[FormerRotor]

Originally Posted by AzureHaze

I would be satisfied alone with the go kart-like abilities and nimbleness of the 135i but if you're really hankering for that addictive diesel torque and acceptable fuel economy, definitely jump on a CPO.

Think it's going to be a bit tough finding a new one now that has your color and options but there should be plenty of CPO 335d vehicles around.

I haven't hit 60K yet but with almost 23K (bought new) under my belt, the only problems I've had were the common "service engine soon" and "brake/traction" warning lights which the former was resolved with a software update but the latter is still an issue. Then I get the usual squeaks in the suspension and an occasional clunk when reversing at certain angles.

So I can't say you have nothing to worry about but hopefully the 100K warranty on a CPO would ease your mind. Good luck!

AH, is your clunk felt through the steering wheel? If so, I just got done battling this & may have a fix and some duplication tricks for you

[Spitfire007]

I agree with what all of you say, but is it reasonable to have to do some MAJOR work (cylinder head/injectors) at about 60k, for some cars? I think no.

I am not risk averse, as I've had a 2002 Tii, a 98 740iL, and the 135i. The toughest and best built was the 740 (tank), the worst, the 135. It just didn't inspire confidence build-wise, it started to rattle everywhere at 15000, and just felt like a toy-car.
Overall, a really fun drive but NOT what I expected of BMW quality-wise. The engine was amazing...

Also, I don't see how we Americans abuse cars more than Europeans. Being from Europe, I don't see much of a difference, except the speed, and the servicing schedule from BMW, maybe.

The 335d is really intriguing, sounds like a ball, I need to go drive one. But I also want a 10-15 year car. Why can't I find that from my favourite manufacturer, unless it's a 328?

Thanks for all the responses, it's nice to get an honest feel.
If I get one, it'll be CPOed at least.

[AzureHaze]

Originally Posted by FormerRotor

AH, is your clunk felt through the steering wheel? If so, I just got done battling this & may have a fix and some duplication tricks for you

No the unusual clunk is felt below me from the car's suspension. The dealership lubed up the rear differentials a few weeks ago but that didn't resolve the issue at all. I'd also get a squeak every time I enter and exit the car from my seat. My SA says that's perfectly normal and not to worry about it. Somehow he said that with a straight face...

[Pierre Louis]

Originally Posted by Spitfire007

I agree with what all of you say, but is it reasonable to have to do some MAJOR work (cylinder head/injectors) at about 60k, for some cars? I think no.

I am not risk averse, as I've had a 2002 Tii, a 98 740iL, and the 135i. The toughest and best built was the 740 (tank), the worst, the 135. It just didn't inspire confidence build-wise, it started to rattle everywhere at 15000, and just felt like a toy-car.
Overall, a really fun drive but NOT what I expected of BMW quality-wise. The engine was amazing...

Also, I don't see how we Americans abuse cars more than Europeans. Being from Europe, I don't see much of a difference, except the speed, and the servicing schedule from BMW, maybe.

The 335d is really intriguing, sounds like a ball, I need to go drive one. But I also want a 10-15 year car. Why can't I find that from my favourite manufacturer, unless it's a 328?

Thanks for all the responses, it's nice to get an honest feel.
If I get one, it'll be CPOed at least.

I guess it depends on where in North America, at what climate, what amount of urbanization, and what amount of arrogance the well-heeled consumers have. Its only a guess, but experience and intuition with other brands leads me to this suspicion.

BMW and Audi have consistently ranked very low in reliability ratings over the years. The brands are not equal to Mercedes or even Porsche in Europe, especially if you observe pricing and longevity. The 3 series in the past, and more recently since perhaps 1999 the 7 series, have proven reliable. But other models as with other brands don't always follow. A good example is how poorly Porsches are maintained in Europe vs. the PCA ones - US ones are in much better condition as a generalization because of the perception of raciness in Europe which is not so much here (yeah, really: Porsches were never considered to be for the "stop light grand prix" until perhaps more recently here in the US) but with less concern for maintenance.

Automotive gurus no longer consider diesels the rock solid reliable engines a la Mercedes they were considered in the past, mostly due to the high CR pressures, meaning the fuel injection and perhaps DPF systems may not last as long as we wish them to.

I also haven't heard of "carbon buildup" in non-BMW engines other than just direct injection gasoline ones. Modern diesels have intake manifold buildup that as far as I've heard does not require a new manifold to fix, just a good cleaning. BMW dealers may be overdoing it by replacing too many parts to avoid other issues and this inflates the cost of repair, I don't know.

PL

[Pierre Louis]

Originally Posted by Spitfire007

I agree with what all of you say, but is it reasonable to have to do some MAJOR work (cylinder head/injectors) at about 60k, for some cars? I think no.

Overall, a really fun drive but NOT what I expected of BMW quality-wise. The engine was amazing...

Cylinder head issues seem to be historically a BMW characteristic. BMW quality is not up to Mercedes, Porsche, and even VW/Audi levels IMO, even though the issues keep changing.

But over the past few decades, metallurgy, electronics, manufacturing, and modular assembly have improved overall in all cars. JD Powers usually records a 5% or so improvement overall in all cars in reliability every year....

PL

[335dFan]

For a little historical perspective, I owned a 1971 BMW 2002 (US Spec) for five years and 96,000 miles between Sept 1970 and Aug 1975. I was stationed in Germany and drove it quite hard, on and off the autobahn. I didn't really do much stoplight drag racing but I did run it up through the gears almost always. It only had 106 HP SAE. On the autobahn it would do about 106 mph max on level, but it sounded best at around 93-94 mph. It would hunker down real nice and drive all day long at that speed, achieving around 18 mpg at that velocity. I always thought in retrospect I should have bought the German spec 2002ti. Anyway, great car and very predictable handling. I did upgrade the dampers and put on an Abarth exhaust.

With that preface, I did average about $88 per month in 1970 dollars at the local German dealer. This was not for major repairs, just adjustments and tinkering to keep it running like a top. At the end of the 5 years it probably needed a new engine and rear end due to a brief period of neglecting fluids, and there was a bit of rust on the front fenders. Great car, fond memories, but not cheap to own even though I only paid $2,997 new. By 1975 a new one was about $6k.

[Pierre Louis]

Here is a possible explanation for the carbon buildup issues from another thread:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpo...54&postcount=6

The biggest defect that Porsches seem to have of late is from NOT driving them hard: the pre-2009 intermediate shaft bearing problem.

PL