OT: I'm trying to buy a new car...

[Bezzz]

I'm old, so I've owned a lot of cars, even though my standard procedure is to drive them into the ground. The most disappointing new car I ever bought was a brand new, 2002, in 1972. I loved that car for about 20 minutes. In 130k miles, it went through 3 head gaskets, 1 radiator, 1 cam, 2 master cylinders, and a bunch of minor stuff.

Brand, model?

 

[intlzncster]

For the first time. I've owned lousy, get me through school, cars in the past, but now need a more reliable vehicle, and am starting to do the research in actually getting myself a good car.

While researching, I discovered that I can afford a used 2010 - 2011 BMW with something like 45-60k miles on it ($15,000k range). Considering I found used non-luxury vehicles with similar years and mileage in similar price ranges, I think it might be worth it to just go ahead and get the BMW.

Part of what is holding me back is that the cost of repairing the car is a big unknown for me and is giving me pause. However, I also figure that if I get a BMW in the 45k - 60k mile range that I won't have to worry about the repairs for a few years, by which point I would be looking to get an newer car anyway.

Anyone here willing to share their BMW experiences? Or in lieu of that, recommendations on what types of cars to get (i.e., new, used, certified, lease)? Any advice would be helpful.

Thanks in advance!

Not worth the repair costs man. You are better off buying a one year old version. You'll end up paying the same in repair/maintenance over time.

If you are going used, go Japanese/Korean imo. You can get a newer car a couple years old, low mileage, and a hell of a lot more hassles that way. And you can get CPO

 

[HooperScooper]

I'm on my second BMW. They are well made and run well but they are expensive to service. I haven't had any real problems with mine but I get rid of my cars at 60,000 miles so not exactly comparable to your situation.

I agree with what someone else said here about finding a good local mechanic that can work on BMWs. Do not go to the BMW dealer to get it serviced. They are a total ripoff and charge almost double what a good local mechanic would charge.

Also depends how many miles you drive a year. If you're driving a lot I'm not sure a 7 year old car is the way to go if you care about reliability.

To be honest, if you're going to get a car that old get a Japanese car. Lexus, Acura, Infiniti are great luxury brands. Or go with a Toyota, Honda, Nissan if the luxury brands are out of your price range.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I was bequeathed a Honda Accord with ~50K miles on it. 30K miles later, have never had a problem and could easily see getting 150K+.

P.S. Having liked a JSM post, I'm going to take a shower now.

Honda dealers will be trying to unload all the Accords on their lot over the next few months. 10th generation Accord is coming out and dealers will want all their old models gone.

Which is another thing to look for when buying new. If a model is being discontinued or going through a major change, the outgoing models can be a great bargain. Downside is limited selection, but if you see a car you like, great deals are to be had.

 

[jleves]

It's funny that people comment without actually reading the post. While he said new car in the title, he meant a new to him car and clearly said in the post that he is looking for a used BMW in the 15k range.

I've owned two BMWs and I'll likely get a third in another 3 or so years. But if I was looking for a quality used car in that price range, I would not look at BMW. They are great cars when they are under warranty, but they are expensive after that,

There are many good suggestions for quality nice cars. Buy a Beamer when you can afford a new one.

 

[Chin Diesel]

It's funny that people comment without actually reading the post. While he said new car in the title, he meant a new to him car and clearly said in the post that he is looking for a used BMW in the 15k range.

I've owned two BMWs and I'll likely get a third in another 3 or so years. But if I was looking for a quality used car in that price range, I would not look at BMW. They are great cars when they are under warranty, but they are expensive after that,

There are many good suggestions for quality nice cars. Buy a Beamer when you can afford a new one.

Funny you are calling out posters for not reading OP and used #alternate facts in calling out posters.

The title of his thread bleeds in to his first sentence.

He is looking at new cars. While researching new cars, he realized he could also afford some used bimmers.

Wanted suggestions from BMW owners.

Finished off with request for suggestions of alternative brands and used/certified.

Every response has been in line with what he has asked for help.

 

[RichZ]

Brand, model?

BMW 2002. I thought that was obvious, since the thread is about BMWs, and the 2002 was the model that "made" them. That 2002 that I bought new for $3200 would be worth about 5 grand in "restorable" condition today. I have no idea why. As far as I'm concerned, it was the worst car I ever bought new.

 

[jleves]

Funny you are calling out posters for not reading OP and used #alternate facts in calling out posters.

The title of his thread bleeds in to his first sentence.

He is looking at new cars. While researching new cars, he realized he could also afford some used bimmers.

Wanted suggestions from BMW owners.

