[burton227]

Hey guys hows it going, first things first I am 21 years old and looking to purchase my first bmw. I have never really looked into them before because I have heard how high maintenance is and replacement parts but I was looking into getting a new car and really like the bmw 335i with the turbo.

I have had three cars up to this point, an 06 HFP honda civic, a 2010 camaro v6 and now a 2014 ford fiesta hatch MT. Going from a camaro to a fiesta has been very anticlimactic to say the least. I just miss that smile that it would put on my face so I began looking into turbo cars and the 335i caught my eye. My budget is basically whatever I can sell my fiesta for which I equate to about $12,000 as it has less than 5k miles.

So I need opinions best reliable/ fun to drive BMW for 12k and under. I really like the 07 335i for the looks and the 300 hp but any ideas/ other options? Shoot me what you've got. Give me information on BMW as well, what am I getting myself into??

[mike@x-ph.com]

BMWs in general are very fun to drive cars + they offer luxury and comfort.
that being said depending on which BMW you are getting, you need to check out the list of weak components in this car . N54 BMW 335 (turbos, HPFP,Waterpump) + like any other car check the brakes, tires, wheels, engine and overall condition of the car.
Repairing a BMW is costly so make sure you have extra money set aside every month for repairs.

[Efthreeoh]

At your age, if you do not have the financial means to support a BMW, I recommend you wait a while until finances allow comfortable purchase and maintenance of a BMW. Now if you are experienced at auto repair and can DIY most maintenance and repairs, then it can be a better financial experience for you, but still daunting. Don't get mesmerized by the Roundel, these cars can be very expensive to own, especially used cars that you do not know the history of. Owning a Fiesta (sounds like you got it new) and maintaining it is far, far less costly than a BMW. A $12K BMW is going to be a high mileage car with well over 100,000 miles on it. If you can't fix it yourself, you'll be shocked at the repair costs. For example, at 100,000 miles the BMW will be close to needing a water pump, which is minimum $800 to $1,200 to repair. You'll be going from a 5,000 mile Fiesta (which is a good car and meant to get you from place to place reliably and inexpensively) to a 100,000+ BMW, which will be somewhat worn and not providing you a genuine BMW experience, unless thousands are spent refreshing it. Owning a high-mileage BMW requires access to a second vehicle to use while the Bimmer is being repaired. I have a lot of experience with BMWs. I've had three since 1988 with a combined mileage of over 650,000 miles (still have two of them). I do all my own maintenance and most repairs. My brother owns a '13 Fiesta, it's a nice car to drive and own.

My advice to you is keep the Fiesta and pay it off. Then keep it as your second car when you get a used BMW in a few years.

[burton227]

Yeah I hear ya and the whole reason I got the fiesta was to be responsible and for the mpg and low operating costs. But in the 6 months I've had the car, that just isn't me. It is paid off and I have money in reserve for basic maintenance and anything that may need to be replaced on the car when I purchase it. I'm just wondering how expensive some of the average costs are when people say expensive. I mean one of our family friends has an r8 and a gallardo. Are we just talking stupid expensive numbers? Slightly higher than normal? And would I be better off getting a NA than a turbo from a repair cost standpoint?

[Efthreeoh]

I'll just add... and not trying to be a dick here... but if you have to ask how expensive it is to maintain a BMW because you are concerned about affording it, then you probably are not going to be financially comfortable affording it.

But you know, this Forum has tons of information in it related to your question. A few hours of research on both the 335i and the 328i will help you determine if it is affordable for you.

[shawntech]

Budget for a decent 335 and add on aftermarket warranty or you'll be crying a lot and missing the fiesta... I've had mine a year and it's recieved new turbos injectors water pump oil filter housing gasket plugs carbon cleaning I bought with 88k has 97k now. No regrets because I rolled from cpo in july to 3rd party warranty.

[burton227]

How much do those aftermarket warranties run? Generally of course. Just because I have been doing my research and I have been hearing that these cars are just absolute money pits with the turbos. So I was thinking of going the route of getting a 328i and putting on a CAI and an exhaust system and try not to cry about not having turbos haha.