[floydarogers]

Originally Posted by Nickco43

I would like to find someone with a 200k 335d and ask for their ownership experience. I dismissed the 335d since the mpg in my eyes was not that good compared to a NA diesel.

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1080626

[Nickco43]

Originally Posted by floydarogers

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1080626

The 335D with deletes looks like a great car. I take my words back.

[fastboatster]

Originally Posted by 4 Doors

Why do you say stay away from the automatic? The E9X automatic transmissions are pretty robust and stress-free. Easy to maintain as well. What is your reasoning to make this statement?

Exactly, since you also usually have to pay more for a manual e90 which also usually will be in rougher shape and driven harder. The extra you spend might be more than you spend on the fluids and seals change.

[Stea1thNinja]

Thanks for putting this together.

[Santiago]

Dont i wish I read this before buying my car

[Newkstar]

Likewise, this is a great post.

I've just bought a 325I E912008 with an N52 2.5l engine with 30K miles, I just pick it up in the next week. I will post some pics after doing so.

Thanks to all for some valuable info and experiences.

[4 Doors]

Originally Posted by Newkstar

Likewise, this is a great post.

I've just bought a 325I E912008 with an N52 2.5l engine with 30K miles, I just pick it up in the next week. I will post some pics after doing so.

Thanks to all for some valuable info and experiences.

Are you overseas? They didn't have the N52B25 in the 325i in 2008 in the US or Canada.

[GRUESOM3]

Wrong thread

[Timppa]

Thank you for this very usefull post! Now I know what to look out for

[th3jermster]

Hey guys My father recently passed away and he left me his 2011 BMW 328i (coupe) with 124K miles on it, the car has a good body and I believe my father took very good care of it. Although I love driving this car, I am moving into a house with a smaller garage and I am not sure if I should keep the car. Is there even a market for selling this Base Model BMW? I currently have a 2016 Honda Civic, and Im not sure what I really have with this BMW. Ive been reading up about the motor and it seems like the N52 motor is reliable. Should I take it to a shop and have a full tune up with fluids changes? Please let me know your thoughts sorry for the rambling!!

[leif20]

Sorry to hear about the loss of your father. Im sure he loved that car and hopefully it reminds you of him.

If you live in an apartment a 2016 honda civic is certainly a good choice. Based on my experience (2006 E90 with 130k miles) you will have to give the BMW much more attention than the honda. Even though it's a 'base model' it's still a high performance precision machine, and at 100k+ miles things start to wear out. Its likely that most of the miles are highway since it's hard to rack up 16000 miles in 8 years driving strictly in the city, but it's possible I suppose. This is better for the longevvity of the car because on the highway the car can operate at 'steady state' and less wear and tear on the components.

There are a few things to consider:
1. How emotionally attached are you to the car? Does it have sentimental value?
2. How much do you like the driving experience? Keeping the car for sentimental reasons but not liking, or even having no preference for the way it drives compared to other cars is not a good reason to keep it around.
3. How willing are you to put up with high mileage bmw 'flaws'? After 10 years or 100k miles things start to crop up. Check the maintenance records (if your dad kept them) and see how much work has been done, and whether it's been recent. See if you can handle that type of expense, or if you're willing to do it by yourself. If you prefer to have a headache free car, the general consensus would be to stick with the civic. BMW's will provide headaches, but most of the time they can be solved with ibuprofin (quick DIY repairs), a day of recovery, like a sick day (longer DIY repairs), or sometimes it turns in to a full migrane and a hospital visit is required.

Post a few pics of the car and let us see what youre working with!

[harry780]

great post!

[53N30W]

Your 328 is unique now a days in that the N52 is a super sweet engine and it has Hydraulic steering. The new ones just don't steer as good as they are electric. Yup there will be gaskets that leak, water pump and belt tensioner that will need to be replaced in the future etc.
If you want to sell it don't totally give it away on auto trader, I would suggest a reasonable price and put it on BMW CCA web site. At least someone there will appreciate it

The car is old school. Last of the the Non turbo six cylinders with real steering

[Ivanr1990]

Hello I have a 2012 328i SULEV coupe with the N51 engine. It has the Msport trim and the interior and steering wheel. My questions is how do I really know it’s an M sport? I find it strange to be a 328i coupe with the downtuned N51 SULEV engine and also have M sport package. Here are some photos

[4 Doors]

Originally Posted by Ivanr1990

Hello I have a 2012 328i SULEV coupe with the N51 engine. It has the Msport trim and the interior and steering wheel. My questions is how do I really know it’s an M sport? I find it strange to be a 328i coupe with the downtuned N51 SULEV engine and also have M sport package. Here are some photos

Look up the VIN with Mdecoder and you will see if it has the M-Sport Package.

