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All German car parts are made from a special alloy called unobtainium. The reason the alloy is so rare is because at one time all of the alloy that could be made was made and the Germans bought all of it.
Unobtanium is used in varying degrees in all German cars but BMWs use more of it with Mercedes coming in a close second. Unobtainium is not reusable or recyclable. The other unique aspect about is that it has a half life of 5 years; in 10 years most of it turns into giveawium. Just before the 10 year mark, owners of German cars usually notice the changes in the alloy as it goes from unobtanium to fragilium before becoming giveawium. At the fagilium stage you can often buy used German cars for next to nothing. Wait another year and the changes will be complete and the previous owner will actually give the car to you for nothing.
IMO, it comes down to the engineering philosophy ...
...technically superior, but without a net benefit unless you appreciate the detail incremental improvement.
Very wisely spoken!
I semi-daily-drive an E36 M3. This is perhaps the best compromise of performance and cost/complexity in the BMW lineup. Even so, this car regularly burns through circuit-breakers, has a finicky cooling system, some shoddy interior-trim pieces, a very temperamental suspension (bushing replacement, anyone?) and all sorts of quirks totally alien to the Honda/Toyota world. For example, it is difficult to correctly align the rear suspension to minimize camber and to have the "correct" toe setting; otherwise there will be heavy tire-wear on the inside edge. Sometimes one has to depart from OEM settings - and good luck getting a mainstream retail shop to adjust the alignment to your custom settings.
The main reason to prefer cars of this type is RWD and manual transmission. There are very few sedans remaining in the US market that are RWD with a manual, at any price.
Having owned an M5 for going on 6 years now, I'd have to recommend against getting any 10+ yr old BMW unless you know how to work on them yourself. Maintenance might not be that bad, but with M cars, owners get obsessive about preventative maintenance and keeping the cars in top condition. I've probably spent over $5k on repairs that might not have been necessary, but thankfully I didn't have to pay anyone labor to do the work.
The one thing I hate about the M5 is it goes through tires pretty quick. I usually get 2 sets of rears to every 1 set of fronts. Think the rears run about $300ea installed, michelin pilot super sport.
Also, if you're even slightly concerned with having to buy premium gas all the time, that might be an indication that this kind of car is not for you.
BMW M cars require more attention than any standard bmw.....especially the M5. Any of the larger engine cars require a little more budgeting....comparing the maintenance cost of the 550 to the 535 to the 528
I have an E46 M3 convertible. It's a 2002 and it has 125,000 miles on it. It has been very reliable and I love it.
I do many of the easier repairs myself (mainly plug in modules that have failed) by scouring the online BMW forums for DIY solutions and buying OEM parts online. I save the high cost of labor and get the parts for a fraction of the price the dealer charges. You'd be surprised at the detail in some of the DIY solutions. Guys provide videos or pictures of themselves doing the repair so you can follow along. If you are even remotely mechanically inclined you can do it yourself.
They say BMWs are just getting broken in around 100k. I think this is for the 80s 325s (e30) though.... not sure how theyre made now.
Too much technology= more failing parts.
Ah, pleasant memories...of a truly great 1986 535i stick shift. Simple but elegant...before all the electronics. Great road car for years of (non-winter) driving. It died at 175k miles with no major repairs... other than normal brakes filters and fluids... got T-boned (at about 20mph) by a garbage truck. I wanted to see how far it would go, easily 200k probably much more.
All German car parts are made from a special alloy called unobtainium. The reason the alloy is so rare is because at one time all of the alloy that could be made was made and the Germans bought all of it.
Unobtanium is used in varying degrees in all German cars but BMWs use more of it with Mercedes coming in a close second. Unobtainium is not reusable or recyclable. The other unique aspect about is that it has a half life of 5 years; in 10 years most of it turns into giveawium. Just before the 10 year mark, owners of German cars usually notice the changes in the alloy as it goes from unobtanium to fragilium before becoming giveawium. At the fagilium stage you can often buy used German cars for next to nothing. Wait another year and the changes will be complete and the previous owner will actually give the car to you for nothing.
That is funny.
The Ideal point to buy a used BMW, is to find an original owner, 90k-120k mile, who has had it dealer maintained since new. Thats about the right amount of miles that the dealer would have coherced the owner into replacing every part on the vehicle, some twice. You can now enjoy your like new BMW for 10s of thousands of miles
The Ideal point to buy a used BMW, is to find an original owner, 90k-120k mile, who has had it dealer maintained since new. Thats about the right amount of miles that the dealer would have coherced the owner into replacing every part on the vehicle, some twice. You can now enjoy your like new BMW for 10s of thousands of miles
Yup, the engines go forever so long as timing belts are changed. Everything else though, especially anything that is plastic or rubber, has a light bulb, turns something or locks something, from window mechanisms to door locks and trim simply fall apart.
Correct, at about the 100k mile count, owners are either dumping them or have started and will finish the complete rebuild in another few thousand miles. That is when you get them, for next to nothing. They are so happy to sell the things and thank you for just showing up to see it. You low ball them, they jump and you drive away with a top to bottom rebuilt car. All of them have receipts for work done and are proud to tell you how many thousands of dollars they put into it to make sure it is ready to go.
Bottom line. You're going to be paying a great deal MORE in maintenance costs here than for a Toyota/Honda. This is common knowledge. I find Toyota and Hondas offensively bland.
But the decision to buy a BMW doesn't have to be one based on practicality. If you have your heart set on driving one, get one. Life is short, get what you want. Just do your homework and make sure you have a reputable mechanic who you can trust.
I have a 2002 3 series vert with 95000 miles, bought it a little over 3 years ago with 70,000. The car was dealer maintained & has given me one issue which I was able to correct myself. I have spend a considerable amount of money modding the car to my liking as I knew I was going to keep it for many years. I've done things from lighting, to a full suspension refresh. It's a great car to drive & handles like a champ. I enjoy driving it more than the 08' Mercedes Benz e-class I picked up a few weeks ago.
If memory serves, from another thread, this would be a first car, correct?
Remember, there is no such thing as a cheap BMW. They may be inexpensive to acquire, but the running costs are above average, for someone who is not a DIYer. The best bet would be the inline six and manual transmission, RWD, stay away from the X-models as the AWD is complex and more expensive to repair.
If you pay cash, and keep a couple of thousand in reserve to fix whatever issues turn up with a used BMW, the driving experience may be worth it to you.
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All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
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