Is BMW a good choice?

Clearly you need a zr1 corvette 680 hp I'll deff agree the German cars are fancier but American and Japanese break the least are the easiest to maintain cheapest parts I knew a guy with a 80s gmc with 450k miles all original motor and tranny. Given it has terrible handling and you have to take corners at 20mph the same you would in a honda at 70
 
I don't know. I come from having sportbiking as a hobby and having done track days for a good ten years. Leaning into a corkscrew or hammering down a 20 foot drop on the track doing 80 or even 160 on the highway could get my adrenaline pumping. Driving a car is just meh. Gets me from point A to B and that's it. So I always look for comfort.

So the whole driving a car fast never did anything for me. Frankly I had more fun going pro karting than driving a car fast and my family had a modified Buick Grand National in its hey day it used to burn Corvettes at the drag strip in NJ.

If looking between a BMW or MB its a question of do you want that little bit of extra go if so get the BMW. The other thing to consider is you have to drive this thing everyday. I didn't like my Benz because the seats were hard as a rock. I was thrown a deal that I thought was a steal and that's the only reason why I picked it up. Since then I have gone back to Toyota SUVs exclusively. Hauls my crap everywhere and has enough engine to get away from NY/NJ/CT/MA douche bags on the road.

These are all 2014 cockpits which one do you want to spend most of your time in?

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The most comfortable cockpit out of any cars that I have tried were from Range Rover and Infiniti. That said I would choose BMW, Lexus or MB over that Corvette cockpit anytime. Gives you space away from your wife and the kids. :D

Had to throw in the Highlander cockput look at all that room! I'd feel equally comfortable in one of the new tricked Grand Cherokee's or Explorers too.

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Everyone I know who has (or had) a BMW brags about the car, complains about the frequency and cost of maintenance, and buys something else when the BMW gets old.
 
My only BMW experience was test driving some Z3 cars when shopping for a convertible. The BMWs had more rattles in the interior and roof mechanisms than other brands like Honda and Mazda, which was too bad because I really liked the styling.

And I had to consider, "Where's the nearest BMW shop to Raton, New Mexico?"

Rich mofos. Wish I had your dilemma. Where is the poor guy crappy car thread?
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Really?? I was just thinking this thread was a nice change from all of the "Best Truck for $32.00?" topics we've had lately. :p
 
I owned a 2003 BMW 335i. I put 235,000 miles, yes, two hundred thirty five thousand miles on her. I drove close to 1200 miles a week avg 25 mpgs. I only started seeing issues once I didn't keep up with the scheduled maintenance, taking it to a mechanic outside the dealership at around 180,000 miles. Up until that point, no issues.
 
american21 said:
But what about the American muscle how do you just pass those
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:barf::barf::barf: No way, I am strictly an import only guy. Maybe I will buy an American car whenever the Big 3 steps their game up and starts making high quality cars again. Oh, and whenever they actually start making them here in the U.S. again. Although I must admit that I have a very strong attraction towards the new Dodge Challengers. Those cars are sexy! :thumbup:

In other words, thanks for all the replies guys. I am currently looking for good deals on Beamers right now. I already have a Mercedes so why not have a Beamer as well?

Best to have both worlds right? :cool:
 
i had a 2007 328 coupe. the main reason i got rid of it was due to cost to maintain it. also like another poster said after years i was getting tired of a coupe and my wife cant drive stick. i miss it and i am debating going back to a bmw. ill wait to see what the next gen 5 looks like.
 
