Defend BMWs

johnthemull

Hello.
As some one who loves cars and will treat them with respect and with the where withal to buy a bmw..... are they reliable? there is so much recall ****up **** centrd around german car makers

Leonard Hofstadter

Buy the right car, and you'll be fine. Buy the wrong car, and it will break your heart. Buy from an enthusiast and chances are all the known weak areas in the car will have been taken care of already.

And remember, six cylinders are better than four, especially with the petrols:)!

Nissan doctor

johnthemull wrote: »

Hello.
As some one who loves cars and will treat them with respect and with the where withal to buy a bmw..... are they reliable? there is so much recall ****up **** centrd around german car makers

People will say yes, people will say no and it will be another argument.

My view....they are not as reliable or as well made as they should be for the price and image they have.

bazz26

Its not just BMW though, nothing is as reliable as they used to be. There are more electronic components in cars these days than mechanical components. My car doesn't have a dip stick, it has a sensor that displays the oil level on the dashboard. Pointless invention and how trusting can a piece of electronics be?

Nothing is designed to last now, a LCD or LED TV will not be around as long as some of the old CRT TVs that were made.

wersal gummage

I'm not going to defend BMWs - I had my own problems (which Nissan Doctor above sorted out) with them but they handle well. Remember as well that a lot of folk who will slag them are driving something like a scaldy, dull, saloon, diesel octavia.

Dannyboi3k

Get an Audi

TestTransmission

Dannyboi3k wrote: »

Get an Audi

Why?

bazz26

Audis have their fair share of problems too.

Eric Cartman

Bmw are one of the few companies still dedicated to producing rear wheel drive cars . Every model they had for sale in 1999 still looks modern and is well designed , their design has fluctuated since then but overall the cars are well designed, fairly reliable and BMW bring pioneering new features to the table (the 7 series had inbuilt satnav in the mid/late 90s )

Most other car companies borrow bmw design queues and features years later . Whatever your opinion on bmw as a company is , theres no denying that theyve impacted the motor industry in a mostly positive way

Fiona

Nissan doctor wrote: »

My view....they are not as reliable or as well made as they should be for the price and image they have.

:eek::eek: Blasphemy :eek::eek:

I not sure how to defend bmw's really. Yes they break, they cost a bit to get fixed. But they make you soooooo happy.

So the question is, can you really put a price on your happiness, in my opinion no!

Just buy it and enjoy it, just like this little chappy here

mercenary2

when i sit in a bmw it reminds me of the pound shop



cheap plastic everywhere

even the more expensive models have it

and yes they are nice to drive but if they go wrong you best have a good bank account ....

Fiona

mercenary2 wrote: »

when i sit in a bmw it reminds me of the pound shop



cheap plastic everywhere

even the more expensive models have it

I doubt I will ever buy an bmw over 05'

The nicest interior I think is the E46 coupe with Alcantara and the black headlining and carpet with carbon trim.

listermint

mercenary2 wrote: »

when i sit in a bmw it reminds me of the pound shop



cheap plastic everywhere

even the more expensive models have it

and yes they are nice to drive but if they go wrong you best have a good bank account ....

All cars have plastic, Whats your point?

BTW plastic aint cheap depending on the coating it gets.

DubDetailer

mercenary2 wrote: »

when i sit in a bmw it reminds me of the pound shop



cheap plastic everywhere

even the more expensive models have it

and yes they are nice to drive but if they go wrong you best have a good bank account ....

Sure you dont mean Merc's??

BMW's are more refined then most "luxury" cars out there, sure look at the older models they have aged way better then any other

johnthemull

johnthemull wrote: »

............ with the where withal to buy a bmw..... ............

lol, such a Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeemer head comment :pac:

Myrddin

Having worked for BMW for seven years, four of those years in a workshop, I'd wholeheartedly agree with Nissan Doctor.

listermint

i dont think anyone disagrees, but you wouldnt catch me dead in an Almera.

