheap daily driver. Built like a tank, I can tow with it and it holds my Ampeg SVT with no trouble. The GT28RS swap with a few tweaks puts me a little over 300HP while still getting 30MPG.

I just finished a Worldpac training seminar on the new BMW's. More money for me. I'm not doubting they are nice cars, but I've had my head shaking moments working on them.

I've got one more set of doors but as you can see, yes oddly similar.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1395970389.jpg

The only thing left is to post pics of the wives.....

Hey knock on wood but I have had no problems.....and not that I want a reason to visit, but my local BMW dealership is hands down the best dealership in the area. Attention to customer service is awesome. So much so that it is reason enough to pass on Audi and MB. I don't have a Porsche dealership in the area. For me that's a deal breaker on my daily drivers. Otherwise I would be considering the Macan for a DD.

One of my close friends bought a new Audi a couple years ago to replace a 2009 M3. The M3 had been flawless but he wanted an automatic for commuting. The Audi had repeated QC issues and the dealer service sucked. He dumped it for a 1 yr. old 335d and had no probs with it for 2 years. Dealer was fantastic for normal maintenance stuff, which of course was no charge.

He's since bought his wife a new X1 and swears by BMW. I know several other people on their 3rd or 4th one in a row. Only on this forum do I hear what POS cars they are.

I'm probably going to buy a used 335d in the very near future.

Ha.....to be continued......

I'll add to the reliability anecdotes with BMW. I bought my 2011 M3 in 2012 with 7k. Two years later and 15k on the clock and haven't had a single mechanical issue. Previous car was a BMW Z4M Coupe. Over 4 years and 44k miles, replaced the throttle position sensor under warranty. No other issues. Maybe I've been lucky, maybe the //M cars are built to a different standard, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy another.

Dealer service is the icing on the cake for me. My old Audi dealer was terrible. Bad service....and never spoke to me about new models in an effort to keep me loyal to the brand. Rolled into the BMW dealer and was treated like a king.....and still am.

Most of the people that rave about BMW are the buyers that either buy/lease new cars and trade them in every 2-3 years. The maintenance is taken care of by the dealership's complimentary coverage, they don't wrench on their own cars, and they get a new one at relatively low mileage. If you don't mind the cost associated with that approach, more power to you.

The average enthusiast isn't the original owner of the car. I bet a poll of this BBS would show that only a very small percentage of us purchased the cars new. They are older, higher mileage, out of warranty, and there is a much greater percentage of us that DIY. The new owner doesn't care about accelerated wear, snap together parts, rattles, and mechanical failure, because they don't have to deal with it. This is, BTW, exactly how it's supposed to work to maximize profit. BMW, or any other OEM, could care less what the 2nd or 3rd owner of the car think because they make very little money off of them. If their new car buyers keep coming back, that's what matters.

Right. So are you going to tell me how unbreakable and DIY friendly other brands of high-performance cars are from the last few years? I'm personally not interested in driving a 10 year old BMW at this point and a freaking Mazda or Hyundai is not an alternative to a BMW.

I'm pretty good with a wrench and brakes, oil changes and the occasional part swap is all I can do on any modern car. I can do that on my BMW, if needed.

I find my 996 to be very easy to work on. Dramatically easier than any of my three past BMWs or two past Minis.

I know you're handy with a wrench, I'd love to see you get a nearly new BMW and spend some time working on it. Report back with your opinion after a year, I suspect it may change a bit. If not, more power to you.

Maybe I wasn't clear, oil changes and brakes are all I expect to be able to do. And 996s are stout in many ways but they have some fatal flaws that make a modern BMW look like a 4-cyl. Toyota PU truck ini comparative reliability and longevity.

None of my friends with modern BMWs have had serious mechanical issues. None of them. I've never heard of any mechanical issues beyond expensive tires and brake pads, etc.

Like I said more power to you. It's pretty clear that you want one, hopefully your experience is a good one.