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That statement holds true for any make, not just BMW...
Rule # 2: Never buy or keep a BMW after the warranty (or extended warranty) runs out. They are WONDERFUL automobiles....until yu have to fix one. I have owned 11 of them...never one after the warranty period (or it's extension) as in a CPO car or two tht were part of my collection. My total cost to repair has been $0 for all eleven cars (not including tires, state inspections and oil). I have never had one longer than the warranty period and (before you think I am a total nut case) the cost to replace the car (depreciation) is generally less than the anticipated overall repair costs. And the new car smell just can't be beat.
I went through 3 HPFPs on my 2008 335XI which caused lots of angst but NO MONEY. BMW ate the costs and, finally, the Car itself.
Pretty much agree.
Never buy or keep a BMW after the warranty (or extended warranty) runs out.
Don't agree. I have an '01 330i purchased new in June of that year, which means that the factory warranty ran out in June, 2005. Never bought an extended warranty - EWs are for people who can't manage their finances, which has never been my problem.
IOW, my car has been out of warranty for 5 1/2 years. During that time, I've had one major repair - a control arm had to be replaced at a cost of $1200. This was my fault; I wasn't paying attention & drove into the biggest pothole on the East Coast. I doubt that an EW would have paid for this in any case.
Figure it out. The cost of keeping my 330i after the warranty ran out amounts to $18.18 per month. I spend more than that in a week at Starbucks.
I've done the math. In the long haul, it's cheaper to buy what you like, take good care of it & drive it until the wheels come off. If you're not a DIY guy - I'm not, unfortunately - don't go back to the dealer after the factory warranty expires. Find a good independent mechanic instead.
If you follow your own rule #1, you'll find that rule #2 doesn't apply. A 328i equipped, as God intends, with a stick will do 0 to 60 in a hair over 6 seconds. That's plenty fast enough for a good time. You'll save a few thousand up front & you'll also save on repair costs in later years. That's win-win, if you ask me.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
Why??
I bought my first turbo car 10 years ago. It was the best car I've ever owned. I've now had 5 and never a problem with any of them related to the turbo.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
On the other hand, not everyone (me, for instance) likes the way a turbo car responds---some prefer supercharging. And that's a legit concern IMO, although a subjective one.
I'll take a sweet BMW inline-6, normally aspirated... any day..
Turbos have their place... I just see better options...
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Turbos, in my humble opinion, work best on V-type engines, in pairs, and on higher displacement engines. For smaller displacement, I prefer a supercharger, because it gives a better low end power to relatively torque-less engines. If you ain't got displacement, you ain't got torque...they go hand in hand.
BMW was one of the "turbo pioneers" for passenger car use, so I think they know what they're doing.
But yeah, BMW is also known for their engines---that's what they do better than just about anybody--it is their forte.
I also don't know about the general statement that it is better suited to V-type engines. I think any Toyota 2JZ owner would have to disagree.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
Maybe I just like the *whine* of a supercharger, and that it's not so peaky. On a FWD car with gobs of power, turbos can get a bit ornery to drive skillfully.
Hmmm, all else being equal, I'd much rather have a 300 HP twin turbo 3.0 liter over a 330 HP normally aspirated 3.2 liter engine. Why? Because the 3.0 liter turbo will suck the doors off the larger engine unless both happen to already be at full boil.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
If I really need to be that fast, I can just get a Z06 (NA, there.. too)
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The BMW mechanic I go to for my wife's X5 told me the same thing. If I want to save money on long term maintenance, I should get the 328i.
My '07 335i has almost 49K miles. I have been told that the turbos can start having problems before 100K miles. I'm not sure how true that is. So far I have had the HPFP replaced, the rear brakes replaced because they were making a noise when turning left, the A/C blower fan replaced because it was making a noise when turning right, and 3-4 other things that were broken or leaking. Not exactly a stellar example of reliability for less than 50K miles. All of this was covered under warranty so I'm not complaining too much, but I had a much better experience with the Acura I owned years ago.... and a worse experience with my Jeep GC.
