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I've started thinking about my next car, and one of the makes I'm considering is BMW. I've always liked the clean lines, at least before this last generation of models, and I'm thinking about maybe getting a mid 80's or early 90's model with a manual transmission and a good healthy engine, but as I look through the ads of them for sale I see that the owners have replaced a lot of things on them, and done a lot of repairs, which quite naturally raises the question in my mind, how much do they cost to maintain?
Naturally I don't want a car on which a lot of things break, so I thought to ask here, how expensive are they to maintain? I sure don't want something that's going to nickel and dime me to death. I'd like to have something with decent power and a 5 speed manual in it, and air conditioning that doesn't quit on me.
BMW is supposed to be the "ultimate driving machine," and I'd like something that's fun to drive, handles well, and has some scoot to it, but I don't know much about the make. Any advice would be welcome.
I've owned two BMWs. They're a great car, fun to drive, and generally reliable. But all cars require maintenance, and BMWs are expensive to own outside of warranty.
You would have to pay more, but you could get a "certified pre-owned" BMW that had a warranty to cover certain things, but I don't know if that's available for older model cars.
If you're on a limited income and car repairs would pinch your budget, I suggest you look at something else.
I've owned two BMWs. They're a great car, fun to drive, and generally reliable. But all cars require maintenance, and BMWs are expensive to own outside of warranty.
You would have to pay more, but you could get a "certified pre-owned" BMW that had a warranty to cover certain things, but I don't know if that's available for older model cars.
If you're on a limited income and car repairs would pinch your budget, I suggest you look at something else.
It really depends on what you are looking for. BMW E30's (3 series, 1983-91) are quite popular among the old BMW crowd because of its light weight, compactness, timeless looks and good engines. Understand that these cars are old and apparently they are going up in terms of value because people are buying them for track/autocross. The "reliable" engine would be the 325e engine (84-87) which is a little low on power but has lots of torque.
Also at times, you have to make sure that these cars don't have rust. Since you're in FL, chances are that the e30's there will have very minimal rust (mostly on the body, and under the license plate holder).
Naturally I don't want a car on which a lot of things break, so I thought to ask here, how expensive are they to maintain? I sure don't want something that's going to nickel and dime me to death. I'd like to have something with decent power and a 5 speed manual in it, and air conditioning that doesn't quit on me.
BMW is supposed to be the "ultimate driving machine," and I'd like something that's fun to drive, handles well, and has some scoot to it, but I don't know much about the make. Any advice would be welcome.
They weren't inexpensive cars to keep on the road when they were newer and just out of warranty.
With mileage and time, they are now cult cars and not daily drivers except for those who can maintain them at home with the fairly readily availble parts ... at a price.
"nickle and dime" is not what I'd describe these cars to be, they're money pits if you want everything to work properly and have to pay somebody to work on them who can properly do so. When everything is right on these cars, they are a pleasure to drive but they can be pricey for those moments of satisfaction and fun; you've got to make a conscious decision that the pleasure is worth the price of admission. If you are seeking reliable, durable performance at lower cost, this isn't to be had in a later BMW in the years you are looking at.
I see a fair number of the more common models around for what appears on the surface to be a low price compared to what they were when newer and fresher ... and have checked out a few in the last couple of years. Every one of them had so many malfunctions in them, stuff that didn't work at all or was very life limited, and somewhat tired ratty trashed out cosmetics (interior and exterior) ... that you'd have had to have given me the car and a check for at least 5-figures just for me to own a car when I was done restoring it that would be worth a little more than the asking price. And that's even with me being in the trade and able to buy my parts wholesale and do all the work except for upholstery. Of the cars that I'd seen that were at least cosmetically nice, the mechanical/electrical/electronics were so far gone that they simply weren't worth the time or effort to me.
Look elsewhere for your "decent power and 5 speed manual", especially if you want the A/C to be reliable at the price points you are looking at in BMW's.
I owned a Z4, and to give an idea of the price of maintenance, I didn't do anything on my own except the brakes once and that was it. I figured I'd have to save around $250 a month to keep everything tip top shape. It's not that anything went bad, it's just brakes, fluids, tires, etc is just more expensive. It is true you have to make a conscious decision to spend the money for the enjoyment it brings.
You can think of it like this: BMWs are designed to be more against a performance envelope using nearly the same materials as other cars. Physics is a constant, and since BMWs are typically also driven harder, things will break more easily, and things will need to be replaced more often than your typical commuter car. Even a 350Z or similar Japanese sports cars are expensive to maintain because they have stuff go wrong more often or need more stuff done to replace.
For older BMWs, you also have to remember that BMW still had a significant amount of hand-built parts in the 80s and early 90s. That means a man with a machine hand-made a bumper, or that engine component. Since they were already upscale in market they didn't have to adjust to the machine efficiency and reliability of the Japanese automakers of the era. It wasn't until they started making Infiniti, Lexus, and Acura that the Germans started being afraid, and they adapted. But as a result, since they had less automated machined parts in them, they more it tended to fail.
Getting back to "would you buy one?" Depends. Do you like pushing a car hard, hitting the gas and throwing it into a corner on a windy road? Or do you just want to go from A to B? What do you like to do on road trips? Do you go on road trips?
for me, I was 26 when I bought my Z4 used. Would I do it again? Absolutely. The thing with a nice car convertible is its hopelessly inconvenient, but superbly enjoyable to drive and I have so many good memories in that car.
The e36 is a decent series to consider, especially if you want a 5-speed. Some of the costs in the above piece are dealing with automatic transmission issues. The e46 replaced the e36 and was produced to 2005, but had more complex systems than earlier 3-series.
The 5 series BMWs are less expensive to own in the 6-cylinder variety, especially if you were to come across a small 530i 8-cylinder that was only produced for a couple of years in the mid-90s. I would tend to look more to the e39 for a 5, at the straight sixes from the end of the series, 2002-2003.
If you do not DIY, you need to find a competent independent mechanic who can assist you in the maintenance/repair aspects of the vehicle, and advise you as to the appropriate time to do preventative work, so that you are not met by a failure. A good mechanic may also be able to steer you to a good example for sale, and is a good resource for a pre-purchase inspection.
As with many such cars, there is no such thing as an inexpensive BMW. You need to look for the fewest owners possible, and for one that has maintenance records, otherwise it can be an exercise in futility, rebuilding one system at a time from the moment you purchase the vehicle.
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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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