The first rule is my paraphrasing of some of the advice I've read on the various BMW forums. (Much of it directed toward the 7 series.) I bought my 550 with my eyes open. I fully expect it to last a long time and provide years of trouble free service. If I have to pay for some repairs along the way, well, that's life. Hopefully it's not an engine or transmission.... I respectfully decline to take your advice, other than to properly maintain my car!

So, since you asked: How do you know they'll last and last?

 

I've definitely found the brand of car for me. The 5 series has got to be the most fun family sedan on the road. I may consider a Porsche at some point when I don't have to haul around the kids, but I still have to be able to fit at least one set of golf clubs if not two in the car.

As for the reliability, I'm coming from driving Toyotas for the last 20 years. When I was in college and just starting my career, reliability was one of the main concerns. At this point, that is no longer the case. Sure, I would love it if my BMW had as few issues as my Toyotas, but I'm willing to spend a good deal of money for the shear enjoyment I get from driving my BMW.

 

Haha, well, from experience? My parents had many BMW in the 80's and 90's, I had several of them, and a lot of my friends had them, and this is how I know.
A friend of mine drove E36 318i without one drop of oil for almost 20 miles! I know this is abuse, but he had no choice (long story). He then just fixed the leak, added oil, and drove the car for another 5 years without even having a single engine problem.
Yes, BMWs can have few (mostly electronic and build materials/quality) problems, but their engineering is so solid! I mean, even heavily abused BMW engines rarely fail! And look at their maintenance schedule - lifetime gearbox fluid fills? That's pretty stupid from my point of view, but I bet there are cars that never had the fluid changed, and still drove 200K miles just fine.

Also, keep in mind that most of the negativity towards ANY brand on the forums and online communities come from the fact htat people speak up ONLY (well, mostly) when they are having a problem. When everything is ok, nobody says anything. That is peoples' nature - we complain only when something is wrong. You don't see posts like "My A/C works soo good!", or My gearbox shift soo smooth, and my idrive works fast and perfect every time I drive the car" do you?

 

I know what you mean OP, I came from a reliable Honda Civic not the greatest comparison but I would say over the long run still more reliable compared to a BMW, but I knew that coming into my used BMW, but I love the car. The tag line says it all " The Ultimate Driving Machine" need I say more?

 

Except for the last race in Italy where Hamilton crashed in the second to last corner.
Oh, and i'm definitely a Brawn fan, it's been the underdog for years (Honda), got a new captain and a new name (of the captain) and they really exploded out there.
The drivers are great too, who doesn't like Barrichello with his "winning dance" and Button with his great attitude (Barrichello too).

BMW just screwed up the past couple of years, there's always something wrong with the car, the engine, gearbox or electronics, somethings screws up most of the time.

 

BMW is not a leader in value for money, I'm honestly flabbergasted to see anyone say that. Style and driving feel are subjective areas where BMW does well, but by most objective measures BMW is poor value for money. Top of my head, the G35X is what...15-20% less than a 335 with x drive? Dollar for dollar, you'd have to compare the 328HP Infiniti to the 230HP 328i which has a vinyl interior.

Obviously I drive a BMW, I love the car. I'm going to take the opposite approach to you though. Since you've been a loyal BMW customer for so long, what other cars have you OWNED that you can make a comparison to? Not just driven, but owned? I stated earlier in the thread that I love driving my car, but hate owning it which is why I make the distinction. The dealer experience frankly has stunk so far, bad enough that I would not consider BMW again. I did have a Lexus, they didn't treat me like a second class citizen. And it's not just the dealer, it's BMW the corporation. I need to go, but I can expand later if anybody cares.

 

Where in my post did you see word VALUE? I just love posts like yours - I think that BMW is crap, and poor value for the money, and I hate owning it, and infinity and other shit is better than BMW, WTF? Why did you buy the fucking thing then? Why?
Maybe you're right, maybe you should buy another Lexus. Sell your bimmer to somebody who will appreciate it for what it is.

PS: Oh, and in case you want to hear my opinion about BMW value - I tell you this: I OWNED (not driven, owned) probably close to 40 cars before I switched to BMWs - German, Japanese, American, Italian - nothing comes close to BMW in terms of value. Nothing. Its just the word value means a bit different things for different people.

 

You're wasting your breath there. Some people just cannot understand. These are the people usually bought the car for the wrong reasons and cannot really appreciate the things some German brands have to offer. On another note, when i see people comparing jap cars to german cars really p***s me off. Different cars, different mentality, different market.

The only thing i can agree with is with the dealerships. How BMW let those dealers get away with such an unprofessional, prickish behavior is beyond me.

 

+1000 I have to completely agree with TexaZ3. I have also owned nearly 40 cars (36 to be exact) including a 2003 Infiniti G35 Coupe and I can honestly say I LOVE my BMW!!! There is simply nothing like it. If your main goal is value then get a Camry or Accord, if you want a true driver's car then BMW is really the only option for the $$$$. Are there cars that perform as well or better? Sure, but they cost more - not less.

 

I am the first person to say that you cannot drive a BMW out of warranty, but there is an important distinction here! I think the reference to "Never driving a BMW outside of the warranty period" was aimed more at the COST of repairs, and not toward the long lasting nature inherent in a BMW!
Well maintained, a BMW can driven indefinitely, but it would be LESS fun if you had to pay for the expensive repairs that may be needed along the way!

BTW, is this the way all of you "Baja-Oklahomans" think there??