cost of owning a BMW

I am in the market for a used car and have narrowed it down to a Honda Prelude or a 3 seried BMW. I was wondering just how expensive it is to fix these things? I live in metropolitan Detroit so repair shops aren't a problem. I would love to have the status and look of owning a BMW but dont want to get into a money pit.

MY DAD GAVE MY BRO HIS 535i AND MY BRO GAVE IT BACK TO HIM B/C IT WAS TOO EXPENSIVE FOR HIM TO FIX...SEEMED LIKE ALL AT ONCE THINGS STARTED TO GO WRONG

You're gonna get more looks and status with the Prelude, because with the money you save in repairs and maintenance, you could buy shiny wheels for the prelude, a nice front spoiler, pep boys has some really nice double deck wings you can put on the trunk lid they're only $150! Get the prelude lowered, and get the tinted glass, now you're going to look much cooler in your Prelude than you ever would have in some BMW.

It is simple. If you are a white male and you get a lowered prelude with a spoiler and rims then you will get a lot of awkward looks. Where as a stock e36 325is or even a e30 325is BMW will win you many looks of prestige. A prelude is an obvious symbol of unoriginal whereas the bmw is a work of art with the performance to back it. Obviously there is a little bit more cost to keep these high performance cars up and running but it is so worth it.

there is a VERY big differnce between the 3series coupe and a prelude. Sure honda's run forever. And it depends on the bimmer u get. Some r really good quality and some suck a$$

go with the BMW for sure:flash:

Originally posted by dirk-diggler
You're gonna get more looks and status with the Prelude, because with the money you save in repairs and maintenance, you could buy shiny wheels for the prelude, a nice front spoiler, pep boys has some really nice double deck wings you can put on the trunk lid they're only $150! Get the prelude lowered, and get the tinted glass, now you're going to look much cooler in your Prelude than you ever would have in some BMW.

I hope your joking because that would just make the prelude RICE!

RacerD12:
"I hope your joking because that would just make the prelude RICE!"

That totally depends on yer deffinition of rice, Look at the last M3, I think that car is tottally sexy!! But look at the paint job, sparkly lime green?? on a Bimmer?! what's with the hood bulge? To someone who drives a 7 series that looks totally ricey, I think the bulge is somewhat ricey because you got a hood bulge that says that the hood was bulged to accomodate a larger motor, but the motor is no larger that the puny 2.5 liter, and a dual exhaust, man, if that motor wasn't pumping 300 hp that car would be total rice! Dual exhausts are reserved for "V" motors, not expensive wannabe econo 6 cylinders! According to me I think that the prelude would look totally awesome! Why pay the extra money on mechanics that wanna rip you off when you can spend the money on something that satisfyes you!

I guess I'm kind of confused. If you feel that strongly about the Honda, why are you here? It seems to me you are just a "wanna be" BMW owner. If you really believe in your car, you should be on the Honda forum! Make sense? :right:

I'm not a wannabe BMW owner, I'm just trying to keep davidpickel from making a big mistake. If hes affraid of getting into a money pit, he obviously aint got no doe to buy no Bimmer. That Racer12 dissed my idea, and I'm just tellin him like it is!:frog: and I saw this post on the most recent posts list

In my experience both these makes of cars are very reliable, but it depends on the age of them. What I have found with Jaguar is that although parts are expensive, they do not need replacing often. Remember, both of these cars were built to a cost, and the cost of the BMW was undoubtedly higer.

Originally posted by C_Dogg
I guess I'm kind of confused. If you feel that strongly about the Honda, why are you here? It seems to me you are just a "wanna be" BMW owner. If you really believe in your car, you should be on the Honda forum! Make sense? :right:

UR NOT CONFUSED...JUST A LITTLE SLOW :bloated: J/K

HE'S JUST LETTING HIM KNOW ABOUT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER....I'M NOT A WANNA BE (IF THERE'S SUCH A THING SINCE I'M OUTTA H.S.) BUT I HAVE DROVE MY DAD'S 535i AND BUT WHEN IT STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS AFTER HE GAVE IT TO MY BROTHER...THOSE COSTS REALLY START ADDING UP QUICK AND UNLESS YOU HAVE THE THINGS TO DO IT URSELF (I.E. RESET FOR CHANGING THE OIL) OR KNOW SOMEONE...YOUR GOING TO PAY A PRETTY PENNY....
BUT THE PRELUDE ON THE OTHER HAND...DEPENDING ON WHAT YEAR, YOU'RE GOING TO BE PAYING TO..BUT NOT AS MUCH....THEY BOTH HAVE SPEED AND STYLE, BUT IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU WANT...I WOULD GO WITH THE BWM FOR LOOKS AND THE PRELUDE FOR AFFORDABILITY

