My wife is in LOVE with BMWs...advice requested

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Hey guys,

My wife is in love with BMWs and has been for a long time. She currently drives a 2012 Toyota Highlander, which is a perfectly good car. But both kids are in college now and she's thinking she wants a car instead of an SUV. We stopped by the local dealer and they have several Certified Pre-Owned 5 series that all look great. They are all 2015-16 models. They also had a 2015 428i Sedan which was pretty sharp.

Honestly, I've never owned a "high end" vehicle before. I've driven my 2002 Tacoma in my signature since new. We've had the 2003 Hyundai (now my sons car) since 2005. Essentially, we KEEP vehicles forever. And that's part of my concern with BMWs. I'm a cheap [censored] and like things that last. ;-)

Are they reliable? If I take care of it will it return the favor? I really maintain my cars well, but since I've never owned a BMW I'm cautious. Are there any "gotchas" on the models we are looking at? Is there anything you think your average Toyota owner needs to know about owning a BMW?

Thanks in advance!
 
Consider leasing one before buying.
Maybe your wife will be less in love with it once she has driven it for 3 years.
I wouldn't want to own a German car past warranty.
 
Can you DIY? If so, a used BMW shouldn't be too bad, but they do have their quirks. Coming from a Toyota, it's going to be a big learning experience. Not necessarily bad, just different. Just don't expect typical Toyota reliability. If you can't DIY and take it to a reputable indy shop or dealer, it can get expensive.

My 530i is now 16 years old, 108K miles. I did a complete cooling system overhaul at 70K miles - it was BMW's weak point, at least during those years. Not sure if the new ones are any better. Other than that, thrust arm bushings, sway bar links, ABS sensor, window regulators, valve cover gasket, oil filter gasket, CCV, PS fluid reservoir, plus some other things needed replacing. Right now sunroof and electric seat adjustments are dead, and since I will not attempt DIY'ing this and do not want to pay indy shop to fix it since it would probably cost more than the car is worth, I'm just driving it as is. I'm hoping to replace it with something newer this year.
 
Yeah. I'd thought about that. But we were also looking at Certified Pre-Owned for the same reason. Much cheaper and still some warranty left.
 
Originally Posted By: skyactiv
Life is too short to drive a boring Toyota if you can afford and want something with driving dynamics.


Lol. You sound like my wife. ;-)
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Can you DIY? If so, a used BMW shouldn't be too bad, but they do have their quirks. Coming from a Toyota, it's going to be a big learning experience. Not necessarily bad, just different. Just don't expect typical Toyota reliability. If you can't DIY and take it to a reputable indy shop or dealer, it can get expensive.

My 530i is now 16 years old, 108K miles. I did a complete cooling system overhaul at 70K miles - it was BMW's weak point, at least during those years. Not sure if the new ones are any better. Other than that, thrust arm bushings, sway bar links, ABS sensor, window regulators, valve cover gasket, oil filter gasket, CCV, PS fluid reservoir, plus some other things needed replacing. Right now sunroof and electric seat adjustments are dead, and since I will not attempt DIY'ing this and do not want to pay indy shop to fix it since it would probably cost more than the car is worth, I'm just driving it as is. I'm hoping to replace it with something newer this year.


Honestly, I usually just DIY fluids and things like that.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Can you DIY? If so, a used BMW shouldn't be too bad, but they do have their quirks. Coming from a Toyota, it's going to be a big learning experience. Not necessarily bad, just different. Just don't expect typical Toyota reliability. If you can't DIY and take it to a reputable indy shop or dealer, it can get expensive.

My 530i is now 16 years old, 108K miles. I did a complete cooling system overhaul at 70K miles - it was BMW's weak point, at least during those years. Not sure if the new ones are any better. Other than that, thrust arm bushings, sway bar links, ABS sensor, window regulators, valve cover gasket, oil filter gasket, CCV, PS fluid reservoir, plus some other things needed replacing. Right now sunroof and electric seat adjustments are dead, and since I will not attempt DIY'ing this and do not want to pay indy shop to fix it since it would probably cost more than the car is worth, I'm just driving it as is. I'm hoping to replace it with something newer this year.


Well said, the cooling system has not been changed for late models, same O same, electric water pump etc on the x1 x3 4 bangers..
 