The gripe about GM's is yes, the small block V8 will last forever, but the car will fall apart around it sometimes starting within 10,000 mile do you leaving the dealership.
american21 said:
^ agree with this guy mechanically speaking I've seen many Chevy small blocks with 300,000 plus miles if a car is gone at 100k I'd call it junk
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You will have to wait 5 years minimum because they just came out with a new 5 series a year or two ago. The new 6 series 4 door "Gran Coupe" is very nice looking but it is stoopid expensive. Base model starts at $77K
Liquidm1980 said:
i had a 2007 328 coupe. the main reason i got rid of it was due to cost to maintain it. also like another poster said after years i was getting tired of a coupe and my wife cant drive stick. i miss it and i am debating going back to a bmw. ill wait to see what the next gen 5 looks like.
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yea the grand coupe is amazing but pricey. for the price i think i would go with a m3 or m4. i saw an expected time frame of 2016. i am in no rush i got a decent trade in deal and got a 2013 legacy last year for an extra 8500.
 
I am glad all the folks here have had such good luck with their BMW's and Mercedes.

I have a very good friend who has an AMG Mercedes and has had a couple of BMWs, currently owning an X5 (big SUV but with M series appointments).

Funny thing, almost once a month he has a loaner from the BMW shop, where something is being fixed that has malfunctioned on the BMW.

He had the same experience with a 335 he had previously, he actually had loaner cars more often than he had HIS car when he visited. It became a joke, as I got to test drive several new BMW's because Jake's car was always back in the shop. Why he bought another one I'll never be able to answer, but both of his quality dependable and expensive cars are currently for sale if anyone is interested (pm me - he is moving to Europe).

I want to reply to Golnicks experience with GM cars - I have only owned GM cars for the last 26 years. I have gotten over 100k miles with all but one (I traded it in before I got there because I needed another truck). I had a 89 Firebird that had 138k miles on it and still did not use more than a quart of oil between changes. I had a 1998 Lumina that I sold with 160k miles on it , and it still purred like a kitten, used no oil and I never had any major malfunctions with it. I have a 2006 Colorado that has 101k miles on it, and it drives like new, with zero squeaks or rattles. I recently traded in a 2007 Impala SS that had 99000 miles on it and was still strong and tight, but I was tired of paying for the premium fuel that it liked to suck down, so I bought a new Malibu Eco.

Interestingly, my friend was here with a new BMW suv loaner (his was in the shop again), and we compared the interiors of the BMW and the new Malibu. The Malibu compared favorably, with french stitched details and quality feeling dash and upper door panels etc. The BMW had a M series steering wheel that was AWESOME - love that fat leather wheel. The BMW has a lot more electronic wizardry and the on-screen stuff was cool, more advanced that our Malibu. Of course the BMW is 2.5x the price and will be much less economical.

I would argue that a $90,000 dollar car damned well better be good for at least as much mileage as my 25k or less Chevys, and they should be as reliable, but that has not been my experience.

Those BMW's sure have nice leather though.

best

mqqn
 
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What about a Lexus IS-F? That thing is a beast and has Toyotas reliability. If you do get a bimmer for sure get an M3 or M5 since you had the AMG.
 
Mqqn,

I think while BMW and MB have had middle of the road general reliability ratings. It's because of certain models. The X5 is one of the bad reliability models that ranks at the bottom of its class. I was really in want of one as its a good looking machine and very standard as one of the "NJ suburb" SUVs that lots of people get until I continued with research along with Lexus' SUV model not much different than a Highlander, Acura MDX (too cramped), Audi's SUV which has not so great crash ratings. and of course the MB models. 3,5 and 7 series BMWs overall have decent reliability outside of some electrical gremlins here and there. I still rank BMW seats over MB in SUV's too, though. The MB seats feel like a massage table. I don't think this is an SUV thread though so back to the discussion.
 
cchu518 said:
Mqqn,

I think while BMW and MB have had middle of the road general reliability ratings. It's because of certain models. The X5 is one of the bad reliability models that ranks at the bottom of its class. I was really in want of one as its a good looking machine and very standard as one of the "NJ suburb" SUVs that lots of people get until I continued with research along with Lexus' SUV model not much different than a Highlander, Acura MDX (too cramped), Audi's SUV which has not so great crash ratings. and of course the MB models. 3,5 and 7 series BMWs overall have decent reliability outside of some electrical gremlins here and there. I still rank BMW seats over MB in SUV's too, though. The MB seats feel like a massage table. I don't think this is an SUV thread though so back to the discussion.
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I agree about the seats - MB leather is like what you would find on a football (at least the ones I have been in), and that means they are very durable and no doubt of high quality, but it was like sitting on a wood it was so hard. I prefer the MB dash layout and ergos, and the BMW steering wheel (if it is that cool M series).

