In general when one buy a car there are 4 factors,
Cost,
Reliability
Performance
Luxury/comfort etc
Where would you place reliability of sports sedans like BMW 328/335 or Infiniti G37? Any reliability difference between these brands?
The infinity G37 is a nice car and I would expect it to be more reliable than a 328 and certainly more reliable than a 335 as the years go by. The Consumer Reports Used Car Buying Guide will provide actual numbers rather than subjective opinions.
That being said, I have driven all the usual suspects and I keep deciding on a BMW. I currently have four of them, one for each member in the family. There are a couple of Lexus models (the GS sedan and the SUV) that I respect highly, but I prefer to drive BMWs.
Is there any reliability difference withing BMW family? I have heard BMW 3 series is most reliable one and within 3 series 3281 is most reliable? Any personal experiences?
Is there any difference 328i RWD vs AWD, manual vs auto, coupe vs hard top convertibles?
Agree; some BMWs are better than others. All cost more to maintain and repair than equivalent Infiniti models.
In addition to that, with the right maintenance, an Infiniti can be expected to last a very long time, longer than a BMW, which, although repairable in later life would cost so much as to make it uneconomical. Most long term BMW ownwers either drive little or do their own repairs.
If your period of ownership is under 150k miles pick the one you like better. Happy driving.
Over 150k the G37, followed by 328i and then 335i.
How about age?
I never drove more than 10K in a single year. Mostly I drive like 5-6K per year. I have heard with BMWs age is also important in term or repairs like radiator blown up etc.
Plastic and rubber parts in BMWs (and Volvos) tend to age and fail quicker than on Japanese cars. I recently changed the rubber control arm bushings and the rubber boot over the throttle body on my '04 325iT BMW. Plastic radiators in BMWS (and Volvos) fail after about 8 years, and the hoses, expansion tanks, thermostat covers, and other cooling system parts are not far behind. BMWs are also prone to power steering hose leaks. None of these things are very expensive if you replace them yourself.
Docnick is exactly right about long term BMW owners. I do nearly all my own work. None of my fleet has ever had a major repair and my oldest 328 has passed the quarter million mile mark. It is fast, beautiful, and reliable. No other car that gets an honest 30 mpg highway will keep up with my daughter’s 328 5-speed on a mountain road. It has had a lot of rubber and plastic parts replaced though.
If you want to buy a used BMW, or a new one that you plan to keep, buy a 6 cylinder, no turbocharger. Manual transmission is better as the miles really start to roll up, but no difference for the first 150k miles. 3-series is better than 5-series and don’t even consider a 7. Look at the way resale value drops in the first 5 years on a 7-series. That tells you all you need to know. The 1-series looks nice, but seems a bit pricey for what you get. I expect that they are as reliable as the 3-series since they appear substantially similar mechanically and electrically.
If I were buying a new BMW 3-series right now, I would look at the diesels. They are new here, but they have been selling them in Europe for a long time so they are proven. With a diesel, however, you will get a turbocharger.
Thanks Manolito:
Reliability has 2 parts age and miles on the car. After which miles repair start coming up in BMW or Infiniti? I have heard in BMW after 60K things like radiator etc start falling apart.
I drive between 5K - 8K per year. As you have said with most BMWs problems start coming up after 6 years or 8 years for sure. If I have to buy a used car, should I buy lets say 2007 model with low miles (lets say 20K miles) on it or 2007 model with average miles (lets say 40K - 50K miles) on it because with my low miles driving repair will start to come any way either due to age or higher miles?
If this is the case, why pay more for little older model but with low miles?
The platforms these cars are built on are probably very reliable…With most “luxury” models, it’s all the gizmos and gadgets that tend to crap out and this stuff is very expensive if not impossible to repair…A luxury car with a non-working heater and or air conditioner “Climate Control”,…suddenly suffers massive depreciation…
Lucky Dog. The Annual Automotive Issue, April edition from Consumer Reports is in stores now. Some real people have been driving these cars for years and the reliability index is easy to understand, at first.
So pay up.
Perhaps a bit off topic from the original question, but…
I can’t comment on the reliability of BMW vs. Infiniti, but I will say that in my experience, luxury brands are a little more reliable than ‘workingman’ cars. Possibly because the clientele won’t accept the same defects you’d find on your Cavalier, also possibly because they get maintenance on schedule and aren’t beat to hell like some cheaper cars.
That said, if you can pick up a used luxury car, you have the best of all worlds: A nice, usually decent-performing car that has probably been better maintained than a cheaper car, and often babied. Plus all the depreciation has been absorbed by the first owner.
You might want to go buy the latest Consumer Reports, it’s the car buyers issue, lots of comparitive info. 328i avg/better than avg, 330/335i ‘much worse than average’ last 3 years. Ouch.
Did you even read my latest question to same thread? I can easily buy print or online report of consumer reports. This is not an issue.
2 cars of same brand and model and year, one with low miles vs normal miles. Which is preferable to buy when you don’t drive much, since either one will come up with expensive repairs either due to miles or age.
Q. Why pay more for a car with low miles of same year, model, brand?
No. I don’t usually read all the posts. If you want specific answers you should ask specific questions and add a qualifier. You asked about “in general”.
I gave the general answer I had without posing as an expert on the question.
It looks like there is a lot of difference in reliability of these brands. It’s easy to find out just how much, so you should have no problem finding things out, what with the internet and all.