Fiona

listermint wrote: »

i dont think anyone disagrees, but you wouldnt catch me dead in an Almera.

+1

I am a car snob, I hold my hands up.


BUT


If it was financially impossible to run a 'luxury' car no matter how much I cut back then I have to be realistic and realise that it will be an Almera or nothing and well, anything is better than nothing right

listermint

mrs crilly wrote: »

+1

I am a car snob, I hold my hands up.


BUT


If it was financially impossible to run a 'luxury' car no matter how much I cut back then I have to be realistic and realise that it will be an Almera or nothing and well, anything is better than nothing right

Balls to that


Im not car snob but i detest Almeras in their entirety. Id drive the micra over it

Myrddin

listermint wrote: »

i dont think anyone disagrees, but you wouldnt catch me dead in an Almera.

You could buy an Almera for the price of some BMW repair bills I've handed out

I'd find a lot of stock BMW's just as dull and mundane as an Almera too...handling aside.

Fiona

listermint wrote: »

Balls to that


Im not car snob but i detest Almeras in their entirety. Id drive the micra over it

Well I would probably get a nice little Seat Ibiza or Leon or something like that so I could jazz it up!!!

Anyway back on topic

Just buy the BMW and be done with it

no1beemerfan

bazz26 wrote: »

Its not just BMW though, nothing is as reliable as they used to be. There are more electronic components in cars these days than mechanical components. My car doesn't have a dip stick, it has a sensor that displays the oil level on the dashboard. Pointless invention and how trusting can a piece of electronics be?

That is my biggest grip about current BMWs.....my father's E90 has no dip-stick. Didn't realise this until after buying it. It would actually put me off buying such a car as I keep my cars a long time and I would never trust electric as they get older.

But as has been said cars now-a-days have way too much electronics for my liking. I was onto Conlons about doing the rear pads on dad's car to see if you need a special wind back tool for the calipers and he told me the current 5 series (F10) NEEDS to be hooked up to a computer to wind back the calipers!

no1beemerfan

Nissan doctor wrote: »

People will say yes, people will say no and it will be another argument.

My view....they are not as reliable or as well made as they should be for the price and image they have.

My father had an e46 that he put 110,000 miles on it in two years and it was 100% reliable and his current e90 he has 90,000 put on it since he got it nearly two years ago.....one problem that is only after happening in that we have discovered the fan isn't cutting in so currently trying to sort that.

listermint

EnterNow wrote: »

You could buy an Almera for the price of some BMW repair bills I've handed out

I'd find a lot of stock BMW's just as dull and mundane as an Almera too...handling aside.

Not to, me mines enthusiastically cared for by a loving owner theres not many people id let touch my car.

Matt Simis

If you want pure reliability over all, statistics show Honda and a couple of other Asian makes are better. However if you want everything else that a car offers, BMW are top tier.

Ferris

Surely the biggest problem with modern BMW's is that of Run Flat Tyres and the resultant poor rides and cracked alloys. Nothing more than a revenue generating excercise imo.

Im BMW's defense, they simply do drive better than other everyday mkes of car. They do at least make cars for enthusiasts. Also the impact they have made on making the IC engine more economical is unreal, just look at the economy figures for the new 328 petrol.

(I dont have one btw)

DubDetailer

Repair bills are usually overrated too due to the crazy dealer labour costs :rolleyes:

Myrddin

DubDetailer wrote: »

Repair bills are usually overrated too due to the crazy dealer labour costs :rolleyes:

I was a BMW mechanic before that, they are a nice car, some are stunning, but reliability wise in my experience their reputation does not meet the reality

Fiona

EnterNow wrote: »

You could buy an Almera for the price of some BMW repair bills I've handed out

I have just done a quick calc in my head there from memory and maintence work on my both my cars in the last year works out at about €2,900.

That could be more as I am sure I am missing something!


