[JimKW]

I have a 2006 330XI Alpine White with Terra interior. It runs great, I'm not having any trouble with it and I enjoy driving it. But it has 120k on it and every time I read this board it makes me think these are not long lasting cars and it will end up costing me big bucks to keep it. I have 220K on my Volvo and have no problem dropping a $1,000 into a repair if it's necessary, but Volvos are known to last a long time.

The KBB Private Party resale on my BMW is somewhere around $12 - 13K which is pretty low sInce I paid about $17.5 two years ago when it had about 90K on it. You people on this board make it seem like these are old American cars that are worn out at 100k. Is that really true? I'm not sure what I would buy if I get rid of it since I don't really care for the newer Volvos.

[marshall834]

You have a 330 = high reliability

/thread

[Dylanize]

I know what you mean OP, but I think us N/A guys might be a bit better off as far as things to go wrong. I plan on keeping mine for a long time.

[benjlv]

have you read about this guys experiences?
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=788317

from my memory hes well over 200k on this car. From what i recall, it doesnt sound like his car has any signs of giving up anytime soon. He has replaced the usual water pump/t stat. The suspension was replaced by him sometime after the 150k mark....which i think is acceptable since any road going car uses rubber in the suspension and rubber doesn't last forever. neither do shocks.

I think that there are a lot of people on this forum with 335i/N54 cars. I think that BMW drivers are a lot more picky about performance degradation than honda drivers. For you...youre probably eventually going to want to refresh the suspension on your car eventually. The typical wear items/failures that are documented on this forum. Look into the cost of these 'expected' service items. Then compare what car you could get for $12-13k and the service track record of that car. Is it worth it to buy something else? Do you like the BMW enough to deal with the extra costs over a civic?

[AddictedToBavarian]

I wouldn't follow anything you think this board wants you to do in your life.

[kdbryce]

No worries with a 330. I've seen people with like 170k and higher

That engine is bulletproof

[litxus]

I don't think at this point / mileage a lot can go wrong, plus parts are cheaper than they used to be and it will cost you a lot less to fix it than get something new (fix easy stuff as DIY).

[JimKW]

I have changed my oil every 7500K with Mobil 1 0W40 and OEM Filter since I bought it. I had some work done under warranty before it hit 100K and other than that I've had no expense whatsoever so far. Like I said I like driving the car and to it feels like it should last. Maybe years from now us NA guys will be still posting here bragging about our high mileage.

I just bought oil and filter for a total of $51 and plan to do my 4th oil change this weekend. Oild is $5.99 a quart at NAPA this month. I find it pretty easy to change the oil since I bought the Rhino ramps on my first oil change. $50 bucks every 7500 miles sounds good to me. I was worried about how often the timing belt needed changed until I searched for that and found we have timing chains, so that is good to know.

I might change the spark plugs soon, but really don't know the interval for that. Think I heard somewhere that it's 100K. Anything else you guys think I need to do in the way or routine maintenance? I can do most simple stuff myself, but don't want to get into anything major. I have, in the past, changed the timing belt on my Volvos myself, but getting a little old for that much work. Not saying I can't do it. I just don't feel like it right now.

[Delta0311]

If you maintain a good maintenace program for you car than it will last you a very long time. Do understand that this is a BMW forum, which means people posting here will be discussing any issue they might have with their car. It does not mean you will have the same problem.

[apc3libras]

The problem is you're only reading about the experiences of the limited number if people on the board. What about the other thousands of people not on the board that have high mileage and no time/interest in joining a forum?

I think you're fine. Just keep up with the maintenance items. You can get an e90 maintenance schedule from bavauto. Also just know you put some money into repairs such as sensors and water pump/thermostat.

These cars will go forever, just like the Volvo but may require a little more attention but its worth it.

[mike-y]

if you had a problem car, it would have made itself known by now. BMW's are somewhat a roll of the dice with reliability, some people get good ones, some people get bad ones. So if the car has made it this far without issues, you've definitely got yourself a keeper.

[Vegetable]

Where are you reading this? I have heard nothing but good things on here about the 330/328. I, on the other hand, don't agree. The N52 engine has proved to offer less than stellar reliability in my case (valve ticking, failed gaskets, random misfires, etc) and BMW's X-drive is known for its problems, namely the transfer case going bad.

