Hey guys, I'm in the market to get an X3 before I leave for college. This needs to be done since my family wants me to be here when they take care of all the loan stuff etc etc. I had a few questions for some veteran or just anyone that knows about used car buyings in general. I also had a few questions about BMW and the X3, which is what we are looking into right now. Is it cheaper to get a BMW if I found the exact one I want at another companies used car lot, say Lexus or Acura? I was also wondering who I should finance through, my bank or the dealership? Also does anyone have experience buying a used BMW? How does maintenance work, etc etc. Thanks!
Personally (and this is just my opinion), I would avoid BMWs - they tend to have electrical problems and the parts are expensive. If you really insist on buying a car before college that's nice, stick with an Acura/Lexus or any number of cars produced by Toyota. Just in case anyone doesn't already know, Toyota is a Japanese based car company that produces all these "brand name" cars even though they are technically all Toyotas.
Well my family needs another car since our last one got totalled... They just need me here to take care of it since I go to school in DC. Also, Honda owns Acura. But, do you have experience with the electrical problems? I also heard that BMW covers the car for a few years, but I don't know the details about that...
Unless you plan to keep it only for the short term while it's under warranty the Japanese cars are better choice for long term ownership. BMWs are not as good as they used to be a few friends of mine who own them talked me out of buying one earlier this year the maint cost for them can empty your bank account real quick.
BMW's are much better than they used to be. They have seriously stepped up QC in the last 8 years. buying a used one for the same price (I assume) a new car of a lesser brand would cost is dumb. If you cannot afford it then just get the car you can afford. You don't want to own one out of manufactures warranty and extended warranty is useless. and Japanese cars are no promise to long term happiness. they break down also.
Well it's not about not being able to afford a new one, but more about the fact that I feel that buying a new car is a dumb investment since it loses a couple grand in value the second you drive it off of the lot. I would say leasing is a better option, but it's not an option to me at this point, hence the reason I'm in the market for a used BMW.
You can make that argument until you find out the chances of you finding what you want used in great shape is slim to nill. To avoid the new car loss you will have to find one less than 6 months old or so and those are a very valuable 6 months as it is a new car. You will have to compromise for color, options, condition etc. Plus you have no idea wtf they did with it.
I currently own two BMWs, one for 11 years now. Maybe it's me but I've had great luck with them. Oil gasket leak once after it was 9 years old. That said, my wife has had a Honda and currently a Lexus and those things are just solid.
I have had an X3 for two years and my niece has had one for four. Neither of us has had any problems and we both love the car. No hard and fast rule for best price. Look on autotrader.com. Play the bank and dealership against each other for financing. I bought my daughter a used 325 this summer. Since she is away at college I bought an extended warranty from a third party called EasyCare through the dealership. Haven't had to use it yet. Google "true cost to own" to get the estimated repair costs over 5 years. As far as the folks recommending Lexus, etc., they are probably correct that BMW is not as reliable. If you like to drive aggressively, as I do, the driving experience of a BMW is much superior to the Lexus and Acura's of the world.
Go for it. I switched from Audi to BMW this year and have never looked back. I bought my 325 coupe as a certified pre-owned vehicle back in June, and qualified for 0.9% financing. Not to mention the extra 2 years and 50k miles extended warranty.
Just buy the bmw from bmw. Look for their certified pre-owned because they come with the extended 5? year warranty.
Chances are if you are going to college that you will end up knocking up some "alright" chick either at some kind of party or bar scene. After a few months, next thing you know, you got a kid. But thats where it gets interesting, b/c the babies mom, has two other kids from 2 other guys just like you, but they got out of the situation. For the sake of arguement, we will call them "deadbeats". But your not like them entirely. You are going to stick around, and try to do whats best for the kid. So now you got the "new" fruity pebbles box, which sucks, b/c its mainly the one's not even from your own loin. Get CaseyH's Van. http://www.avonhill.com/thumbnails/..._Econoline.jpeg
Sorry about that, my mistake on the whole Honda owns Acura. I know that both brands of cars tend to create a few different lines that tend to run fairly stable. I don't personally have experience with it since I don't own a BMW but I have friends that are mechanics at BMW shops and they tend to say the same things about it. But the another aspect to consider is the cost of repairing the car. Most likely, your BMW will be fine the first few years, but after that, it can get fairly expensive for parts and labor. I just think there are other luxury vehicles out there that provides a better bang for your buck (just my opinion, though).
Just my opinion but if your buying one...BUY IT USED! I bought mine one year old and only 21k miles on it and almost payed half of the original price. Also, make sure it's under warranty. As for the maintenance problems, there not much to worry about since the dealership will fix them for free!
My best suggestion to you would be to go ask these questions on a BMW forum. You'll get a ton of good answers and lots of people with history of owning the vehicle. Do you reasearch - I remember the X3 having a lot of drivetrain issues a year or two ago when I was looking into them for a friend.
Lol - the car is for my mom. I was looking into the X5, but she didn't want such a gas guzzler. I'm also looking into the FX series. Infinite has been getting better in recent years.
