Bimmer owners - Any decent used model?
- Thread starter M1Accord
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Mine is dead
. Got hit by a guy that ran a solid red light last week. It’s totaled but it was close and definitely fixable if one wanted to go down that road.
IMG 7591 — Postimages
IMG 7592 — Postimages
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The comp is 92% the same car except has comfort access and the roof won’t delaminate. I would buy a comp and do KW V3 and you’re golden.
Have you spent much time in the seat of a CS?
Few minutes only unfortunately. I still didn’t think the difference justified the cost differential but perhaps more time would have changed my mind.
OP, if you decide on buying any bimmer, have it undergo a full pre-purchase inspection performed by a reputable indie shop that specializes in bimmers. If you're in the US try www.bimrs.org. Also, find out which chapter of the BMWCCA is your local chapter. Contact the officers to see what shops they recommend.
Yeah and it's for two main reasons.
1. Most people who are leasing a BMW could care less about driving, it is about the badge and status. They want the newest and greatest.
2. The new cars do not have the character and dynamics of the older cars, so why pay for the maintenance and upkeep on what is essentially an expensive appliance?
Oh I don't know about that. Anecdotally when I used to receive Roundel the letters to the editor would frequently contain comments from owners who've owned some crazy number of BMWs over the past 20 yrs that could only be accomplished by leasing. Plenty of BMW enthusiasts lease simply because they can, BMW would subsidize the lease, and it was in part treated like a hobby. I think the lease penetration for M-cars going back to the E46 M3 was something like 80%-90%. IF you want a BMW V8 the smart money says lease it or wait until it has been fully depreciated and pay in repairs.
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It’s all a crapshoot.
I bought a 2007 335i coupe and took delivery 12/06.
The scary internet convinced me an extended warranty was a must have and a slam dunk. So I haggled and got a BMW 7/100 for $2800.
Looking back a fool and his money are easily parted. No claims. In 17.5 years of ownership one thing broke. The DSC hydro which was < $500 DIY. How can anybody here possibly know or have a sample size large enough to actually predict if a BMW is reliable or not
The internet and lawyers can do two things for you. They can hold your hand and tell you everything is gonna be ok. They can assist when you’ve committed a crime. That’s about it imho
I purchased an extended warranty on my 335d for 7/75k miles. After the factory warranty expired I had what was essentially the entire SCR system replaced and it was in the shop for this same issue 3-4 times over a 12 month period.It’s all a crapshoot.
I bought a 2007 335i coupe and took delivery 12/06.
The scary internet convinced me an extended warranty was a must have and a slam dunk. So I haggled and got a BMW 7/100 for $2800.
Looking back a fool and his money are easily parted. No claims. In 17.5 years of ownership one thing broke. The DSC hydro which was < $500 DIY. How can anybody here possibly know or have a sample size large enough to actually predict if a BMW is reliable or not
The internet and lawyers can do two things for you. They can hold your hand and tell you everything is gonna be ok. They can assist when you’ve committed a crime. That’s about it imho
Do you remember when all the HPFPs were failing on the N54 and the chronic wastegate issues? Did you still have factory solenoid injectors? Did your extended warranty cover gaskets? Mine did.
OP here
Thanks. It is a bucket list for me for sure. I may decide to go with Carmax and buy their warranty and call it an expensive dream. Still may be same amount as folks spend on cigarettes and going to Disney.
Edi: Piezo Injectors. $$$$
I had a 2011 328 coupe (e92, N52, manual, sport suspension) and really miss it. Last of a breed. Hydro power steering, NA six that was happy and smooth at any RPM. If you like to work on your cars here and there, BMWs in general thrive on maintenance. No nav, no AWD, no turbos...minimal complexity for the era. Speeding ticket fast but not bail money fast.
Oil changes were different, but not difficult. You crack the filter cap up top and let the filter element drain into the sump. Once drained swap the element, drain the sump, and then dump in five quarts, or whatever it was. You drive it to work the next day. Once you're at temperature you check the level through the cluster. If it's low, you add. The sump capacity has plenty of margin, and you can't read until it's hot. You're generally forced to not overthink the issue. If it was really that low you'd probably get a warning of some type.
IS350 will be prone to front cover oil leaks. N52 will be prone to oil filter housing oil leaks, valve cover oil leaks, and oil pan leaks. So, not dissimilar in that aspect. I'd rather address N52 oil leaks again than think about fixing them on our currently leaky 2GR.
You can go bail money fast in those BMWs just fine. My friend got his impounded after going 80 (in a 35 zone)
The e90s handle really well while still having comfortable suspension
Agreed. It handled well enough that even with NA motor power, you could find yourself moving along.
I had a nice side income finding, cleaning, testing, and selling the three stage DISA intake manifolds as an upgrade that took the 328 to the 330 European tuning. The ECM reflash was free, based on some clever work done by folks on the e90 forums. (The N52 3-liter was sold at three different power levels in the US, with no differences aside from the intake and the tune file.)
I put Bilstein B8s on mine and tires that were one step taller, ditched the staggered wheel setup. The ride was a little stiff but the seats were amazing, and made it work.
If you get an e9x try to find one with the sport seats. Here is my smooth dash e90. Oyster / aluminum has definitely become one of my fav combos.
My 140,000 miles on BMW, dropping kids to school, ski 1-2 times a week, doing track in the summer, and still being more reliable than Toyota Sienna I owned, would disagree with that. BUT, i will have to find some buddy to give me expert opinion, just in case.
You didn’t go M3 whishbones and arms?
I run B6 and rear M3 wishbones, polyurethane subframe bushings and M3 diff bushings.
Agree on DISA. I did same, plus euro ai filter assembly. Added oil cooler from 335 bcs. Altitude track conditions.
I was at stock height so stock geometry was fine. I didn't do track things with it. If my lower arm bushings had been in bad shape I might have considered it. I had 18" style 189 rims, so I got a second set of fronts and ran 245 on 8" wide rims all around with some thin spacers in back. It was a pretty happy setup.
I did an oil cooler from a N52 (X3, X5, or 5 series) that was coolant to oil, but being a manual, there was some coolant line I also had to add to make it all work. I think the 128 and 328 were the only cars where the n52 didn't get a cooler.
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