Finished off with request for suggestions of alternative brands and used/certified.

Every response has been in line with what he has asked for help.

Funny - I totally didn't read it that way at all and now I'm not sure either way. I believe you are most likely correct. I didn't think you could buy a new car for 15k anymore.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Spend a couple thousand more and get a brand new Jetta or Corrola. The new Civics are absolutely gorgeous too. If you want AWD get an Impreza. You'll be surprised how nice they are. When my friend got his first job out of college he bought a 10 yr old Lexus with ~80k miles on it for a ~$17 grand. A couple years later,on top of insurance, the payment, and putting 50 bucks of premium gas in it a week just going back and forth to work the mounting repairs became too much to handle and he got rid of it. I bought a brand new Honda Fit in 2014 for 18k and 50,000 miles later I've only changed the oil, well I just got new tires too. And it goes 10k miles between oil changes! I'd recommend one of those too but it's not what you're looking for. Not the flashiest car but it's definitely not ugly and is insanely reliable. Just some food for thought.

 

[Durks07]

Thanks for feedback everyone!

 

[CTMike]

Be careful with any #35i cars if they're equipped with the N54 turbo engine. They commonly had high pressure fuel pump issues that BMW ended up extending the warranty on, not sure if they'd still be covered though. In mid 2011 they replaced the N54 engine with the n55 engine and that was more reliable. Any #28i car with the naturally aspirated N51/N52 are often quite reliable in terms of powertrain.

I've owned 5 bimmers, and of the ones I've kept for the longer haul, 2 went 230k+ miles, including a year 2002 M5, before I sold. No major problems - no engine work despite the fact the the cars have raced on the Lime Rock track (and others) in BMW club races. Can't go wrong with a bimmer. Biggest problem has been minor parking lot hit-and-runs leaving me with nuisance paint nicks - they add up.

Luckily I have an indy BMW shop nearby that is run by a former BMW dealer mechanic (factory trained) for up-keep. Interesting to see that his parking lot is loaded with track cars (not street legal). Basic advice - change the oil every 5k.

The best buy deals are to get a car coming off 3 year lease that's 'certified pre-owned'. And get a mechanic ( a BMW non-dealer) to inspect the car before you close the deal to be sure engine compression is on-spec, etc.

These guys pretty much hit the nail on the head. I'd avoid broad generalizations of any brand... I'll just say that I've bought two used BMWs and have had great experiences with each. That's not to say flawless (had to replace an ignition switch two times) but the first took me over 125k happy miles and I'm 14k miles in to the second. Autotrader is your friend, but also check out BMWs used listings on their website. Find a good local mechanic you trust and you'll be fine.

Edit: I would also recommend that, if/when you find one, have a pre-purchase inspection performed by a qualified mechanic so that you know what you are getting in to. For me, I had relatively clean bills of health, so it was peace of mind. An added expense, but a worthwhile one I think for such a significant purchase.

 

[Fishy]

The most expensive car in the world is a cheap German car.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Car buying is great for consumers right now if you put in the work.

We had been looking for a couple of months. We knew what each dealer had on the lot, how many miles and what the features were for each car. We used online information requests to set up times. We'd go to a dealer and have 2-3 cars to look at. When salesman would pitch other cars we'd tell them why we didn't want it before they were done speaking.

You can check dealer inventory online, see free Carfax report for many dealers, use Car&Driver, Road and Track, Auto trader, cars.com, Edmunds and a bunch of other sites to get multiple opinions and price ranges for any car.

You may also want to check out reputable, high volume independent used car lots. There you can try a Lexus, Acura, Honda and Subaru all at one site.

 

[uconnfan68]

Don't leave Toyotas out. Usually have higher CR ratings for used Toyotas than any others, Honda included.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

I owned about 6 different BMWs. I will just say they don't hold their value at all and the depreciate like crazy. Most had some form of electrical problem one time or another. Couple had alternators go at 70k miles or so, and they were expensive. I still remember the $3k repair bill I got the 2001 330i at only 70k miles. They were fun to drive but expensive to maintain.

I had a few Hondas and a few Lexus. 2006 Lexus RX400h is by far the most reliable car I had. Never one problem. I just did the regular maintenance and tire change. Original tire lasted a long time on the car too. When I was selling the car, I had 17 calls in couple of days. Lexus and Honda really hold their values for resell.

When selling my BMWs, I was lucky to get a few calls in a couple of weeks. Those people that want BMWs also were nitpicking everything too. BMWs just don't resell very well.

Now I have a new Lexus NX200t. It is a great little SUV. I also got a Tesla. My Tesla had a crack sunroof before 10k miles and a few minor electrical stuff, but were fixed after software upgrade.

