Hey Asuslover, not to start an argument or anything, just observing that your location is "Chicagoland", but your flag is Romania. Do tell. BTW, I've been to Romania. Bucherest, Sinaia, Brasov, Ploisti. (Sorry about the spelling!)
BMW (we call it locally "bucht mee wielen (trash with wheels) is not the top of German cars. They are not reliable (altough it's getting better now). For reliable cars, look at Mercedes, and mainly to the Volkwagen group (Volkwagen, Audi, Skoda, Porche). Those cars last long here in in Europe, and when we write them of, they are mostly transported to Africa or Asia as second hand cars and driver arround another 20 years... I drive Skoda (lease) cars for over a decade now and never had a stand still issue with it (but flat tires). Even when something is broken, the car still drives...
And if you want a performance car, the upper ranges of Audio (the RS models) beat BMW M series with ease, just like Porche (also an Volkswagen brand) does. There is that infamous episode of top gear with the old crew where they race a basic Porche 911 (3.2L Flat6 no turbo) vs an BMW M6 (5L V10 no turbo) over a distance of +/- 7 miles on the Isle of Man and the M6 looses with +30 sec distance...
BMW breaks all the time once they passed their 5th year in general. It's getting better with the last generations, but before 2010 models are terrible on that.
But it's true, Japanese cars, especially Toyota, got very reliable and well build in the last 20 years. Idem with Korean cars (Hyundai, Kia, ...) btw...
And if you want a performance car, the upper ranges of Audio (the RS models) beat BMW M series with ease, just like Porche (also an Volkswagen brand) does. There is that infamous episode of top gear with the old crew where they race a basic Porche 911 (3.2L Flat6 no turbo) vs an BMW M6 (5L V10 no turbo) over a distance of +/- 7 miles on the Isle of Man and the M6 looses with +30 sec distance...
BMW breaks all the time once they passed their 5th year in general. It's getting better with the last generations, but before 2010 models are terrible on that.
But it's true, Japanese cars, especially Toyota, got very reliable and well build in the last 20 years. Idem with Korean cars (Hyundai, Kia, ...) btw...
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The way some folks talk on this thread, In an Audi or BMW goes past me on the street, I’d be lucky not to get hit by a door falling off or an engine block dropping out.
I’ve owned about 20 cars in 45 years of driving. The worst was a Hillman Vogue by a very long margin but it was already 5 or 6 yrs old when I bought it in 1975.
As for the rest, very few issues.
I remember when cars got a 6000 miles or 6 month warranty- whichever came first. My current car has 5 yrs or 50000 miles which comes first with an optional adder to take it to 7 yrs. The first service is 1 yr or 20 000 miles, whichever comes first and it’s linked with telemetry back to the manufacturer.
The progress in reliability and quality in the auto industry has been astounding IMV.
How often do you see a car pulled over with a problem, given all the cars on the road? Not too many!
I’ve owned about 20 cars in 45 years of driving. The worst was a Hillman Vogue by a very long margin but it was already 5 or 6 yrs old when I bought it in 1975.
As for the rest, very few issues.
I remember when cars got a 6000 miles or 6 month warranty- whichever came first. My current car has 5 yrs or 50000 miles which comes first with an optional adder to take it to 7 yrs. The first service is 1 yr or 20 000 miles, whichever comes first and it’s linked with telemetry back to the manufacturer.
The progress in reliability and quality in the auto industry has been astounding IMV.
How often do you see a car pulled over with a problem, given all the cars on the road? Not too many!
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There are many people out there they never owed a BMW, and just trashing them because of "hearing say" I hope you are not one of them..
I own both, a BMW - BTW my 6th, it's 530XI Touring, if you have had the feeling to sit in one, you would never again, sit in a Skoda, Volkswagen or similar. Then also the big Cheat of Volkwagen if these are really that good why they need to cheat DATA about the Diesel Engine.. Just to pay Billions of dollars fine in the UNITED STATES, why you advertise THIEFS, Never heard that BMW does things like that. and SKODA is also VOLKSWAGEN.! Period.
It always depends how someone uses a Car, and how someone does take care of a car.. In winter the Mercedes is my Car, and believe me, if you want to sell that Mercedes, then the buyer would say, I give you 150 US$ for the Rust and 1 Dollar for the Metal.. and I do not understand how the new Mercedes, in the range of under 100K USD still using Plastic interiour.
My 530XI also has a decade on the road, but there is no rust. Wood, leather first class seats inside, full house in special features.. Both cars are fantastic., But for me BMW, is the car and not the BENZ, even the Benz runs cheaper than the BMW, but once sit in BMW, mean the big ones, Series 5 and up, then it's hard to find something to compare under or around the price of 100K.
My friend had an Skoda brand new and he fought 2 years because he got a Free of CHARGE SHOWER each time it was raining.. He sold that one..
Because they weren't able to fix it..
And if you buy a cheap Benz then it's just second class Mercedes..
All cheap made, No leather, no wood plastic all over the place.. inside lots of Motor sounds, which is one thing I do not need, Mercedes is something for thoses who want to show of, buying cheap ones and tuning them just because of what I do not know.. or may to show that they own a Mercedes.
There is a big difference, in the series, as it is in prices..
I had a 330XI for longtime, bought it back in 2010 drove almost 400K KM to the year 2018 always run never any issues, same as the two 530XI Tourings I owe. The newer one has some minor problems, but it's acceptable.
The newer one has already 220K KM on the Gauge, but its just like brand new..
The comfort you get is just fantastic.. 250 K/Houor on the highway and you feels like sitting in your most loved chair at home..
I think there are also good VW or Skodas, but these you can count on one HAND. BTW VW is owed by Porsche..! this says it all.
Same counts for Audi, and also if you do not know this also counts for many other cars.. and not visa versa. Also Bugatti is owed within this consortium.. Mostly with VW money.
Volkswagen Group
Headquarters in Wolfsburg
Owners Porsche SE: 31.4% of equity, 53.3% of votes (as of 31 December 2020) State of Lower Saxony: 11.8% of equity, 20% of votes (as of 31 December 2020) QIA: 14.6% of equity, 17% of votes (as of 31 December 2020)
Any Question... just ask.
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2010 when I bought my 4th BMW 330XI Touring, I got 100k KM or 10 years warranty the same counts for both BMW's 530XI Tourings..
My Mercedes I bought second hand, and it's a very reliable car. At least as good as the 330XI I had, but better than the newer 530XI, *less costs* but this is the only aspect, where the benz is better.. for the rest there are worlds between, favoured for the 530XI.
I think most of the cars today are made that they are reliable, and it's easy to keep a certain line of a CAR BRAND on top as long as there are not much new innovations. as soon innovations are made, then it's very possible that problem arise, best proof of this, was the E61 BMW 530XI, with the N530B30 engine which caused a lot of problem when that car was released in 2007.
But after a Year or so BMW had the problem mostly cured..
Now the concept from 20 years ago, to make a car to run at least 500K KM is no more, it's down to 200K Km. and sofor all the design has changed.
And I'm still positive that not everyone can buy a car in the range of 100K so easily, and the most complains about these cars, come from peopls who bougth these second hand. at least here in europe.
The only one time I lost an Engine was on a MAZDA where the Pistons came through the Motorblock..never happend on a German Car..
My two cents to this matter
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