BMW and M Power Owners

[rodenal]

I think the budget of around 6k will be the tail end of the first generation E87's or early E81s

Petrol as opposed to diesel? the mpg of the diesels seems great

Ah missed the budget, to be brutally honest I think they're all pretty rotten outside of the 123d(which has its own issues) and 125/130i - none of which would be suitable here.

That said, there will be no arguing with a female who has decided what she wants - probably as well to buy as nice a 116/118i as you can find. Skip the diesels, not worth the risk.

 

[SDK^]

Petrol as opposed to diesel? the mpg of the diesels seems great

I wouldn't be choosing a diesel for 6 miles per day and some occasional trips to the shops.

 

[Kimi]

that might be a bit of an exaggeration. 60% of the time its the usual short trip to work, then a couple 20-30 mile each way round trips.

Im not fussy for the fuel type, my main concern is the reliability between the two.

 

[[TW]Fox]

I think the budget of around 6k will be the tail end of the first generation E87's or early E81s

Petrol as opposed to diesel? the mpg of the diesels seems great

You don't need mpg because you are not driving enough miles for it to make a massive financial difference to you. Furthermore 3 mile trips in a diesel are NOT efficient so you wont be getting great mpg if thats the usage profile.

My 'great mpg' diesel does just 21mpg when I'm only using it to go to work and back!

 

[rodenal]

Hey guys. My E46 320Ci has hit the 100K miles mark and was just wondering what, if any, preventitive maintenance I should be thinking of doing. All services are upto date and battery changed about 5000 miles ago. Otherwise its had a pretty easy life with much going wrong at all.

Could start looking at your cooling system, particularly stat and waterpump if the expansion tank, hoses and rad seem ok. If you've never done any of the bushes they'll probably be well worn too. But if you think it drives well and haven't noticed any other issues I'd be more of an 'if it isn't broke' mindset and just keep some cash away for it.

 

[Kimi]

Ok cool, thanks guys i will try to steer her to the direction of a petrol.

 

[J1nxy]

will this ever bloody end?? Turns out when they "fixed" the warning triangle mount they "broke" the red warning light which comes on when the boot is opened...

 

[mrk]

Just phoned Snows Portsmouth to enquire about getting the subframe checked. They didn't know anything about a subframe and didn't think it fell under any warranty.

I can see this is going to start getting interesting. Waiting for a call back from Scotthall Hampshire at the moment before chasing up again. Why are main dealers so useless...

Just seen Jinxy's post, yup they are definitely useless!

 

[hillbilly2]

Just phoned Snows Portsmouth to enquire about getting the subframe checked. They didn't know anything about a subframe and didn't think it fell under any warranty.

I can see this is going to start getting interesting. Waiting for a call back from Scotthall Hampshire at the moment before chasing up again. Why are main dealers so useless...

Just seen Jinxy's post, yup they are definitely useless!

If you have no luck, ring Brighton (Chandlers) bodyshop, I know they have done them there.

 

[mrk]

Cheers will keep them I mind although Snows just phoned back confirming they can actually check and do it if needed, though it's only a weekday booking as it can only be done by their master technician apparently. Said it will take an hour and a half to check, does that sound about right? I'm happy to sit and wait in the upstairs lounge with free tea and biscuits if so and I'll get it booked in coming weeks.

 

[alx]

will this ever bloody end?? Turns out when they "fixed" the warning triangle mount they "broke" the red warning light which comes on when the boot is opened...

*In before ironic username*

You do seem to have terrible luck

 

[timmeh]

Sorry if I'm hijacking this a bit but...

I've started having a look around for a new car (currently share a pretty lifeless SUV with the wife) and have noticed that 2008 - 2010 E60 M5s are within my budget. Running costs aren't a problem, my main worries are that the problems are going to be very expensive to fix and I'd rather not buy a dud.

