Dealer traded for this model. Certified. 45k miles. All service records. How reliable is this model? Expensive to maintain? Car would acquire 30k miles per year mainly highway. Would need to last three four years. Friend wants a used BMW 3, but I advised her to think about repair and service costs, but these may be true for Infiniti, also. Any thoughts on the G37? She needs to buy this week.
Sorry. Thank you in advance.
I’d stay away from the BMW. They are great cars…while under warranty, but once out of warranty…they are costly to maintain.
After all BMW. means Bring Money With, when ever you need repairs.
I have a friend who needed a head gasket. He let them talk him into a new head. It took three weeks just to get the head. None in the USA…had to be shipped from Germany.
He wouldn’t listen when I said that he should pick up the old head and we’d take it to the machine shop I use to be evaluated.
It took 5 weeks to get his car back.
I also remember someone here with a posting about paying $5000 for a fuel pump because it only comes with a new tank. Or something like that.
You could go on-line ( NAPA, Autozone, etc…) and check prices of parts for both cars. Fuel pump, Radiator, Coil packs, Motor mounts, Brake rotors. Compare your costs for replacement parts.
Yosemite
I have been a BMW guy for most of my 40+ years of driving. My current 1998 328i has been one of the most reliable cars I have owned with only scheduled maintenance for its 140,000 miles. I buy them from original owners around three years old and with all service records. As with any make, buy the seller as much as the car and get a good pre-purchase inspection.
If I was looking for a replacement, the Infinity G35/G37 would be on the top of my list. Not as refined as the BMW 3 series, but very close. The RWD manual transmission version would be my only choice.
PS: The $5k 3-series fuel pump replacement is true, sort of. BMW made a few ultra-low emissions versions of the 3 series for the California market (only for a couple of years). To achieve this, it required an integral fuel tank and pump. Replacing the pump requires removing most of the rear suspension as well as the tank. My 328 needed a new fuel pump last year – $600 parts and labor.
Well the G37 would be much better than the 3 series BMW, specially if driven for 30K miles a year. The G37 is still a luxury car, being that it is certified, still doesn’t mean much. Would like to see maintenance records and get a good inspection.
A basic commuter car would be better for that 30K mile per year task. Wonder what friend’s finances looks like.
If I am driving 30000 miles a year then I am only looking at new with as good of warranty I can find and road side service. Also new vehicle financing is usually less expensive then used. Luxury car image means nothing.
“Luxury car image means nothing.”
I agree
You can get a very nice Accord, Camry, Impala, etc. if you wisely choose some of the nicer options, such as leather, automatic climate control, premium sound system, etc.
Not that my car has any of that stuff
But if you do want some nice creature features in a car, there’s absolutely no reason you have to run out and buy an Audi
you can get luxury features in a non-luxury car
Thanks two tone for sticking up for bmw. I’m on my second 328 and I drive 20 to 25k a year and also have had very good luck with bmw’s. The 3 series is also rated very well in consumer reports.
My sister in law has a 2008 535 with 125k and it has only required routine maintainence done inexpensively by our Indy.
The Infiniti G cars are very reliable But cost a great deal to maintain. If your friend must have a used luxury car, this is a good one to choose. Edmunds has a True Cost to Own feature. The 2011 maintenance is estimated at $10,500 over 5 years, and repairs are estimated at $3100. The Lexus IS 350 is similar, and costs about the same for M&R. A 2011 Toyota XLE with the 6-cyl has 5 year M&R estimates of $5300 and $2300 respectively. The maintenance may seem high for the G37, but it is a luxury car. Note too that this is based on 15,000 miles per year and dealer parts and labor for maintenance. If you want to make a lasting positive impression, change the fluids and filters for her.
Great advice. She is on a tight budget. This car was a recent trade in on a local lot. I have shared your comments. Looking at Accord coupes now. Thanks
Personally, I don’t have a problem with Infinitis or BMWs. Most people can put a ton of miles on them with few if any problems.
One thing in your original comment did strike me and that is the “needs to buy this week”.
A car is a big investment and especially with a used one care, and patience, should be used when selecting one.
My suggestion is that if a car is badly needed then maybe renting one for the short term would allow some breathing room so to speak.
That way your friend won’t be star struck with the “gotta have it now” urge only to determine later that it was a mistake.
My son had one and it was OK but I think 30K a year is a lot of miles and expecting it to go for four years on a limited budget may be asking too much. That would be pushing 170K. I’d plan on two years or maybe three.
I’d have no reservations about the model, but buying a luxury car to commute in makes less sense Not only is it more expensive to buy and maintain, but that engine is not especially efficient. At 30k per year, I’d be looking for something with a four that gets in the 35-40mpg range (highway). There are plenty of cars to choose from, many quite nice, many very reliable and reasonably priced. An Accord coupe is plausible.
I think I have a good solution . . .
Ford Fusion hybrid, with the luxury options that the person wants
That would be a comfortable car, with pretty good fuel economy
Sure, it’s “only” a Ford, but a pretty nice car
High mileage implies highway driving. This makes a diesel a viable option. They typically cost more than the gasoline model up front and total operational costs should be compared before buying comparable cars with different power plants. The same goes for hybrids
A car is a big investment purchase…
There, I fixed it for you.
;-]
“She’s on a tight budget.” Then why is she looking at ANY used luxury car? If money’s tight, and she’s driving 30k a year, buy new economy car. A G37, while a good car, gets relatively poor mpgs.
I’m with Texases on this one. Buying any used luxury car while on a tight budget is the kind of decision making that will keep you broke for all eternity. People on tight budgets should be thinking utility and economics. Once and if they get more comfortable financially, THEN they can consider buying a luxury car. Not before.
@insightful, I stand humbly corrected. Investment is a misnomer which attached to a rapidly depreciating asset… 
Ask her to check the insurance cost of the cars. Lux cars means higher rates! She needs a high mpg, reliable car like a Honda Civic. Also the G37 requires premium gas that will certainly add costs.