BD89

I was thinking of picking one of these up as a daily driver. Their value has dropped considerably to the point where you can pick up a very nice one for around $14K or less. I was curious if anyone had any experience with the car, and knew of things to look out for. The V8 model had 280hp, and as expected, was loaded with all sorts of bells and whistles. I've always liked these cars, and I still think it is one of the best looking sedans on the road.

hondafrvr

I remember reading that the inline 6 bimmers are much more realiable than the v8's - not sure if thats just for the 5 series tho...

EDIT: i love that car too! should make for an amazing daily and so cheap considering the retail for a new one

Ralleh

My brother had a BMW mechanic friend once who said they were the least reliable, but I don't recall what years that applied to.

milkbubble

Hey man im a BMW tech.. These cars can get very expensive to keep up with. If you find one your interested in let me know and ill try to do some homework on that specific vin #.

BD89

Thanks a lot Chad - I'm not planning on buying until the warmer months, but I'll let you know! Just out of curiosity, what are the sorts of problems they have, and if I were to get one that has been well maintained, would it still be quite expensive to upkeep?

madkimchi

Get 740i sports package I think those are still the best looking BMW

milkbubble

Just a few random issues off the top of my head include rear suspension joints, sway bar links, rubber drive shaft joint (guibo), transmission leaks, oil pan gaskets leaks, valve cover gasket leaks, power steering hose leaks, vac hose leaks, valley pan gasket leaks, water pump leaks, cam sensors.. the list goes on.

On many occasions people come to our dealer for the diagnostic and they then bring the car to a independant shop for the labor to help save on the overall expense of keeping the car on the road. I dont blame them one bit as I have had some customers walk out in anger or tears when given a estimate for the parts and labor.

The Hoth

You may get one for $14k but you have to maintain and repair it like a $80k car.

Be prepared to have some cash set on the side for repairs.

Saki GT

Great car to drive, budget $2k annually for repairs imo.

rockville

If you don't need the extra rear seat space I would suggest looking at a similar age 530 instead.