But you've only put 3k miles on it since last October?I daily drive my 01 Chevy Suburban with 293k miles. My commute is only 5 miles but I drive A LOT all over the place. I use my newer lower mileage Ford Escape as a storage unit and if anything ever goes wrong with the Suburban I have it as a backup car. But I trust my Suburban and would not hesitate to drive it across the country any time... As long as someone else pays for the fuel
I barely drove it for several months because I was using it as a storage unit. Then I put all my stuff in my Escape and I've been piling the miles on the Suburban. The biggest surprise I had is shortly after I replaced the water pump because it was making a bad noise, the radiator exploded in the parking lot at work. Not any of the other places I've been with it... at work. I usually get pretty lucky with stuff like this!But you've only put 3k miles on it since last October?
I like high mileage BMW stories, but I do think it takes a little more to get them there. I think it depends on which BMW you own, too. The 535's had the fuel pump problems. The older 7 series were some of the worst built cars on the road. But they have made some great cars for sure...love the way they drive. Love the paint system they use...probably the best paint I've seen on production cars.
A had a friend who was a BMW factory rep, he bought a used M5 with 175,000 miles on it. His thinking was...the guy took great care of it and actually over maintained it. I believe my friend put another 150,000 relatively trouble free miles on it. But I believe that engine wasn’t turbo charaged.Yeah anything turbo charged and/or with more than 6 cylinders will cost a bit more to maintain. Mine really hasn't been bad at all so far, but I do all my own maintenance.
A had a friend who was a BMW factory rep, he bought a used M5 with 175,000 miles on it. His thinking was...the guy took great care of it and actually over maintained it. I believe my friend put another 150,000 relatively trouble free miles on it. But I believe that engine wasn’t turbo charaged.
And I have another friend who owns a 2013? BMW 328? the four cylinder model with the turbo. He has had good luck with it.
My old boss owned a 335...forget what year...newer. He spent $22,000 on it used (50,000 miles). He ended up putting a good 150,000 on it before he got himself fired. Still had that car when he left. The only thing I know he had to put into it was an electric water pump, oh, and some gaskets. He did buy the extended warranty - he was pretty proud of himself for that - but it didn’t cover his information center when it went.
It is a bit funny though - the BMW guy, the factory rep/mechanic/instructor...guy that drives out to the dealerships to fix things no one else can - he says BMW’s are built to last 100,000 miles. They are told THAT in factory training. 100,000 miles, that’s it, after that our customer base doesn’t own “THAT CAR”, someone else does and they are not the people that buy OUR cars. They’re aftermarket, used car folks. And we have zero allegiance to them.
He doesn’t have a lot of confidence in the brand. He talks pretty harsh about them. That may be “trade talk”, but he’s pretty sour on their quality, or lack of quality/care for longevity. He has told me (when I was planning on buying a 535) that it would be the biggest mistake of my life. That if I bought that car it would cost me thousands in repairs every few months...that even BMW didn’t know how to solve its problems. How BMW actually bought out the factory/company, that made their high pressure fuel pumps, just to try to fix their enormous problem. And it wasn’t helping. BUT I do believe they have recovered from their rough patch. Having all that “negative stuff”, I must say that the 535 I was planning on buying drove like nothing else. Loved the power, handling and fell of that car. The fit and finish was phenomenal. The paint was extraordinary for OE paint. I didn’t end up buying it but at times I wish I had.
I find that research is important whenever buying a used car, definitely, but even then sometimes you just don’t know. It’s hard. I bought a Lexus LS460 based off reputation and reliability reviews, but reviews just don’t always do enough. And sometimes the forums just haven’t caught up to potential problems just yet. I found that with the LS460. But everything was mostly manageable...was able to do all repairs myself....control arms, wheel bearing, maintenance, tires brakes. The thing that ended that car for me was oil consumption and the brake actuator went ($3,000 dollar job). Tough to justify a $3,000 repair when the car is sinking a quart of oil every 1,000 miles.The problem with BMWs and other German cars is you have to do your research and know EXACTLY what to buy and what to avoid. Even cars that are the same model, year, etc, but have different features can be a headache, while cars without that feature are a joy to own. Generally speaking the simpler the vehicle the better off you are, which is why mine is a N/A inline 6, RWD, with no navigation.
Knowing where to buy parts and DIY'ing repairs will also save big bucks. The oil filter housing gasket on my car usually leaks around 60k-100k miles. The OEM gasket costs $12, and I did it in 30 minutes in my garage with hand tools. The filter housing is right on the top of the engine. This is a job the dealer quoted me $900-1000 for during their safety inspection.
The problem with BMWs and other German cars is you have to do your research and know EXACTLY what to buy and what to avoid. Even cars that are the same model, year, etc, but have different features can be a headache, while cars without that feature are a joy to own. Generally speaking the simpler the vehicle the better off you are, which is why mine is a N/A inline 6, RWD, with no navigation.
Knowing where to buy parts and DIY'ing repairs will also save big bucks. The oil filter housing gasket on my car usually leaks around 60k-100k miles. The OEM gasket costs $12, and I did it in 30 minutes in my garage with hand tools. The filter housing is right on the top of the engine. This is a job the dealer quoted me $900-1000 for during their safety inspection.
I second doing the research and being able to DIY many of the repairs. You can often fix a problem by replacing a part that is not sold separately by the manufacturer. The hydraulic pump on an SMG car is a prime example.
As far as navigation goes, the Clubman, X1, and 2 Series all have navigation systems. I updated the Clubman’s maps with a set of OEM DVDs that Tom Tom was offering for next to nothing. I haven’t updated the newer cars but it can be done for a reasonable charge through some online BMW sites.
I haven’t had any issues with the telematics on any of the cars, aside from the fact that the Clubman’s graphics look like a bad Commodore 64 game.
As a fellow IT person I feel the same way. There are some guys at work who love having the latest tech in their cars, and I frequently find myself saying "Why?" (In my head of course.) I might take it a step further than you because I refuse to take calls in my car while I'm driving.For me the technology is not something I need in a car. I work in IT, and deal with technology all day. I find my analog vehicles (98 Wrangler 5 speed MT, and my BMW which has good road feel and no nav) to be the more relaxing and unwinding part of my day. All I have is a bluetooth/aux adapter in each vehicle so I can listen to podcasts and make calls and I'm all set.
For me the technology is not something I need in a car. I work in IT, and deal with technology all day. I find my analog vehicles (98 Wrangler 5 speed MT, and my BMW which has good road feel and no nav) to be the more relaxing and unwinding part of my day. All I have is a bluetooth/aux adapter in each vehicle so I can listen to podcasts and make calls and I'm all set.