New car possibly - BMW?

Maintenance/Repairs
21

My personal opinion is that BMW is living largely on it’s reputation. In 1966 BMW came out with their model 2002, a near-perfect design for its time. It quickly became a legend. In today’s world, I think there are competitors that are better designed than BMWs and less costly to boot. But there are people out there that simply want a BMW and nothing else. It’s their money and I support their right to enjoy it as they see fit.

I’d also bet that if you asked a BMW owner what about “German Engineering” is superior, he/she could only babble mindlessly. The average person has no clue what that might mean.

But hey, life’s short. Let them enjoy it. Ask softly.

22

Speaking as the owner of four BMWs, My advice is to keep looking at the Acuras and Lexus, preferably without turbos.

BMWs with X drive are just fine in snow and ice, but AWD Subarus are better.

I would not own any BMWs if I didn’t do 90% of the repairs myself. They would be cost-prohibitive to own. I just took one of my 2004s in for its air bag recall. The dealer looked it over and identified three legit problems, two oil leaks and a pair of suspension bushings. Their estimate for repair was $2500 total. I will spend $110 on parts and a couple of Saturdays to do the repairs.

A BMW is sort of like a Harley-Davidson. There is no rational reason to buy one. The Japanese make motorcycles that do everything better for less money, but if you WANT a Harley Davidson, nothing else will do.

3 Likes
23

The BMW has a twin turbo engine. With 40k miles on it, what do I want to be checking for? I know Carmax claims
do all of the inspections, etc. I still question that sometimes.

Get it a pre-purchase inspection at a local mechanic if you decide you want to buy it.

Is BMW’s X-Drive pretty good in snow? I have done some research and it looks pretty good, but again, I have never driven a Bimmer.

BMWs are some of the best-driving cars out there in any road conditions.

What kind of problems can I expect at 40 plus miles?

Lots. It’s a BMW. German luxury cars are known for their unreliability. BMW’s, especially late-model ones, are particularly prone to electrical gremlins.

Do I need to go to the dealer for service? My closest one is 20 miles away which isn’t the end of the world.

Technically no, but with all the bizarre electrical systems those cars have, you might have trouble finding a non-dealership mechanic with the knowledge and/or tools to fix certain problems.

Every one talks about expensive maintenance. How much more expensive would it be for items such as brakes, etc. compared to that of my wife’s Nissan?

Well now that depends - are we talking about a Sentra, or a GTR? :wink:

Any luxury car is going to be more expensive to maintain than a non-luxury car. The more prestigious the car, the more money you’re gonna pay because it’s assumed you can afford it.

Last, am I nuts for picking up a used BMW?

In a word, yes. I always tell people that if they must get a BMW, they should only keep it until the warranty expires, and then ditch it before it bankrupts them. Their electrical systems are shoddy, and they have a lot of them. There’s thousands of dollars of potential repairs just in what’s in the center console, and I’ve seen firsthand how stupidly they’re designed from a systems point of view. I would expect them to fail at any moment if I had that car.

I would encourage you to take a look at the Acura RDX. They’re great cars, and they’re going to be a lot more reliable than BMWs. I have a 2007 Acura TL, and I’ve spent less than $200 in unscheduled repairs in almost 120,000 miles.

24

I see 3 recalls for the 2014 X3, two for the vacuum pump and one for child seat anchors.

25

+1
In Consumer Reports’ most recent test of a BMW 5-series, while they did like the car very much overall, they stated that the brand is “no longer the ultimate driving machine”, as a result of handling that is nowhere near as good as it was with older models from that marque.

1 Like
26

Hey guys!

So, I drove an Infiniti Q50 last night. I really liked it, and it seemed pretty solid. I would venture to guess it would be a lot less troublesome than the BMW. I did a google search, but didn’t find a lot on that specific model.

Do any of you own an newer Infiniti, and or know someone that does? If so, how do they like it? Are they reliable?

We are going to test drive a Mazda tonight. Is the CX3 or CX5 a better way to go? I like the looks of both, and I will drive both, but I thought I would see if anyone has any personal experience with both models.

Thanks guys!

27

Yes, it would likely be less troublesome than the BMW, but the reliability of Infiniti vehicles still lags far behind that of Lexus and Acura vehicles.

28

I am really considering a Mazda CX-5. Can I go wrong with this vehicle? I have read good things about it. It’s good looking, and offers a lot of nice amenities for mid 20’s…

1 Like
29

BMW changed the suspension at the request of their loyal owners. The smaller Bimmers still excel in handling, but owner’s wanted a softer ride in their midsize luxury cars. The best handling midsize luxury car is either the Cadillac CTS or the Cadillac CT6. It depends on whether you want to include the slightly larger CT6 in the group. This doesn’t include the sport versions, like the M series, V series, or AMG.

30

Repeat of dumb question: Why is someone concerned about reliability looking at used luxury vehicles or even vehicles that don’t have wide spread dealer support?

Edit: I live near a city with close to 450,000 people with several towns surrounding it. There is only one BMW dealer and only one Infiniti dealer.

31

There’s no rule that says luxury cars have to be unreliable. Lexus and Acura prove that.

32

My mistake, I was looking at the wrong model, the 335i X, rather than the X3 35i. For the x3 w/the 2 L turbo 4 banger, I see 14 recall bulletins listed. Some might be repeats of a previous one however. From what I see they include the brake vacuum pump and child seat anchors mentioned above, but also for the intake camshaft, power brake assist, power steering, air bag module, dashboard trim panel, etc. There’s also about 30 customer interest bulletins, and there’s the same recommended repair as I mentioned above for drivetrain shudder.

I’m no new car or BMW expert, but I expect the way it works the recalls and customer interests are provided gratis, but the recommended repair probably isn’t a free-bee.

33

You had an Acura TSX. I had three and now have an RDX. I also have an MDX. I like the RDX better because it has a longer front door, a six speed automatic, a traditional shifter vs a knob, and a nicer interior. The engine is a non-turbo V6.

The 2018’s are arriving, so there are deals on 2017. Be careful with Carmax, their prices are seldom the best. They buy cars at auctions just like anyone else. If they don’t buy damaged cars, why do they have a large body shop?

I had Carmax appraise 2 late model cars. They were 10% below Blackbook wholesale. Its a nice business model, when you can buy low and sell high with no haggling.

34

For what it is worth the OP posted on July 29, 2017 that they had purchased a vehicle.

1 Like
35

Love my 2017 Mazda Grand Touring! I’m absolutely loving this suv! Thanks