Not sure how much work you do on your current fleet but get used to no oil dipstick, run flat tires and a trip to the dealership to change the battery with the vehicles you are considering. CPO is the way to go. If you can change your oil and do brakes jobs you'll be all the more to the good. Keep the Highlander and get her a Z4 rag top to drive on the weekends. Good luck!
 
Originally Posted By: mrdctaylor
Hey guys,

My wife is in love with BMWs and has been for a long time. She currently drives a 2012 Toyota Highlander, which is a perfectly good car. But both kids are in college now and she's thinking she wants a car instead of an SUV. We stopped by the local dealer and they have several Certified Pre-Owned 5 series that all look great. They are all 2015-16 models. They also had a 2015 428i Sedan which was pretty sharp.

Honestly, I've never owned a "high end" vehicle before. I've driven my 2002 Tacoma in my signature since new. We've had the 2003 Hyundai (now my sons car) since 2005. Essentially, we KEEP vehicles forever. And that's part of my concern with BMWs. I'm a cheap [censored] and like things that last. ;-)

Are they reliable? If I take care of it will it return the favor? I really maintain my cars well, but since I've never owned a BMW I'm cautious. Are there any "gotchas" on the models we are looking at? Is there anything you think your average Toyota owner needs to know about owning a BMW?

Thanks in advance!


Should check out A4 A6 S Line before you pull the trigger
 
First off, unless you are shopping in the higher model range of the 5-series and up (including the M cars) you aren't actually looking at "high end" vehicles. Bimmers have a reputation for being upscale in North America, but are as common as a Cruze or Focus in Europe, which is the same market the 3-series targets basically.

That's not to say BMW doesn't make some high-end offerings, they do, and the 7-series and M cars are basically what define that segment for them.

So, that out of the way, we've owned three bimmers:

- 2001 M5, was my car for a couple of years. It was a high-end vehicle with the associated high-end service costs. Parts actually were not expensive, it was dealing with BMW that was expensive. This brings me to car #2:

- 2000 328i: This was my wife's runabout for about a year. We sold it when we bought the Subaru, which ended up being a pile. It had very high mileage (was a used car) and as such, the seat material (BMW's faux leather) was cracking. It had a few issues such as the coolant overflow tank, valve cover gasket and the throttle body assembly that needed to be fixed. It ended up needing a module for the tranny when we sold it (to a friend) who apparently had that fixed and the car was great afterwards. This car never saw the dealership when we owned it and as such, was relatively inexpensive to keep on the road.

-2003 330i: This is my sister's daily driver. She loves the BMW dealer and as such has had multiple bills in the 3-4K range. That's not a typo. The car has less than 200,000Km on it, has been through two coolant expansion tanks, two valve cover gaskets, the throttle body to airbox tube, the oil spinner breather tube, the oil filter housing gasket, a rad hose, two sets of brakes and an entire front-end lower suspension replacement (it's cheaper to do the entire arm assembly than the individual joints). She absolutely LOVES this car. The interior is quite spartan, as the car is a sport-trim of some sort so it has a minimally optioned interior, in black, with larger brakes and some other sporty cues.

Ultimately, I sold the M5 out of frustration (it needed a several thousand dollar propshaft assembly as BMW doesn't view the unit as serviceable and this was on the heels of a clutch replacement) when I arguably should have held onto it. It was a really nice car with a fantastic interior and seats and would have been a good garage toy.

BMW seems to have a tendency to use rubbers and gaskets that fail. I'm not sure why. Perhaps due to environmental regs in Germany? I've never seen so many gasket issues as I have on BMW's.
 
Originally Posted By: Egg_Head
Not sure how much work you do on your current fleet but get used to no oil dipstick, run flat tires and a trip to the dealership to change the battery with the vehicles you are considering. CPO is the way to go. If you can change your oil and do brakes jobs you'll be all the more to the good. Keep the Highlander and get her a Z4 rag top to drive on the weekends. Good luck!


A trip to the dealer to change the battery? Really? Why is that?
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Can you DIY? If so, a used BMW shouldn't be too bad, but they do have their quirks. Coming from a Toyota, it's going to be a big learning experience. Not necessarily bad, just different. Just don't expect typical Toyota reliability. If you can't DIY and take it to a reputable indy shop or dealer, it can get expensive.

