How well do BMW's hold up?

[underpants]

I am looking at buying a new-to-me used car and a quick review of the local craigslist page seems to have a lot of BMW's for sale and in my price range-let's say under $10K but more like under $8K

525i
328i
740i
750IL
Are the models on the first two pages but there are more.

I haven't checked these against the Kelly Blue Book yet (from the info available) but it struck me as odd that there would be so many BMW's.

I have no great urge for a "Beamer" okay so I just hit 40 but seriously.

Is it just the market/demographic that craigslist covers?
Is there a MPG thing?

While we are at it how about VW Golf's?? Same with the German engineering thing?



http://richmond.craigslist.org/car/

[REP]

1. ...We Just Bought One

[underpants]

3. How do you put a baby seat on that thing?

Oh I see how now

[REP]

6. Actually, You Can't See In That Photo But

It does have an optional trunk!

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

12. Was that in the $8K price range?

Looks good.

[malta blue]

2. A well-mainted BMW will last forever....

My dad drives a 750IL - a newer one...but he still has a 1968 one in the garage...

[Richardo]

4. We had a 1984 533i and that car was sweet.

A standard transmission and so fun to drive. Maintenance will cost you if anything major goes wrong.

Bought it in 1991, donated it in 1997, got six great years out of it for $4,500. Finally needed some electrical work that was just too pricey to justify.

[mikeytherat]

5. I have several BMWs

They can be maintenance nightmares, or they can be easy, breezy and cheap to maintain. If this is your first BMW, I will advise you against the 750il and 740i (some 740s had issues with the cylinder sleeves and high-sulfur U.S. gas) and the 750il can get really expensive, especially the engine and various electronic doo-dads (a 750's engine is actually two inline sixes joined with a common crankshaft. Upside? One whole bank of cylinders can fail, and you can "limp home" on the other six. Downside? You have, essentially, two engines to maintain - two complete exhaust systems, etc.).

One of the best cars you could get would be a an E30 3-series (1985-1991) or E34 5-series (1989-1993). My personal recommendation would be a 1990-1991 325i coupe or sedan, or a 1992-1993 535i. These are probably two of the best modern BMW models available. Be careful, howevere, of the 540i and 530i, as certain models suffer from the sulfur-corroded cylinders exactly like the 740i.

If you have any other BMW questions, feel free to PM me. I have owned quite a few, and have been a member of the BMW Car Club of America for over a decade.

mikey_the_rat

[Sanity Claws]

7. I have a 1995 BMW, 131K miles - doing great, looking great

I bought the car new and have maintained it. It really does look very nice, even after 12 years. However, if something needs replacing or fixing, it is much pricier than the average Japanese import or domestic car.
My model - 525i automatic.

[Sanity Claws]

10. I didn't catch your question about mileage before

My car gets 17.7 miles in the city, around 28 highway. I would not buy this model today but would try to get something more fuel efficient.

[commander bunnypants]

8. Midlife crisis?

Buy a motorcycle.


CB

[pagerbear]

9. I had a 10 y.o. (at the time) 318i

Loved it. Things wear out on any 10 y.o. car, and my impression (based solely on experience and word of mouth) is that they're more expensive to replace on BMWs than on some other cars.

You can find lots of consumer feedback on BMWs of every vintage at www.cars.com, or if you google phrases like "consumer feedback used BMW".

[XNASA]

11. I too am in the market.

I need to replace my '93 Integra. It only has 79K miles, but I'm ready for something a bit more plush, to be honest.

The only $10K BMW's around here are either 10 years old or have at least 120K miles on them, so to me, they don't seem like much of a bargain. German engineering is great....but German service costs are not. If you decide on a Golf, be sure to get a GTI. The base Golf engine is a dog.

I drove a couple of RSX's this week, and so far, it's the best used car for the money. And..I've always had good luck with Acura. Both of my Integras have been very reliable cars.

But I'm leaning towards a Volvo right. Maybe a nice convertable.

Good Luck.

[underpants]

13. Thanks

I have been advised by my resident car guys

Look for
Subaru
Audi
Toyota
Honda
Nissan

Run away from
Saab

There was a 85 Volvo with 400K for sale for $1,000 that just flat out intrigued me but I don't think I am going to pull the trigger on that (plus it is probably already gone) because I will end up owning more than one car again.

[Shine]

14. MrShine has a 2000 330ci and lemme tell ya, it's a sweeeeet ride

Leather interior, GPS, the works...It's a convertible, too. :thumbsup: It's been paid off for over a year, which is nice. It's still holding up nicely. We'll have it for a loooong time, hopefully.

Downsides: foreign parts = more expensive tune-ups and repair work

also, the gas: it takes the MOST expensive gas possible. Don't get me started on that shit. :(

Ultimately, his justification for the car is that he works so damn hard everyday (he does) and he has a daily commute time of about 90min. round-trip, so he feels he deserves a nice ride.

and he does. :D


:hi: Have fun shopping! "BMW: Accept no substitute."