Another appliance car thread...late model BMWs?

[911dean]

No horror stories here. My wife's 2009 328i convertible has been problem free for 60.000 miles and it's certainly nice to drive. It'd be better if it had a manual trans and I like my wagon better(this might be a little biased).

[speeder]

I was thinking maybe I should check on bimmerforums or whatever the biggest community is for them. The few friends I've had with 2009-present BMWs had no problems but they were all new and under warranty.

I looked at Mazdas and all the others. If it has to be Japanese, it will be a Prius. It's that or go German. I like VWs ok but they have big QC issues and why drive a used VW when I can drive a used 5-series for about the same. Big difference is cars.

I need to get more data. Thanks to all, especially the BMW owners.

[5String43]

Wow, a lot of bad luck with Bimmers. Ours have been fine. We've now got a '13 328i sedan with 16,000 miles on it and it has been flawless. Same with the 2007 328i sedan we had. Just no problems at all. We put 148,000 miles on a 2003 5-series - sure, a few things wore out and needed replacement, and that's not cheap. But this was quite rare.

I especially liked the 2007. E90s, I think they are? I'd buy a nice used one with few worries, I think.

[Scott Douglas]

Originally Posted by greglepore

If the suspension wasn't Detroitish, I'd have one in a heartbeat. Its a seriously inspiring drivetrain/brakes package. The shocks/springs suck. Maybe the aftermarket can cure that, if so, I'm in.

Greg
I can pretty much assure you there's nothing 'Detroitish' about the suspension mine has and it's factory too.

[Nostril Cheese]

If you're looking for MPG, get a Yaris. Toyota quality, surprisingly roomy. Also quite fun with a stick.

All around nice car? As others have said, Accord. When are we supposed to get that 150hp/300ft/lb. diesel anyway?

A Prius? Cmon man. Get it together...

[Nostril Cheese]

Originally Posted by speeder

I was thinking maybe I should check on bimmerforums or whatever the biggest community is for them.

Be prepared for a slightly less mature crowd than here.

[don911]

We bought a 07 E92 328xi a couple years ago. We've had two common / known issues that caused oil leaks. One was a sensor o-ring and can't recall the other. Other than those two issue, we haven't had any issues....knock on wood.
So far, really it as a sporty grocery getter.

[Rloop]

Wife is on her 2nd BMW, an '07 328i, has been rock solid and a great driver with excellent MPG's. Oil, brakes, tires only and just past 70k miles. We need something bigger for her because of kids, I would have no issue with another BMW.

[1990C4S]

You have a job??

[Chocaholic]

I work around cars for a living. Here is my standard answer when friend and family ask. Get the newest 4-cylinder Honda Accord you can. Bigger than you think, more power than you think, safer than you think, will pull down 30 mpg all day every day, utterly competent and utterly devoid of soul. When I had to commute I found a three year old Accord with 40k miles on it. I drove it for two years and 80k miles. Brake pads once, tires once, fuel, oil, trans fluid on schedule. It needed nothing else. Sold it for $2k less than I paid for it. Not bad for 2yrs and 80k miles.



Oddly enough (I do live in MS) I know quite a few folks with Prii. Never heard of any major issues. They all love 'em.



If a smaller car works think about an Acura TSX. European Accord. Can be had with a manual trans so you can pretend it's sporty.



BMW and Audi scare me with their Direct Injection engines. Too many problems early on for me to be confident in them long term



Last winter my Wife said I was buying her a new (to her) car. I ended up getting a 2011 Mercedes E350. M-B didn't go to Direct Injection until 2012 on the 3.5 V-6. M-B actually encourages you to service the 7spd ZF trans which has to extend its life. AMG/Navi/MBTex. Sold new for around $50. CPO asking prices were mid-$40s. I bought mine from an independent broker/dealer with a line on off lease M-B. Avoiding the dealer I was able to buy the car for $32k after letting someone else drive it for 2 years and 28k miles. Just at 40k miles now and no issues. With a lead foot my wife averages 22mpg. The car will pull down 27 or so on road trips. She'll drive it three or four more years and be out of it before it hits 100k miles. -J

Having switched jobs and needing reliable airport transport, I leased a new Accord Sport with a 6 speed gearbox. I'm blown away with how good this car is...and how cheap. Quiet, 30+ on the highway, stick shift (available with CVT), great stereo, comfortable and room for 4 adults. Gets my recommendation for an inexpensive, decent looking, reliable dd.

