BMW Opinions

[SpeedyBolt]

I am considering buying a used BMW this weekend and needed some input on it. I'm sure someone here has owned or currently owns one so here goes.

The car is a 1998 BMW 328is 2.8l V6 Auto and has 67k on it. The asking price is about 4k lower than book. Are there any things I should know about these cars before I get one? Are there any major mechanical problems that are a common occurance? How much is it going to cost if something goes wrong?

I'm not used to imports so I'm very concerned with the availiblity and cost of parts. Plus I have no idea how to work on them.

As always any help is appriciated...
Billy

[SILVER2000SVT]

I have a 99 328i (sedan) automatic. I'm very happy with mine for the most part. BTW, I thought 99 was the first year for the 328 engine and it should be a straight 6, I know it was the first year for the E46 body style. After doing research I found out that these things are incredibly expensive. On the order of 3 times what the same repair would cost you for the Lightning. BMW is very secretive with their technology, so you will often find that you will have to purchase the OEM parts. If you aren't capable of working on it yourself, do not buy one without a warranty unless you are rich and can afford the repairs. But if you can get a newer one with a warranty, I think they are great cars. I think for the most part they are pretty solid, but tons of little things go wrong and if you have to pay for them out of pocket it will drive you crazy.

I bought mine back in March for trade-in value which was about 6K under retail at the time. And the other thing I found out is that it's almost impossible to get a decent car loan for cars older than a 00 model, Since that was back in March it's probably for 01's now.

THis is only about a month old:
http://www.talonclub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9170

[SpeedyBolt]

yeah, I meant inline 6. V6 just came out. Thanks for the input.

[dboat]

Wasnt there a member here that just railed on BMW's and how they are crap?
Personally, I like them and its not uncommon to see very high mileage models out there, but I agree that the repairs can be pricey if you dont do them yourself. Also, I would call and get an insurance quote to see how much that is going to be as well.
Dana

[DamonH]

Scott (00BOLT) has had horrible luck with his. Wesman also didn't care for the one his wife had.

[Sixpipes]

I had a 325i and loved to drive it, but the upkeep was just too much $$$. There is no such thing as a cheap repair bill on those things. :cool:

[L8 APEX]

If you are the listening type, RUN! If not don't come back bitching about it later. The ONLY way to own a Euro vehicle Mercedes, BMW, etc is new with the 5 years 75K miles free maintanence. Then make sure to dump it before that expires.

[Tex Arcana]

I wouldn't screw a new BMW with your d*ck... mainly because I don't want some stupid computer telling me I can't get out of my car, or going nuts and dragging mt into an intersection. :mad: I just can't abide that iDrive crap, and their sorry excuses for it fouling up all the time.

1998 doesn't have that problem, but they're right, BMW's are expensive to own. My wife worked for Classic BMW back in the day, and their attitude (and every BMW dealer, too) is "if you can't afford the service, you can't afford to own the car".

Terry's right: either be rich, or buy a new German car, and get the 5yr/75k warranty.

[L8 APEX]

Damn, I jsut realized this was you Billy boy. You have better sense than this:hammer: . Get to your senses before I come down there and slap your old lady for letting you think such stupid thoughts. First selling the L and now this, we are about to have you committed:nono: .:D

[BC Lightning]

The ONLY way to own a Euro vehicle Mercedes, BMW, etc is new with the 5 years 75K miles free maintanence. Then make sure to dump it before that expires.

The only BMW I would ever own would be an M5 or a V-12 745li. Learn from Scott's mistake and stay away from a BMW espically a used one, you will only be buying someone elses problem :cool:

[SILVER2000SVT]

My dad has a 94 325 and every time he takes it in for service (being an oil change or what ever they find a minimum of $1000 of repairs that need to be done. My Dad justifies by saying that he doesn't have a car payment and $1000 per year is acceptable. But the same thing happens to the newer ones and I would be pissed if I had to hand out $1000-$1500 every time I saw the service department and make car payments.

[00Bolt]

i bought my wife a 2000 BMW 328i about year and half ago. It had right at 39k on the clock. Car looked VERY well taken care of, not a scratch on it. Well since then we have had a whole new transmission put in, luckly this was done at 49k miles so warranty covered it... but had it waited another 1k miles, $5000 out my pocket...

then shortly after warranty went out (50k), we have spent about $3k in stupid problems. Granted I am no car mechanic, some of this prolly could have been done by someone who knows how to work on cars, but I had a few people look at it and they said that its just a pain to work on so better off taking to dealer anyway... but lots of things like radiator, thermo, power window motors, indler, power steering pumps, etc etc... list goes on and on....

some things are expected for a 4-5 year old car, but i personally have never had this many problems with one car in my life, and it barley has 60k miles now...

i have a friend of family who just bought a brand new 745i the big daddy and it had a new tranny put in at less than 15k miles... and numerous other problems...

i have heard good things about bmw in past, but from MY expierence and people I know with BMWs... they suck... RUN FAR AWAY!!

