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BMW 5-Series Sedans

12737 messages,  Last post on Feb 16, 2013 at 11:05 PM

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What is this discussion about? BMW 5 Series, Sedan

Messages Page 1165 of 1274

#11637 of 12737 Re: Should I keep my 2001 525i ...... [markcincinnati] by div2

Oct 05, 2006 (1:08 pm)

Replying to: markcincinnati (Oct 05, 2006 8:17 am)
As I put it in another topic...
 
In my twenty three years of BMW ownership(E3, E24, E28, E36/5, E39, E83) I simply haven't found that to be the case. Maintenance and repair costs for my 1995 104K Club Sport have averaged a bit under $40 per month. My E24 M6 was a bit pricey to run, but even then the costs weren't that much out of line. I believe the most I ever spent on one shop visit was around $1200- and that covered replacement of the radiator, water pump, and PS pump. I still kick myself for letting that one go-though I did drive it for three years with zero depreciation.
As for my wife's 2004 X3, I'm not considering an extended maintenance plan. Nothing that I've learned about the car leads me to believe that it will be all that expensive to run. That said, I do think that the newer gadget filled cars such as the E60 and E65/66 will be expensive to maintain-primarily due to the sheer amount of their on-board electronics. Normal scheduled maintenance costs should not be that bad. In any event, keep talking up that "breathtakingly expensive" angle every chance you get; it might help depress the market for the non-CPO cars I'm looking at

#11638 of 12737 Extended Maintenance & German Cars by nyccarguy

Oct 05, 2006 (9:38 pm)

My Dad has an '04 X5 3.0iA SP with a little over 56,000 miles on it. It has been the absolute pinnacle of reliability. He drives 20K a year on his lease and wanted to be covered for the duration of his 42 month lease. Once he has his Inspection II done and another set of brakes, the extended maintenance will have paid for itself.
 
My Mom has an '05 530iA which she loves. It has been so reliable that I actually considered buying the car when the lease is up. The maintenance costs don't bother me, but I don't trust that i-Drive once bit. I don't even want to think how much that would be to replace if it crashes.
 
Japanese cars are reliable, but once mileage gets up there maintenance gets expensive too. I drive a 2001 Honda Prelude Type SH that currently has 74,000 miles. Last year I had to replace the clutch at 52K which cost A LOT of money ($1800 because the ATTS unit had to be taken out & re-installed for clutch work to be done for an extra 5 hours of labor). I had the work done by the dealer (providing my own Centerforce Clutch), but got some quotes from indy shops that were not that much cheaper. A few months ago I had the timing blet & tensioner replaced along with the H2O pump and valve cover gasket. That was like $1600 and I had the work done by an indy shop.

#11639 of 12737 Re: Should I keep my 2001 525i ...... [shaymasdaddy] by 530ir1150r

Oct 06, 2006 (5:56 am)

Replying to: shaymasdaddy (Oct 04, 2006 12:12 pm)
This issue keeps coming up every 6 months or so.
 
Keep in mind that profits and commissions are priced into the deal. Neither BMW or some other firm is going to subsidize your maintenance or warranty work. Therefore, the average person with the average car will lose money.
 
If buying insurance buys peace of mind, get the extended plans. If you want to get a good deal (or save money), self insure.

#11640 of 12737 Re: Should I keep my 2001 525i ...... [530ir1150r] by markcincinnati

Oct 06, 2006 (7:45 am)

Replying to: 530ir1150r (Oct 06, 2006 5:56 am)
That's what I said!
 
For some folks "peace of mind" is. . .priceless.
 
So many folks end up buying the extended warranties on TV's and DVD players and other home electronics. This seems even more unlikely to beat self-insuring.
 
Then these same folks don't get the extended warranties or service plans and they get hit with routine expenses and become turned off of the brand.
 
My BMW X5 owning friend still is a loyal fan.

#11641 of 12737 Re: Should I keep my 2001 525i ...... [markcincinnati] by div2

Oct 06, 2006 (2:16 pm)

Replying to: markcincinnati (Oct 06, 2006 7:45 am)
My BMW X5 owning friend still is a loyal fan.
 
I only hope the dealer who hosed him with an $800 frontbrake job kissed him and sent flowers the next morning...
What's that they say about a fool and his money?

#11642 of 12737 Not to beat a dead horse... by jimbres

Oct 07, 2006 (5:05 am)

...but where's the peace of mind in a contract written by a 3rd-party insurer 2 time zones away that could go belly-up any minute? I just don't see it.
 
For the most part, the service contract industry draws its customers from the ranks of the financially untutored.
 
Real peace of mind is money in the bank. If you can afford to drive a $40K+ car, you should have the balance sheet to go along with it.

#11643 of 12737 Re: Not to beat a dead horse... [jimbres] by div2

Oct 07, 2006 (7:37 am)

Replying to: jimbres (Oct 07, 2006 5:05 am)
...but where's the peace of mind in a contract written by a 3rd-party insurer 2 time zones away that could go belly-up any minute? I just don't see it.
 
