I've been looking at buying a used 2010 BMW 5 series with 77K miles. Am I making a financial mistake or will I be okay if I maintain the routinely maintenance of Oil change and Air Filter?


I keep getting told that BMW's are Great with their warranties, but without them they are a pile of scrap!!


Can you experts advise me in making a wise decision! please.

 

Hmmmmmm
you ask a difficult question

I have two E60's a 2004 (112,00 klm) and 2008(65,000)

I love both of my cars
But i bought both cars because the previous owners couldnt fix them
and they couldnt afford to pay BMW to do it anymore

So I think the simplest anwser to your question is

If you are going to be the owner of a used BMW you have either got to pay expensive BMW mechanics to have it repaired or have a go and do it all yourself like most people on this forum

The price of BMW parts is not that much more expensive than other cars
The major cost of repairs is paying mechanics

I have never taken any of my cars to a mechanic. They are now great cars to drive and are super reliable.

My wife wasnt so sure when i bought the first one home but now she loves her E60 and doesnt want any other car except another BMW

 

Any used car is only going to be as good as how well the previous owner(s) maintained it. A luxury used car, of course, is going to be more expensive to fix than a mainstream brand, but not inordinately so if you take it to a "indy" mechanic that knows the brand. Dealers will soak you. We "affectionately" call them $tealers for that reason.

BMW's depreciate rapidly, so you can really buy into the cache very reasonably with a well-maintained 3 to 5-year-old car. But maintenance is a lot more than just changing the oil and filters. The car has advanced electronics, so expect to encounter problems at least somewhere along the way.

BTW, extended warantees are available but they're not cheap.

 

I myself felt the same way you did when I bought my first 05 530i at 60k. Once I bought it and learned the dealership is not the way to go it has been great. Most of us on this forum if not all do our own work. They are not hard to work on if you have the right tools. Yes they are more complicated without INPA and DIS but once you get your hands on to those programs you will be ok with the more difficult problems. I have owned a BMW for almost 8 yrs and I will definitely buy another because I know they are only expensive to maintain if I go to BMW not in my garage.

 

BMWs are enthusiast cars. If you are able to repair them yourself and have access to discounted parts, you'll be OK. Routinely changing the oil and air filter works for Hondas, not so much for anything German. "German reliability" is a myth, plain and simple .

Owning a BMW is like owning a boat: you shovel money and time into it because you feel rewarded when you drive it.

You didn't specify which model 2010 you are looking at.

 

To a great degree it depends on how well the vehicle was maintained/treated by the previous owner(s). That said these cars be very expensive to maintain if you're relying on a dealer or indie shop. Recommend an extended warranty for a pre-owned with 77k miles if you can obtain one at a reasonable price.

 

Thanks everyone! Still contemplating!

 

better a 528 than 535 if you start with 77k imo.. but ya if you have the money for maintenance it'll be the best car you've ever owned!

 

Bong703, am assuming you took car for a good test ride....and if you liked it, you will realize that there will be a price to pay for that enjoyment.
Myself have for most of my life owned cheap cars as they are the worst investment, period!
Until I happened to work in Munich 15 yrs ago and ended up driving a (what else)....BMW of course and have been hooked ever since, that was a 3 yr old 328 when I came back to NA, ended up picking up a 1985 325 with 150kkms and summer driven only, loved that car, from there went with a 1998 528i and now in 2004 545i.
If you can handle a wrench and a laptop with some diagnostic program you can save a lot of money otherwise it will cost you $$ to enjoy the ride....
IMHO still all worth it..........either way.

 

As with any car I'd say don't spend all you have on it, make sure you have some rainy day money. With that said, I've owned my 528i for 2 years at this point and all I've done to it were 3 oil changes and all the mods you see on it now. Been reliable, great on gas.