[Lyfisin]

I heard BMW stands for Break My Wallet. Now that I'm reading this I'm thinking their might be some truth to it.

[SpeedyBolt]

Damn, I jsut realized this was you Billy boy. You have better sense than this:hammer: . Get to your senses before I come down there and slap your old lady for letting you think such stupid thoughts. First selling the L and now this, we are about to have you committed:nono: .:D
Well I still have my truck as of right now but was just looking at options for replacement. I was just thinking about gas mileage/luxury to ride my a$$ around in. Maybe I'll get a toyota/lexus or something.
I dirve from Whitney to Cleburne three times a week for school so I really would like something that rides and drives good but is good on gas.

The search continues!!!!!!

[tliss]

Well I still have my truck as of right now but was just looking at options for replacement. I was just thinking about gas mileage/luxury to ride my a$$ around in. Maybe I'll get a toyota/lexus or something.
I dirve from Whitney to Cleburne three times a week for school so I really would like something that rides and drives good but is good on gas.

The search continues!!!!!!

Big Money Waste...don't do it! Especially if it is a replacement for the Lightning. I would rather buy a Dodge or something as a replacement for the truck than a used BMW...:rll:

Tom

[SILVER2000SVT]

I bought mine because my drive to work is 45-60 min up Hwy 360. I just wanted something I could be comfortable in because it's easy to get frustrated at the 5mph crawl every morning and evening. As with my truck, I tend to get mod fever, so my solution was buying a car that was already nice and I wouldn't be tempted to sink extra money into it, I'll save that for the Lightning. Even for being 6 years old my car is tighter than some newer cars. I just can't stand the impression of a car falling apart after 6 months that you get with almost all domestic cars. I would prefer a manual transmission, but I had to get an automatic because I would be riding the clutch most of the way to and from work if I didn't. The car is comfortable, well laid out, handles excellent and has a decent amount of power and still gets 24-32mpg, plus I just always wanted one too. It's a good car, I'm glad I bought it (for now), but I'll probably only keep it for a couple years or until if it starts costing me a bunch of money.

[dboat]

Well I still have my truck as of right now but was just looking at options for replacement. I was just thinking about gas mileage/luxury to ride my a$$ around in. Maybe I'll get a toyota/lexus or something.
I dirve from Whitney to Cleburne three times a week for school so I really would like something that rides and drives good but is good on gas.

The search continues!!!!!!

I bought a used 2002 Acura TL when I was in Dallas. good gas mileage, nice ride and they come with all the extras in stock form. if you watch ebay, there a fair number of local outfits that get them from the auction houses after they come off of a lease. you can buy an extended warranty if you want too..

[Tex Arcana]

I heard BMW stands for Break My Wallet. Now that I'm reading this I'm thinking their might be some truth to it.

Bowel Movement on Wheels.

[L8 APEX]

Bring My Wallet:rll:

[QDRHRSE]

Most of you guys are smokin' crack. My 325 is by far the best car I have ever owned. The only really common problem is the front lower control arm rear bushings crack and need to be replaced every 50k or so. I drove mine so much that I had to give it to my wife....I now commute in a Honda Civic with very tinted windows....at least it gets 37mpg. There is absolutely nothing with the same combination of power, handling, comfort, and economy that a 3 series BMW has. Some of you bigger guys might need a 5 series though. I don't like those as much. I hate to say it but no American car is built like a BMW. My commute involves over 30 miles of canyon each way and I swear on my Mother's life that the car would literally put a smile on my face every morning. I beat the piss out of that poor car and we have never had anything go wrong. If you maintain them per BMW's specs they are very reliable. They are also really easy to work on and everything is laid out much better than American and Japanese cars. Parts are more expensive but not nearly what I'm hearing from you guys. The only time parts are outrageous is when you go to the dealer. I highly recommend a 99 and up 3 series. They are simply a better class of car and worth every penny.

[QDRHRSE]

....I've been reading all these threads very carefully and I'm shocked. I will, however, freely admit that everything being said here would apply to any 7 series. Those are awesome but pieces of $hit none the less. The 7's are so ahead of there time that they don't have computer hardware that can support their technology. My wife's old car, a Convertable Mustang GT, cost me a lot more to own than the BMW. I never drove it, only the wife, and it was never once driven hard. Over the course of 75k that car needed all sorts of stuff from the tranny to the intake manifold- those damn 4.6 intakes are junk plastic! I guess it depends....luck of the draw and all that stuff.