Originally posted by Tourstar
It is simple. If you are a white male and you get a lowered prelude with a spoiler and rims then you will get a lot of awkward looks. Where as a stock e36 325is or even a e30 325is BMW will win you many looks of prestige. A prelude is an obvious symbol of unoriginal whereas the bmw is a work of art with the performance to back it


THAT'S A MOST RETARDED STATEMENT (RETARTED MEANING WHAT YOU JUST DID OR SAID I COMPLETELY STUPID BUT HAVE THE ABILITY TO LEARD) :D
I'M NOT BIAS TOWARDS ANYONE OF THESE CARS BUT IT DEPENDS ON THREE THINGS: 1)WHAT YEAR YOU GET, 2)WHAT YOUR PREF IS, AND 3)HOW MUCH ARE YOU WILLING TO SPEND ON MAINTENANCE

Originally posted by dirk-diggler
RacerD12:
"I hope your joking because that would just make the prelude RICE!"

That totally depends on yer deffinition of rice, Look at the last M3, I think that car is tottally sexy!! But look at the paint job, sparkly lime green?? on a Bimmer?! what's with the hood bulge? To someone who drives a 7 series that looks totally ricey, I think the bulge is somewhat ricey because you got a hood bulge that says that the hood was bulged to accomodate a larger motor, but the motor is no larger that the puny 2.5 liter, and a dual exhaust, man, if that motor wasn't pumping 300 hp that car would be total rice! Dual exhausts are reserved for "V" motors, not expensive wannabe econo 6 cylinders! According to me I think that the prelude would look totally awesome! Why pay the extra money on mechanics that wanna rip you off when you can spend the money on something that satisfyes you!


Im not trying to diss you i agree with you if he dosnt have the cash dont get the BMW. What I dissagreed with was "nice front spoiler, pep boys has some really nice double deck wings you can put on the trunk lid" thats ricy YOU DONT NEED WINGS but the rims would be nice.

Now as for the BMWs having lots of problems thats not really ture. 1980s were bad for BMW alot of electrical problems but thats been fixed. And if you get anything after a 1995 you should not have any problems. Also Blu civic how old was your BMW when your Bro got it any car thats older or has alot of miles is going to have problems.

This thread is starting to sound like it's being taken over by nitwits who have no real experience owning a BMW, much less servicing one. One response speaks of Daddy's BMW, while another suggests that Jaguars (of all cars) are more reliable than BMW's which is absolutely delusional at best.

Anyone who's owned a beemer in real life knows that maintenance is not that expensive if you follow advice on these forums, and the engines and transmissions are bullet proof compared to most other (especially American cars).

Have we been invaded by a bunch of beemer haters?

Originally posted by 318ti
Anyone who's owned a beemer in real life knows that maintenance is not that expensive if you follow advice on these forums, and the engines and transmissions are bullet proof compared to most other (especially American cars).

Have we been invaded by a bunch of beemer haters?


what's a beemer?? oh yeah you mean BMW:rolleyes: never said anything about the transmission or the engine b/c the car still runs like it was new but it's the suspension and the brakes....it's an 90 so i guess that it was time for service...i know how much they cost and you don't have to own a BMW to know this and maintenance will still be expensive even if you do follow the advice on this forum....

but like i said before...it all comes down to the all mighty dollar and what he wants

Originally posted by BLU CIVIC



what's a beemer?? oh yeah you mean BMW:rolleyes: never said anything about the transmission or the engine b/c the car still runs like it was new but it's the suspension and the brakes....it's an 90 so i guess that it was time for service...i know how much they cost and you don't have to own a BMW to know this and maintenance will still be expensive even if you do follow the advice on this forum....

but like i said before...it all comes down to the all mighty dollar and what he wants

What exactly went wrong with the suspension, and what was the incremental cost difference between the parts of the BMW and say, a Prelude?

Originally posted by 318ti


What exactly went wrong with the suspension, and what was the incremental cost difference between the parts of the BMW and say, a Prelude?

WHAT YEAR PRELUDE?? SAME YEAR??

Contraverial or provocative? Who is being contraversial?

Geez, for Godssakes, read some of the other bad wind in this thread. It is chocked full of advice from people who don't even own BMW's talking like they're experts on them. My last BMW lasted me to 225,000 miles and may be still running for all I know (I traded it). Every BMW owner I know seems stuck to them for life, and reliability is one main reason.

My advice to Davidfnickel is go with the one he likes better. Also consider the safety factors, because the Germans build safety features into cars the Japanese outright ignore. I've owned Nissans and Hondas myself, and have had no increase in reliability with them over any German Car I've owned, and while a BMW part may be a little more expensive than a Japanese equivalent, the times I have had to replace BMW car parts has been SO RARE, that I believe it offsets itself with cars that require more maintenance.