My 530i is now 16 years old, 108K miles. I did a complete cooling system overhaul at 70K miles - it was BMW's weak point, at least during those years. Not sure if the new ones are any better. Other than that, thrust arm bushings, sway bar links, ABS sensor, window regulators, valve cover gasket, oil filter gasket, CCV, PS fluid reservoir, plus some other things needed replacing. Right now sunroof and electric seat adjustments are dead, and since I will not attempt DIY'ing this and do not want to pay indy shop to fix it since it would probably cost more than the car is worth, I'm just driving it as is. I'm hoping to replace it with something newer this year.


seems a lot of broken things compared to my 94 camry and 2004 highlander and 99 maxima
 
The dealer that sold me my Lexus said a good aftermarket warranty is in the price for every BMW he sells. Even those warranties leave unhappy customers, and he tries to work with the customer. Then he said some BMWs are simply not reliable and can leave you stranded. He don't sell those. You will be doing repairs on a BMW according to him, it is the rule, not the exception. I had my heart set on a BMW too.

Battery change in a Lexus - go to Advance auto or WM, you can do it in the parking lot. I think it is easier to do than the Fords I drive. It stalls once and relearns the throttle.
Battery change on a BMW - Dealer visit to register the battery in the computer, with an expensive scan tool. At least $400.
https://oppositelock.kinja.com/replacing-bmw-batteries-yes-it-is-ridiculous-1681775778

Lexus is extremely reliable. The reviews don't lie. People may complain about the sears or radio but overall (with some exceptions) they are quite reliable.

If the CPO has a bumper to bumper, read reviews on the model and if there is nothing major it is probably ok,
 
Originally Posted By: mrdctaylor
Originally Posted By: Egg_Head
Not sure how much work you do on your current fleet but get used to no oil dipstick, run flat tires and a trip to the dealership to change the battery with the vehicles you are considering. CPO is the way to go. If you can change your oil and do brakes jobs you'll be all the more to the good. Keep the Highlander and get her a Z4 rag top to drive on the weekends. Good luck!


A trip to the dealer to change the battery? Really? Why is that?


I thinks some BMW models want to have the charging system adjusted to "match the new battery " characteristics, if you can believe that. dealer charge is like $100? called registration?
someone else correct this as needed please.
what the heck you do when you buy a new battery on friday night on a 3 day holiday weeked on a trip far from a dealer
 
If you're okay with all your "spending money" being spent on your car, by all means get one. Nothing on them is cheap and they've had their fair share of issues in recent years.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: skyactiv
Life is too short to drive a boring Toyota if you can afford and want something with driving dynamics.


Going to have to go at least 5 years old to get a BMW that actually has good driving dynamics. They are really appealing to the masses now.
 
Originally Posted By: edwardh1

what the heck you do when you buy a new battery on friday night on a 3 day holiday weeked on a trip far from a dealer


Exactly! It is less the expense, and more about the needing one. My batteries ALWAYS seem to go out at the worst times. Being able to run down to O'Reilly or Walmart at night has been a lifesaver.
 
Originally Posted By: edwardh1
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Can you DIY? If so, a used BMW shouldn't be too bad, but they do have their quirks. Coming from a Toyota, it's going to be a big learning experience. Not necessarily bad, just different. Just don't expect typical Toyota reliability. If you can't DIY and take it to a reputable indy shop or dealer, it can get expensive.

My 530i is now 16 years old, 108K miles. I did a complete cooling system overhaul at 70K miles - it was BMW's weak point, at least during those years. Not sure if the new ones are any better. Other than that, thrust arm bushings, sway bar links, ABS sensor, window regulators, valve cover gasket, oil filter gasket, CCV, PS fluid reservoir, plus some other things needed replacing. Right now sunroof and electric seat adjustments are dead, and since I will not attempt DIY'ing this and do not want to pay indy shop to fix it since it would probably cost more than the car is worth, I'm just driving it as is. I'm hoping to replace it with something newer this year.


seems a lot of broken things compared to my 94 camry and 2004 highlander and 99 maxima
That's why I pointed out not to expect typical Toyota-like reliability.
smile.gif


OP should keep it until CPO warranty is up, and then decide whether to sell it or fix it depending on how much work it needs at that point.
 
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