[1337i]

Hey guys,

I have a budget of $21,000, and I am trying to pick the perfect first car. I have looked at a Hyundai Genesis Coupé and Infinity G37 Coupé, but those brands are just... yeah.

So now I'm looking at an '08 Impreza WRX, or a '10 328i Coupé. I'm wondering how reliable this vehicle is. My father use to own an E46 '05 330i, and the problems were endless. We had to part ways with it... not because it was totaled, but because the maintenance was so off the charts, at the end it would cost more to repair then it was worth! It was daily driven, and cared for properly always with premium gas, etc.

Is the '10 328i Coupé reliable? I don't want to be spending all this cash on repairs. If the annual fucking repairs could be less than $1000, I think I'll pull the trigger on it!

If not, I'll have to look more at the Impreza or a BRZ.

[ArcticRik]

It's a hit or miss, the 328 is way more reliable than the 335 but you're still going to need some money saved up in case things do go wrong. End of the day it's a BMW... If maintenance is your concern I would suggest not going with the BMW and stick to other brands that are known to be more reliable.

[1337i]

Originally Posted by ArcticRik

It's a hit or miss, the 328 is way more reliable than the 335 but you're still going to need some money saved up in case things do go wrong. End of the day it's a BMW... If maintenance is your concern I would suggest not going with the BMW and stick to other brands that are known to be more reliable.

Any suggestions then? I just can't picture myself driving a Hyundai or Infiniti. Maybe it's just the feelings I get from the brands, they make the car feel 'cheap' if that makes sense. I don't want to be one of the "ashamed" Genesis Coupé drivers, who hide their Hyundai emblem by badge-deleting.

Also, I'm not planning to DIY as I'm not a car-handy guy. The dealership will be covering most of the repairs...

[ArcticRik]

Originally Posted by 1337i

Any suggestions then? I just can't picture myself driving a Hyundai or Infiniti. Maybe it's just the feelings I get from the brands, they make the car feel 'cheap' if that makes sense. I don't want to be one of the "ashamed" Genesis Coupé drivers, who hide their Hyundai emblem by badge-deleting.

Also, I'm not planning to DIY as I'm not a car-handy guy. The dealership will be covering most of the repairs...

I would suggest a good 3rd party warranty like Route 66 if you go with BMW... You a fan of mustangs? The new ecoboost mustang is actually really nice, I had one as a rental for 2 weeks and loved it. What about the Lexus IS? That's reliable and sporty...

[F30lolz]

Originally Posted by 1337i

Also, I'm not planning to DIY as I'm not a car-handy guy. The dealership will be covering most of the repairs...

FYI, you can just find a indy shop to do any preventive maintenance/repairs. Also, when looking at a used BMW, try and get a PPI done and see if the previous owner had any service records. If no records are available, get the VIN and contact your local BMW dealer as most are able to show any maintenance/warranty work performed.

[max_330i]

Originally Posted by 1337i

Also, I'm not planning to DIY as I'm not a car-handy guy. The dealership will be covering most of the repairs...

Given this info, I would say skip the BMW. The one you are looking at (2010 E92 328i) is very reliable but it's still an out-of-warranty German car. Parts will break, and the car will throw error codes-- at that point, your options are a) fix it yourself b) pay somebody else to fix it, either dealership or indy, and you will not like the prices for parts and labor.

If you are not handy with a wrench and you don't have deep pockets, buy a Japanese car.

[Wilt]

BMWs are very durable and reliable for the first 90K miles. The key deviation from that is that about 30% of water pumps fail in the first 80K miles.
BMWs are fairly demanding from the standpoint of routine service costs...I calculated that the 328i costs about $0.10 per mile to keep in tires, wheel alignmment, brakes and brake fluid, oil and filters (oil and air and cabin), spark plugs. So if you drive 15k annually, expect to put about $1500 into MAINTENANCE.
The 335i adds the cost of sparks 25% more often, walnut blasts, A/T fluid changes 66% more often.

