Knowledge about a BMW 325i?

**jrbonds** · 12-06-2011, 01:09 PM

Considering buying a 2006 60,xxx mile coupe. Are they reliable? Gas mileage numbers? Good and/or bad horror stories.

I'm so damn picky about cars, and I really like this one.

**CJREX** · 12-06-2011, 04:38 PM

BMW's and basically any other German car will be great until around 100k, when they suddenly develop an appetite for horrendously expensive parts.

If you buy it at 60k, drive it to 90k then sell it.

Unless you know someone who works on Bimmers

Edit:
One of my co-workers HAD an X5.

After a $1400 water cooled alternator @ 105k and then a $1500 part in the front axle just a couple of weeks later, he got rid of it.

Unfortunately, he traded it for a Jaguar

I didn't mention anything to him about Out of the frying pan and into the fire

**blackSS01** · 12-07-2011, 01:59 AM

^ Exactly this!

GF drives a 540i and is around the 95XXX mark and eating shit for breakfast left and right. Went 5 straight weeks needing some type of different part

She loved it but now hates it

**cpop98ws6** · 12-07-2011, 04:15 AM

Stay away from German cars

**cancam99ss** · 12-07-2011, 04:30 AM

Stay away very away my buddy has a 05 3 series. He got it when I got my Camaro! All the money he has spent on fixing the car I have spent on modifying my car! He loves the shit out of the car! It also already has 180k

**GTP231** · 12-07-2011, 05:32 AM

I remember the older ones had plastic water pumps that like to fall apart and lead to a blown head gasket.
I will never own a German car unless by someway I can flip it for a profit

**jrbonds** · 12-07-2011, 06:44 AM

Well crap. I see these ads for them, with 2 and 3 hundred thousand. They can't be that bad.

**CJREX** · 12-07-2011, 07:18 AM

They're not, if you regularly infuse them with the aforementioned parts constructed from unobtanium.

And a BMW owner is more likely to pony up and put the parts in rather than admit their Panzerwagen is a money pit after the first 100k.

Take a look at how many BMWs are out there that are off lease instead of being sold from an owner.

The original buyer either:

A: Couldn't really afford the car but wanted to have it anyway

or

B: Wanted to be absolutely sure that the car would be under warranty during the entire time they had it

This reminds me a Car and Driver long term test of a BMW M3.

Within 50k miles, they had to replace the transmission, the rear end, and numerous electrical gremlins.

Yet they still sang its praises because it drove so nice.

If I had a car with that many issues at that odometer, the song would be POS regardless of how great it was when it was running.

I couldn't find the one I was referring to but here is a snippet from a newer long term BMW test

Car And Driver BMW M3 Long-Term Test...WAAAT???

I went to caranddriver.com, and clicked on the BMW M3 long term car test.

The price as tested is only listed as "less than $70,000. The test lasted for 40,000 miles.

Staffer comments include, "This is the finest car on the market, period."

"My only complaint about this car is I don't own it."

And yet....

"And near the end, the dual clutch transmission was making clunks and groans. Twice while the M3 was parked facing downhill, the transmission slipped markedly when the driver was trying to back up. If the clutches needed to be replaced our local dealer quoted us $3296 for the job!"

A two year old $70k car needing $3300 trans repair?

GM would be crucified if a CTS-V buyer was told that.

But a BMW with a slipping tranny is the "greatest car in the world.

**Danger731** · 12-07-2011, 07:35 AM

Friends don't let friends buy bmw's

**jrbonds** · 12-07-2011, 08:10 AM

Ok ok I see your point there. Back to square one. I dont know where to even begin looking.

**cpop98ws6** · 12-07-2011, 08:21 AM

Start at a Chevy dealer Haha really though if your looking for a good reliable car check out Toyota or Honda.

**jrbonds** · 12-07-2011, 08:37 AM

I've looked at everything. Test drove all kinds of things. Not finding anything I like.

**Zinergy** · 12-07-2011, 09:05 AM

I like BMW products, I have driven quite a few with 100-200k miles on them that drove great. The downside to any of the german luxury brands is the price of parts as they are expensive. Some models have there own little issues but really its a car and once you start to get 100-150k miles on it things start to need replacement. All cars require work once they start to get high miles and many cars have known issues from factory that are never corrected. The same can be said about BMW except there parts cost more.

**GTP231** · 12-07-2011, 10:13 AM

Gonna stop driving the T/A daily?

***SMWS6TA*** · 12-07-2011, 10:26 AM

Jodi, If I was in your place I'd be looking for a CTS-V or a GTO around that year of the BMW and have a far better car without the import tax.

