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Thread: To buy or not to buy...

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    St augustine fl
    Posts
    41
    My Cars
    2010 x3 30i e83

    To buy or not to buy...

    Thinking (again) of getting a new(er) X3. Looking at 2017 x drive. Current vehicle is 2010 x3 30i with 152K miles on it. No current issues except pop up display hasn’t worked for a while but it was old technology and not worth using anyways. I’ve struggles with letting my old x3 go but eventually it would be necessary...right??? I like the body style of the 2017 except not crazy about the 4 cylinder turbo...mine is an inline 6. Prices are still high on the used cars so that is a negative...

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2023
    Location
    Vancouver, BC, Canada
    Posts
    29
    My Cars
    2019 BMW 440i xDrive Cab
    Although your 2010 should run a lot more miles than 152K, you are at a point where the resale value is going down exponentially.
    The rule of thumb for used car purchases is "buy a 2/3/4 year old car with low mileage and some warranty, then drive it for 5 years; rinse and repeat".
    This way, you get yourself a newer model every 5 years, where someone else has paid the depreciation on the vehicle. I think its better to go for a Certified
    Pre-Owned rather than a private purchase - you will pay more, but you will have the safety net of a warranty.
    Ask yourself where you are in this rule of thumb, and that should give you a clue of whether its time to sell and get a newer model.

    When I bought my 440i I had a similar dilemma regarding engine choice. Should I go for the 4-cyl turbo or the 6-cyl turbo. When I did my research, I realized that the 6-cyl turbo has been used in BMWs lineup (and even in the new Toyota Supra) with many different power ratings. This is an engine that has been, and can be, souped up even more. So, I decided to go for the 6-cyl turbo. Besides the extra 100 ish horses are quite intoxicating!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    St augustine fl
    Posts
    41
    My Cars
    2010 x3 30i e83
    Well I just test drove a 2017 x3...4 cylinder turbo... Didn't impress me pushing it up higher speeds...guess my old inline 6 will be missed. Agree I won't get much $$$ for old x3 but I've got lots of years of enjoyment cruising up and dow i95 from FL to NY in it...

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    FL
    Posts
    526
    My Cars
    E83, E21

    To buy or not to buy...

    The 4 cylinder turbo is also direct injection, and I’ve zero use for that fuel system in a gasoline engine. Your N52 will be more reliable, and less maintenance-heavy, than the B48. Even running properly, they idle like a diesel. A BMW gas engine should idle as smooth as an electric motor.

    Weeping injectors, faulty HPFP, wiped cam lobe, fuel dilution of engine oil, CBU on the intake valves, oil consumption, LSPI… that’s a short list of direct injection problems that need to be prevented as much as possible, and repaired when not. I just had to do a HPFP, injectors and intake valve cleaning on a V8. Valves were much worse shape at 100k than my N52 at nearly 200k.

    I loathe turbos, I loathe direct injection, so the combination of both is something I’ll get paid to fix, but never own. I’d keep the E83, unless you want to fall down the rabbit hole of replacing with newish every few years. JMO.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Last edited by dukedkt442; 04-04-2023 at 03:18 PM.
    E21 build

    BMW CCA 584213

    I buy socks from Amazon.

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