[Jessica1188]

I really want to buy this 2006 325xi with 80k mi but my dad won't help me because of their reputation for expensive upkeep. He said he doesn't want to get stuck with paying a lot more than say a domestic or Japanese. A BMW mechanic told me it generally costs at least 1500 a year to maintain one in good condition. Is that true even of the 325xi? I really want this car but I won't be able to sell him on it if this is the case nor be able to afford it.

[CombatNinja]

Sorry to say it is so.

[Eric335]

Depends. I put maybe 4-6k miles per year on my car, and i spent less than $400 from Sept 12, 2011 to Sept 12, 2012 (date i purchased to a year later). A coilpack + plugs + oil + oil filter is all i did, and the coil/plugs you wont need to worry too much about with a 325. Im not sure about maintaining the X-Drive though, but i doubt its terribly different. Im at 40k miles btw. Although my stupid cup-holder is broken, so thats another $50 and an hours worth of time haha. When your getting close to 100k miles you will have to be expecting a water-pump failure. That seems like it is the thing to go around 100k miles.

On the contrary, ive spent $1,200+ in modifications

The maintenance isnt bad until you have some random issue that you cannot predict. Kind of like the extreme squealing from my passenger side breaks.

[gunnerxq]

Where does he get the $1500 from, gas? I think any alternative will cost a similar amount. Get a 325i instead if you are looking for better mileage and one less differential to worry about. Hell just tell your dad you will learn manual because it's cheaper to repair and gets better gas mileage. Also what's the big deal if you get a job?

[Dark_Knight_335]

Try to sell him on a 335. Your 325 will be in your driveway in a heartbeat.

[Eric335]

Originally Posted by gunnerxq

Where does he get the $1500 from, gas? I think any alternative will cost a similar amount. Get a 325i instead if you are looking for better mileage and one less differential to worry about. Hell just tell your dad you will learn manual because it's cheaper to repair and gets better gas mileage. Also what's the big deal if you get a job?

Ding ding ding.

In my previous assessment, i didnt incorporate gas, since every car will use gas. The roughly $300 difference between gas mileage of the cars your looking at can easily be overcome with a weekend job. Plus it will look good when you apply to college

Getting a manual 325i or 330i would be a great choice. Fun, good looking, manual, cheap to maintain and run, with pretty good gas mileage to boot.

[laser]

Did you cut and paste your thread off the Bimmerfest board?

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=664705

Hoping for a better answer here?

[Das_Stig]

get the bimmer later when you can afford it, not gonna be fun if you put all your money into the car and never have fun with your friends, from the sound of it your pretty young, and i think your stretching what your dad can afford without concern for how hard its gonna be to find the money

ps its 80k miles if something does go wrong it will get pricey. aside from the maintenance, which since your a young girl who doesn't seem aware about maintenance, won't be doing herself. (see how i averted being sexist there <yay me>) prices quoted earlier of 400 for the 4-6k miles/year of maintenance and 50 for cupholder were for materials for a guy who did the job himself.

[Pyccak]

It costs me alot cheaper then that. Cause I do it myself you will be spending more money on gas vs japanese because you need to use premium

[N0OS3]

I do repairs myself... just bought the Bently Publisher's manual and follow the steps when someone decides it doesn't want to work right. I also have an OBDII cable and NCSexpert for picking out codes... ^__^ those things alone cost me ~$200 but has saved me thousands from going to a shop to get it done...

otherwise, yes, i would say it costs on average $1200/yr to maintain...

[cuiter23]

Sounds about right, only had my car for half a year and already had a VCG leak. Ran me just shy of 1k, it's good I bought warranty so I got it all covered. Routine maintenance and stuff will be at least $400-600 a year (assuming you go 3 times at an independent shop).

Don't expect to save money on gas, that 3.0L is not fuel efficient by any means and will drink premium. It takes me $90 to fill up, my friend with a civic takes less than $50 lol.

If you have a job or any savings, tell your dad that you will pay for a portion of the car and see what he says. I am working part-time while going to university full-time, I offered to pay half for my car, all my gas, maintenance etc. If you do choose to buy it, a warranty is a must

[ken1137]

It will depend on the car and it's history. Some cars just seem to have issues. My friend had an '05 325 xi and once it hit 80K it was in the shop constantly. Her father's a mechanic so she saved a lot of money, but she decided to get rid of it once she hit 100K. My 2002 325 coupe never had any issues but I didn't keep it that long. I am certain there are more than a few older 325's that are not as problematic. GL.

