newer BMWs ?

Hi all

I am very disappointed in newer BMW models. They look nice, they have lots of interesting tech, I would love to have one. But when I read of the huge amount of issues they have, I sit and wonder - why should I spend that much money on such crappy cars ??

Today I was looking at a 2006 335i coupe. Nice car, with almost all possible options on it. Then I read its history.
In the first 200km of its life they replaced the airbags, airbag modules, seat mechanisms. In the next 500km they replaced the engine electrical harness, the intake valve, several air pressure/temp sensors and the air conditioning lines. In the next 5000km, the story goes the same.

I thought diesel engines have a lot of issues with turbines and complicated engine management systems, especially when driven for short distances every day, and using bad diesel like we have around here. Then I was looking at gasoline engines only to find out that people have been having issues with their high pressure fuel pumps (some say then replaced them 6-8 times and still have issues). I've read several warranty logs and found out that all gasoline cars sold in 2007-2008 have big electrical problems, had their software updated several times and many hardware parts replaced, too (like spark plugs, coils, wiring harness, sensors, fuel pumps, intake sensors etc. etc., some even the whole engine).

So... why the hell do I still want a BMW ? And which one do I get ?
Thanks for ranting with me

--
A physics truck just turned over outside. There's physics everywhere!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/2013 08:10AM by jaffar.

It all starts with clean stuff. Clean fuel and clean oil. If you have this, you'll have fewer problems. The thing is, modern cars are so finely tuned and such high demands, when they are slightly out of tune, they break down. Years ago, Land Rover Defenders were sold in Africa, first thing they did was throwing away the injection system and fitting good old trusty (and thirsty) carburettors, as they failed less and when they failed you could either drive on carefully or repair at the roadside. You can't do that with a computer running (or shutting down) the engine.

OTOH, the price of the fuel today pays of to do that extra effort to have cleaner, and less thirsty cars. Problem is that if you go on replacing expensive parts, you may as well throw some more fuel into a much simpler car, and spend less time doing repairs. Is a matter of balance.
My sister had an e39 320d, when it turned 12 years old it started to break down, one thing after another. She moved to the 2007 e90 318d, and so far so good (knock on wood!). The car is very good, drives perfectly, has a powerful and pleasant engine, considering it was tuned towards fuel economy.

The other brands are not doing better.
Mercedes Benz earned a reputation of being over-engineered and last forever, and long ago moved away from that. New cars are very complex and troublesome. Still very good cars, but not the tanks they used to be 20 or 30 years ago.

When I was shopping for another car, this summer, I made that observation myself. About the ubiquitous Renault 1.5dci engine, I noticed many units failing prematurely. I was told by a mechanic the cars were very good, but every other big inspection service, the crank should be pulled and bearing caps replaced. WTF?!
VW-Audi engines have horror (€€€) maintenance stories all across the line.

What is the point in saving like 20% in fuel, if you are going to spend that much money (or more) to purchase the car and in the shop to keep it running? So, I ended up with the MBw124 from my uncle, until the financial crisis forces the automobile industry to catch up with my needs, or give up owning a car altogether. On a side note, I have spent more money in Diesel fuel since I bough it than the car costed in the first place.

Another aspect is the needed knowledge update of the people who will service and maintain the cars. Today, if you drive your car to a shop, you expect to see the guy plugging his computer to the car and reading the information of what went wrong, as well as hearing your complain and looking at the real thing. Old school mechanics may not understand the new tool-set, newer "geeks" may not have the skill to look at the car and get to the problem and fix it.

This said, newer cars of our time, have good and bad things. In case you are not willing to pay a lot in maintenance, get an older simpler model (let's say e39 or e-36) and forget about the rest. If you can afford factory warranties, get the newish model you can! The e-30 and back are falling on the classic cars.
Sorry for the long text.