:eek:

bazz26

I think there is a bit of pub talk here. My E90 is 4 years old, in the 16 months I've owned it the only problem I've had with it so far was a blocked windscreen washer reserve which was fixed under warranty. I get it serviced by an indy and things like an oil change, brake pads, etc cost in or around the same as other cars I've owned. RFT tyres are crazy money alright but I replaced them with standard tyres whic also improves the ride. They do have their problems but so do most if not all other car manufacturers these days.

In my experience most BMW parts are no more expensive than the likes of VW or Honda. Also I've spent more money on fixing little things with my previous Volvo S40, now they are expensive to put right if something major goes wrong with them.

Myrddin

bazz26 wrote: »

I think there is a bit of pub talk here. My E90 is 4 years old, in the 16 months I've owned it the only problem I've had with it so far was a blocked windscreen washer reserve which was fixed under warranty. I get it serviced by an indy and things like an oil change, brake pads, etc cost in or around the same as other cars I've owned. RFT tyres are crazy money alright but I replaced them with standard tyres whic also improves the ride. They do have their problems but so do most if not all other car manufacturers these days.

In my experience most BMW parts are no more expensive than the likes of VW or Honda. Also I've spent more money on fixing little things with my previous Volvo S40, now they are expensive to put right if something major goes wrong with them.

Absolutely, I don't think anyone here is saying they're problem prone or in any way unreliable. I've seen some amazing cars in my time there, I drove an M1 [the old mid engined one], 760 IL's, countless M models like the M6, & even a Z8 once. When you get past standard 4 pot models, they become something more than your average car.

But they do, can & will have problems like every other car out there.

listermint

EnterNow wrote: »

Absolutely, I don't think anyone here is saying they're problem prone or in any way unreliable. I've seen some amazing cars in my time there, I drove an M1 [the old mid engined one], 760 IL's, countless M models like the M6, & even a Z8 once. When you get past standard 4 pot models, they become something more than your average car.

But they do, can & will have problems like every other car out there.

BMW mechanic in 'ive repaired loads of broken down bmws' shocker

Myrddin

listermint wrote: »

BMW mechanic in 'ive repaired loads of broken down bmws' shocker

Yeah yeah, move along now

conzy

Best cars ever by miles





:pac:

But in my limited experience they are nice to work on, and the handling and engine choices are excellent. They certainly have had problems with turbo failure, swirl flaps, fuel pumps, etc. But I dont think anyone would say they are "an unreliable car"

Although most of the 5 series ones have serious indicator failure

The Tyre Dude

While there is a lot of talk of engine problems with BMW's as mentioned above, how come we never hear the same about Mercedes? Are they immune to the types of engine problems some BMW's suffer from?

Myrddin

The Tyre Dude wrote: »

While there is a lot of talk of engine problems with BMW's as mentioned above, how come we never hear the same about Mercedes? Are they immune to the types of engine problems some BMW's suffer from?

They have their own issues too, believe me. It's a similar story to BMW though, they a rock solid reputation

Ferris

The Tyre Dude wrote: »

While there is a lot of talk of engine problems with BMW's as mentioned above, how come we never hear the same about Mercedes? Are they immune to the types of engine problems some BMW's suffer from?

Cough...straight 6 diesels....cough.....black death......cough

Matt Simis

The Tyre Dude wrote: »

While there is a lot of talk of engine problems with BMW's as mentioned above, how come we never hear the same about Mercedes? Are they immune to the types of engine problems some BMW's suffer from?

Cos everything else breaks on Mercs before the engines have a chance to die. Look them up in the reliability index's, pretty woeful record.

Myrddin

Matt Simis wrote: »

Cos everything else breaks on Mercs before the engines have a chance to die

Brilliant :D

creedp

no1beemerfan wrote: »

My father had an e46 that he put 110,000 miles on it in two years and it was 100% reliable and his current e90 he has 90,000 put on it since he got it nearly two years ago.....one problem that is only after happening in that we have discovered the fan isn't cutting in so currently trying to sort that.

