BMW help and advice.
 

As some of you may know from my other thread that my acura csx type S was totaled in an accident.

So i want to make a new thread here to get more traffic and more advice.

I am now looking at a bmw for a replacement. Nothing fancy, something in the price range of 25k-31k.

I am mostly looking at 2008 128i coupe or 328i sedan. So how reliable are these cars. I know the 35i engine has fuel pump problems which is why i am staying away from turbo to minimize any mechanical problems.

So how reliable are these cars?

Also does anyone here work at a bmw dealership or know someone who does that can give a good price or discount?

any help will be appreciated.

We get a lot of those cars through our dealership, though mostly 135/335s. For the most part, they have been quite reliable for us, considerably better than the 5 series / X5, even with the same motor. Since these cars come with a standard 4 year warranty unless they are certified, 08s are right on the edge, depending on when they are sold new, and it's definitely worth spending an extra few bucks to have one with a bit of warranty.

There are quite a few options on these cars and you'd do well to familiarize yourself with the packages - the price of a new 335 could go up well over $10,000 if it was equipped with premium package (most of them), sport package (many of them), automatic transmission (many of them), navigation (some of them), and many stand alone options. The prices of the used ones reflect this and the better you can compare the options, the easier it is to identify a good car and a good deal.

Mark

yea i am trying to compare them right now and i am only looking at CPOs.

So many of them have premium package, does that mean they come with xenon hids?
I know what sports package includes, but they are not very clear on what premium packages include.

I believe in Canada, bi-xenons are part of the premium package for the early 128/328 coupes and standard in the 135/335. The premium package also will include the power sunroof and BMW Assist + Bluetooth. I think there was also a comfort package on the 128 which gives you the power seats, auto-dimming mirrors, etc.

Mark

some of these vehicles have a battery recall on them as well (replaced by the dealer of course and requires hours of DME programming as the computer always crashes) but it may be the newer batch of '10/'11 model years.

other than that, the 128/328i is a pretty reliable BMW.

i dunno if it makes a difference but im looking at 128i coupe 328i sedan tho.

2005+ M3's are Pretty nice, I was looking at them for awhile on the web, not sure what your insurance price points are thou.

An m3 is actually very reliable as long as you maintain it correctly. Just to let you know, all bimmers are expensive to maintain.

how long are you planning to keep the car?

because form a long term reliability point of view E46 chassis > E90 Chassis.

you must not know about the rear subframe problem...

e90 chassis is fairly good, only real issues you see are the sticky door locks.

aside from the crank case vent valves, 2ndary air pumps, vacuum pump gaskets, valve cover gasket leaks and some radiator hoses or temp switches, oil level sensors, and expansion tanks, its a pretty solid car.

if u pick up a 135/335 -2010, then high pressure fuel pumps, but bmw has those covered for 8 years now.

2011+ has the n55 motor, much better.

so just because of that you're going to judge the e46 as a bad car? I think it was probably the last great BMW they made.

the rear subframe problem is a recall isnt it (i'm not entirely sure). And also if its been replaced with an upgraded version its good to go.

I find the E46 interior much more appealing and better construction as apposed to the E90.

Not to mention with the E90 you are getting into more electronic things...

Electric waterpump ($900 for the part alone)
Electric Powersterring
Vanos/valvetronic
if you do a coolant system flush you will need to bleed the system via GT1, it is not exactly DIY friendly

I am not a particular fan of the N motors these days. With their hydraulic lifter issues, oil consumption issues, and just premature wearing issues.

These are just my own personal thoughts.

didnt know this thread was still going. ended up buying a 2008 328i with 27000km on it.

Just put some winters on for feb too.

That's a sweet looking 328i. :)

Really? I just turn the heater control to maximum, ignition on and hold the accelerator down for 10 seconds. Maybe I'm dumb, but it seems to start the electric coolant pump on a bleed cycle. Last time I tried it on a twin turbo V8 it also activated the turbocharger coolant pump.

have you not seen whats involved in doing the rear subframe? its not an easy task. nor is there really a fix for it.

the items you mentioned are costly, but thats part of owning a BMW. owning a high end luxury vehicle means the cost of keeping it running is going to be higher than say a base model hyundai.

at least with a newer bmw, you have the 4 year original factory warranty, and if u buy used with CPO, you have the remainer 6. it covers a lot of items, just not items deemed "wear and tear"

unless you are a mechanic, it would still sound to be better to own a newer vehicle.

e46 interior vs e90. ill be honest, the only difference to me is those dang cup holders that keep busting up.

the only reason why you would need the GT1 hooked up is to turn on the electric water pump. you can still do it the old school way and heat it up, wait for the air bubbles to come out by way of activating the water pump.

congrats on the purchase, nice low K's too.

just a word of warning, you may get sticky door handles, its common on the e90s, especially during winter when water can potentially get in. and door latches too if i remember. if they go, and you just happen to be out of warranty, i think there is a "kit" for it at bmw, basically discounted sold as a pair, usually if one goes, the other goes pretty soon after.

that motor is pretty problem free as it goes, but just like with every vehicle, just factor % of cost of vehicle into maintenance cost

Thnx man
Yea It has CPo and I bought coverage one.
And for maintenance the CBS tells me I need oil change and rear break service in this coming dec and it will cost 516$ for rear brakes and 142 for oil change. Oil change price is reasonable considering it's yearly. But 516 for just the rear brake. That's gonna be what I ask for next Xmas.
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I do work as a mechanic, so this is where I get the mentality that every car has its problems. including my own vehicles.

from my own preference, i would still own an e46 over. I've had one before.

Its too early to tell also, wait until the e90 is 10+ years old.

Shoot me for saying this but I prefer the E46 > E9x

For a "special" second car, E46 all the way. If it was one car for everyday, E92 anyday.

Mark