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BMW 3-Series and 4-Series Forum (F30 / F32) | F30POST > 2012-2019 BMW 3 and 4-Series Forums > General F30 Sedan / F32 Coupe / F36 Gran Coupe Forum > Need your help on deciding my next car!
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      04-22-2020, 02:31 PM   #23
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Originally Posted by jh_f30 View Post
I'm not sure where you get the idea that "BMWs are notorious for breaking down". Personally, I feel like this is plain false. Yes, higher end cars require diligent maintenance and that maintenance tends to cost more, whereas something like an Accord or Camry will pretty much just run even if it's neglected. Yes, BMWs do have some quirks (as do pretty much all cars) and they are known to leak oil from all sorts of places, but keeping up on regular maintenance and addressing any known issues (ie. E9x M3 rod bearings, E46 subframes, Porsche's IMS bearings) will keep most unexpected reliability issues at bay. If you treat it right, I highly doubt it'll leave you stranded somewhere or just grenade itself. That said, it comes down to your level of tolerance for maintenance and upkeep. If you want a solid commuter that you know you can get in and have it just work even if you miss a few oil changes, see the aforementioned Accord or Camry. If you're willing to take on the maintenance of a performance-aimed machine, then go for the Bimmer. "With great power comes great responsibility."
+1
I've been driving Bimmers for over 15 years, every car purchased used- from orig owner/private party, no warranty. I DIY a good deal.
If you are rigorous about service and preventative maintenance cars are solid and reliable, I drove 2 of my older 5 series sedans in excess of 200K miles without any major failure/breakdown. (6 cyl non-turbo motors)

They are reliable but not if one neglects proper service. They drive/handle better than the Asian brands.
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      04-22-2020, 03:58 PM   #24
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Originally Posted by jmg View Post
It's generally a more financially responsible decision to buy a used CPO car, but I have to ask: why do you want to keep a car for ten years? The only car I want to keep for ten years is the car that is cheap and utterly reliable, I have sentimental attachment to, or the car is nearly perfect for me unlike any other car.

If you are not sure what car you want, it can't be the last two reasons, so it has to be the first. The F30 is not as cheap nor reliable compared to a Lexus. So unless you are in love with the 440i, get the Lexus.

But if you are in love with a car... the maintenance is a small price to pay. I'd rather be very happy most of the time than just meh all of the time. Hope that helps you in your reliable vs what you want debate.
My end goal is to be able to afford M3/M4 when I have my own place with garage and not just parking on the streets in my current neighborhood where it could be easily scratched.

One of the biggest reason I want to own the car for 7-10 years is because I don't want to deal with the hassle of selling a "used car" just to buy another used car. I just feel like that would be a really big headache which is why I'd prefer to just buy it and hold on to it for as long as I can, and the only car that I can think of that will make me happy for holding it onto that long would probably be the 440i.

But I'm also considering Lexus because it just seems more financially responsible and makes more sense if my end goal is to spend as little money on cars the next 7-10 years to build up my savings for M3/M4.
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      04-22-2020, 04:00 PM   #25
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jh_f30 View Post
I'm not sure where you get the idea that "BMWs are notorious for breaking down". Personally, I feel like this is plain false. Yes, higher end cars require diligent maintenance and that maintenance tends to cost more, whereas something like an Accord or Camry will pretty much just run even if it's neglected. Yes, BMWs do have some quirks (as do pretty much all cars) and they are known to leak oil from all sorts of places, but keeping up on regular maintenance and addressing any known issues (ie. E9x M3 rod bearings, E46 subframes, Porsche's IMS bearings) will keep most unexpected reliability issues at bay. If you treat it right, I highly doubt it'll leave you stranded somewhere or just grenade itself. That said, it comes down to your level of tolerance for maintenance and upkeep. If you want a solid commuter that you know you can get in and have it just work even if you miss a few oil changes, see the aforementioned Accord or Camry. If you're willing to take on the maintenance of a performance-aimed machine, then go for the Bimmer. "With great power comes great responsibility."
Haha. The thing with me is: It hurts my pride to drive a Honda or Toyota. It wouldn't even really be a commuter car since I take public transportation to work, so I'd realistically be using the car on weekends or just for pleasure.
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      04-22-2020, 04:03 PM   #26
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I missed the part where you were currently leasing a 320 currently. I agree its hard to go back once you've had a taste.

why not buy the current lease out if you are happy with the car and it's been solid? Add extended warranty and move on with life?

If you are after more power, I get it. I will never own the base version of any car model again. Get all the stuff and be happy. Biggest motor and M-sport is mandatory.

The N55 and newer B58 seem to be quite reliable. There are outliers, but there always will be. I'm at 65K on my '13 335i N55 and it's been solid other than a random transmission issue that is not common (manual box output bearing failure) My car was CPO, so it was covered, thankfully. I plan to run it for many more years...the value of it starts to drop off over 50k so it's worth more to me than what I could sell it for. I'm in it for 150K or so. That said I have a garage and I do a lot of my own work.

If you have to pay someone, you better find an honest independent once the warranty runs out (probably tough in NYC)
Haha, I love how BMW handles and I feel like thats what made me fell in love with the brand. I took my car in about 2 times to get some maintenance work done on it and they gave me a 440i loaner and the 2020 g30 loaner and the power really made me feel like what I had was not enough which is why I am not going to buyout my lease.

