You hear about Honda and Toyota getting 200,000 plus miles all the time, but what about BMW? I was looking at the only kind I can afford, one with 162,000 on it. Seems there are a lot on sale for an affordable price with 150K to 170K. How much more can I guy expect to get out of these cars? Thanks!
bmws arent all that good, they are high maintainance, expensive, low safety rating, ect, take care of stuff and it will last forever, i have a 1993 ford f250 with 270,000 miles on it
BMW’s are expensive to maintain but durable mechanically. If you can only afford 150k-170k then you cannot likely afford repair/maintenance. Most cars past 150k/8years is likely to incur expensive maintenance and repairs.
It’s all about maintenance. Find a well maintained BMW, and it will run well for you. It won’t be repair-free, but it will not need really expensive work, like replacing the engie or transmission.
It should be a one or two owner car with all the maintenance records. And it should look like it is nearly new.
I agree with the others, if you can really only afford a high mileage BMW, you will not be happy with the maintenance/repair costs. I like BMWs, but I would not buy one unless I could afford the occasional unexpected $1000 repair bill. You might be better off with something less expensive and lower mileage.
They will go that far, but if you don’t skip some of the required maintenance, it will be a waste of money. Maybe. You can see that there is no definite answer, but some of the guesses are whoppers. You don’t need a BMW. All the roads with high speed limits seem to be straight roads.
Almost any vehicle made will easily go 250k miles and much more. It all depends on how it was driven and maintained, and how it will be driven and maintained in the future.
The tricky part is trying to determine just how it was treated in the past.
Around this area, and including my cars, 200k miles is a walk in the park.
I’ve had many BMWs, three right now, but one is a bike. I got my first BMW car so long ago that people often asked “Do you mean a VW”? when I told them what I drove. The local BMW dealer at that time had a four year old 2002 with over 200K on it that he used as his demonstrator car. Taking a drive in that one sold me on the marque. One of my current Bimmers, a 325e, has 223K miles. Runs well, but needs a throwout bearing. Some previous owner probably had a bad habit of keeping his/her foot on the clutch pedal while sitting at lights. We’ll replace the whole clutch as it’s not cost effective to do anything else. Parts will be about $240, no more than a Toyota, but more than a Chevy. I’ve seen several BMWs with over 300K, and one with over 400K miles. With good care, and up to date timing belts, they go a long way. It does make a difference whether the 150 to 170K miles on the cars you’re looking at were on the road or in stop-start driving. Highway miles are much easier on ANY car.
What series BMW are you loking at?
In ANY case, get it checked out by a pro, preferably an independent shop that KNOWS BMWs, and is not interested in selling you a car of their own. They are out there. Ask around. Where are you located?
“take care of stuff and it will last forever”
Exactly
I believe that car engineers “engineer-in” the type of people that they expect will purchase /drive/maintain the car. BMWs, for example . . . attract a certain type of purchaser/driver. Think about it . . . ever see a soccer Mom pile a bunch of kids out of her Porsche? Tojo/Honda/Nissan engineer their cars for a certain purpose, usually not the same as, say . . . BMW. Having said that, it is my opinion that Civics or Corollas are built to withstand less maintenance, less fussing, more of a beating . . . and BMWs built to withstand a thorough beating (driving-wise) by their drivers, so long as they maintain them. Both cars however, properly maintained . . will last forever. It just depends on how much care they receive and how long you are willing to put parts on them . . except for the rust issue . . which is another thing entirely. My old 89 accord now has 436,000 miles on it, and is requiring more stuff as it goes along, but has always been properly maintained and driven. I’ve seen dozens in the scrapyard with less than 100k, with great parts for my car but obviously poorly cared for. Maintain them and they will last a long time . . .but the BMW parts will always cost a lot more as you replace them. Rocketman
Nowadays, virtually any brand of car can be expected to last for as many miles as one wants to put money into it for maintenance and repair. If someone wants to drive a Kia (to use the example of an inexpensive brand) for 500,000 miles he or she could probably do it if they kept up with maintenance and repair.
That being said–it is also true that parts for BMWs tend to be rather pricey, and mechanics who know their way around these cars can sometimes be rather pricey also. So–yes you can count on that Beemer to last for many more years. However, the question is whether you are prepared to spend an above-average amount of money on it during those years, as compared to what you would spend maintaining and fixing other brands of cars.
Yes exactly!
But you never know how the previous owner took care of the car. I would not have a problem with driving a 200k car that I put the miles on, but buying a 200k car is a different story…
Thanks for the input! I’m looking at a 740iL It looks very clean, I have not talked to the owner yet. I have always liked the older big American cars (Lincoln, Electra 225, etc.) But lets face it, They really don’t last that long before they start rattling apart, they get lousy gas mileage, and a clean, well cared for nice American large car gets “collector” status and becomes overpriced. The larger BMW is powerful, comfortable, and 20-25 MPG highway, at the low end of my acceptable level. I figure a car like that should last longer, and have been well taken care of in comparison to the others listed above. David
I’ve never been a fan of the 7-series cars. Too big to be driven with aplomb, but whatever floats your boat. I suspect the 740iL probably burns premium gas. Figure that into your car expenses, but it’s probably only $20 a month. If you like it, and it checks out well, buy it and enjoy.
I also agree that ANY car can these days can reach 250k miles. The difference is how much does it take to get you there. Both my wifes Accords(87 and 96) cost us less then $2000 maintenance (that includes all maintenance like oil changes, tires, battery…etc). My wifes sister gave up on her 3 Fords after OVER $5000 EACH…just to reach 100k miles.
Personally I think BMW is probably a better car then what many people think. Their repair problems may have a lot to do with the way people drive BMW’s as opposed to Honda Accords. I don’t know if I would ever buy a used BMW …just for that reason. People who own them tend to drive them to their limits. Drive a BMW the way you drive a Ford Taurus or Accord and I’ll bet it holds it own against most makes out there. But then why pay all that EXTRA if you plan on driving it like that.