BMW ownership??

Dale DeSteno · 11-23-02, 06:34

Hey all you Beemer owners out there....is it expensive to own a BMW? Like if your brakes need replacement, it is pretty much the same price as a american car or a japanese car or is it considerably more?? Just wondering that sort of thing......

Thanks!

drd

LowTech · 11-23-02, 07:03

Is it expensive? I guess that depends on a few things.

First, New? or Used? For a new BMW, maintenance is next to nothing...new Bimmers offer full maintenance (FM) for 4 years or 50,000 miles over and above the warranty. I have not encountered anything this does not cover.

Used offers a CPO certified pre-owned plan that covers most major stuff. The unused portion of the full maintenance is also transferable to a new owner. I don't have first hand experience with pre-owned yet. I only keep my vehicles 1-3 years, usually only about two years. But I have heard good things.

Those two things (FM and CPO) mitigate your financial exposure. That said, once the car is out of full maintenance, expect to pay a *bit* more, but not a huge amount more, for routine stuff such as brakes, mufflers. I like my dealer's service department and under full maintenance have no reason to go elsewhere. But other owners find third party garages, often specialiing in BMW, MB, and Audi, that are considerably cheaper than dealers.

What model are you thinking of buying?

Dale DeSteno · 11-23-02, 07:18

thanks for the quick reply...

maybe a mid 90's 5-series....just kinda toying with it for now....maybe more seriously in the spring or summer......!

billium · 11-23-02, 07:48

Dale,

I owned a new BMW 330 CI. Ordered it new. I owned the car less than 6 months. I wasn't overly impressed with the car and much less so with my local dealership.

As LowTech pointed out, all scheduled maintenance for the first years is included in the purchase price. My problem was that the maintenance schedule had unacceptably long intervals between oil changes, etc. I ended up paying to have normal oil & filters changes done more often. And yes, it was more expensive than the cost at domestic or asian auto dealers. For specifics, call your local BMW dealers and ask for hourly mechanic rates along with 24,000 or 36,000 mile maintenance costs.

Before you buy a BMW I would strongly recommend you join BMW Car Club of America. The membership fee is nominal and you will receive their monthly publication of "Roundel". It is a great publication and you will find dozens and dozens of letters from BMW owner's, both praising and condeming the cars, and dealers. I'm not sure if you can purchase past issues, but if available, I'd recommend you buy three or four of the most recent issues and then read cover to cover.

Just my opinion.

Bill

Deemo · 11-23-02, 08:47

I have had two BMW's to date.
I was so impressed with the handling of the first I bought a newer one for more hp.
More expensive? Compared to what?
The BMW has a larger oil capacity so oil and filters are more expensive due to volume. I did know the numbers but I can't recall right now. Also, newer ones are synthetic so that also adds to the cost once off the maintenance warrenty.
Brakes pads are larger due to performance so they can be more expensive as well.
Parts are obviously imported mainly from Germany so that can add as well.
All in the cost aren't excessive but what one would expect from owning a high performance vehicle.
I haven't had ANY problems with the car at all and I love it.
It is hard to put a dollar factor on the fun of driving it.
Biggest thrill is taking what is typically a tedious daily commute and turning into something I actually look farward to now.
Good luck!

djf1 · 11-25-02, 07:43

I own a 98 M3 which has very low miles on and I'm very pleased with the car. The handling, poise,comfort are wonderfull. The car has been very reliable so far changing only the necessary fluids etc. If you are looking at dealer service I'm afraid that you are going to have to pay for it. The solution is like I do take it to a good BMW mechanic for service and do some DIY maintenance. For example changing the oil on my bimmer is an easy job even for a ten year old kid...

bizzy928 · 11-25-02, 09:01

My friend has a 98 (i think) 328i Coupe...

They bought it used two years ago and just this past weekend during the first snow storm, it broke down. I've yet to ask her what the problem was, but it was something big. (Not a dead bat...) I'll ask and get back to you.

You should join some Bimmer forums, they have everything you need there.

