Is It Expensive?

[matty231 1]

Hey,

If I get a 328i 1995, would it be relitavely more expensive to repair than Subarus, Honda etc? It done 160k.

Thanks!

[greenday-rulz21 6]

It depends what goes wrong.

Remember when something goes wrong you can get second hand parts from wreckers, usually at a very reasonable price. But new dealer prices would be more expensive IMO.

I'm certainly not made of money and my '99 323 thats done comparable km's hasn't cost me a fortune at all. It all comes down to how the car has been looked after.

[matty231 1]

It depends what goes wrong.

Remember when something goes wrong you can get second hand parts from wreckers, usually at a very reasonable price. But new dealer prices would be more expensive IMO.

I'm certainly not made of money and my '99 323 thats done comparable km's hasn't cost me a fortune at all. It all comes down to how the car has been looked after.

Uhhh okay, I see. So the best bet is to look after and keep it running well and it should go forever. My Grandad has a 520i and his window motor cost $1000 bucks and my Nana is saying you're better going for a Jap car but of course BMW is the ultimate.

[greenday-rulz21 6]

Uhhh okay, I see. So the best bet is to look after and keep it running well and it should go forever. My Grandad has a 520i and his window motor cost $1000 bucks and my Nana is saying you're better going for a Jap car but of course BMW is the ultimate.

Get a car that has been looked after by the previous owners. Its usually pretty obvious it has or not. While you'll pay more for a nice example, it should cause less trouble in the long run.

If you've ever looked on trade me in the BMW parts section, window motors, as an example, can be found for $100. Ray @ HellBM has very reasonable prices for almost any part. I was advised by my mother to get a Toyota, but ended up with a bimmer and have not payed any more than her for maintenance since I've had it.

I wouldn't have a clue what a service would cost for a toyota @ a toyota dealership but thats probably one area which could cost more if you get it serviced at BMW. If you're mechanically minded you should be able to do some service stuff. Oil change, filters, etc. on a regular basis and you should be fine. Always use what is recommended by BMW and not what some kid down at supercheap says.

[Mark 178]

Comparatively; BMW's are more expensive to repair than their Jap counterparts. If you're handy with a set of tools you can do a lot of maintenance yourself... if not I would advise you to buy a mechanical warranty with your car.

For example a few things that went wrong with my 325i in the time that I owned it.

Fuel pump failed on a trip to Hokitika: COST: $800 COST WITH WARRANTY: $250

Water pump noisy, replaced with steel impeller version: COST: $550 COST WITH WARRANTY: $250

Auto transmission overhaul: COST: $1250 COST WITH WARRANTY: $300 (excess + fluids)

Driveshaft universal joints seized: COST: $450 COST WITH WARRANTY: $250

The main thing with Beemers is to NEVER skip maintenance... I know of a girl who drove her Honda for nearly 3 years without changing the oil... you do that in a BMW and you're asking for trouble! Do your research on these cars before diving into a purchase, it will pay off in the long run.

Good luck!

[bimmer boy 21]

Uhhh okay, I see. So the best bet is to look after and keep it running well and it should go forever. My Grandad has a 520i and his window motor cost $1000 bucks and my Nana is saying you're better going for a Jap car but of course BMW is the ultimate.

It sounds like your nana has had one too many gins. I dont think they cost more to fix than any japanese car, even when buying new OEM gear. As Nick has said there are a lot of wreckers to get bits and piece from for dirt cheap.

[matty231 1]

It sounds like your nana has had one too many gins. I dont think they cost more to fix than any japanese car, even when buying new OEM gear. As Nick has said there are a lot of wreckers to get bits and piece from for dirt cheap.

HAHA you've guessed it lol, Gin's here fav. Yea, so wreckers are probably a good option than new parts (if they're in good cond.)

[sugarfree 5]

im driving a jap.

totally agree if what's involved to be fixed. and agree that the sevice cost will depend on how bad the broken thing is. if you keep ur maintenance up to date, then u will see the car can serve u with not much trouble... except if u got a troubled one already.

anyway, this is my personal view. a beemer will be more expensive marginally. why? because japanese spareparts are widely available and they are cheap (especially 2nd hand). services are relatively cheap due to not much electronic involved. but newer generation japanese cars are so sophisticated, in the end of the day they will be the same. but if u choose older cars, like mid 90s model.

but yea, if you wanna buy a car, just pick one that rock ur boat.

[bravo 35]

Picking the right car in the first place is the most important factor. A well maintained bimmer will give cheaper use than a poorly maintained jappa, but parts (and sometimes servicing) are often cheaper for jap cars as previously discussed. Esp. aftermarket. My friend got fully adjustable coil overs (forget brand, but they were good) for the same price as my non-adjustable Bilsteins after I had them revalved. So thats struts, springs and shaocks for a coil over setup for the same money as a set of new Bilstein shocks with a few hundred dollars worth of customisation on top.

Similarly, a racing 5-puk clutch with uprated pressure plate for say, an r32 skyline is not much more than an oem BMW one. Double the cost for the BMW equivalent (or more).

It's probably a symptom of sales volume and supply/demand.

But OEM parts for repairs are quite comparable, esp if you shop around.

[CamB 48]

Similarly, a racing 5-puk clutch with uprated pressure plate for say, an r32 skyline is not much more than an oem BMW one. Double the cost for the BMW equivalent (or more).