I guess the HPFP problem is related to the turbos and maybe the brakes too since they are bigger/different from those of the 328i. The bigger factor might be that '07 was the year that BMW first introduced the twin turbo engine and the HPFP and squeaky brakes are the initial gremlins. I hope a 2011 335i doesn't have these problems. As for the other things that were broken or leaking, well, I guess I should expect that with a non-turbo bmw as well.
My personal impression at this point is that if I want a reliable BMW my best bet is to get a non-turbo version late in the model cycle. A 2011 328i is probably a good bet. And I am sorry to say this, but I think a better bet for reliability is to buy an Acura, Lexus, etc.
You didn't mention any turbo's needing replacement...
Finally, don't have it checked out by just "a mechanic"; find someone who KNOWS BMWs.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
52k miles. Dealer suggested sway bar bushings but said it wasn't necessary?
With the exception of my expansion tank blowing out when the temperature here in Pittsburgh dropped to 4 degrees in December, I have had no problems - my mechanic was able to swap out the expansion tank, add coolant and bleed the system within 15 minutes of me bringing my car in.
Plans for March when he takes my snow tires off? Engine Mounts, checking the intake boot for any tears, inspecting the driveline for any damage thanks to potholes, and either an Auto Trans Fluid change or a new radiator (preventatively).
roadburner - At 84,000 miles have I missed the window for doing a trans fluid change? I would hate to cause the failure of my transmission for having it changed at a point later than I should.
Do you get the noise when the front end goes over the bumps, or the back end?
There are a lot of different opinions on that. I had a drain and fill(no filter change) performed on my wife's 528iA at 100,000 miles and the lady we sold it to now has close to 200,000 miles on it with no issues. That said, more than a few techs say leave it alone if it if the ATF wasn't changed prior to 60,000 miles. I'd probably roll the dice and change it- but with the understanding that I'd be chancing a premature failure.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
1) The accident wasn't even remotely severe enough to cause air-bag deployment, and
2) once the skins of your car have been replaced and repainted, there will be zero change in how the car rides and handles.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I would buy a RWD stick to maximize my driving pleasure and remove two potential expensive repairs in the bargain- although I would be extremely surprised if the automatic or the transfer case died before 150,000 miles.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
Maybe, but I would say the jury is still out on the HPFP "fix". Many owners will tell you they have heard the issue was fixed many times, only to have it resurface. There have been many generations of "fixed" HPFP's to date...
Note that I said "seems"- in any event, my comment was based on information from inside BMW NA, BMW SAs, and tech people outside of BMW. As you know, the recall also includes testing the injectors as well as software revisions. It's also well known that the majority of cars have never suffered HPFP failure while others are on their fourth or fifth HPFP. So yes, There have been prior "fixes"- but the latest fix seems to have worked.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
The problem has been continuing for over 4 years now. Now, immediately after a network news expose' showing the issue over national network TV, an immediate fix/recall was announced.
That might be good enough for some, but before I dropped 50+ Large on a new 335, I would want a little more evidence showing the fix is indeed a "fix".
This is not the small, insignificant issue that some would like to believe.
BTW, I own 3 BMW products... A MINI convertible, Z4 Coupe and a 328I convertible, so I am definitely not anti-BMW...
I disagree with your conclusion, simply because the fix hasn't seen enough real-time & real-world testing.
It may indeed be the permanent fix, but for a company that has denied the issue for 4+ years to then state its been fixed simply isn't good enough for me personally.
And, yes, while the majority of owners may not have experienced the problems, what would you say would be an acceptable number?
1 out of 100? 2,3, 5 or 10 out of 100? That's still not a majority.
Do you know how many different versions of HPFP's have been involved?
If YOU have one of the 1,2,3, 5 or 10, then you would most likely feel its a much larger issue.
I would...
I would...
Well, I'm currently considering the purchase of a 335i, so I guess you could say I'm willing to back up my words with action.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive