Thoughts on BMW Cars...

[harrycalahan]

Lets here yours. I've had a '90 Accord for almost 11 years and its been a fantastic and reliable vehicle but it's beginning to become a bit of a hoopty. I've kept it painted and stock to avoid needless police interference but it's also hard to pick up a date in. So its time for something different. I've never looked at BMW's but I couldn't believe how cheap the used ones are! I'm looking for a newer used vehicle primarily for an airport car but one I can also take out on the weekends. I will be maintaining this vehicle myself all the way down to the alignment if needed. Are they dependable cars? Any widespread nightmares with certain models I should stay away from? I see a '98 model on the trader with over 300k miles on it... and I've always thought B'mers were tough looking cars but never realized how inexpensive the used ones are. So whats your favorite year/model and why? Here's one that caught my eye...(if the top is all it really needs it sounds like a deal)

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/4871569786.html

 

[JBKnifeworks]

E36 M3 is my favorite. Fun to drive. Expensive to maintain.

 

[jimipanic]

Young guys buy beamers, rag em out then get a family, settle down and upgrade to a Benz.

 

[Butshot]

Ad says top does not work, that might be a major problem. It's hard to find someone to install tops now. If it just needs a top you can order one off the net for $1000 more or less. If its a mechanical problem then it will be 2 to 3 times that. i would stick to hard tops.

 

[Shemp]

Young guys buy beamers, rag em out then get a family, settle down and upgrade to a Benz.

I'd agree. Benzes are for old people. BMW are for the young full of life.

Seriosuly I had 5 BMWs at one time. They are spectacular cars especially if you enjoy spirited driving. They can be expensive to maintain even if you do it yourself depending on what model you get. The V8s are the worst maintenance wise but when you have one that's in good nik it is a truly amazing experience

 

[strider12]

Good price. Do it.

 

[strider12]

I'm thinking about one.

 

[sparked1]

If you can find a one or two owner that has maintenance/repair records, that's the route to go. The maintenance history will tell you what to expect. I was looking to buy a 330 coupe last year. I found one that looked really well kept, original owner, and he had every maint. and repair bill for it. The number of receipts was daunting, but I stopped adding it up in my head at about $15k (seriously). Against my better intuition, I took it to the guys at Solo Motorsports to have it inspected. Sure enough, the thing was throwing a transmission error code ($2100 rebuilt) and needed about $1800 in "regular" maintenance. Needless to say, passed on it.

On the flip side, I once owned a 2001 330Ci where the owner only had to change brakes and clutch, and regular maintenance. Not surprisingly, it needed no repairs during the time I owned it. So it seems that if you get a problematic one, it's a money pit, but a good one will be very enjoyable. I only recommend beamers if you know the history or you don't mind taking a chance of shelling out more than the car is worth over time.

 

[harrycalahan]

Ad says top does not work, that might be a major problem. It's hard to find someone to install tops now. If it just needs a top you can order one off the net for $1000 more or less. If its a mechanical problem then it will be 2 to 3 times that. i would stick to hard tops.

Yeah I'm definitely a hardtop guy. Just thought that was a super cheap BMW.

 

[harrycalahan]

If you can find a one or two owner that has maintenance/repair records, that's the route to go. The maintenance history will tell you what to expect. I was looking to buy a 330 coupe last year. I found one that looked really well kept, original owner, and he had every maint. and repair bill for it. The number of receipts was daunting, but I stopped adding it up in my head at about $15k (seriously). Against my better intuition, I took it to the guys at Solo Motorsports to have it inspected. Sure enough, the thing was throwing a transmission error code ($2100 rebuilt) and needed about $1800 in "regular" maintenance. Needless to say, passed on it.

On the flip side, I once owned a 2001 330Ci where the owner only had to change brakes and clutch, and regular maintenance. Not surprisingly, it needed no repairs during the time I owned it. So it seems that if you get a problematic one, it's a money pit, but a good one will be very enjoyable. I only recommend beamers if you know the history or you don't mind taking a chance of shelling out more than the car is worth over time.

Well I definitley want a manual trans. I can save myself a lot of headaches by doing without an auto trans.