BMW, BMW, more BMW!!!

I admit it, BMW makes some of the best cars in the world-- second to Porsche only! -- by "best" I simply mean fun to drive.

My question is: are E36 BMWs (especially 325s/328s) also reliable? What are the avg. annual costs?

BMW makes some of the most reliable cars on the planet, provided you have the know-how to take good care of them. My mom's friend, who owned an auto repairs shop for five years, got a BMW 5 Series up to 350,000 miles, and it still ran like brand new. He's had two 3 Series also; super reliable, no problems. But it's really important that you check out the cars frequently to make sure that nothing is going wrong, because repairs can be very expensive on BMWs.

bmw's are all around amazing cars. lots of effort has been put into the engine and tranny to make them top of the line. My buddies used 528 had 2 problems, replacing brakes (understandable) and the doorhandle fell off...The only problem I have with them is that I could never afford one...

The reliability of the E36 is amazing. As long as you dont do something stupid with them, they will treat your wallet well. I know mechanics that swear by those cars, and have seen them over 300,000 miles, no small feat. There are few cars I have ever seen beat the E36 as far as reliability (80's Volvos).

Their reliability may not be as good as some people think. (though reliability depends on how well the car is treated)

http://www.freep.com/money/autonews/power30x_20040630.htm

http://www.roadandtravel.com/consumerreports/reliabilitytrends.htm

I like BMWs but they're really no more reliable then most any other maker.













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Their reliability may not be as good as some people think. (though reliability depends on how well the car is treated)

That's the thing, you need to be able to take very good care of the car yourself. If you do that, it'll last you FOREVER.

That's the thing, you need to be able to take very good care of the car yourself. If you do that, it'll last you FOREVER.

Well, I can't really fix the car myself, I have limited know-how in car mechanics. Also, I am planning on buying a used BMW E36 (93-96), so there is no way for me to know for sure if the car has been treated well or not.

most people correlate honda and toyota to be the benchmarks of reliability. but even those cars can be shitboxes if you dont' take care of them. at the same time a lot of people correlate chrysler or kia products to be shitboxes, but if taken care of, they can last you a lifetime.

the thing about bmw's and most european cars is not so much that theyr'e poorly built or unreliable, it's just that they contain so much 'stuff'. the more things you put into a car, the more things that can go wrong. i read a number of stories of bmw owners where their car is in the shop more than in their own garage. most problems have to do with electrical shit.

read up on any JD power and associates recent listings, the german cars ranked lower than japanese and american cars in initial quality. even hyundai ranked higher than any european make. i know initial quality is only just that, initial but it says a lot.

read this recent article. bmw at industry average, audi below industry average, and mercedes near the bottom of that list. and you have your perennial acura, toyota, honda at the top.

http://autos.yahoo.com/consumerreports/article/which_vehicles_hold_up.html

just some info for ya. any car can be made reliable. the car will only treat you as well as you treat it.

Thats a pretty good article.