Is it even worth getting an M5 that's done around 50k miles? Could it quickly become a money pit (from repairs, not running costs) and constantly in the garage? I work from home so I wouldn't be putting a tonne of miles on it and won't be doing very much city driving.

What sort of things should I be checking out on them before I buy? I heard SMG pumps can be expensive problems with the 06 models and they tend to cause issues around 60k miles. Is that still the case with the newer ones? Some places say yes, others say no.

Is it worth looking into some sort of aftermarket warranty? I had a quick look on their website and it seems like BMW offer a pretty limited warranty on their 2nd hand cars over 4 years old.

I'm pretty new to the whole 2nd hand car scene so I'm still trying to figure it all out.

If it's going to be problematic then I'll probably look elsewhere.

Cheers!

 

[pepsilol]

So running costs are a problem or they aren't?

Can you afford to throw £4k at it out of the blue?

Being able to afford the running costs of a "supercar" means you are able to throw a large sum at it completely randomly without you even having to blink twice at it.

Otherwise you will just have a paranoid ownership.

 

[xs2man]

Pretty much what pepsilol said. There is more to "running costs" than fuel and tax.

The BMW warranty is far from limited. You can get the fully comprehensive warranty and that pretty much covers it all. Of course, being an M car, it will likely be extortionately expensive, especially if the car has over 60k on it. BUT, that will basically insure you against any of these £4k+ bills that may or may not appear.

If you can consider the BMW comp warranty into the running costs, and still afford it, then why not. If the warranty cost scares you, then it probably isn't a car for you. The warranty cost is where it is for a reason usually.

But then, every comparable car out there will have it's own problems, with the potential for requiring big money being spent, at some point, but may not have such a comprehensive warranty to back it up.

 

[timmeh]

My main worry is having issues crop up right after I buy it. Having to spend a lot on it down the road wouldn't be so much of a problem. If it's likely that there are going to be common issues at the age I can afford, then maybe I should look elsewhere, but if they're pretty rock solid then it's not a problem. I realise that large sums of money will have to be thrown at it from time to time, which is fine, I'd just prefer for them not to be regular (and right after I buy it!), hence me asking.

I'm still very much checking out what I can afford and noticed that M5s are within my price range but are considerably cheaper than anything else in that performance bracket which has got me worrying.

I guess what I'm asking is:

Are they reliable after 50k miles?
What should I be looking out for/asking when I'm looking at buying one?

EDIT: Sorry, by 'running costs' I meant servicing, tyres, brakes, etc. Everything apart from out-of-the-blue repairs.
EDIT2: I'm in the US too if that changes anything. I should probably add another 30% on to the UK service costs

 

[pepsilol]

Hmmm, I'd go on M5board and ask the Americans over there.

America get's completey ripped off in the automotive industry. EG a TC rebuild in USA is $1000 from a ZF approved rebuilder whereas here it's like £150.

 

[timmeh]

Ok thanks, I'll take a look!

 

[PMKeates]

There are a lot of good posts out there about the E60 M5. Try this one out: http://www.pistonheads.com/Gassing/topic.asp?h=0&t=1076816&mid=0&nmt=E60+/+E61+M5+Buyers+Guide

Mine has gone at least the last 35,000 miles and 5 years with nothing more than a Bluetooth module replacement, and that was probably caused by water damage. That said, SMG pumps and the whole clutch area are weak spots, but many people never have issues - especially on the later models. They are 'reasonably' reliable overall.

 

[[TW]Fox]

I had a quick look on their website and it seems like BMW offer a pretty limited warranty on their 2nd hand cars over 4 years old.

I'm not sure whose website you looked at because the warranty BMW offer on used cars over 4 years old is about as good a warranty as you'll ever find for a car that isn't brand new.

 

[PMKeates]

I'm not sure whose website you looked at because the warranty BMW offer on used cars over 4 years old is about as good a warranty as you'll ever find for a car that isn't brand new.

In the USA?