Hello I am in the market for a BMW, personally i have liked the 06 550I's i have come across since they are in my budget. I found quite a few good deals but the mileage is slightly over 100k. My main question is how reliable are these cars? And expensive will maintenance be?

Thanks for the help

 

At least shoot for the 07, the 06 was the first try at rebuilding the very troublesome 545. Maintenance is very very expensive on any bmw. Some people are luckier than others but at high mileage these cars are troublesome, various things will break and they all cost a lot, especially any electronic part, then you have the $2 gaskets that cost you $500 in labour to replace. Unless you are a DIY person or you have fat pockets then be careful. On the other hand, the way these cars drive they are irresistible.

 

It sort of depends on your frame of reference. If you are comparing to a Japanese car, it will not be reliable and it will be expensive. If you are comparing to a European car, it will be about what you already know. I really love my two BMW's, but they are not reliable and they are expensive. On the other hand, nothing drives as good. Now, what we need is Lexus reliability and simplicity and BMW handling. BMW has drive-ability down pat. They need to learn about keeping it simple and reliable.

 

thanks for the quick replies

I plan to do basic maintenance my self such as oil changes, brakes.
After the 100k mark what typically goes wrong?
Plus i would be only putting about 5000 miles per year on the car.