**2001camaroSS** · 12-07-2011, 11:07 AM

I would definitely go with the CTS-V if you are looking for a DD. If you want something more practical Acura, Infiniti, Nissan, Toyota, and Honda are all super reliable.

**Zinergy** · 12-07-2011, 11:38 AM

Go to google and put in cts-v rear differential, you will see that basically all the cts-Vs from the ls6 years have a loud howl and most have compelte failures of the rear end. Many people have had there rear ends replaced and have had multiple rear ends fail.

If you do go with a ls6 CTS-V try to find out if the rear end has been replaced. I do not think GM has offered a fix, so its up to the owners to figure it out, but I could be wrong about that.

**jrbonds** · 12-07-2011, 12:04 PM

Just wanted a throw away car, quit putting 800 miles a week on the TA. Going to go look at an accord this weekend, as they are about the only four door car I like other than the BMW.

And if I get another v8 car, ie, gto, I would be tempted to mod the damn thing. V6 thats good on gas is what I think I need.

**2001camaroSS** · 12-07-2011, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by jrbonds

Just wanted a throw away car, quit putting 800 miles a week on the TA. Going to go look at an accord this weekend, as they are about the only four door car I like other than the BMW.

And if I get another v8 car, ie, gto, I would be tempted to mod the damn thing. V6 thats good on gas is what I think I need.

05-06 Nissan Altima 3.5 SL. I had one for two years and put over 50,000 miles on it. Has a 3.5L 260hp motor and gets 21-22 city and 31-32 hwy. Only thing it didn't have was Navigation. Absolutely loved that car.

**2001camaroSS** · 12-07-2011, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by Zinergy

Go to google and put in cts-v rear differential, you will see that basically all the cts-Vs from the ls6 years have a loud howl and most have compelte failures of the rear end. Many people have had there rear ends replaced and have had multiple rear ends fail.

If you do go with a ls6 CTS-V try to find out if the rear end has been replaced. I do not think GM has offered a fix, so its up to the owners to figure it out, but I could be wrong about that.

Don't wheel hop it and there won't be an issue.

Make: CADILLAC
Model: CTS-V
Year: 2004-2006
NHTSA Action Number: EA07017
Summary:
IN JULY OF 2007 THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED PE07-037 TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL MAY FAIL CAUSING A LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER, AND IN SOME INSTANCES A LOSS OF CONTROL, IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2004 THROUGH 2006 CADILLAC CTS, CTS-V, AND STS VEHICLES. AS A RESULT OF THAT INVESTIGATION GM ISSUED RECALL 07V-589 TO CORRECT A LEAKING PINION SEAL PROBLEM. EA07-017 WAS OPENED TO INVESTIGATE COMPLAINTS OF FRACTURED REAR DIFFERENTIAL HOUSINGS OR REAR HALF SHAFTS IN HIGH PERFORMANCE CADILLAC CTS-V VEHICLES. ACCORDING TO GM, THESE FAILURES RESULTED FROM THE CUMULATIVE DAMAGE FROM MULTIPLE POWER HOP EVENTS THAT CAN OCCUR DURING VERY AGGRESSIVE DRIVING. IN FEBRUARY 2008 INVESTIGATORS FROM ODI MET WITH GM REPRESENTATIVES TO CONDUCT TESTING OF THE SUBJECT CTS-V VEHICLES. DURING THE TESTING THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WERE SUBJECTED TO CONSIDERABLE TORSIONAL FORCES FROM STANDING STARTS AND WHILE DRIVING. POWER HOP OCCURRED DURING SOME OF THE MOST AGGRESSIVE DRIVING MANEUVERS. THE TESTING DID NOT RESULT IN FAILURE OF ANY REAR DRIVETRAIN COMPONENTS. THE ENGINEERING DESIGN AND TESTING DATA SUPPLIED TO ODI BY GM AND THE RESULTS OF THE TESTING CONDUCTED BY ODI TEND TO SUPPORT GM'S POSITION THAT THE DIFFERENTIAL DESIGN IS NOT DEFECTIVE. COMPLAINTS LISTED IN THE FAILURE REPORT DO NOT INCLUDE THOSE INDICATIVE OF FAILURE OF THE REAR PINION SEAL IN CTS-V VEHICLES COVERED BY RECALL 07V-589. FURTHER INVESTIGATION IN THIS MATTER WOULD NOT BE AN EFFICIENT ALLOCATION OF AGENCY RESOURCES. ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED. SEE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT FOR FURTHER DETAILS.