[Tribalpinoy911]

Originally Posted by chiefneil

IME owning a BMW up to 60k is easy peasy. But around 60-80k you get a lot of items needing to be replaced or just breaking down as expected wear and tear. Stuff like radiators, water pumps, fuel pumps, various seals and gaskets, hoses and belts, etc. And there's also 60k maintenance items like tranny and diff flushes that should be considered.

So your risk/reward balance really depends on your appetite for sinking repair/maintenance money into an older car vs payments on a newer car. But IME between 60-120k, repairs shouldn't approach anything close to a new car payment. Plus if you're in a state that charges registration fees based on the value of the car, you save a ton with an older car vs a newer car, along with lower insurance costs.

The only boogeyman hiding in the closet is a major component failing like the engine or tranny, but those should be solid well beyond 120k unless you're really unlucky. Concern about the auto tranny was partly why I sold me 2002 330i in 2014 with 130k on the clock, but now 4 years later the current owner reports the car is still doing great.

Good post.