is it ok to buy an old BMW?

Question

im almost 20 now in college.. wondering what car would be the best. probably under 25 grand. i have my heart at 3 series 2002 330ci or 2002 740iL. which one would be better? do BMW's really cost a lot of money to maintain it?

Answer 1

Well from experience im gonna tell you that BMW is probably one of the most expensive cars to maintain other than a benz! I have three of them and I love all of them! for you I would highly suggest the 3 series because its way better for your budget and costs less to repair then the 740iL! also 740iL was up too 2001 and then it changed to 745! mostly the parts that go bad with BMW's are the control arms and bushings! and other stuff like that! one thing is to look at is the history of the cars and also how well it has been taken care of! the 330ci might be used a little harder than the 740iL! just because its a smaller car and is a little more fun to play with rather than have FULL luxury! make sure that you use OEM BMW parts that they have or use! usually most parts you can get about 50% less on the internet than the dealer and also the parts are made in germany, but you do not have to order it directly from germany! I also suggest that you look at forums to see what people have problems with! one more thing try to get manual for the 3 series and also the 740i is a sport edition meaning that you can shift or let it shift by itself! its a semi-automatic transmission!

Answer 2

Good grief, look at all the non-BMW owner's answers!

You would be better off with the 330 - it'll be less expensive to buy. I have an 01 330CI and I love it.

They really aren't that much more expensive to maintain. It's true that you can't take them to Joe Blow Mechanic. But these days, most cars will cost you a bundle, so you might as well get what you want.

I highly recommend you repost your question at one of the BMW forums. You won't get non-beemer owners answering your questions there.

Answer 3

In my opinion a 3 series would be the best choice for a college student. The 7 series is quite large and much more expensive, which in turn would make it more expensive to fix if anything did happen to it. Plus with the gas prices now you are better off getting the smaller liter car. I get 20 mpg with my '05 325. Also if you buy the car from a certified pre-owned dealer they should cover most maintenence. Hope that helps!!!

Answer 4

i latterly observed a beat up BMW for 500 hundred (i understand you're searching for 5000) and that factor became into so beat up i ought to barley tell if it became into some beat up plastic battery operated vehicle for a toddler or what. What i'm attempting to point is that BMW's do no longer come much less costly and despite in case you get a solid deal you proably won't get it that much less costly. (except there a toatal piece of crap like the only I observed.) yet in accordance with how solid of shape your Civic is that ought to have the capacity help a sprint.

Answer 5

If you are considering German cars, let me tell you this from experience....

Yes, you can buy them rather reasonably if they are used. BUT, if the car cost new at $75000 dollars (such as BMW 7 series), when it fails, they cost like $75000 dollar cars to fix them. It doesn't matter how much YOU paid for it.

If you are on budget and you cannot work on them yourself, or have a close friend who can help you repair, I strongly discourage you to get into German cars.

Contrary to popular belief, parts on them are rather inexpensive (somewhere between Japanese and Domestic cars) but labors are much more as they are very complicated cars, and the frequency of failures can be high.

If you must go that route, I'd recommend spending no more than 20K for the car and reserve 5K for maintenance. First year can be rather high, and expect to spend the most of $5K in one or two years.

By the way, above figures are assuming you get professional inspection done before your purchase.

Answer 6

Go with the 330 for now. you'll get better mileage which you'll appreciate as a student. the il is much bigger and is something you're dad will want to drive. if you can find a 740i or 745i you'll be the bomb on campus. they're super fast and not as long as the il's. they're tough to find though.

regarding repairs, i take mine to my local mechanic for the basics like brakes, oil changes, etc. anything technical i go to a guy who only works on bmw's. he less expensive than the dealer. i'm sure if you look around or talk to other bmw owners in your area, they'll advise you to a good and affordable bmw mechanic. i live in bum f*ck so i'm sure there is a good one in your area. Some parts can be expensive but hey it's worth it. in my opinion bmws drive better than any other production car out there. i've had benzs and they're great but bmw grips the road. benz will be perfect when i'm like 80.
good luck!

Answer 7

Problem is the parts cost money. With my honda I was able to go the local pick a part (wrecking yard) and I could find a lot used cheap parts for my car. With BMW it's hard to find them and when one does come in the parts are sold in a hurry. So you end up going to a dealership and buying a new part and pay full price.or if you're lucky your local auto parts place might have a rebuilt part.

Answer 8

Yes they are expensive to maintain because you have to order the parts from Europe and they are way more expensive than the other less luxury car parts, I almost bought one but the price of the car was less than a part it needed to run better.

Answer 9

I HAVE AN 87 3 SERIES AND IT IS A GREAT CAR . A 2002 WOULD BE JUST FINE

Answer 10

Choose the one in better condition. Exterior, Interior, and Mechanically. It will save you in the long run. Plus, either way it is still a BMW. Good Luck.