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Looking for a suv as a daily driver but fun to drive however I don't want to spend thousands on constant repairs. My friend is a mechanic so he can get me a good deal on labor rates if need be. The research ive done online comes up with mixed reviews.
with German luxury cars, it's the parts that are expensive. You can easily spend $1500~$2000+ annually on repairs once it gets close to the 100k mile mark. If it were a weekend ride i'd say go for it, but used daily it's going to cost you in the long run. You can probably get similar model yr Highlander's for the same amount and have some piece of mind knowing that the repairs won't bankrupt you down the road.
With German luxury cars, it's the labor thats expensive. Parts are cheap. Also keep in mind that the X3 was not built by BMW so quality isn't the same.
With German luxury cars, it's the labor thats expensive. Parts are cheap. Also keep in mind that the X3 was not built by BMW so quality isn't the same.
Agree about the labor cost, that's why I try to do as much myself as possible.
Not sure what you mean about the X3 though, are you implying that because it's built in SC that the quality is not good?
Agree about the labor cost, that's why I try to do as much myself as possible.
Not sure what you mean about the X3 though, are you implying that because it's built in SC that the quality is not good?
No, its not the location, its who owns the factory. X3 was manufactured by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria under contract from BMW. This same factory manufactures, Jeeps, Chryslers (for the EU market), some times Saabs, Mini, you know whatever car makers either can't find capacity for in their own factories or can be contracted out cheaply. It was certainly not manufactured in South Carolina. The second gen X3 is built by BMW in a BMW factory. They learned their lesson after the E83 X3 fiasco.
Last edited by evergraystate; 04-23-2013 at 10:57 PM..
You will likely spend a lot of either time or money on repairs to for a 7-8 year old BMW. I just got rid of one (3 series) because the repairs were taking more time than I had to do them. If you're able to DIY the work and have time for it, they're ok cost wise and most of the oft-replaced parts are reasonable. But they'll be a lot more maintenence and repair intensive than a similar age Japanese crossover.
FWIW, I came to the conclusion buying a newer CPO with 4 years left of warranty was a better deal for me now that I no longer have the free time to work on cars.
No first hand experience driving one but I think the first gen X3 is said to have a harsh ride, quite limited interior space and cheap looking interior materials. I wouldn't get one and I am a BMW guy.
You will likely spend a lot of either time or money on repairs to for a 7-8 year old BMW. I just got rid of one (3 series) because the repairs were taking more time than I had to do them. If you're able to DIY the work and have time for it, they're ok cost wise and most of the oft-replaced parts are reasonable. But they'll be a lot more maintenence and repair intensive than a similar age Japanese crossover.
FWIW, I came to the conclusion buying a newer CPO with 4 years left of warranty was a better deal for me now that I no longer have the free time to work on cars.
I drive an '06 X3, it was a CPO car. Other than routine maintainence, the only thing I had done under the extended warranty was have the drivers seat replaced due to a malfunctioning butt warmer.
Since then, I have had my mechanic replace the front struts.
I do like the car, it carries 4 sets of golf clubs easily (can't happen in husbands M-3) and has been a very reliable car. I agree with the above, CPO is the way to go!
Look into a first gen RDX, it is a CUV and quite sporty with SH-AWD. The turbo is very thirsty though. I bought one as a DD, it is a Honda (Acura, whatever) and it doesn't seem to have any major problems.
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