[JAL0988]

NA will last longer. Pay to Play with regards to the n54. It's not like all of them are fucked. Just a few are but you don't see people posting threads saying "Hey guys my cars running great!" It's not a sexy thread title nor will it be relevant in any sort of way. People need to vent about their car having issues. It's a good way to get out frustration I guess.

[JimKW]

I test drove a 2006 Z4 last weekend with only 42K on it. It was all black which I thought would be really sharp. I haven't driven a stick for quite some time and the salesman was going with me and I told him I was a little rusty with the clutch so I might jerk him around a little until I get the feel of it. I drove for a few miles and didn't have any problems starting and shifting. So he gets me to a fairly windy back road and I get into it a little and actually power shifted a couple times. He looked over at me and said "You sure don't seem very rusty to me".

Well anyway I get back and tell him I'm not ready to make a deicision so and I don't even want to get into haggling over price. So I get back into my 330XI and take it out on the same road. Hey guys, I liked the feel of my car on that road better than the Z4. The shifting was fun, but I think our cars handle better than the Z4. So after that I think I should just keep the one I got.

Then I get on this board and see all the negative comments about cars in general with high mileage and start rethinking myself. Thank goodness I'm see all the positive responses to this thread, because I do feel like I got a good one that should last a long time. And I don't mind spending money on normal wear tear items. That's part of owning older cars and not having a car payment.

[Meeni]

The N52 has no serious issues. It is a rock solid base. Now, it is a pay to play car nonetheless. Many minor issues spiral into $1k fixes (like the various oil leaks that tend to be common). But you will never encounter the catastrophic game over failure that cost $13k for a new engine or things of that sort.

[fazman]

Originally Posted by COBBTT

NA will last longer. Pay to Play with regards to the n54. It's not like all of them are fucked. Just a few are but you don't see people posting threads saying "Hey guys my cars running great!" It's not a sexy thread title nor will it be relevant in any sort of way. People need to vent about their car having issues. It's a good way to get out frustration I guess.

Hey Guys... My N54 is running great!

[JAL0988]

Originally Posted by fazman

Hey Guys... My N54 is running great!

+1

[JAL0988]

Originally Posted by JimKW

I test drove a 2006 Z4 last weekend with only 42K on it. It was all black which I thought would be really sharp. I haven't driven a stick for quite some time and the salesman was going with me and I told him I was a little rusty with the clutch so I might jerk him around a little until I get the feel of it. I drove for a few miles and didn't have any problems starting and shifting. So he gets me to a fairly windy back road and I get into it a little and actually power shifted a couple times. He looked over at me and said "You sure don't seem very rusty to me".

Well anyway I get back and tell him I'm not ready to make a deicision so and I don't even want to get into haggling over price. So I get back into my 330XI and take it out on the same road. Hey guys, I liked the feel of my car on that road better than the Z4. The shifting was fun, but I think our cars handle better than the Z4. So after that I think I should just keep the one I got.

Then I get on this board and see all the negative comments about cars in general with high mileage and start rethinking myself. Thank goodness I'm see all the positive responses to this thread, because I do feel like I got a good one that should last a long time. And I don't mind spending money on normal wear tear items. That's part of owning older cars and not having a car payment.

Bet you would Panama Red

[smallseafishie]

try reading the 200k+ miles thread for some inspiration.

[The Cleaner]

My 335 is coming up on 7 years old and my total out of pocket cost of repairs and maintenance is 2 tires and 50 bucks warranty co-pay for turbos. Sure it's been in the shop 15+times but all at no cost to me. Contrary to this forum, the 335 is a fantastically reliable car IMO.

The person that gets my 335 next year will not have the same opinion of this car, it will need major costly repairs after my ownership. Sure you can buy it for 1/3 of what I paid but you will be paying to repair everything I enjoyed for the previous 7 years. It's your choice, if you want a 50-60K BMW for 15-20K you need to know that you will be repairing what someone else used up and enjoyed. The opinion of ownership between the first 7 years and the second 7 years will be widely different.

At 120K most cars are used up, that's just how it is. They may go another 10K or 100K but they are on the back side of their lifespan.

[Chris_506]

12-13k value at 120k? seems pretty legit to me

[paulguma]

Originally Posted by COBBTT

Bet you would Panama Red