BMW 3 Series (reliabliity?)

[telegix]

I'm considering buying a BMW 3 series to replace an older Honda accord '86. My wife already drives a Cadi STS which we enjoy very much. I've seen several places that the BMW is very expensive to repair. Well, I've seem to come to the conclusion that no brand name dealership charges little money for any sort of repairs any more. Repairs for my Cadi STS '97 seem to just as expensive as for my Honda '86 (which seems to have less problems then the Cadi) I don't think it really matters anymore these days. When I had a Toyota Camry the repairs were also very expensive. So I'm now so more wondering about reliability. Compared to say an American car or a Japanese
model is reliability good?

[bedheadfred]

Reliability for the 3 series is terrible. Beware! You can check my earlier posting about problems with my 2000 323 Ci. Several other people posted about their problems too.

My 323 is a great performing car, but the ownership experience is horrible and no one from BMW has responded to my emails, calls, and letters. Good Luck.

I've had alot of problems with my 2000 323 Ci.

1. Wrong setbelt configuration installed on drivers side
2. Sunroof broke (2x)
3. A/C broke
4. Coolant thermostat replaced
5. Plastic screw that holds jack in place broke (took me 2 hours to unscrew so I could replace a flat)
6. 4 light bulbs out in 6 months (2 left side turn signals, 1 left head light, 1 right head light

[headydead]

lets put it this way I own a 1987 325e with over 180,000 miles on it, and it is a solid excellent running piece of machinery. Living in buffalo, the bodies really get hit hard during the winter, but this car has no rust! The undercoating is still on the bottom of the vehicle! the only things I've done to it were tires, muffler and a couple of bulbs. Oh ya, manual sunroof shot to shit, try to fix come spring. Overall the reliability of the 3 series (e30) is exceptional

[alankeith]

I have a 1997 316 (1600cc not available in the US). Reliability was the reason I bought it and I have not been disapointed. If you change the oil etc regularly, I am informed that you will get well over 100k miles out of a BMW.

I think around 2000-2001, BMW really started aiming the 3 series at company car users (in the UK at least). Remember that fleet companies get massive discounts on list price from BMW, i.e. buying 20 at a time means big savings. BMW 3 series from 2000 on, are VERY popular now on the UK roads.

My theory is that BMW have had to "value engineer" the ancillary parts which would normally go into a BMW. This is to try and keep their overall profit margins the same. This would mean that cheaper, poorer quality components are being used for the heaters, lighting units, seat adjusters, etc etc. Basically things that will not stop the car from starting and moving if they fail.

The 3 series mechanically is superb, and I know if your from the US you will not be too woried about fuel consumption but the Turbo Diesel (DERV) 3 series is an amazing car, providing good performance with better fuel economy. I point this out as unleaded petrol (GAS) in the Uk is 80p / litre. Dunno what that translates to in $$, but my guess is we are paying twice as much as US drivers.

[96 328Ci]

100,000 miles... thats a joke. BMWs will run for well over 200,000 with proper servicing. Ive seen some with over 400,000 on the original engine

[alankeith]

I bow to your superior knowledge.

100k miles wil do me fine, thats four years motoring for me.

[Fratz]

I own 87/325, 98/Z3, and a 04/325Ci.

I buy BMW's for reliability and value. Wealthy I'm not. I value every penny I make. Properly maintained 3 series BMW's, IMHO, are reliable and retain a greater amount of their value than any other car in it's class.

The 325Ci I bought my wife in April will be in the family at least ten years...it's kinda a "rule" for us when buying a high end coupe. I fully expect it to easily exceed 250k miles.

Consider a used, late model 330 with some warranty remaining. The 3.0 is probably one of the best engines BMW has ever produced.

UR right. Nothing is cheap to have worked on these days. It will help your ownership experience to have the vehicle serviced as scheduled. Insp 1 and 2 are much less expensive on the newer 3 series than the old body styles. If mechnically inclined and without warranty...buy yourself a good set of shop manuals.

Last thought...don't skimp on tires!!! BMW's ride and handle best with good rubber. If you go cheap you'll feel it and be pissed at yourself.

Later,

F.

