Seductive but Risky--What's the car you want but dare not buy?

Mr_Shiftright

We've all experienced this, whether in a car showroom where we see a car and then remember all those Consumer Reports' lurid headlines--- or the YouTube videos from frustrated owners.

Some cars are like what we see on a stroll in the woods---bright red flowers or shiny leaves, with an imaginary "Do Not Touch" sign on them from Mother Nature.

Yes, you guessed it. I really like the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrofoglio. But that's not the only forbidden fruit I'd like to taste.

How about you? What's on your risk list, and why? Will you do it anyway and damn the consequences?

Michaell

I'd love to buy a CPO German sedan (3-series, A4 or C-class), and keep it for 5-7 years, but I'm terrified of the maintenance and service costs.

Mr_Shiftright

The only way to survive one of those is to get an extensive PPI before you buy and then hook up with an independent BMW or Audi shop you really really trust. This strategy at least eliminates SOME of the risk, such as upsell on repairs or buying a turkey of a car from the get-go, Then the only bullet you have to dodge is if some major component lets go.

I think it also pays to do some research before you buy to see if the make/model you're interested in has some well-known serious defect. That way you can determine if there was a "fix" done on it (if that's possible), or you can just scratch it off the list-----aha, THAT'S why those models are so cheap!

nickpmd

Michaell said:

I'd love to buy a CPO German sedan (3-series, A4 or C-class), and keep it for 5-7 years, but I'm terrified of the maintenance and service costs.

Currently suffering due to going down this path. Best avoided. I feel CPOs give a sense of security to take an additional amount of risk. I bought a CPO although I knew some work was done to fix rattling in the dashboard and I knew that the car was a loaner. Now I'm stuck with consistent rattles and buzzing from at least 5 different places, some bearable some downright ridiculous. Three dealerships have tried to fix it and issues still remain. Never ever going down this path again. It is very tempting, I know. I keep seeing amazing deals with certified Porsches but hope I make a sensible decision the next time.

Michaell

nickpmd said:

Michaell said:

I'd love to buy a CPO German sedan (3-series, A4 or C-class), and keep it for 5-7 years, but I'm terrified of the maintenance and service costs.

Currently suffering due to going down this path. Best avoided. I feel CPOs give a sense of security to take an additional amount of risk. I bought a CPO although I knew some work was done to fix rattling in the dashboard and I knew that the car was a loaner. Now I'm stuck with consistent rattles and buzzing from at least 5 different places, some bearable some downright ridiculous. Three dealerships have tried to fix it and issues still remain. Never ever going down this path again. It is very tempting, I know. I keep seeing amazing deals with certified Porsches but hope I make a sensible decision the next time.

What vehicle did you get, that is causing you all this grief?

nickpmd

Its a 2015 BMW 335. Trying to get out of it somehow. BMWNA seem very unhelpful so far. Still pursuing them for some kind of relief.

Michaell

nickpmd said:

Its a 2015 BMW 335. Trying to get out of it somehow. BMWNA seem very unhelpful so far. Still pursuing them for some kind of relief.

No lemon law relief?

nickpmd

Michaell said:

No lemon law relief?

I haven't gone through that route yet. I'm not sure this qualifies for lemon law, does it? Also, I might be out of the lemon law coverage I think. Haven't looked into this in depth though.

kyfdx

nickpmd said:

Michaell said:

No lemon law relief?

I haven't gone through that route yet. I'm not sure this qualifies for lemon law, does it? Also, I might be out of the lemon law coverage I think. Haven't looked into this in depth though.

Seems doubtful a used car will be eligible for lemon law.

But, it's under warranty... Keep taking it back and driving their loaner until it's fixed.
Getting them to buy back a used car? That'll be harder.

nickpmd

kyfdx said:

Seems doubtful a used car will be eligible for lemon law.

But, it's under warranty... Keep taking it back and driving their loaner until it's fixed.
Getting them to buy back a used car? That'll be harder.

These repairs are not eligible for loaners. They apparently give them out only when there are mechanical failures. Also, they are always out of loaners since I live in a city full of german car snobs.

I'm actually appalled by BMW's attitude. Its like they know these issues exist but there are cars with bigger issues and they don't care as much about rattles and buzzing. They try not to keep my car overnight and have always returned it the same day or the next day when I leave it in the evening.

And from my research in all the luxury car forums including Lexus, I've always seen threads where these issues never get fixed and eventually the owner will learn to live with it.

So my general advice to everyone out there is this: If you dream about experiencing nice cars, there are apps like Turo for that. Rent something for a weekend and be done with that dream. To own, buy an economy car and save money. If the economy car turns out to be a dud, it won't hurt you as much and one generally has a higher tolerance when you haven't paid for something that costs more than a kidney.

As an aside, my 2014 Ford Focus was far more pleasurable although it has been rated one of the worst in terms of reliability and also has a ongoing settlement for their transmission. I regret my decision to trade it in for a BMW (ultimate driving machine), everyday.

Yes, I'm completely aware that this probably happens to 10% of the cars, maybe even less. Completely understand the risks before making any purchase. Imagine you lose all the money, would you be fine? If you have the stomach for it, go ahead and take that risk. Its definitely not for everyone.

kyfdx

You have a crappy BMW dealer. I get a loaner when I take my 2006 model in for an oil change. Sorry to hear about your issues, though. I can imagine how frustrating that is.