BLU CIVIC - if you are talking brake pads/calipers or Mc Pherson struts/shocks, does the year matter, and if so, why would you not compare them by year?

Originally posted by 318ti
BLU CIVIC - if you are talking brake pads/calipers or Mc Pherson struts/shocks, does the year matter, and if so, why would you not compare them by year?

I MEAN WHAT YEAR PRELUDE YOU ARE REFERING TO WHEN COMPARING TO THE BMW PRICE WISE

1 QUICK THING......YOU DON'T HAVE TO OWN A BMW TO BE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE CAR....ASK A BMW MECHANIC THAT OWNS A ISUZU....HE DOESN'T OWN A BWM BUT PROBABLY KNOWS MORE ABOUT THE CAR THAN THE PEOPLE WHO PUT IT TOGETHER...SAFETY WISE...IT'S UNCOMPAREABLE B/C GERMANS KNOW SAFETY....I HAVE TALKED NOTHING BAD ABOUT THE CAR B/C THERE ISN'T ANYTHING BAD ABOUT THE CAR EXCEPT THE COST OF MAINTENANCE....BUT...ONCE MORE IT ALL COMES DOWN TO MONEY AND PREFERENCE

I might also add to David's advice - DRIVE both of them, and I mean DRIVE, not drive, if you know what I mean.

I am partial (if not outright, unashamedly bias) to 318ti's and I highly recommend them to those who love an excellent handling car with enough engine zip for most of us.

Originally posted by Swoxy
Good advice. Now can you please tell me, is your car the Compact model?

the 318ti is the small coupe like thing. oddly looks like a bmw corrado to me.

-GTi-VR6_A3

I have a 2000 3 series BMW, i bought it brand new so havent had any problems with it so far.... I have had many cars and used to own a 97 model prelude, I loved that car but at the end of the day you can not compare driving a honda to driving a BMW, if you want good quality go for the BMW, I would say that BMW's are not that expensive to repair. my mum also has a Z3 and again she hasnt had any major probs with it...

GET THE BMW.... you will not regret it!!!

I own a 1996 320i (2.0 litre six) BMW.
So far it has travelled 163,000 km's (what's that - about 100,000 miles),
and it still runs like the day it was made.

I am a Mechanic and have seen/driven/worked on many cars over the years, and have found that the parts that I have brought for my car so far have not been any dearer than any of the Japanese cars i've owned or worked on.
In fact I would go so far as to say that a lot of the parts for Japanese cars are dearer!

Case in point, I purchased a new headlight lense for my BMW and it cost half the price of one I brought for my Toyota I owned before that.

I Cannot speak for the prices in different countries, but in New Zealand the prices of BMW parts don't seem to be to bad.
I'm sure some parts are dearer, but then if i was that worried about it I would probably own a bike.
In my experience you best to go with the car you most like to drive.

By the way I also like Honda's, they are one of the best Japanese cars on the market.

Rossco,
1996 E36 320i
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/attachment.php?s=&postid=518748

Swoxy, yes, the 318ti is the American equivalent of the compact that BMW sells(sold) in Europe. They quit importing them here in 1998 due to lack of demand here in the US for a car of that type. It differs from all other American 3 series E36's in that it retained the semi-trailing arm rear suspension that the E30's had before they developed the multi-link rear suspension. It has the 4 cylinder 318 16 valve 1.9 liter engine with knock sensor feature.

I will attempt to attach a photo of the 318ti.

http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/588344318tisblueb.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/shop/3876/redti2.jpg

:) I have owned my car 323 i for about a year and runs fine used 2000 with 50k on it

Good advice guys. And to all of you that posted cars, their really nice! Especially the silver Compact with E46 wheels!

I just sold my 1997 honda accord EX with 163,000 miles on it. It was a very good car which served me very well. I traded it in on a 2000 BMW 540I(certified pre-owned). The first night I had it I noticed the radiator had a small leak. I took it back the next day and they gave me a 2001 325I as a loaner car why they replaced the radiator. After driving my 540 and driving the 325 I asked myself why have I not driven a BMW for the last 10 years. My honda was great, but the BMW is BAD ASS! Get the BEEMER! Believe me chicks are constantly checking it out.

Hey whats up, first of all if you go out and buy a HONDA over a FUCKING BEAMER YOU ARE AN IDIOT.

No matter what you do to a prelude it can never be better then a bmw.

But thats not y i am here..
I am looking to get a bmw in the next month or so and i was looking at the new 2003 330 coupe or purchasing a certified used BMW no older then a 2000. If you guys got any tips for a new buyer i would appresciate that.


