Hi, all, I am a student in college, and have found a pretty good deal on a BMW 3 series, e46 generation. However, I have only driven new cars before, and I have 0 experience in fixing anything car related. I would like to know what maintaining costs would go into owning an old BMW, as well as its durability, the chances of it actually breaking down, if it is durable enough to be driven in the winter. All in all I am just concerned about how durable it is, not really trying to have it die on me on the freeway :/. Thank you all!
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[–] KelsoCal 0 points 12 points 12 points (+12|-0) ago
No idea where you are from. That being said if you live in the states the cost to fix your BMW might outweigh the great "buy" you got. You will have people who swear by the BMW and others who have had nothing but nightmares with it. If you have a mechanic friend take him with you to see the vehicle. Best of luck in your purchase or research.
[–] lola18 [S] 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
I am from Canada, so I suppose it would be similiar here? Yes, I am planning to bring a friend who is a mechanic to inspect it. I am mostly concerned that our harsh winters will wear down the old car even more. Thank you for your advice!
[–] A_Fringe_Element 0 points 8 points 8 points (+8|-0) ago
You're in college - you can't afford a used BMW nor will it impress chicks. The kind of materialistic bitches that care about your car are smart enough to know it's used.
A used BMW is also incredibly unreliable and the replacement parts are expensive. Go buy a used Honda or Nissan.
[–] escapetomars 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
Everyone in California has a BMW, it's not to "impress chicks". Having a nice car is a sign of maturity and class. It's like making sure you don't show up to a cocktail party in some ripped up suit bought from a payless 15 years ago.
I'm sorry, but you just have no idea what you're talking about. Nissans consistently rates worse than many BMW models in reliability. E46 BMWs are some of the most reliable, solid cars BMW has ever made.
[–] A_Fringe_Element 0 points 4 points 4 points (+4|-0) ago
There's quite a few "nice" cars that cheaper and of the same or higher quality. Maturity means buying something that's reliable, affordable and meets all of your needs. There's two kinds of people who buy used luxury brands - ghetto trash and enthusiasts. Unless you're an actual BMW fanboy and OK with the warts you're wasting money.
http://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used-BMW-M3-d390#listing=107474929
There's tons of brand new vehicles with factory warranty's you can buy for that kind of money.
[–] curbstickle 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
A well maintained vehicle is reliable, and poorly maintained vehicles are not.
I've seen plenty of well maintained and poorly maintained BMW's. Some with hundreds of thousands of miles on them, some of them sounding like they are ready to be made into a crushed metal cube with less than 100k. I say this as someone driving a car with over 350k miles, and having owned a Mercedes diesel with over 400k miles. Which I then sold and ran beautifully until it was in a nasty accident (though the driver came out fine).
Parts can be expensive, but they also can be expensive for VW's, Nissan's (especially Altimas of certain years that have a poorly designed exhaust and frequent sensor problems), and many others.
tl;dr, if you don't know cars, bring a mechanic to check out any vehicle you are interested in purchasing. Make and model play a role, but not so significant of one as good maintenance.
[–] SkepticalMartian ago
These are both essentially lies. Propagated by people who have never had any experience with them.
[–] lola18 [S] ago
Sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, but me buying a BMW has nothing to do with what others think. I simply came across a good deal, and while I do have an interest in cars, I simply do not know about this generation well enough to make a sound decision. Of course there have been many options that have presented themselves in terms of cars from the "more reliable" Japanese car makers, but I am trying to look for the best thing I can buy with my budget.
[–] A_Fringe_Element ago
What's the mileage, year and asking price for the vehicle ?
[–] ZapptheBrannigan 0 points 4 points 4 points (+4|-0) ago
Speaking from experience, I owned an ol' 1980 E320i, Don't get me wrong I loved that car. It was my baby.
She had a good owners history, very well maintained and as expected ran like a dream. But she was old, and tired. First the gas tank rusted through, no big deal for me. Got a new cell and did a swap in the driveway.
Then the starter went. Took her down to a buddies place with a proper garage. Took us almost 2 weeks to get the starter out. The starter. 2 weeks. We get it out fix it up and rebuild it. Put it back in 'er still no go. fuck.
so we got it towed to a shop, lowest rate in CAD was 72 bucks/hr then the parts. They took weeks to find, let alone get ordered, Cost another 300 bucks for a computer from the 80s. seriously?
So 1500 bucks later for my 500 dollar car and then, the clutch blew out. FUCK ME
got a quote for 5000 bucks on a new clutch plate, plus installation etc. Sold it for scrap.
Don't do it.
[–] SkepticalMartian ago (edited ago)
You're talking about a 35 year old car. OF COURSE it's going to have problems. Any car would. I challenge you to find a 35 year old car on its original parts that has no rust. Don't be such an idiot.
[–] ZapptheBrannigan ago
This was like 5 years ago, and as stated the maintenance was very very good. It just so happened to crap out on me, unluckily and from that I would say buying a used BMW can be costly. Not for certain but possibly.
Im not an idiot, just sharing my experience and opinion.
[–] escapetomars ago
One experience with a 1980 320i isn't exactly indicative of BMW's reliability. (Also, it's E21, not an E320. 320i is the series (3) and the engine size in deciliters (20). E21 is the chassis code.)
[–] 1072462? 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago (edited ago)
BMW vehicles are awesome if well maintained, but have a poor resale value because of unreliability and expensive to maintain and fix, so, you can either consider it a bargain if you know how to take care of a BMW, or you can consider it a money pit if you will be at the mercy of BMW mechanics. You would be better off with a used subaru, toyota, or honda.
Edmunds
Consumer Reports
Clark Howard
[–] SkepticalMartian 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Depends on the model and the year. The M series cars in the E46 lineup actually still sell for a decent amount - especially the M3 which is often sought after by enthusiasts due to it's incredible handling.
[–] 1084181? ago
good point, I was just generalizing.
[–] Craige 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Slightly relevant?
[–] Andman17 ago
Completely relevant.
[–] dontwatchtv ago
If you don't know how to maintain/repair cars, I would avoid buying a used BMW. Repairs at the dealership can exceed the value of the car.
I have a 2001 BMW Z3 with 180k. BMW tends to use a lot of plastic parts where most manufacturers would have opted for metal. Water pump blade, plastic; Belt pulleys, plastic; radiator connections, plastic; thermostat housing, plastic; door lock/handle parts, plastic; antenna mount, plastic. I can go on. Since I do my own repairs, its not bad. If I had to take it to the dealership for repairs, it would literally eat all my savings.
If you're still in college and live close by, get a bicycle. You will meet a lot more girls or guys that way. Figure an extra $500 a month to go drinking and eating out.
[–] Pawn ago
don't buy. You'll fuck yourself over. Get a reliable car, not an expensive car. The only chicks you'll impress are the dumb ones, the smart ones will know it's unreliable and you're stressed about it dying on the freeway.
[–] SkepticalMartian ago
S54 engines are solid. The most common failure point is the cooling system. The coolant pump is sort of bad, and when they go they like to pretty much shatter since the impeller is made of plastic. Not necessarily a showstopper, and not horribly expensive to deal with, but it's a potential issue.
People are going to try to tell you that the cost of ownership is horrendous, but it really isn't. Certain parts may cost a bit more, but if you source them properly it's not bad. The only time cost of ownership gets a little high is when you get in to the M and Z series.