Advice On BMW purchase

[Willh198]

I am highly considering buying a 3-4 year old BMW 3 series, that I would want to keep for 5+ years. I’ve been driving a larger vehicle for awhile and I’m ready to go back to something small and sporty (but still practical) that doesn’t get 16 miles to the gallon on a good day, as I drive a fair amount for work. Currently have a Toyota Tacoma, but I don’t use the 4x4 nearly as much as I would like to think I do. I previously had a Jeep that was pretty much the same situation. Also the Jeep was constantly broken, had electrical issues from hell, left me stranded at gas stations on I-95 for hours at a time, and never had a functional heater the entire time I owned it despite having myself, the dealer, and multiple independent mechanics trying to fix it. It was also my favorite car of all time, and I enjoyed driving it tremendously. I thought I was going to make a smart decision with the truck, but I haven’t had to wrench on it a single time, and it’s almost too reliable for my liking, as ridiculous as that sounds. There is way less “character” I guess and it just isn’t as fun to own or drive around in.

I have to own a car that is fun for me or I get bored extremely quickly. I’ve always owned manuals, and want to stick with them, which is one of the reasons I was drawn to BMW.

I’m okay with having to make some repairs, but would like to be able to do it myself as much as possible and definitely want to do maintenance myself. Is that going to be difficult on a newer model BMW? Also are there a lot of resources on newer models online or will I be sort of out in the cold? The great thing about the Jeep was I could almost always find info on the specific issue and how to fix it.

Also I’m expecting higher costs of ownership, but with the price range I’m looking at and selling my truck I will own the vehicle outright thanks to the fact that my Toyota is actually worth more than I paid, even as a trade in. I am curious how bad it’s going to be though, everyone says German cars are outrageous but most of them have never actually owned one. Am I looking at 500 a couple times a year or 2000+ a couple times a year? I’m assuming that If I maintain properly I can also avoid having too many issues while actually driving, which is going to be important at this point in my life. Is that a reasonable expectation?

Any advice from people who know and own these cars would be great, thanks in advance!

[White94RX]

If you're looking at a car in the 3-4 year old range, it may still have some factory warranty left, as well as you could pick up a certified pre-owned with the 6-year CPO warranty, and unlimited miles. So that would eliminate the fear of costly repairs.

To be honest, cars this day and age are built to last the length of the warranty, and not much longer. The typical things that start going out are injectors, ignition coils, thermostats, coolant leaks, water pumps, etc. If you're mechanically inclined, and with the right tools, as well as diagnostic software, most of these can be repaired on your own.

[MarcoZandrini]

The first thing you should know is that BMW’s reputation for being less reliable than most brands is bunk. BMW over the last decade has made great strides in improving its cars’ reliability. That said, they are expensive to repair. Why? Bimmers are highly engineered cars. I’ve owned and wrenched on bimmers since 1974. Yeah, I’m an old fahrt. Through the years I’ve been amazed at BMW’s engineering prowess. Yeah, it’s made some really dumb mistakes (there’s a thread on them in this forum). But I think most folks here, including the techs, believe BMW has steered clear of “mistakes” through better engineering.
So, you’re looking to buy a BMW that’s out of warranty. For some that’s a scary thought. I’ve bought used bimmers and never regretted the purchases.
The first bit of advice is to take your time when selecting “the car.” While not as “serious” as asking someone to marry you, it’s a commitment nonetheless. So, when you find the car that makes you want to hop into it and drive have the car undergo a pre-purchase inspection (PPI) performed by a reputable indie shop that specializes in bimmers. Make sure the shop scans every computer in the car for faults including shadow faults. Try www.birms.org to find a shop in your area. It’ll cost you about $150-$200. Money well spent.
The next thing is to review the maintenance records of the car. How frequently were the oil and filter changed? Yeah, BMW sez you can go 10k miles or farther on an oil change. BS. Most modern bimmers are turbocharged. Turbochargers are lubed and cooled by engine oil. That‘s hard on the oil. I change the oil and filter every 5k miles. Btw, if the car has no records run away from the car.
You need to ask if the car has the car been in an accident. Now, having been in an accident isn’t an automatic disqualification IF the repairs were done using BMW’s exacting standards.

How handy are you with the spanners (wrenches)? Do you have a place where you can do routine maintenance such as oil and filter changes? This cuts down on maintenance costs. Never ever go to a jiffy lube or similar. Go to a shop that works on bimmers. As noted, www.bimrs.org is a great place to find a reputable shop for your car.

Good luck. Keep us updated on your search.

[Willh198]

Thanks for the helpful info guys.

I would say I am somewhat mechanically inclined. I always do my own oil and filter changes, and have done brakes and fluid changes a few times. Also a couple clutches, thermostat, spark plugs, some sensors, etc. My experience is basically limited to what my vehicles have needed and what I had time to do. I can also get easy access to most tools if I don't already have them. The only thing I didn't touch was a complete replacement of my Honda's transmission. If I can find a decent guide that I know I can follow I try to do it myself within reason. With that said I have never owned a German vehicle, always Japanese or American. Am I going to struggle to a degree that I would not have with these vehicles? People make it sound like they can be very finicky and particularly hard to work on.

I found a shop that looks good through the site and definitely plan to have anything I buy checked out by a pro and look for good records first. How much is following standard 10,000 mile intervals a dealbreaker on one of these turbo engines? Seems most will be following that schedule since a lot of them were leased or not kept longterm. Unfortunately even though 3 series with low miles are a dime a dozen near me it has been hard to find one at all with a manual.

I definitely plan to take my time with this. For once I have not waited until I absolutely need a new vehicle so I have time to find the right one!

[jclausen]

There relatability and the cost to repair is never going to be as good as the Japanese ever. And frankly I don’t much faith in there recent engine designs, it’s a complete junk

[MarcoZandrini]

j I’ve heard great things about the B58. A shop has gotten 1000jp out of the engine with a bunch of mods using the stock crankshaft and head. But, you are right that no engine will have the reliability of an M10 or an M20.