Also - I like the M package aesthetic stuff so I would like to just get something that all comes with it.
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      04-22-2020, 04:08 PM   #27
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Originally Posted by kpgray View Post
If you want a CPO car, the 340i took the place of the 335i in 2016, therefore the last 335i came off the assembly line in June 2015 (July 1 is the start date for next model year for the 3-series). Therefore if you found a CPO 335i, it has less than a year on warranty at best. I would then look at the 340i! In fact I would encourage this as the 340i not only has more pep, it comes standard with many features that are optional on the 330i as sunroof, better headlights, 18" wheels, alarm, etc. Your original post indicated your concern was overall cost of ownership. The 4-cylinder is less expensive MSRP, it has better gas mileage, smaller brakes are less expensive to repair, less spark plugs, ect. This would be on par with the Lexus IMHO. Now, if on the other hand you want performance and are willing to pay the premium both in initial cost and maintenance, the 6-cylinder is your baby!

What will you get for this 15-20% premium?
More smiles per mile! This baby says 320 HP yet most dyno's put that number closer to 350 HP! Every time you mash down the throttle, the deep exhaust note (this alone is worth the price to many drivers), the confidence inspiring handling and the pinned in your seat acceleration will also push any thought of "did I spend a little too much" into the back of your mind... literally.

If you are going to keep for 150K miles, stay away from the 328i (timing chain issues), get the 330i or the 340i. These are going to have several tire changes and couple of brake jobs, battery change. But overall the vehicles seem to be pretty reliable. Furthermore, the LCI versions (330i and 340i) are more refined and some annoying bugs are removed.
Thank you for your input - I think there is a misunderstanding when I brought up maintenance, I think the crux of the issue for me is, I don't want random issues to come up which ends up costing me like thousands of dollars, normal maintenance with spark plugs and that cost I certainly think it's worth it. But I've never worked on a car before and do not own a garage and after some extensive research, I know that BMW is notorious for their oil gasket problems. I just wouldn't know how much that would cost me out of pocket to fix and I'm scared that one problem after another would cost me an upward of $10,000's of dollars to fix.

Also I will take into your consideration of the 340i, but I personally like the looks of the 440i (mainly because i think it looks more aggressive with the fenders) and somewhat seems like a budget version of an M3/M4.
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      04-22-2020, 05:47 PM   #28
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Originally Posted by ccxcv23 View Post
Thank you for your input - I think there is a misunderstanding when I brought up maintenance, I think the crux of the issue for me is, I don't want random issues to come up which ends up costing me like thousands of dollars, normal maintenance with spark plugs and that cost I certainly think it's worth it. But I've never worked on a car before and do not own a garage and after some extensive research, I know that BMW is notorious for their oil gasket problems. I just wouldn't know how much that would cost me out of pocket to fix and I'm scared that one problem after another would cost me an upward of $10,000's of dollars to fix.

Also I will take into your consideration of the 340i, but I personally like the looks of the 440i (mainly because i think it looks more aggressive with the fenders) and somewhat seems like a budget version of an M3/M4.
I was exhibiting a little sarcasm due to the mixed messages I read, now that I understand, I can better answer your question. Do not get the N20/N26 (328i/428i) as these have a bad history, see the following thread: LINK. The higher the model number, the higher performance, the more expensive the repairs. That being said, the N55 (335i/435i) and the LCI models seem to be pretty good. I would look at the "High Mileage F30 Problems": LINK. This may help yet read with caution as one case does not make all BMW's suspect to the issue. The 4-series has better aerodynamic lines IMHO. I personally like the F32 Coupe and the F36 4-door coupe has that great hatchback! Good luck.

I think the 4-series is a great choice. I highly recommend you evaluate the options to ensure you get those that matter to you, it will make the vehicle so much better especially if you are keeping. Premium, Sport or M-Sport, and Lighting Package. Be willing to go the distance to get what you want. As reference, I have owned Honda's and Acura's but once I drove the BMW, I never looked back. Honda has a great product, but they do not drive as good.
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      04-23-2020, 06:01 PM   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jh_f30 View Post
I'm not sure where you get the idea that "BMWs are notorious for breaking down". Personally, I feel like this is plain false. Yes, higher end cars require diligent maintenance and that maintenance tends to cost more, whereas something like an Accord or Camry will pretty much just run even if it's neglected. Yes, BMWs do have some quirks (as do pretty much all cars) and they are known to leak oil from all sorts of places, but keeping up on regular maintenance and addressing any known issues (ie. E9x M3 rod bearings, E46 subframes, Porsche's IMS bearings) will keep most unexpected reliability issues at bay. If you treat it right, I highly doubt it'll leave you stranded somewhere or just grenade itself. That said, it comes down to your level of tolerance for maintenance and upkeep. If you want a solid commuter that you know you can get in and have it just work even if you miss a few oil changes, see the aforementioned Accord or Camry. If you're willing to take on the maintenance of a performance-aimed machine, then go for the Bimmer. "With great power comes great responsibility."
From the internet and consumer reports. BMW are high maintenance and they do break down a lot. Usually most people do not keep up with the maintenance schedule which is a lot more aggressive than Asian makes. Plus BMW seems to produce parts made to fail at a certain age. Probably to keep you needing to buy a new car every few years.

To the OP,

Check out infiniti Q60's and Q50's. They are very nice cars that should fit your budget.

Last edited by Randy Johnson; 05-08-2020 at 01:58 PM..
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