I just parted with an '89 325i; 174,000 miles in perfect mechanical condition. Never added a drop of oil, engine never hinted of any smoke, transmission still tight and crisp. That said, the car had excellent engineering and design and it was well maintained from day 1. At ~165K I replaced the shocks/struts/bushings/lower control arms -- it was time.
So to your question, if any BMW has been well maintained (most have I believe) and not abused (driving hard is not abuse), if you can find one from an original owner who has good maintenance records and really appreciated the car as I did my 325i, your chances are good that your first BMW experience will be a good one. Based on my experience, 100K+ miles means nothing to a well-maintained BMW. I just bought a 2002 525i Sport and life is good --- really good! I wish you the best in your quest for the Ultimate Driving Machine.:frog:
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Filehorse
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