At 90K-120K or so, things need to be renewed simply due to the wear of miles and the ravages of time...pulleys/idlers, hoses and belts, failing plastic parts, steering component wear, fuel and windshield washer pumps starting to fail, etc. Add turbo-related issues for high mileage turbo engined cars. The early E90s with turbo engines had other issues, like HPFP, which were addressed under recall.

[seepete753]

Originally Posted by 1337i

Any suggestions then? I just can't picture myself driving a Hyundai or Infiniti. Maybe it's just the feelings I get from the brands, they make the car feel 'cheap' if that makes sense. I don't want to be one of the "ashamed" Genesis Coupé drivers, who hide their Hyundai emblem by badge-deleting.

Also, I'm not planning to DIY as I'm not a car-handy guy. The dealership will be covering most of the repairs...

My first car was a 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse, I don't think you want to start a conversation about cheap feeling cars. lol I got the "nice girls car" all the time too and would have killed for a Genesis Coupe badged or not.
I ended up with that car after all my dreams of getting an EVO crashed into the cold hard rocks of reality (aka college expenses).

In any event, if you are not planning on doing any DIY maintenance on the car, a BMW may be the wrong car for you as a first car. Like others have said, the cost for parts and labor will add up quickly. Oil change for my 335i was quoted at $155 at my stealership as an example.

I'd buy Japanese and would recommend learning how to do minor maintenance stuff first and working your way up to bigger things. I am a full supporter in learning how to fix things yourself (YouTube and forums like this as a major help) because it could save you if you end up in a bind/are strapped for cash. Start off easy (oil change, wipers, brakes, tire rotation etc.) and work your way up.

If you're not into DIY, Japanese cars will still most likely need less done and will be cheaper to fix in the end.

Just my two cents. I didn't mean to sound like a dad there or be long winded so I apologize if it came out that way.

Whatever you do, good luck and just remember that it is only your first car so don't stress too much on it being the coolest car on the lot. There is always a better car out there just around the corner.

[Antetokounmpo]

It's your first car.. get a civic or something. You'll learn a lot more driving that than a nice 3 series.

[///M_Jack]

Japanese cars are way less expensive and easier to maintain. Plus they last like a century and a good maintained Honda/Toyota can go up to 180k miles easy. Plus any collision, repairs are like 3x as much as a Japanese car. As a first car, don't recommend a BMW, unless you have some wealthy parents to back you up. Also, insurance are significantly higher than a Honda/Toyota

[Delta0311]

How many miles on the 328... I had a brand new 07 and had no issue with it.. Only thing that failed was the valve cover gasket at like around 80k.. I did make sure to do all preventative maintenance though.

[rsyed07]

It says you drive a 335i?? Anyway the non turbo variants are going to be less prone to issues. And wow really Infiniti feels cheap to you? I get the G37 is $10k less than a 3 series but those G's are still a force to reckon with. Hyundai give or take it's cheap just because of the target market they go for and the label they've had over the years. If I were you I would personally go with a G37 over a 328i. More power and features for less.

[Rsoxs19]

Well I just turned 16 and got a 2007 335i e92 with 42k miles. I've put lots of things on it already such as jb4, intake, cat less dp's, CP, blow off valve, etc. I have had no issues so far. By no means is the 335i fast but it gets you from A to B. Why is a 328i even a consideration? It Is ridiculously slow and they are everywhere! Bmw should have never made that car... Get yourself a decent car with a twin turbo inline 6. Make sure it's manual because it makes everything more fun! If your getting a BMW you should do things yourself because of how much the dealership will charge. I've done everything by myself and I'm Not that handy.

[Delta0311]

Originally Posted by Rsoxs19

Well I just turned 16 and got a 2007 335i e92 with 42k miles. I've put lots of things on it already such as jb4, intake, cat less dp's, CP, blow off valve, etc. I have had no issues so far. By no means is the 335i fast but it gets you from A to B. Why is a 328i even a consideration? It Is ridiculously slow and they are everywhere! Bmw should have never made that car... Get yourself a decent car with a twin turbo inline 6. Make sure it's manual because it makes everything more fun! If your getting a BMW you should do things yourself because of how much the dealership will charge. I've done everything by myself and I'm Not that handy.

