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Old 01-22-2005, 06:13 PM   #1
hades281
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Owning a BMW 325i/330i

Hello,

I am currently very interested in buying a late model (2002 or newer) BMW 330i or 325i to be used as a daily driver. My family has always owned American cars and of course has no experience with BMW ownership. So before I get too serious I have a few questions!

* Are BMW's more tempermental than a typical Ford or Chevrolet? Do they need service more often (scheduled and unscheduled)?

* How is BMW reliability compared to Japanese cars?

* What is the expected lifespan of a well maintained BMW? It's not real expensive to keep our cars and trucks running to 200,000+ miles and beyond. Can I expect this out of the BMW?

* How is Dealership service? Usually if we do have a problem with American cars, we dread a trip to the dealer.

I have fallen in love with the way the 3 drives, and it will suit my needs perfectly.. however for the cost I expect a vehicle that is as reliable as any Honda or Toyota, or at least as reliable as our Ford and Chevrolet products (which hasnt been bad for us).

Thanks! Stephen
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Old 01-24-2005, 05:10 PM   #2
rsn48
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Re: Owning a BMW 325i/330i

First dealers, I've been reading BMW forum's for a while and some love their dealers, others aren't so hot on the dealers. I own two Bimmers and bought them from two different dealerships here in North Vancouver and Vancouver, BC. I like them both.

Reliability - BMW's are reliable cars or they wouldn't be as popular as they are. Jags suffered from reliability problems in the past and it reflects this stastic in their popularity, which is significantly less than a Bimmer. Visually I prefer the looks of some Jags but went with a BMW because of reliability issues.

Will your BMW be as reliable as a Jap car - No. For one thing, there is more to a BMW with all its sensors, whistles and Bells, so there is more that can go wrong. For example in my "5" car, I just replaced the heated mirrors - something most Jap cars don't have.

Another example, I bought an extra FOB (key) for my son but something went wrong with the programming and the self locks didn't work with his FOB - we got it reprogrammed as part of warranty. You wouldn't have this in most Jap cars.

I own a 2002 330XI that I purchased with 14,000 kilometres on it about 4 months ago. There is still lots of warranty left on it with the extended warranty program.

I was watching one of the car shows - I think Car and Driver - and they had stacked up cars against the 3 series to see if the 3 could be challenged. I was slightly put out by the program as the 3 came in second, the reason was because of power issues. All the other cars were top of the line, and for the 3 series they used a 325i instead of a 330. But this is important. The announcer said as he got into the car that the 3 was the car that defined sports driving in a sedan, all the other cars in the past couldn't come close. He said even if you don't purchase a 3, you should drive one to experience one of the best driving cars in the world - the one that set the benchmark. Need you hear more?

The 3 is an incredible drive, especially the 330, lots of respectable power, great lines to the car, a good interior, and lots of whistles and bells if you are so bent. And of course, I shouldn't leave out the prestige of owning a BMW.

I own a 3 and a 5 and I am seriously thinking of getting one more for my son, not something new but older in the mid-1995 area. I know it will give him emergency power, sufficiant reliability, and a memory of a life time for his first car.
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Old 01-26-2005, 09:40 AM   #3
LJunderdog
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I recently bought a 1999 323i from my cousin, which had 33,000 miles on it at the time. I got a great deal on it, as she was buying a new car and wasnt getting a great deal on the trade. She sold it to me on the trade price.

Nothing really went wrong until November, which happened to be the month the warranty ran out. I have paid 700 in repairs since, which ends up being front brakes and rotors and a new gas cap, and am looking at 1600 in the near future.

As stated in the earlier reply, with more there, more can go wrong. My family owns 4 Hondas and have never been happier. They seem to be a lot more durable. I owned a 2000 Chevy Cavalier before this and only had one problem in 4 years of ownership. That problem cost me 250.

You can not compare the driving experience between a Honda or Chevy with a BMW. The BMW lives up to the hype. Its a fantastic drive. It can not be beat.

However, when things go wrong, and they will with a used car, it does get pricey. I would recommend looking to buy a certified used BMW with some sort of all inclusive warranty. I live in New Jersey and have seen ads and other promotions for a deal like this. I have also done some finance studies and it seems that due to the popularity of leasing a car in the late 1990s and early 2000s that there is an influx of used luxury cars that are available with warranty coverage.
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Old 07-11-2011, 07:29 AM   #4
brettwilliam
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Smile Re: Owning a BMW 325i/330i

Hi,

Its perfectly fine if you are looking for and interested in buying a late model (2002 or newer) BMW 330i or 325i to be used as a daily driver.It will be good if you are buying a new BMW 330i or 325i, but as you stated that you are going to use it as a daily driver i will suggest you to go for a certified preowned BMW,which is same as new BMW, but the condition is that if you have planned it better you search for a certified BMW dealer.Where you can get your BMW car which is thoroughly inspected by the BMW technician. You can also check out http://www.azbmw.com or visit their showroom Chapman BMW on Camelback Phoenix Arizona.Where you can get all the info regarding all sorts of BMW.
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