[N55]

Don't get one....

If you are pickling about $1500/yr on maintenance you should consider an Asian brand car.

Nothing about a BMW is cheap, other than them damned cup holders.

[N55]

Here is an eye opener... Yes.. Yes.. it is a 2007 328, but it will be similar.

http://www.edmunds.com/bmw/3-series/...tyle=100814244

[J02 335i]

Originally Posted by N55

Here is an eye opener... Yes.. Yes.. it is a 2007 328, but it will be similar.

http://www.edmunds.com/bmw/3-series/...tyle=100814244

Over $3000 in maintenance and repairs in the first year? Seems a little overboard to me. Especially considering its based on 15000 miles a year, which technically wound only be one service. I'm confused.

[Sabao767]

I have a 2008 328i that I bought two years ago and the only money I spend on it was on three oil changes that cost me $120 each at the dealer. Car has 76k miles and runs perfect. Not every car is the same, I had a Honda civic that gave me nothing but problems and they're supposed to last forever.

[Kolyan2k]

If you consider depreciation it can be $1500 or even more, If you only take maintenance items then its less of course ($500 or less), If you will need a repair done at dealer then you are back to $1500+. If you take everything then you are at around $3000 mark

[Meeni]

Its approximately what I spent on various (small item) repairs since it is not under warranty anymore. That's a good estimate. Nothing major broke, but the engine leaked from here and there, needed new rotors, tires, etc etc. $1500 per/y to keep it running seems realistic to me.

[Turb0Surge]

Originally Posted by Jessica1188

I really want to buy this 2006 325xi with 80k mi but my dad won't help me because of their reputation for expensive upkeep. He said he doesn't want to get stuck with paying a lot more than say a domestic or Japanese. A BMW mechanic told me it generally costs at least 1500 a year to maintain one in good condition. Is that true even of the 325xi? I really want this car but I won't be able to sell him on it if this is the case nor be able to afford it.

A bmw is not like a toyota- in the sense that you can buy a toyota brand new, do oil and filter changes an get up to 150k + on virtually no maintenance.


If you are worried about $1500 A YEAR in maintenance costs, don't buy the car. Break it down- $1500 divided by 12 months = $125 a month. Really not that much. That's like 2 tanks of gas.


I myself don't spend much on maintenance, but that's because I do it all myself in my garage. On the other hand, I spend a lot more then $1500 on mods per year.

[cuiter23]

Originally Posted by Turb0Surge

A bmw is not like a toyota- in the sense that you can buy a toyota brand new, do oil and filter changes an get up to 150k + on virtually no maintenance.


If you are worried about $1500 A YEAR in maintenance costs, don't buy the car. Break it down- $1500 divided by 12 months = $125 a month. Really not that much. That's like 2 tanks of gas.


I myself don't spend much on maintenance, but that's because I do it all myself in my garage. On the other hand, I spend a lot more then $1500 on mods per year.

LOL, yes we all forgot about mods. Be prepared to break the bank if you choose to mod a BMW, it will be a lot more than any Japanese competitor.

My friend got a full catback system for his 370z for under $700. A full system for an e90 will run you at least 2k.

You might not choose to mod (that's what I said first) but once you hit the forums here, it might be inevitable

[Professor///M]

I'm not sure what you mean by maintain. It's not $1,500 a year. It will likely average that if you have an issue.

Oil change is $100 if you pay out of pocket, you need at least 1 of those a year. I'm sure they would charge you $60 for a multi-point inspection if you needed one.

It's just like anything else, it's fine until you have a problem. If you don't want a problem, buy a new car you can afford with a warranty, or a CPO one with a warranty to 100,000 miles. As with everything else in life - you get what you pay for

[lolwut]

$1500 is pretty low for *any* european/luxury car.

That's $125/month, which is probably less than your insurance (I'm assuming your <25 years old since your father is involved) , it's less than what gas will cost you and less then any monthy payments.

I believe he's pulling this number out of his ass truthfully, but that said, these are not accord's. Sometimes they will break and yes, it will cost a lot of money if you can't DIY or aftermarket parts are not avalible.

The reality is that If you're unable to afford $1500 annually I would strongly discourage you against purchasing one. I understand people don't like to be carpoor or house poor, but you could pretty easily be double or triple that into the car should something major go wrong.