Finally.. HONDAS SUCK ASS ALL JAPANESE CARS SUCK ASS COMPARED TO BMW'S
AND CHIKS DIG GUYS WITH BMW'S not HONDAS

listen. go with the beemer deifinately. Hondas are a dime a dozen. And beemers arent that bad too work on. First change your own oil, this saves you money. Next buy a haynes repair manual, and a code reader from bavarian autosport. The manual can help you with things you can fix at home but are unsure of how to go about fixing it. The code reader will reset your service lights and also reading fault codes. Hondas do run forever but they dont keep the ride integrity of the bmw. bmw is a well made brand of car and they are built to run for a long time. the driving experience is superior to any car i have ever drove. They are worth a little more money to work on, but there are ways to save money.

Originally posted by oassaf

AND CHIKS DIG GUYS WITH BMW'S not HONDAS



DO WE ????

I think guys dig chiks that drive BMW's more.....

If u want a car which gonna get u from point A to point B , buy Honda.
But if u need a car with a soul, car which will often make u to go outside your house just to look at it, car which u will drive without any reason just for pleasure of driving it, get BMW.

I think guys dig chiks that drive BMW's more.....
I definately dig chicks that drive BMW's

HOW YOU DOING!!!!!!

Parts are going to break on both of them. Parts are more expensive on the BMW. Is it overly expensive? It all depends on the owner and driver. Don't beat it up, change the oil, and take care of it and it will take care of you. I'm sure the same can be said about the Prelude.

Originally posted by tomlong

I definately dig chicks that drive BMW's

HOW YOU DOING!!!!!!

Hey there...

I am doing ok, how about you?? :)

Originally posted by T x 2


Hey there...

I am doing ok, how about you?? :)

[sad little kid]Nobody ever asks me how im doing...:( :( :( [/sad little kid]

-GTi-VR6_A3

Originally posted by GTi-VR6_A3


[sad little kid]Nobody ever asks me how im doing...:( :( :( [/sad little kid]

-GTi-VR6_A3



Hey there GTi-VR6_A3....

Now I am asking you..... How are you doing ??? :flash:

Question for you... the comment about "sad little kid" is that cause you are one?? (little kid I mean).

Anyway I hope you are not as sad now that you have been asked ;)

hahah i was of course just klidding. I FEEL GOOD NOW!!! thanx but i am 17 fyi

-GTi-VR6_A3

Originally posted by GTi-VR6_A3
hahah i was of course just klidding. I FEEL GOOD NOW!!! thanx but i am 17 fyi

-GTi-VR6_A3

Glad to hear that you FEEL GOOD.....

17..... hmmm... how I wish I was 17 again....

Originally posted by T x 2


Glad to hear that you FEEL GOOD.....

17..... hmmm... how I wish I was 17 again....

how old you be?

-GTi-VR6_A3

Originally posted by GTi-VR6_A3


how old you be?

-GTi-VR6_A3

Am 26... I have 1 daughter who is 4 years old. :)

awright you win you are older. proly more responsible too damnit haha

-GTi-VR6_A3

Although my car is used, I have all of the paperwork of all repairs and maintenance performed on it and the costs are only slightly higher than other cars I've owned. My car is in excellent condition and I'm told I can probably squeeze another 100,000 miles out of it if I care for it. There are some good sites that sell parts and lots of forums to offer advice on where to get good repairs, etc..

I love my car and it definitely gets looks even though it's older. I don't recall any of my other girlfriends getting looks in their Civics. :D

Oh yeah, from what I can tell, guys do dig chicks in BMWs.

BMWs are not more expensive to maintain, if you have an 850 or a 750 (big luxury) then those are expensive, but a 3 series compared to a Prelude, the Prelude would need more servicing because of timing belts and front wheel drive cv-joints. Many believe that the Honda is this magical machine that never needs maintenance, and never breaks, yeah right!!

The best thing is to test drive both cars and buy the one that makes you happier, even "if" the BMW is slightly more expensive, nobody is going to give you more for less.

Anyway, who the hell sits and ponders "gee, I don't know wether to buy a BMW or a Prelude" :smoka:

you will get many more than 100k out of your car, i know a lady who has 285k

I have had my share of hondas, true the economy is great the reliability is awesome, but you are not gonna get true buttersoft leather seats, the handling is nothing compared to the (OO==00==OO) the status speaks for itself. Remember, Class is the Omission of the Obvious! dont try to trick anything out just roll with what you got! later you can afford to upgrade if you like the investment! As far as costs are concerned, not too much involved... insurance is the same, gas a bit more, safety far better in a BMW! driving in the rain SUPERIOR! Do you want Mc Donalds Happy meal or Black Angus? DUH its a slam dunk no brainer take the beemer! life is short, you will live longer in a German Car! Who made the Autobahn??? Who is famous that drives a PRELUDE? I cant think of anyone either!!!