If you are worried about reliability. You should really consder a Lexus. A GS400 can be compared to the 5 Series. The Lexus is far more reliable than a Bimmer. I speak from JD Reports and from my own experience. (They just released a new report saying Lexus was on top again.) I'm sure if you test drive a GS, it will feel like new and you will love it.

jcattarulla · 11-25-02, 10:15

DALE-
I own a 325ci. I bought it CPO (cert pre-owned from Open Road BMW in Edison, NJ, who is the #1 BMW CPO dealer in North America).
I got mine with 4k miles on it, 4 months old. Cost me about $4,000 less than brand new. With the CPO warrantee, it's better than a new car: I am completely covered for 7 years or 100,000 miles. Original warrantee is 4 yrs, 50k.
And all SCHEDULED maintenance is covered: all oil changes, tire rotation, tune ups at 15k, 30k, 50k. For another $300 I can get all service covered for another 2 years.
So to me, no, it's less expensive to own than any car I've ever had. And my insurance is lower too because of all the safety features. Talk to your agent to see how that can save you money, too.
My recommendation: buy a CPO from an authorized BMW dealer. Look for one that's less than 1 yr. old with low miles. Go for it- I tend to think BMW offers the best value on the road.
Good Luck!
John

DETAILKING · 11-25-02, 11:06

2001 Steel Grey 325i

I have full maintainance for 3 yrs 36K miles. Basically this covers about 2-3 oil changes since BMW scheduled intervals are 12-15K miles. I have stuck to these intervals and so far so good. They use synthetic oil and quality filters so its lifetime is much longer than conventional oils. If you wanted to pay for an oil change on your own in between these long intervals, I think my dealership charges around 50-60 bucks.

Parts are expensive and Labor is even more expensive compared to american counterparts. BMW's are known to be reliable but still suffer from basic repairs like power window failures,etc,etc. These can add up quickly and be very expensive to repair. Brakes are expensive as well since they also change the rotors along with the pads on a typical brake job.

If you are buying new....go for it....with the included mainainance and long warranty it wont cost you much if anything out of pocket for a few years at least. If you are buying used, I would get a certifed car from a dealer. If you get one from a private sale that is out of warranty, it could potentially cost you a lot of bread....

Hope this helps.......

DK

<img src=http://www.fototime.com/13CD77BF4138434/standard.jpg>[/url]>

Dale DeSteno · 11-25-02, 11:10

Quote:

If you are worried about reliability. You should really consder a Lexus. A GS400 can be compared to the 5 Series. The Lexus is far more reliable than a Bimmer.

Thats kinda what I have been thinking lately now too. I have been around Toyotas my whole life and I know that they are all about reliablity. Bimmers are just so friggin' sporty tho. Who knows...I am trying to not think to seriously about it until spring (mostly to see what the economy is going to do---I am a recruiter, and if companies aren't hiring, I am not eating....!)

jcattarulla · 11-25-02, 11:26

DALE:
I wanted a BMW all my life. But when it came time to buy a new car, I bought a Grand Cherokee, thinking it'd be more practical bcs of it's size, etc.
Every time I saw a BMW, I sighed. I made the wrong choice. So I traded the Grand Cherokee in for the BMW, and I've been happy as a clam ever since. I think a BMW is a helluva practival car.

Consumer Reports:
-3 Series: the "nearly ideal blend of sportiness, comfort, luxury, and safety."
-5 Series: "the highest rated car we have EVER tested"

Bottom line: If you buy a BMW, you will never regret it.
John

Deemo · 11-25-02, 03:25

Quote:

Originally posted by jcattarulla
DALE:
I wanted a BMW all my life. But when it came time to buy a new car, I bought a Grand Cherokee, thinking it'd be more practical bcs of it's size, etc.
Every time I saw a BMW, I sighed. I made the wrong choice. So I traded the Grand Cherokee in for the BMW, and I've been happy as a clam ever since. I think a BMW is a helluva practival car.

Consumer Reports:
-3 Series: the "nearly ideal blend of sportiness, comfort, luxury, and safety."
-5 Series: "the highest rated car we have EVER tested"

Bottom line: If you buy a BMW, you will never regret it.
John

Couldn't have said it better myself!