Are german cars too expensive to maintain after some time?

Amazon
wfes71

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wfes71
Aug 12, 2019 34 Comments

I read an article on cost of ownership which stated BMWs are the most expensive vehicles to repair and maintain overtime, followed by other german favorites, audi and mercedes.

I am thinking of getting a new bmw 3 series as my first car and do not want repair hassles. Is it really a wise thing to own?

What is your experince owning a german car

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  • New / Mgmt
    .,.

    New Mgmt

     .,.
    Yes
    Aug 12, 2019 3
  • World Fuel / Strategy
    VQVK03

    Go to company page World Fuel Strategy

     VQVK03
    I own a BMW for 10 years. Also, my closest friend is a mechanic at local BMW dealership. So this is a well researched answer:
    BMW is not a quality car. If you want quality, buy Honda.
    BMW is a prestige car. If you want people to say wow, Beemer! Buy a BMW.
    New BMWs won't give you any major maintenance issues. The challenges start after 80k miles. BMW parts are not designed to last 200k miles like Honda's and Toyotas.
    The depreciation on new BMW is very high. Would you like to consider lease return with some 20k miles on it? You can easily drive it for another 60k miles without much hassle.

    Things like air-conditioning, Tie rods, gaskets will start falling apart after 80-100k. My friend has seen so many of them breaking around that mileage.
    Let me know if you have follow up question.
    Aug 13, 2019 1
    • Salesforce / Consultant
      BlindVole

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      Cisco, IBM, SAP
       BlindVole
      No one in the Bay Area has ever said “Wow, Bimmer!” :)

      They are nice cars though and great fun to drive. I’d buy one over a Mercedes. But, yeah, parts are expensive and overall reliability over 10 years won’t compare to a Honda (so just buy a new one every 5 years).
      Aug 21, 2019
  • World Fuel / Strategy
    VQVK03

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     VQVK03
    17 comments and no one has asked the TC yet!
    TC?
    Aug 12, 2019 1
  • I spent approx $2,000 per year for overall maintenance and parts replacement on an offlease 535i xDrive. $6,000 for the 3 years I owned it. Lot of fun to drive but yes quite expensive to maintain
    Aug 12, 2019 4
  • Disney / Eng
    CM23A

    Go to company page Disney Eng

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    I've been known to RTFM.
     CM23A
    The engineering on these models are meant for precision and not consistency. If you're a "car" person and ensure the vehicle is maintained properly over time, all should be well.

    If you're not, and the thought of having to deal with the occasional part replacement immediately so other parts or systems are not affected, it's probably best to buy somthing considered "reliable". To me, this means low maintenance and ability to neglect problems.

    Or, you could buy a Tesla with a multi decade warranty on the drive train.
    Aug 12, 2019 0