I know this is OT but 55,000 miles a year .. what does he do to clock up that kind of mileage? I hope he gets some class of mileage compensation becasue at today's prices that scary!

Back on topic .. if I had a few spare bobs I would certaintly love to buy a 5.25/5.30d. Think they are fabulous looking car and the fact that they drive so well adds to the appeal. However, as said here while they may be reasonably realiable I would be worried about averall running costs but as said before if you can afford to buy one then you can afford to maintain one. I'm hoping to be in that bracket at some stage .. maybe when kids have grown up and stopped fleecing me!!

Tea 1000

Nissan doctor wrote: »

People will say yes, people will say no and it will be another argument.

My view....they are not as reliable or as well made as they should be for the price and image they have.

True, but they're more reliable than Audi's and Merc's... so that leaves you where?

MuppetCheck

Tea 1000 wrote: »

True, but they're more reliable than Audi's and Merc's... so that leaves you where?

Looking for the Jag or Lexus dealership:D

JSherwin08

BMW's have become more and more ugly as years go by, the new 2012 3 series looks like every other luxury car out there. I think BMW set the standards in the 90's with the e30 and e36. I'd prefer the look and drive of the older models to be honest, they look and feel more like real cars rather then luxury executive cars, they were real ultimate driving machines. But if you want reliability... buy a Mercedes!

Nissan doctor

Tea 1000 wrote: »

True, but they're more reliable than Audi's and Merc's... so that leaves you where?

It leaves me no-where, VAG and merc(merc especially) also live off their badges and the extremely outdated public perception of German build quality.

listermint

JSherwin08 wrote: »

BMW's have become more and more ugly as years go by, the new 2012 3 series looks like every other luxury car out there. I think BMW set the standards in the 90's with the e30 and e36. I'd prefer the look and drive of the older models to be honest, they look and feel more like real cars rather then luxury executive cars, they were real ultimate driving machines. But if you want reliability... buy a Mercedes!

The New F10 doesnt resemble anything i know of and your last part is just ill informed.

Nissan doctor

JSherwin08 wrote: »

BMW's have become more and more ugly as years go by, the new 2012 3 series looks like every other luxury car out there. I think BMW set the standards in the 90's with the e30 and e36. I'd prefer the look and drive of the older models to be honest, they look and feel more like real cars rather then luxury executive cars, they were real ultimate driving machines. But if you want reliability... buy a Mercedes!

Get this man to a comedy club quick!:rolleyes:

JSherwin08

listermint wrote: »

The New F10 doesnt resemble anything i know of and your last part is just ill informed.

What I was trying to get at was I think the older BMW's (if well kept of course) are more beautiful cars, they are very hard to come by in good condition though...

JerCotter7

I don't want to defend them because I would be biased. I own one for a little under 2 years now. Most problems I have ever had with it were all my own fault.

listermint

JSherwin08 wrote: »

What I was trying to get at was I think the older BMW's (if well kept of course) are more beautiful cars, they are very hard to come by in good condition though...

not if you know where to look

bazz26

JSherwin08 wrote: »

BMW's have become more and more ugly as years go by, the new 2012 3 series looks like every other luxury car out there. I think BMW set the standards in the 90's with the e30 and e36. I'd prefer the look and drive of the older models to be honest, they look and feel more like real cars rather then luxury executive cars, they were real ultimate driving machines. But if you want reliability... buy a Mercedes!

While the quality and reliability of Mercedes has improved again in the last 5 years or so, they are far from the last word in reliability.

Eric Cartman

JSherwin08 wrote: »

BMW's have become more and more ugly as years go by, the new 2012 3 series looks like every other luxury car out there. I think BMW set the standards in the 90's with the e30 and e36. I'd prefer the look and drive of the older models to be honest, they look and feel more like real cars rather then luxury executive cars, they were real ultimate driving machines. But if you want reliability... buy a Mercedes!

You must have been in a coma for quite some time now, they discontinued the w124 and went drinking