[djrdl09]

there's no way to beat the reliability and the cost of ownership of a rice burner - especially an accord or camry. but they don't drive like a german car. everything is expensive to repair, but moreso performance cars. that said, the reliability of bmw's has dropped over the past few years, and the last well rated/recommended 3 series by consumer reports was the '97. and, that said, in my opinion, you don't buy a bmw for many other reasons than the fun to drive factor - you pay for it, but it's woth it.

[DinanM3_S2]

Most of the reports about bad reliability in newer BMWs is because of IDrive in the 5-series and the 7-series. The 3-Series has always been considered a pretty reliable car to own. I've never had a problem with my E46, but it doesn't have very high milage, however I know people with E36 3-series with 200,000+ miles. If you take care of a BMW 3-series, the odds are it will last a pretty long time. The only problem with BMW reliability is the cost of repair parts. So when you do have to fix it, it can be expensive. However buying parts online has dropped the price of the European parts significantly.

Many of the stories you hear about how unreliable BMWs are happened to buy lemons, which every company makes a few of (even Toyota), but the average 3-series is a great car to own. Its not going to be as reliable as a new Accord or Camry, but it sure as hell will be better then a Cadillac STS. Compared to other cars in the entry level luxury/sports sedans/coupes, BMW is just about the best.

[catman3]

Fratz and DinanM3 S2,
What is the fuel consumption of your 3 series?
My brandnew 318i is 4-5 miles per litres in urban of Hong Kong. I called the BMW dealer they said my car is still inside the running-in period, it may cause larger consumption. After that, it will come to 5-5.6 mile per litre. please comment.

[Axelpkt]

my friend just got a 94 325 with 60k on it for about $8500. He has already put almost that much back into this car in repairs alone. In the short time he has had it the rear shocks, drive shaft, the clutch, water pump, and the brakes(all around) have went on his.

[DinanM3_S2]

Originally Posted by catman3

Fratz and DinanM3 S2,
What is the fuel consumption of your 3 series?
My brandnew 318i is 4-5 miles per litres in urban of Hong Kong. I called the BMW dealer they said my car is still inside the running-in period, it may cause larger consumption. After that, it will come to 5-5.6 mile per litre. please comment.

Im not sure on the conversions from gallon to litre, so ill give mine in MPG. The official fuel economy of an E46 M3 SMG is 16 city/23 highway mpg. I've personally been gettin around 25 mpg highway when im in the slowest automatic mode (not sure if SMG mode matters) and about 15-17 in the city in any mode unless im driving hard. When comparing my economy to your economy, remember that I've got a S54 engine, with a displacement almost twice as big as your 1.8L.

A friend of mine with a 330i gets told me he gets about 30mpg on the highway.

[Fratz]

Again...I stress the importance of spending about $100 on having a pre-buy inspection performed by a BMW dealership or trusted BMW mechanic. For all I know the car was tracked/abused/not maintained properly.

I'd have a pre-buy insp performed on any used vehicle I was going to buy...just make sure it is the last step in the process. Too expensive to have a pre-buy performed on every vehicle you look at.

F.

[Fratz]

We don't have the 318's in the US market anymore.

I just sold my wife's 95 318i with 146K miles to buy her the 04 325Ci. The 318i was getting a combined highway and city mileage of 7.4 miles per litre. 1 us gl. = 3.78 ltr.

Originally Posted by catman3

Fratz and DinanM3 S2,
What is the fuel consumption of your 3 series?
My brandnew 318i is 4-5 miles per litres in urban of Hong Kong. I called the BMW dealer they said my car is still inside the running-in period, it may cause larger consumption. After that, it will come to 5-5.6 mile per litre. please comment.

[GrimAngel]

I have 40,000 miles on my 2003 BMW 330i and havn't had any problems. Wonderful car. not a complaint at all. It did better in the snow than the Honda Prelude I had previously. It handles better than any car I've ever had. it's a marvel of engineering.

I get on average about 27.5 miles per gallon and I'm just replacing the stock tires next week (Goodyear Eagle R S/A 205/50/VR17 with Avon Tech M550 A/S 225/45/WR17). Other than that all maintenance has been scheduled and FREE.