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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[–] 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.