[DillonInCo]

Hey folks, new here, but not new to BMW. I'm looking into buying a 335 sedan as my new daily driver. And after reading through this thread (among others), I think I have a good understanding of what I'm getting into. I just want to ask about a few things, because I haven't found much by searching.

1) OP says "Only get an X-Drive car only if you NEED it."

Is the added difficulty / cost of maintaining really THAT bad? I have no problem winter driving RWD with good snow tires, and wouldn't choose AWD if snow were out of the picture. But, with as icy as the roads get where I live (Colorado), and with as much torque as these cars have, unless you run studs or chains there is a very real possibility of getting stuck. Especially going through mountain passes.

2) Can anyone comment on whether adding reliability items like RB PCV and catch can will impact emissions? I'm guessing not significantly, but I'd like some real world input.

3) Maybe not the right place for this but... The other car I'm looking at is the B8 S4. Has anyone here owned (or at least frequently driven) both? I'll always be a BMW guy, but the advantages of the Audi can't be denied. No turbo woes, cheaper parts, better resale value, excellent infotainment, etc.

[Nickco43]

Originally Posted by DillonInCo

Hey folks, new here, but not new to BMW. I'm looking into buying a 335 sedan as my new daily driver. And after reading through this thread (among others), I think I have a good understanding of what I'm getting into. I just want to ask about a few things, because I haven't found much by searching.

1) OP says "Only get an X-Drive car only if you NEED it."

Is the added difficulty / cost of maintaining really THAT bad? I have no problem winter driving RWD with good snow tires, and wouldn't choose AWD if snow were out of the picture. But, with as icy as the roads get where I live (Colorado), and with as much torque as these cars have, unless you run studs or chains there is a very real possibility of getting stuck. Especially going through mountain passes.

2) Can anyone comment on whether adding reliability items like RB PCV and catch can will impact emissions? I'm guessing not significantly, but I'd like some real world input.

3) Maybe not the right place for this but... The other car I'm looking at is the B8 S4. Has anyone here owned (or at least frequently driven) both? I'll always be a BMW guy, but the advantages of the Audi can't be denied. No turbo woes, cheaper parts, better resale value, excellent infotainment, etc.

X-drive cars have more parts to go wrong and makes repairs like the water pump, oil pan, turbos, etc harder to perform. If you are going up proper mountain passes then I would probably purchase an X-drive car. I would just make sure you replace the drive line fluids if you do buy an X-drive car.

I can't comment on anything else besides the fact that BMW cars have the most diy support. All of the software can be found free online as well as detailed parts diagrams and factory service manuals.

[vilord]

Originally Posted by Nickco43

I can't comment on anything else besides the fact that BMW cars have the most diy support. All of the software can be found free online as well as detailed parts diagrams and factory service manuals.

This right here is huge.

I picked up an auction special gmc sierra yesterday with plans to get it back running and rent it out to my landscaping friend to do some plowing this winter. Parts diagrams and online service manuals are very hard to find. 90% of the suggestions online for coding modules are "go to the dealer". Super frustrating after coming from such a great community over here with manuals and diagrams online.

As for x-drive? I think if given the choice I would swap the x-drive for an m3 front suspension and an LSD in the rear. Lighter, better gas mileage, and the roads around here are plowed often enough that I don't *need* it. The E46 vert I had last winter on snow tires handled 90% of the storms just as well.

[floydarogers]

Originally Posted by DillonInCo

...

1) OP says "Only get an X-Drive car only if you NEED it."

Is the added difficulty / cost of maintaining really THAT bad?

Having had both, my answer is that most people are exaggerating. The only things needing "extra" maintenance on an xDrive car are monitoring the boots for the front CVJ's, and diff fluid in the front (which can be a pain as BMW doesn't believe in drain plugs and fill plugs at the right level.)

Originally Posted by vilord

...
As for x-drive? I think if given the choice I would swap the x-drive for an m3 front suspension and an LSD in the rear.

The front subframe for xDrive cars is different; you cannot use any M3 (or rwd 3-series FTM) on it, as all the control arms and other stuff are different.

