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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[–] 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.
[–] escapetomars ago (edited ago)
You're looking at the wrong car.
This is the type of car the OP is talking about. Look, don't wade into a conversation to give people advice if you don't know anything about the topic.
Right, for a college student, an E46 BMW.
Your ignorance is showing again. Most people who buy luxury brands are average, middle class buyers. That's why BMW is the most common mid-sized sedan in California. There isn't a whole lot of "ghetto trash" showing up at BMW dealers, and 80% of car owners (including those who own BMWs) are not enthusiasts.
Let me generalize just like you did - there's only two types of people that buy "cheap" econobox brands - people who don't know shit about cars (and are too stupid to realize that econoboxes often end up costing as much or more as most entry level "luxury" cars), and people who hate driving.
Ultimately, the truth is really closer to this - people who pick luxury / european cars tend to be more educated buyers who find cars enjoyable and an important part of their identity. People who pick generic econoboxes tend to be uneducated buyers who think of cars like appliances and buy cars based on what consumer reports and that one sales guy who is their "friend" tells them to.