FWIW, the six puk racing clutch for my race car, with uprated pressure plate, was only slightly more than an OEM BMW clutch too. Its 228mm diameter, so similar to an M20 one.

On-topic... I would agree totally with the comments on regular maintenance, and would add its very helpful to find someone who knows how to troubleshoot any problems with the car quickly/accurately (ie a BMW specialist).

But not the dealer. They charge too much and (in my experience) don't especially care about older models.

[kiwi328i 118]

Hey,

If I get a 328i 1995, would it be relitavely more expensive to repair than Subarus, Honda etc? It done 160k.

Thanks!

Did you buy it?

You havent mentioned the maintenance history on the vehicle. At those kays, it may have had the usual suspects replaced? It may not have, and in that case it should bear heavily on your buying decision. Thats the rational thought, the other more realistic one is if you want something bad enough you will want it regardless.

I just bought one recently and I am slowly doing the usual suspects as I do with all of my cars. I had a peugeot prior to this and the parts for the 328i are not a world away from those prices. I have also had a toyota, an alas whilst the prices are cheaper...I still end up with a Toyota, however reliable, I would have to spend thousands more to make it a Beemer..If that was at all possible (not). Look at it that way

People who own Beemers tend to cherish their vehicles and wane on about them all the time, even creating profiles and talkin about them on forums....much like this one. I find this forum incredibly informative even by international standards and it sure makes BMW ownership a more plausible and favourable proposition. That may do nothing for you but there it is... from me, I cant speak for anyone else.

I have not introduced myself on the introduction thingy yet as I want to complete a couple of more things before I post pics. Unfortunately one thing that is daunting about bmw ownership is the unreal quality of some of the vehicles in this country are comparable to anywhere, I will make sure my pics have a beautiful background and the focus is a little blurred with some photchopped 20" foose's or something.lol.

Oh yeah, the other things that people dont tend to go on about, If you cant get/afford full insurance I wouldnt bother, these cars can kill you financially, they were also the third most popular stolen car (last year I think, maybe this year), lets just say they are popular.e.g. I replaced a cracked windscreen via insurance recently and it was a relatively painless excercise, I shudder to think of the crap of doing it myself, a mechanic, secondhand or via the stealer to be honest, then theres the downtime and sourcing of parts.blah blah

Sounds like I am being negative, sorry, I have owned many cars, my brother is a mechanic and I love messin with them, the bmw is more challenging than most, but its also the most rewarding. As soon as you understand you will never get your money back on any car anyway however you look at it. If you can buy it...get it!

Remember though, you are considering buying a BMW. Dont compare the costs to other previously owned cars like subies and hondas etc as its silly really. People who buy beemers, compare them to Audi and Mercs etc etc. I did and it was the number of them on and off the road that convinced me in addition to the quality of the car itself. i.e secondhand parts price and availibility and "culture" which brings information and understanding. Those things save you a tonne of cash. And is why bmw ownership is now envelopes a larger demographic than ever, most people at the bottom end cant afford to maintain them or at the upper end they move into better beemers. Just generalising here, esp as I dont fit either of those

[BLACK DORIS 9]

Just read Gannetboys post here about warrenties.

Is that through dealerships or poss for private sales as well?

Apoligies in advance if this is already covered here somewhere else, or a plain stoopid question...

p.s. if through an insurer anybody know who has the best rate/cover?

cheers.

[kiwijoe79 0]

Just read Gannetboys post here about warrenties.

Is that through dealerships or poss for private sales as well?

Apoligies in advance if this is already covered here somewhere else, or a plain stoopid question...

p.s. if through an insurer anybody know who has the best rate/cover?

cheers.

Look at the website for Autosure, they are the best, not the cheapest, but the best to deal with, no trouble with claims compared to others, im not sure if you can get them direct, but AA used to sell Autosure/vero policies

[BLACK DORIS 9]

cheers,

sorry for the tangent matty231!

[bimmer boy 21]

Remember though, you are considering buying a BMW. Dont compare the costs to other previously owned cars like subies and hondas etc as its silly really. People who buy beemers, compare them to Audi and Mercs etc etc. I did and it was the number of them on and off the road that convinced me in addition to the quality of the car itself. i.e secondhand parts price and availibility and "culture" which brings information and understanding. Those things save you a tonne of cash. And is why bmw ownership is now envelopes a larger demographic than ever, most people at the bottom end cant afford to maintain them or at the upper end they move into better beemers. Just generalising here, esp as I dont fit either of those

I agree, you cant really compare apples with oranges. As I dont think you can compare a BMW to a Mitsubishi for example, they just arnt the same breed of car.

As everyone who has stated above the history of the car is important, as well as the condition of the car when you go to see it, even the condition of the paint and how well they keep the car can also be a genral indication of thoughrough the owner must be with the rest of the stuff.

My advice would be to take your time, the E36 shape you are after are pleantiful and there are a lot of good ones, so look at a whole range, maybe even a bad one just to give you some perspective on whole to judge the good ones. You can be very fussy if you want, I think I looked at about 6 E36's before I settled with my one. I will admitt when you look at them you see a few flaws and you sometimes are like hmmm I guess its not that bad I could learn to live with that but I guess that was just me gagging to get into a new car haha.

So yeah find a minter, with a decent sized engine (something I wish I did!) and have it checked out throughroughly make sure there arnt too many little dents or scratches, they start to piss you off after a while!