[recycled sixtie]

Originally Posted by Chocaholic

Having switched jobs and needing reliable airport transport, I leased a new Accord Sport with a 6 speed gearbox. I'm blown away with how good this car is...and how cheap. Quiet, 30+ on the highway, stick shift (available with CVT), great stereo, comfortable and room for 4 adults. Gets my recommendation for an inexpensive, decent looking, reliable dd.

It's all about how much $$$$ you want to spend. I have a neighbor that has a newer Accord. Totally reliable and not huge $$$$ to buy.

German, BMW, Audi bigger $$$ for new and not so much for off warranty.

So how much time and $$$ do you want to put aside for fixing the German "exotic"?
What is important to you and what do you value? Rock solid reliability as you will likely get in an Accord(not Toyota like handling but a bit more fun) Or do you value a more fun driving car such as s BMW. Reliability odds I think favor the Accord. Fun factor is more in the BMW. Guy

[berettafan]

Originally Posted by Nostril Cheese

Garbage.

Typical BMW problems, cooling systems, window regulators, electrical problems.

Last good cars they made were the E39 and E46.

Putting windows up in my e46 is like watching a 98yr old woman cross the street. you're not sure it's going to happen.

[Jim Richards]

I like the look of the E93 (E90 coupé cabriolet). There's one in my neighborhood and find the folding hardtop to be a much better look than a soft-top.





From Wiki:
The 3 Series convertible is also known as the coupé cabriolet on BMW's website. It is the first model in BMW's lineup with a 3-piece folding aluminium hard-top roof, as previous (E46 3 Series) and existing convertibles (E63 6 Series, E85 Z4) were soft-tops. The new convertible is also the centre of many new technological advancements for BMW as well as the recipient of many existing safety and performance technologies that have been improved upon for the new model. The E93 3 Series convertible improves upon BMW's "Comfort Access" option, by allowing the user to completely raise and lower the folding roof by simply pressing and holding the respective buttons on the key fob. Overall visibility is up 38 percent, thanks to the side windows which are 30 percent larger, compared to the E46 3 Series Cabriolet.

When first offered, the 3 Series convertible was the only retractable hardtop alongside the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class (a 2-seater roadster) in that price category, with the 3 Series being the only one with a 2+2 seating configuration. Other manufacturers have since produced retractable hardtop convertibles in the compact executive (entry-level luxury) car segment, such as the Lexus IS C and Infiniti G37 convertible, to compete with the BMW 3 Series. Although the BMW 3 Series convertible is considerably more expensive than its direct rivals, it has been considered by reviewers to be better engineered, in regards to passenger/boot space (even with the roof down) and driving dynamics (particularly weight and chassis rigidity).

[enzo1]

Mercedes C class??? 2010-13

[speeder]

I thought about a C-class. Maybe, but I like 3-series of the same years better.

Jim, the convertibles are nice but I'm looking for a 4-door sedan only, like it says in the OP. I'm leaning towards an '09-'11 335d, they are out there for decent prices with a few miles on them.

[Bill Douglas]

Another idea. A used Lexus - I've heard they are as good as a Toyota.

Gives a good impression. Slightly classy without being a showoff. Second hand ones are cheap as the Lexus crowd usually want a brand new shinny one.

[Nostril Cheese]

Infiniti G35 would be another great car.

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by speeder

I thought about a C-class. Maybe, but I like 3-series of the same years better.

Jim, the convertibles are nice but I'm looking for a 4-door sedan only, like it says in the OP. I'm leaning towards an '09-'11 335d, they are out there for decent prices with a few miles on them.

Sorry Denis, I missed the 4-dr requirement. A diesel would be nice for mpg and trimmed-down smog testing.

[IROC]

Originally Posted by Rloop

Wife is on her 2nd BMW, an '07 328i, has been rock solid and a great driver with excellent MPG's. Oil, brakes, tires only and just past 70k miles. We need something bigger for her because of kids, I would have no issue with another BMW.

Sounds like us. We had a 2007 530i until last year (sold it for a 4Runner as we simply needed more space for the kids). The 530i was one of the best cars I ever owned. Fast, comfortable and returned 32 mpg on the highway on occasion. Zero maintenance issues while we owned it.

My only complaint is that the value dropped like a rock. Contrast that with my 2001 Toyota Tacoma I just sold. I bought it brand new in 2000 for $21.5k and sold it last month for $10k. That works out to about $75/month of ownership.

[Steve Carlton]

How much more does it cost to get a CPO version of what you're considering? What's your budget?