Of note, my friend had a 335i previously, and it was even worse for having problems; the X5 has been a little less problematic.

I would also note that my friend drives like a maniac, so that does not necessarily help with reliability.

best

mqqn
 
DISCLAIMER: I value reliability and longevity over all else, and don't care about the driving experience at all. So you might want to ignore what I say, and that's fine.

I have owned 1 MB, and that was enough for me.

I'm used to putting 200 - 300K on my Hondas and Toyotas with no problems, my last truck I had 289K on it before unfortunately totalling it in an accident. I got the MB from my Dad, who drove it gently and maintained it religiously. The engine had been pulled twice for maintenance before getting to 90K miles, once for a rear main seal leak. I had to take it in for new wheel bearings at 97K, cost me $500.

I think in general the Japanese cars are built for what I value and are very easy to work on (I do almost all of my own maintenance). I've worked on VW's and MB's, and they are not built for the mechanic. They may last a long time, but you have to sink some serious $$$ into them to maintain them. I'll stick with Honda and Toyota.

YMMV.
 
What a great thread! I also used to race the 210 before it opened, what a blast from the past that was. I was too poor to afford fast enough cars in those days, so I went to motorcycles and for many years it was bikes for fun and fast, and cars for transportation.

Many years later a friend at work showed up with a used Boxster. I couldn't believe how cheap she got it, or how much fun it was to drive- she actually asked me to show her what it would do!!! Anyway, that led me to spending 2 weeks looking for the car that was the most fun to drive that I could afford.

I am now on my 3rd BMW, and can honestly say I wish I'd kept them all- a Z3 coupe (that I sold at a nice profit), an 03 ZHP, sold just before 100K, and my current 06 330i that has 140K on it and still looks, feels, and drives like new. For me the choice between MB and BMW is luxury versus performance. At least the last time I looked, MB runs heavier and much more expensive for comparable performance.

I also have had some very fast bikes, and I can say that a sporty model BMW (haven't tried the 5 series) is almost as much fun in traffic as a bike, but much more comfortable- and I can drink my coffee! I have had no unusual problems with any of the Beemers, and they only need to go in for oil every 15K or so. I did have to replace the water pump at about 120K.

As far as cost, I've usually paid about the price of a new Accord. Buying certified used gets me a 100K extended warranty and I pay somewhere around $1200 for an extended service plan. This makes my actual cost to own considerably less than the Honda. I actually thought about going back to Honda once, but a test drive quickly showed me that I was now spoiled.

I had always thought of "Beemers" as yuppy cars and for posers, but after driving everything that might be a match, they really are "the ultimate driving machine". The Porches are a notch up, but at considerably more cost, higher maintenance and much less practicality. The Corvette, for me, was just overkill for the street- like using a sledgehammer to drive a nail- awesome car, but how often can you really use that much power, and I've got 4 doors and a huge trunk in a car that doesn't seem to attract a lot of attention from the police (so I get to actually drive the piss out of it and get away with it- ever notice how may Porches and Corvettes are doing the speed limit?), so I couldn't be happier. The balance, feel, and real-world performance are just amazing for a car that doesn't ask you to make any sacrifices.

Final argument- go test drive a 335i and report back.
 
VW gti slalom tests are only a hair off Porsche just saying! Plus you get a convenientt hatch. I wish I wasnt so pragmatic about cars.lol
 
I have a 2011 335i sedan. I love it and although I change my car every 3 years, I am thinking about keeping this one.
 
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