A car that hits 0 to 60 in under 5 seconds, STOCK, is not fast? What's your other car a Ferrari? A 328 (n52) is no slouch either, plenty enough power to get your young ass in trouble.

[Rsoxs19]

Originally Posted by Delta0311

A car that hits 0 to 60 in under 5 seconds, STOCK, is not fast? What's your other car a Ferrari? A 328 (n52) is no slouch either, plenty enough power to get your young ass in trouble.

A 328i with 230 hp is "no slouch"? That's pathetic, you can buy an accord with more hp than that... You are correct that I would get myself in trouble with it. I would crash it into a tree on purpose to total it so i wouldn't have to drive it again. 328i is just rolling scrap metal.

[Delta0311]

Originally Posted by Rsoxs19

A 328i with 230 hp is "no slouch"? That's pathetic, you can buy an accord with more hp than that... You are correct that I would get myself in trouble with it. I would crash it into a tree on purpose to total it so i wouldn't have to drive it again. 328i is just rolling scrap metal.

Kid just got off his BMX and all of a sudden he's Mario Andretti. I'm socked you haven't wrapped the 335 around a tree yet, well let's give it time.

[Rsoxs19]

Originally Posted by Delta0311

Kid just got off his BMX and all of a sudden he's Mario Andretti. I'm socked you haven't wrapped the 335 around a tree yet, well let's give it time.

Oh I'm sure I will wrap it around a tree with the way it handles. With all that body roll, skinny tires and RWD. I better not take a slight right at more than 20 mph or into the tree I go!

[Delta0311]

Originally Posted by Rsoxs19

Oh I'm sure I will wrap it around a tree with the way it handles. With all that body roll, skinny tires and RWD. I better not take a slight right at more than 20 mph or into the tree I go!

Awesome, we cannot wait. Any chance we can close your account now so we can't end this trolling ahead of time.

[Otruba_843]

For me, the problems I have had have not been engine related (knock wood), but little annoying things such as vapor seal, leaking washer fluid etc. Had my A/C go out from a bent compressor pulley at 74k. That was $1300 for parts and labor to replace. My buddy had a 2013 WRX and the engine blew in 2 years with 30k miles. The engines in the WRX's have their issues especially when you tinker with them.

[ArcticRik]

.

[ArcticRik]

Originally Posted by Rsoxs19

Oh I'm sure I will wrap it around a tree with the way it handles. With all that body roll, skinny tires and RWD. I better not take a slight right at more than 20 mph or into the tree I go!

Sounds like you really hate your car. Why not go back to mommy and daddy and ask for something faster? The fact that they bought you a "slow" almost 10 year old BMW would piss me off!!! Couldn't get anything newer and faster?!!

[Sly-Creed]

I haven't read the rest of the thread, but If maintenance is as important to you as you mentioned in your first post, then I would stay away from any BMW. There is absolutely no way to tell how a reliable a BMW will be unless you've owned it. They are either a hit or a miss. I had my 335i, only serviced at BMW, I was the second owner, and the first owners were an older couple. It was their weekend car. However, in my 9 months of owning it, I had well over $6000 worth of repairs. One little oil leak and you are spending around $1200. Unless you can do it yourself, or the car has warranty, stay far away. I am not hating on the brand, The 335i is one of the most funnest cars to drive, and if mine was under warranty, It would be the perfect car, but for a 21 year old Engineering student in University, a used 335i is the worst car to get. Yea the driving makes me very happy, but at this point in my life, nothing makes me happier than a full wallet. If you want a luxurious, fast and RELIABLE sports car under $20K, an Infiniti G37 is your best bet. I sold my 335i and got a G37S. It's more loaded, almost as fast as the 335i and is reliable af. I will be honest, the transmission is shit, and the ride is boring compared to a 335i, but once again, my wallet is full as the only maintenance on this car is oil change and the usual stuff like brakes. I also considered a Lexus IS350. The next time I will get a BMW will be after university, and it will be under warranty.