Lord, I hate car buying (used BMW related)

[Timberridge]

Everybody has a "friend" who's had trouble of some sort with a particular brand of car it seems.

[MarcusBrody]

For most people, I would say it's not a great idea, but it depends on your wife's patience and sense of humor. If something were to go wrong, how much would it piss her off?

I drive an even older BMW - a 1998 318ti, which was BMW's attempt to go downmarket. It's sometimes a pain. Fluids need to be topped up. I've had to hose clamp some exhaust stuff as the hangers are worn. I currently don't have the passenger side door panel in the car as the window fell out multiple times and I'd have to fix it. It has been ok since I actually replaced the slider clip, but I'm suspicious so it remains uninstalled.

But it doesn't stress me. We have another car I can drive if necessary and if all else failed, I can just bike to work. It's super fun to drive with the direct steering, underpowered but revvy engine, and stick. When we moved cross country, I sold a fundamentally reliable Honda Fit and kept the old BMW.

[ex-powderbroker]

yeah so not to beat a dead horse but everyone is hammering the same point. my brother has a 330ix. it’s barely been in the shop. i have an 08 a4 i bought with low miles. when it’s gone up on a lift it’s been expensive, but still less than buying a 16 would have been. there’s luck involved and you have to figure out your own calculus for risk. i guess it helps to already have a mechanic you trust though.

[shirk]

2006 German built Mercedes W211 wagon is magnitudes better in every way than that American built X class

Particular vehicle in question was build in the same Magna Steyr plant as the W211 4matic's. So uh not an American build X class.

You guys actually do any research?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Steyr#Past_models

[Timberridge]

I can't speak to the X3 but with British cars the breakdowns are part of the charm and provide an owner stories to tell by the fireside.

[exsparky]

I saw an early 80's Porsche 911 parked at a meter in San Francisco.

That was the most hammered dog sheet car I have ever seen. I wouldn't have believed it was running if it hadn't been parked in front of a meter with money in it.

The door panels were gone, the dash hacked to nothing. The side mirrors were gone, the passenger seat was a rotted wire frame and drivers wasn't much better but some clown was still driving that thing.

Anything is possible... take the dash out if the lights bother you.

[Timberridge]

^^Same thing happens if you park a car in the Bronx. They can pull it apart in like 30 mins.

[XXX-er]

do things go better if you make a deal with the devil ?

[exsparky]

do things go better if you make a deal with the devil ?

He has been easier to get along with than my wife.

[BmillsSkier]

I can't speak to the X3 but with British cars the breakdowns are part of the charm and provide an owner stories to tell by the fireside.

It’s not the destination. It’s the journey there.

And the walk back.

[XXX-er]

back in the day pumping gas a guy comes in who shows interest in my brothers in-laws morgan,

he is driving an old MG with the fenders, comes into the office to get a ph # walks out to his MG,

the tire was flat ... so british

[54-46]

Had an 07 X3 3.0si (255 hp). No troubles (except for peeling steering wheel) until about 90K.

OP - How many miles per year will it be driven?

[Core Shot]

The only people driving 15 yr old Mercedes's by me are Indian dudes. I'm not sure if they live in their mom's basements though.

I hope they have the AMG shifter

[BS720]

I was looking at an S63 a while back, and consulted my AMG-owning dad. He had a guy that was an AMG magician, honest and reasonable(YMMV), and suggested first figuring out where I'd have it serviced. A co-worker had an indie German shop nearby that seemed honest, and I checked them out for labor. Then I bought another Toyota.

[splat]

Saw an Aston Martin today. Fuuuuuuuuuck.

[dannynoonan]

I'd drop some coin on a mid 90s e38 or some similar vintage n construction, with 150k loooong before a mid aughts x3 with any miles. You know how dog years work, yeah? Compared to the Toyotas you know, BMW miles work the same way. Newer shit will absolutely not be your friend if you have a history of dirtbaggery. And for a dirtbag, 2006 counts as new.

[BmillsSkier]

Anyone know how Andrew's AMG Sonata worked out?

[Timberridge]

Anybody active on the AMG forums who could do a virtual house check on Drew? I kinda miss him and his mom posting here.

[The Tortoise]

OP - How many miles per year will it be driven?

This is a good point.

If you're putting on 20+k miles per year look at a Toyota or equivalent.

If significantly less the X3 might make sense.

