With around 100k miles on them...

All I've ever owned are Honda's and for them 100k or even 150k isn't a big deal.  I'm looking for something else now and there are several BMW's around that year within my budget but several of them have between 100-120k miles.

How long do these run for? Do they really start breaking down after those many miles?

Dave:
Let me ask my daughter with the dead one in her driveway.  Guess who gets to rebuild it.

My neighbor has an 89 for sale....

When cars get that old, regardless of the manufacturer, things start wearing out and need replacement.  I wouldn't recommend spending much money on a vehicle that old unless you like to work on cars for a hobby.  Mechanics get expensive quick.

I have a stable of old german cars, ranging from 160k to 270k on the clock.  Keeping them maintained takes a lot of time, but it's cheap if you buy your own parts online.  I'm the kind of guy who will stuff the motor from a first generation M3 into a 1974 bmw-2002 for fun, so I get a kick out of this kinda stuff.  If you don't like doing mechanical work, I would suggest getting something newer.

I've worked on my past cars but never on any non asian cars.  How easily do they come apart to repair?

I haven't touched anything modern (ie built after 1992), but the earlier ones they really keep the mechanic in mind and make them easy to work on.  Same goes for old Mbz cars.  I can't say with the newer ones, which I'm sure a lot has changed in the last 2 decades.

Oh, I would log onto one of the BMW forum boards like bimmerforums.com and see what kinda stuff guys on their are talking about.

Parts are expensive, if you follow the factory specs, it can turn into a cherry ass engine.  If you have someone do it for you, it leaves doubts, and is expensive.  You are better off getting another car.  My daughter loves this thing, (first one she bought by herself), so daddy will come to the rescue.

And no Dave they do not normally breakdown, BUT make sure all the service was done in a timely manner....you can guess what happened in my daughters case.

I think my sis-in-laws was a 2000, and the timing belt (chain?) slipped, which caused the valves to go out of whack and messed up her engine badly.  $8K later, she had the engine rebuilt.

I wouldn't worry about the mileage as much as how well maintained the car was.  Make sure that you factor the cost of the service for 90k or 120k before buying one.  Part of the fun about cars is taking it apart and putting it back together.  As for how easily they come apart, you could do it yourself, but do your research before hand.  If you've worked on cars before, I don't think that you'll have too much of a problem.

Nothing beats getting car grease all over you.

Well, BMWs didn't change their design all that much for the 5 series from between 1989-1996 or so.  I believe, and I am probably wrong, from 97-02 they are the same shape.

I wouldn't get a 3 series unless it was an M3.  I highly recommend a 5 series.

Better yet, a navy blue M5.  The one that has the specific color for it, unmistakable M5 blue color.  Those things are so sexy.

after 8 years at whatever mileage a BMW begins to have growing pains and it starts to need service which only adds up -- dont get me wrong i still love my 2001 m3 but my mechanic loves me (guess why).

why no on the 3 series?  Those seem like the smaller sportier models vs. the larger sedan types

get an e30 m3 87-91

SC said it best - If you are mechanically inclined enjoy the work of maintaining an older car, go for it.
His recommendation to read the forums is invaluable, as you may assess what support is out there.

If you're paying someone else, the nickels and dimes will double the cost in a few years.

Either way, if you own something older than its warranty, get a good shop manual. They can be very helpful when deciding what maintenance needs to be done and what to expect when calculating labor costs. The understanding gained from maintaining it yourself is helpful for the eventuality of a roadside breakdown.

You might also opt for the AAA Roadside Assistance with the greatest mileage range, to be safe.

5 series is too big unless you're toting around a big Mormon family or something.  The only 5 series I like is the e34 m5 or 535is (I know of an m5 for sale if anyone is interested).  You can have a lot of fun in a 3 series as long as it's got a 6cyl.  The m42/m44 motor was way too small for the heavy e36.  I dated a girl with one and it was pretty lame.  Though she was pretty hands off in terms of maintenance and it never had any problems.  Her sister actually drove one all the way down to San Diego with no oil in it (no it didn't make it back).

I know more people with problems on the 3 series than any other series.  I drive a 525i.  Now keep in mind, I absolutely adore the 318ti, as you can play with them, but the 3 series are not as comfortable as the 5.  I wouldn't get a newer 6 series either as they are known to have mechanical problems.  If you can find one, an older 8 series would be fun (they are rumored to be so aerodynamic that if it rains and you're going 80 mph, the rain never touched the windshield... I do not know whether there is any validity to this statement).

Horsepower wise, comfort, and sound engineering, hands down, more people I know who have BMWs (and yes, I know a sickening number of them), have greater luck with the five series.  My sister's fiance bought a 2000 325i that turned out to be a lemon.  Plus, if you get a convertable 3 series, keep in mind that they do have a tendency to flip over if you take a turn at too fast a speed.  I know someone who flipped over his 98 3 series (I don't remember which model he had), and he was lucky enough to walk away.

