[Mihnea0000]

Hello bmw community,i am currently looking into buying an automatic bmw e92 320/325/328i as my first car but i find it difficult finding much info about this cars options, engines realiabilty and any things i should look into more.Being my first car,i would not consider a 330i/335i because i believe thats too much hp for me being a beginner at driving. Can you guys help me with some info about these cars and what should i be looking at?Also, i want to hear some opinions on the xdrive system because i heard that if the car wasnt properly maintained i should not consider getting an xdrive,but i fear de rwd system due to my lack of knowledge in handling anything besides a fwd. Thank you👍🏻

[GSB]

I don't know. I have an E92 335i RWD manual. It looks amazing, it drives like a dream, it is fast and even pretty economical. BUT... It breaks. A lot. The engine and transmission internals are solid and reliable if you maintain them well, but this car is loaded with flimsy plastic and rubber parts that fail at an alarming rate, leaking oil and coolant all over the place, often causing plenty of collateral damage, usually in the middle of winter. It's a ticking time-bomb. If you love spending your weekends working on cars and you have an extensive toolset loaded with special torx bits and sockets, and you have good diagnostics software, you might love this car. But if you'll have to take the car to a dealer or another mechanic every time it breaks, you may want to rethink this decision unless you have lots of money. I drove (and worked on) Hondas for decades, and switching to a BMW was a shock! I would never recommend a used BMW to a friend unless I knew he was an enthusiast who loves working in the garage. The x-drive system adds even more complexity and inaccessibility issues underneath the car, so I chose the RWD.

My Hondas were all FWD, so I was also nervous about switching to RWD, but the BMW has a fairly fail-safe traction control system, and as long as you're not going too fast for road-conditions, it does a good job keeping the rear-end in check. It's a blast to drive when you learn to handle it well.

[eljay]

Welcome!
I suggest you read this post in detail to learn what may await you:
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1517476

If you are willing to learn how to fix things, nothing in that post is scary. Find a good friend or shop to help you with the harder stuff.
That said, if you can find a car that had at least these services completed, you will be in a good shape:
oil filter housing gasket, valve cover gasket, water pump, thermostat. Also, check oil pan gasket for leaks as that is an involved job. If those were done, AWD vs RWD is down to your preference and local driving conditions.
In terms of driving, if you have the option, sign up and pay for a performance driving course to teach you car control. It's the best "mod" on any car: mod the driver first.

[GSB]

Originally Posted by eljay

Welcome!
I suggest you read this post in detail to learn what may await you:
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1517476

What an amazing post/thread. I hadn't seen that.

[StradaRedlands]

If you do most of your own maintenance, or are able to comfortably pay someone else to, the yes, they're great cars. Nothing wrong with getting a 330i if you can find one, that's the same motor as the 328i, but with an improved intake. Free horsepower.

If you have winter conditions and will be driving in snow, then X drive is nice. Otherwise a maintenance multiplier that you're just carrying around and not using. Only get it if you really need it, not just driving in snow 2 or 3 times a year, but daily for weeks on end. Then it would be really nice to have. But so are dedicated snow tires.

[SpoolinAddict]

If you work full time and have no problem with maintenance..you should be fine. If you don't think you can handle a $1-2k random thing that might fail, get a jdm car (not saying it's all the time, but be prepared for something like this). If you think that's too much, or can't afford it, it might not be the car for you

[lordnikon]

Prepare to set some money aside for repairs. And fuel economy is not that great in the city. If want to run it on a shoestring, this is not the car for you.

[NZE90]

Please do not buy a 320i. Those engines are absolute junk.

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by lordnikon

Prepare to set some money aside for repairs. And fuel economy is not that great in the city. If want to run it on a shoestring, this is not the car for you.

Oh yeah, good point of the inefficiency of the N52... great open-road motor, but very thirsty in city traffic!