Also, some contracts make you use certain shops or they are very stingy with reimbursement to the shop that you choose. The owner of my indie BMW shop is a friend of mine and he has numerous stories concerning those so-called warranties and how the companies are difficult-if not impossible-to deal with. They want the repair performed as quickly and cheaply as possible. Some piece of mind...

#11644 of 12737 And something else is going on... by div2

Oct 07, 2006 (8:37 am)

I'm certain that more than a few BMW dealerships want to perpetuate the "BMWs are wet-your-pants-expensive to maintain/repair" myth. Here's why:
 
In the first place, it really boosts the profits of the service department. Using the $800 X5 front brake job as an example, the BMW retail cost of two BMW front rotors, Jurid pads, and a wear sensor for a 2004 X5 4.4i is $370. Dealer cost is probably close to $225, if not less. Shop time shouldn't be more than two hours- especially considering that even I can do the job in a bit over one hour. So, how did the shop get to $800? Well, they possibly installed new caliper pins and bushes, even though I've never seen a BMW with less than 120K that needed them- who knows, but call it $400-$500 pure profit for the dealer. They also have added another voice to the "BMWs are are oh-my paws-and-whiskers expensive to fix" chorus, which also works to the dealer's advantage(see below). In contrast, my local dealer charged the PO of my wife's E39 a bit less than $1000 to replace pads and rotors on all four wheels including the parking brake shoes. At my indie shop, a four wheel brake job for my E36 track rat using BMW rotors and Axxis pads cost $657-and that included a brake fluid flush using ATE Super Blue Racing Fluid.
 
Next, consider the fact that more and more new BMW owner/lessees think that Trailing Throttle Oversteer is a band that used to open for Kansas. They break out in a cold sweat at the thought of popping the hood- never mind checking/changing the oil. The dealer ramps up this hysteria further by insinuating that their car will self destruct if anyone other than an "official" dealer service tech lays a wrench on it. As a result, most of these new owners/lessees decide to flip their cars every 36 months or so, thereby avoiding those "incredible, unbelievable, have to take out a second mortgage" maintenance costs- which in reality would probably average less than $75/month.
 
So the bottom line is that the dealer profits from convincing the gullible to pay exorbitant repair costs or else they persuade current owners/lesees to buy/rent a car every three years. In either case, the house(dealer) wins.
That said, I'm certainly not complaining; it creates a great situation for those of us who actually know the truth, since we are able to pick up very nice Bimmers off warranty at very attractive prices.

#11645 of 12737 Questions by dkatl

Oct 07, 2006 (3:50 pm)

I'm the owner of an E-Class Mercedes and am considering a return to BMW, specifically the 550. I'm still not completely sold on the styling and was thinking the next update might tone down some of the Bangle features (along the lines of the current 3-Series sedans and coupes, which I think are lovely). I'd consider waiting for the 2008 models if the styling were about to change. Does anyone know when the next update is due to occur?
 
Also, I've been impressed by the longevity of my 2000 E-class and was uncertain whether the BMW will match it. The E-Class now has 93,000 miles and feels nearly new--much tighter than my 1992 3-Series felt at 70,000 miles. Over 4 or 5 years, will the 5 Series hold up?
 
Thanks, all!

#11646 of 12737 Re: Questions [dkatl] by div2

Oct 08, 2006 (8:06 am)

Replying to: dkatl (Oct 07, 2006 3:50 pm)
I'd consider waiting for the 2008 models if the styling were about to change. Does anyone know when the next update is due to occur?
 
With regards to the E60, I'd say that the traditional BMW "Facelift" is due within the next 12-18 months. BMW usually unveils the facelifted model 3 years after the introduction of an all-new platform.
 
The E-Class now has 93,000 miles and feels nearly new--much tighter than my 1992 3-Series felt at 70,000 miles.
 
The early E36 cars were not exactly a high point for BMW in terms of build quality. 3ers from 1993-on were much improved. As a matter of fact, I'm the original owner of a 10/95 build E36/5 Club Sport with over 105K on the clock, and it is as tight as the day I picked it up in November 1995. Aside from scheduled maintenance, I've replaced the serpentine belts, a couple of idler pulleys, all four brake pads and rotors, and the timing chain tensioner.(as a precaution).
 
Over 4 or 5 years, will the 5 Series hold up?
 
I ran an E39 528iA out to 130K and service and repair costs averaged less than $1000 per year. The only truly major expenses were front struts at 110K and a radiator and water pump(both replaced as a precaution) at 125K. On another E39 board there are several 200K cars that are purring right along on their original engine and transmission. Will the E60 prove as durable? Hard to say. Munich's current obsession with all things electronic may -repeat- MAY bode ill for long term reliability. The E39 has a significant enthusiast base which made it easy for me to investigate and fix minor problems that otherwise would have required a trip to the shop. I'd hope that the same will be true with the E60.

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