[vilord]

I guess I meant if I was going back and buying it again, I'd probably get the non-x and would get an LSD instead.

As for front diff fluid: I have never checked mine, at 165K miles. I should probably do that.
Also don't forget front driveshaft universal joints and transfer case fluid. I've had a front driveshaft explode on my xdrive wagon :/

[Nickco43]

Originally Posted by floydarogers

Having had both, my answer is that most people are exaggerating. The only things needing "extra" maintenance on an xDrive car are monitoring the boots for the front CVJ's, and diff fluid in the front (which can be a pain as BMW doesn't believe in drain plugs and fill plugs at the right level.)



The front subframe for xDrive cars is different; you cannot use any M3 (or rwd 3-series FTM) on it, as all the control arms and other stuff are different.

X-drive being a pain applies more for high mileage used cars than nicer examples.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by th3jermster

Hey guys My father recently passed away and he left me his 2011 BMW 328i (coupe) with 124K miles on it, the car has a good body and I believe my father took very good care of it. Although I love driving this car, I am moving into a house with a smaller garage and I am not sure if I should keep the car. Is there even a market for selling this Base Model BMW? I currently have a 2016 Honda Civic, and Im not sure what I really have with this BMW. Ive been reading up about the motor and it seems like the N52 motor is reliable. Should I take it to a shop and have a full tune up with fluids changes? Please let me know your thoughts sorry for the rambling!!

I am sorry to hear about your father's passing. My Father passed in the first week of 2015, a few weeks after I bought my Z4 in December 2014, so that car, to me, will always be tied to his passing. What would be nice to know is if your father owned his BMW because he was a car guy, or did he buy it as a status symbol. Keeping it to 124,000, and I assume he'd still be driving it now, tells me he was probably a car guy in some respects.

I have to somewhat agree with the several posts in response to your inquiry regarding your father's '11 E92 328i. If you have any emotional tie to the car being it was your father's, then keep it IMO. Being a 2011, it is due for plugs every 60,000 miles so check if it has service records indicating your father had it recently serviced. The engine air filter is due soon, being the replacement interval is every 45,000 miles. You didn't mention which transmission it has. If it has a manual, then definitely keep it as it is rare.

To own a BMW over 100,000 miles takes a bit of dedication, but not much more than any other car. The E9X chassis is very well built and the body and interior will last longer than a Honda. The mechanicals can appear troublesome as compared to ownership of a Japanese brand, but not by much. Japanese cars are not the godsend of reliability they are made out to be. IMO, based on a friend who is a serious Hondahead, his cars are about as troublesome as my E90 has been. He takes his Hondas well over 150,000 miles and both of his mid-2000's Civics blew their headgasket at 145,000 miles or so. He's had emission issues with both as well. We owned an Acura Integra and a BMW E30 at the same time between 1989 to 1997 and the BMW had a few more issues, but minor things. I kept the E30 eight years longer than the Acura.

You'll read on E90 Post that BMWs need a serious amount of preventative maintenance, but it is not true. I have 382,000 miles on my E90 and I've basically followed BMW's maintenance schedule, which most people think is BMW's conspiracy to have their cars prematurely wear out so owners will buy a new BMW once their car hits 100,000 miles and starts dropping parts on the road. But I DIY everything, so I'm in the camp of keeping BMWs a long time affordably if you work on it yourself. My experience with 30 years of BMW ownership and four in the fleet right now, is BMW transmissions, engines, and differentials hardly ever break. For some reason BMW enthusiasts for some reason far over-maintain their cars. My experience is the E9X does not need an extraordinary amount of maintenance. So if one of your reasons for not keeping your father's car is fear of maintenance, then get that out of your mind.

I'm not sure what a smaller garage has to do with your decision, but if it's keeping the BMW garaged is not possible because of the Civic, then just get a car cover for the 328i. Drive it every week for at least 80 miles, and it will stay in good shape. The best way to own a BMW above 100,000 miles is to either DIY, or find a honest BMW-trained independent mechanic to service it. BMWs are so well supported on the Internet, you can familiarize yourself with the common issues that come with the model you have, which helps either for DIY'ing or having repairs done by a shop. If maintained correctly and not modified, it is very rare that a BMW will come up with an unsolvable problem that has not been documented somewhere on the Net.

I hope you keep it. The E92 is a great car, and the E9X chassis with an N52 is a tank. My 2 cents.