[Percy Rideout]

From someone who has been down this road before (twice): don't do it unless you are willing to budget $2000-3000/year for repairs and ready to deal with issues that range from mildly annoying to leaving you stranded. My anecdotal highlights:

2007 328xi wagon, owned from 2010-2014 (just off a lease with 25K miles, must be like new!) - odd transmission leak; total water pump failure on I70 that left us stranded; door lock system failure that locked our toddler in the car; two window actuator replacements; recurring alignment issues and irregular tire wear; and probably some other stuff I'm forgetting. I mistakenly did the math about two years into ownership and realized we would have been better off buying new.

2003 X5, owned from 2016-18. About 65K miles on this when I bought this dirt cheap from a family member (so cheap, how could I go wrong?) - various sensors required replacement; engine randomly stalling and/or going into limp mode while driving; all four window actuators crapped out at different times (to be clear, when these fail the window collapses open and can't be closed); rear hatch rattle that couldn't be improved; dash lights and display failures in various ways. The AC totally crapped out while my wife and I were driving to trade it in on a hot summer day and we just laughed.

Yes, super fun cars to drive and awesome in the snow (especially the wagon). But you've gotta be ready for the tradeoffs....

Jesus thanks for reminding me to not but BMW.

[splat]

When I bought a 325i long ago, I asked a Beamer freak buddy about it and he said to always make sure you buy a model that's been in production for three or four years so all the flaws that manifest over each year it's been on the road have been fixed.

[AdironRider]

Saw an Aston Martin today. Fuuuuuuuuuck.

A mid 2000’s V8 Vantage with the 6 speed is my mid life crisis car. I don’t care what it costs.

[BmillsSkier]

From someone who has been down this road before (twice): don't do it unless you are willing to budget $2000-3000/year for repairs and ready to deal with issues that range from mildly annoying to leaving you stranded. My anecdotal highlights:

2007 328xi wagon, owned from 2010-2014 (just off a lease with 25K miles, must be like new!) - odd transmission leak; total water pump failure on I70 that left us stranded; door lock system failure that locked our toddler in the car; two window actuator replacements; recurring alignment issues and irregular tire wear; and probably some other stuff I'm forgetting. I mistakenly did the math about two years into ownership and realized we would have been better off buying new.

2003 X5, owned from 2016-18. About 65K miles on this when I bought this dirt cheap from a family member (so cheap, how could I go wrong?) - various sensors required replacement; engine randomly stalling and/or going into limp mode while driving; all four window actuators crapped out at different times (to be clear, when these fail the window collapses open and can't be closed); rear hatch rattle that couldn't be improved; dash lights and display failures in various ways. The AC totally crapped out while my wife and I were driving to trade it in on a hot summer day and we just laughed.

Yes, super fun cars to drive and awesome in the snow (especially the wagon). But you've gotta be ready for the tradeoffs....

Hello friend, looks like we’ve traveled some of the same roads.

We got burnt by not one but three X5s (06, 11, 13) to the point BMW took pity on us and bought the brand new 13 back when it went into limp mode at highway speeds with our newborn in the car.

I’ve posted about the journey somewhere here before. It takes a thick skull to sign up for that ride three times.

[Timberridge]

A mid 2000’s V8 Vantage with the 6 speed is my mid life crisis car. I don’t care what it costs.

I have a neighbor, a plastic surgeon, who bid on and won a week in an Aston Martin at a local charity auction. The car, it was a Vantage circa 2018, was donated by the the local Aston Martin dealer and probably a demo because it had ~1000 miles on it.

Anyway, he pulls into my driveway and asks if I want a ride. That sounds fun to me so I hop in. Now the roads around here are a bit bumpy. The Aston is a bit stiff, and by the end of the ride the wood inlay piece on the glove compartment has become unglued and is now in my lap. But it makes a hell of a noise in sport or race mode, or whatever the fuck its called. Sings like an opera star when you boost the throttle. I actually think the exhaust is tuned so you don't hear all the rattles and stuff falling off.

I will maintain this opinion until proved otherwise: the Brits build cars with best engines and transmissions and they don't generally look too bad either. I'll also give them points for putting double wishbone suspensions in everything, but holy hell when it comes to electronics and things that get glued or screwed onto the car, they can really fuck it up.

[canyonrider]

Hello friend, looks like we’ve traveled some of the same roads.

We got burnt by not one but three X5s (06, 11, 13) to the point BMW took pity on us and bought the brand new 13 back when it went into limp mode at highway speeds with our newborn in the car.

I’ve posted about the journey somewhere here before. It takes a thick skull to sign up for that ride three times.

Kudos to you, sir. This same thick-headedness is why I can occasionally be found perusing the internet for a 3-series wagon with a manual, until threads like this snap me back to reality.