If you want a luxury car that hold its resell value and won't give you any problem, get a Lexus. If money is an issue, get a Honda.

 

[Fishy]

Or in lieu of that, recommendations on what types of cars to get (i.e., new, used, certified, lease)? Any advice would be helpful.

I don't know a heck of a lot about cars. I buy them and then I drive them until they become unreliable and then I get something else. While some people get invested in their cars, I consider them appliances.

I have had an Audi, a BMW 325i, a few Volkswagens, a Nissan Altima, an Oldsmobile Intrigue, a Dodge of some sort when I graduated college, a few Jeeps, etc.

The Jeeps were nightmares. The Oldsmobile Intrigue was so awful that I actually gave it away in a fit of anger. The BMW was fine, but it basically had no backseat at a time when car seats became a fact of life for us, so I had to get rid of it. The Audi and the Volkswagens were all good, but when something went wrong, it was never a simple fix. I current have a Passat and it's now at the point where I'll be getting rid of it soon.

The only truly trouble-free cars I've owned was a Acura TSX Sportwagon and the Nissan Altima. The Altima eventually had 245,000 miles - I had bought the Audi at that point, but I liked the Altima so much that I could not get rid of it. One day, my wife texted me a picture of it on a flatbed and told me she had given it to the Cancer Society. I replaced a frozen rear brake caliper on that car...that was it over 245,000 miles.

None of this helps you. Don't buy a Jeep. Don't buy a German car if you don't want to build an addition on some mechanic's house. You can't buy an Oldsmobile because God smote them and they are no longer a thing.

@zls44, bought a three-year old Japanese car from somewhere in Connecticut that specializes in just-off-lease cars. I forgot where that was, but he showed me the car at the time and I thought he got a great deal for what he got. Perhaps he can chime in.

 

[Hoophound]

I buy new cars and dump them in 2-4 years because I like reliability, new safety features and honestly, I just like new stuff. I'm not really a fan of knowing some sweaty stranger farted in my driver seat a couple thousand times before I took over.

Hondas have been nearly flawless for me over the years. Accords and Pilots were both fantastic. I had a loaded 2016 4Runner that was great but had a couple of annoying issues, like tire pressure monitoring lights that came back on an hour after the dealer would get them to shut off. Still, I loved that truck. Volvo was always in the shop, VW was better but not good, Subaru was excellent and Acura was flawless.

BMW was a disaster after 60k. Valve seals and transmission repairs were rough. The best of the German cars was an Audi by far. Car was reliable, dealer was honest and service, while pricey, was cheaper than BMW or Mercedes. We have another one now, which my wife drives and I love it. Perfect blend of comfort and performance.

In summary, if you want a "status" car, I like Audi. If you want a good car, I'd go Honda, Subaru or Toyota in that order. I put Toyota last because I don't like the personality of their cars. Their suvs and trucks are nice though. Honda and Subaru have a tighter feel and are more attractive.

 

[Stinger92860]

Best ROI I ever had on a car was Dodge Van, followed by a Subaru. I love Audi's, I have 2, but repair costs are high if you require the dealer to fix. I'm lucky that I have a local guy who is great.

 

[Fishy]

I put Toyota last because I don't like the personality of their cars.

Hoophound - "Hello, car!"

Toyota - "F~~~ you. Just shut up and drive."

 

[Hoophound]

A Toyota Camry pretty much says "F~~~ you" every time you look at one.

 

[JSM1970]

Or a mid-priced one, or higher end

I fortunately have a good local German mechanic, recent basic service, 4 wheel brake/rotor service dealer quoted like $1500+, my mechanic was $650 with same genuine parts

The most expensive car in the world is a cheap German car.

 

[B1GEast]

German cars are notorious for having mechanical issues. I used to sell MB's many years ago, every Monday, the service line would be full of cars checking in to get serviced.

If you are looking for a reliable high line, go with an Acura or Lexus. The maintenance cost for German cars is very expensive.

 

[intlzncster]

Subaru's are OK. I don't think they are what they used to be though. My family and I have owned 4 over the years. Nowadays, they're trendy in the north east, and you overpay for what your getting. I don't think they quite have the staying power they once had.

 

[Hoophound]

Interesting take on Subaru. I think you get more than you pay for on cars like Impreza and Crosstrek. I'd agree that the loaded Outback can get a bit pricey for a Subaru wagon.

I find they are well built, use quality materials, especially in the cabin and give you AWD for free when compared to comparable Hondas and Toyotas.

 

[superjohn]

Subaru's are awesome for New England lesbians and RocktheWorld.