I drove a 528 from Dallas to SF one summer. One of the best long drives ever. I wanted to buy one recently bu couldn't find one with low mileage. G/L

Opinions are like some kind of body part.

I owned a '99 323 for a few years without any need major repairs, but the miles were lower than what you're talking about here.

I also owned an '87 325is prior to that car.  I ran it from 95k to 170k miles.  The only major mechanical pain-in-the-arse was that I had to have the drive shaft rebalanced at about 125k.  Everything else was routine maintenance.

I don't plan on having kids to carry around but want something that's built more solid that the honda's I've owed.  I've used a Helms manual for years to work on my car but I totally agree with finding a forum for your car and getting info from there.  Aside from bimmerforums.com is there one that stands out as the best and more informative?  
It would be great to find one that has article on how to replace parts with pics. and comments

Oh, the great thing about BMW's is that Robert Bentley Publishers does the manuals.. they are really good books.  I learned everything from how to change my oil, to replacing my head gasket and clutch from their book for my first Jetta with no real automotive experience.

I got 250k out of an 84 Honda civic and my 89 BMW is still going strong-ish at 277k.  They're solid cars it all depends on how they were driven and maintained.

Dave:

Try here, it was helpful, I will send you 2 more

John

laudeman.com/bmw2002.html

Dave:

Here is another.

en.allexperts.com/q/BMW-…

With a BMW you really need two of them.  One to drive, and the other to push off a cliff when you get mad at the first one.

Last one....some good info...good luck.

usautoparts.net/bmw/repa…

Thanks for those links John.  It looks like the Robert Bentley books are the Helms equivalent but for BMW

BMWs are pretty decent cars...if maintained properly.  Besides the aforementioned comments and forum recommendations, I'd make sure that, in buying a BMW with a lot of miles, you make sure it has a documented service history from competent mechanics.  Bimmers can go 300,000 miles easy if well maintained, but like any car, will crumble quickly (and expensively) if there is a lot of deferred maintenance.

My 2000 528i is going strong after 120,000 miles as if it were brand new with little to no overhauling.

If it were me, I'd visit several of the popular forums and take time searching for info pertaining to that model/year. Also see about old recalls and typical technical service bulletin issues it had.  Then I'd take it to a reliable mechanic and look it over with additional emphasis on the endemic chronic issues you see others have had including TSBs and also have them look very closely at the subframe.   BMWs seem to have weak rear subframe related issues (even the new models according to a body shop guy I spoke with) and I think that can be an expensive repair.

I know it sounds overly anal, but you just do not know how a used car was treated and what was addressed by prior owners, so being careful can't hurt..

Oh yeah, and of course you want the shop to check for accidents repairs and their quality - original body panels will have the VIN on them.

yeah I'm super anal when I shop for a car, even down to the condition of the rubber on the window moldings.  Once I narrow down what model I'm interested in I'll start researching everything I can about it.  I know the gas mileage won't be as high as with a honda but I'm guessing it's better than a mid-sized suv

Welp, its hard to say about gas mileage, depends on model and how you drive I suppose.  I don't know what mid sized SUVs get but I can't say that any BMWs had were very good mpg wise at all.

Good luck with it, I'm off BMWs right now (well unless someone gave me an E30 M3;) but I can't say I regret having had them - and way better if you don't have to deal with warranty service.

i get 17-25 mpg in the city, and 25-30 mpg on the freeway.  The Honda I drove before got 35-40 mpg on the freeway, but it did not do well at all in the city as its little 108 horsepower engine struggled up the hills I had to look for parking on.

50 minutes ago David C. says:

Thanks for those links John.  It looks like the Robert Bentley books are the Helms equivalent but for BMW

So true, and you bet.  They have helped me, and I am positive they will again!

All things being equal, good maintenance etc. the BMW will be mostly reliable BUT things will break and they will be expensive. You are in for a surprise if you've only owned Honda's, Toyota's etc. and are using them as your baseline for ownership costs. I won't go into checking maintenance histories etc as it looks like it's already been covered by the other posters.

My current honda has cost me maybe $500 in 5 years not counting oil changes.  I know it will be more but I'm not in college anymore either

It's as reliable as a monkey with your money.

In the words of my Swedish Great Granddad, "A car is a poor bank for one's money."

not reliable at all. getting bmw's serviced and parts for them cost an arm and leg. over 100k you will be having a ton of problems. buy a honda with 100k no prob but not a bmw

I would guess not very, but there's no need to guess.

Consumer Reports keeps detailed repair records by make and model. They should be able to give you some pretty accurate statistics. They also have lists of used cars ranking based on predicted reliability. consumerreports.org

I would guess not very, but there's no need to guess.

Consumer Reports keeps detailed repair records by make and model. They should be able to give you some pretty accurate statistics. They also have lists of used cars ranking based on predicted reliability. consumerreports.org

I'm leaning more towards the 3 series b/c it would be easier to park around the city and I like having only 2 doors