Have owned Honda, Acura, Peugeot (nightmare x2), Chevy, Ford, Mercury, Mercedes - and I like the ride, handling and responsiveness of the BMW best of all. My E420 Sport came close to being the best overall car, notwithstanding the Acura Legend, but I think the BMW is still the best. No major service problems either which helps the opinion. Mercedes was fussy and expensive to repair. Acura a pleasure to repair, depending on whether you even wanted to or not. Not looking forward to the BMW repairs as the mileage increases but hopefully won't be too bad.
Unlike Krozi, i do not think I would ever spend $13,500 on repairs.

 

Every was covered under warranty thank god, and my car had only 36k miles. Something was wrong...

 

It's really not that simple. When you boil it down, there's actually relatively little other than the badge to distinguish a decent Japanese car from a non-sport suspension smaller-engined BMW. The non-sport E60 is a decent handling car, but so are many Japanese cars (particularly Acura, many of their models are sold as Honda elsewhere). I don't agree that a four-cylinder standard-suspension E60 (which you can't buy here but you can in Europe) is markedly different than many of the "A to B" Japanese cars. The Japanese cars also do a little better than the E60 when it comes to crash testing (the E60 struggled a little on some of the tests) so I don't think it's necessarily accurate to over-generalize about build quality and the implied impact on safety. I'm not saying the base E60 is a bad car, far from it, but I don't agree that it is a different league from the better end of the Japanese spectrum.

Back to the topic. Would I buy another BMW? Absolutely. They're wonderful cars. But I would never say that I would only ever look at one brand, and one brand only, for the rest of my vehicle purchases. There are just too many good cars out there to do that, and personally I don't understand the notion that one could only ever consider cars from one manufacturer - even one as good as BMW. My last two cars have been Porsche, my two before that BMW - and neither manufacturer is guaranteed to be the one I'll purchase from next.

 

I probably would try another BMW in my future, but not a must. I want to try Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Porsche, Volkswagen, Fiat, Ford, Subaru, Mazda in the future. I am pretty sure I wouldn't try Volvo, Saab, Chrysler, Jaguar, Suzuki products in my life. If someone somehow borrow me a Ferrari for an hour or two then that is good enough for me, owning one is not going to happen unless I win a lottery. Not that BMW is not good enough, I just want to try some other brands to see the difference.

 

Of course! By far the best cars I ever owned. I had bunch of American cars and Japanese cars and they all had some sort of problems. I just purchased a used 2002 BMW 330ci with 5 speed manual. What a wonderfully balanced car. Smooth, powerfull, road hugging performance. With little mechanical kowhow and research anyone can maintain these cars since they are rear wheel drive. (most of them) Before my latest BMW purchase I test drove a 2003 Mercedes SLK with the AMG package. It was ipressive to look at but the overall performance did not come close to the BMW. Only other cars I would by is the Porsche.

 

I would have to respectfully agree. But, BMW is tops in design, with the exception of the new F10 coming out...now, talking about sleeping pills. :/

 

I?d buy another BMW in a NewYork second! I love BMWs. Driving down expressways in a 4 cylinder 318i convertible is as much fun as blasting down entry/exit ramps and twisty roads in a 545i sport V8. Fast or slow, old or new, compared to other non-exotic cars you just feel more connected to the road in a BMW.

I think some people have problems with their BMWs because they either bought the wrong BMW or they don?t understand that BMW?s require maintenance. Don?t buy a Sport edition and expect it to ride like a Lexus. For a BMW, driving the car every two or three days at operating temperature is required maintenance. Clean cabin air filters and correct air circulation will inhibit mold and oxidation, preventing many interior electrical problems. (Note: every original electrical component works on my 15 year old 318i- even the crappy cassette deck and all 8 weak OEM stereo speakers)

If you regularly drive your BMW like a race car, expect to replace parts accordingly. Unfortunately, stiff BMW suspensions + potholes = $$ $$ money out of your pocket. Unlike Toyota owners, BMW owners ought to consider shocks, mounts, springs and brakes control arms general maintenance, not unexpected repair items. Monitor your car?s condition with vigilance and don?t even think about delaying repairs. A neglected $700 repair will morph into a catastrophic failure that will either junk your car or finance your mechanic?s summer home in Bavaria.

And if you buy a pre-owned BMW?buyer beware. Certified or not, if you buy a car with prior unexplained or unresolved problems, you?ll have problems down the road. Check the car?s history. Most problems addressed during BMW?s 4 year warranty period never arise again.

Although I?d buy a Porsche, I can?t imagine voluntarily giving up either of my present BMWs. I envy M car owners and well as lucky owners of vintage and classic BMWs. My love of BMWs even prompted me to blow $50.00 on a couple of tickets for the annual BMWNA lottery--which expires tomorrow. If I win, I?ll purchase another garage space to secure another BMW! E86 Z4M? 2002? E92 M3?

 

Hi Guys
Thx a lot, maybe i will buy one again after this, but right now,, no way, problems all the time, electric and computer problems, cant they make one there don?t come up with fault all the time, and a gear box there will last, if you Google about the gear box you will see how many problems they have, they dont build the gearbox another company does, i like the ride for sure but of all the cars i have owned this has been in the workshop the most, so why pay so much for a car if it?s in the workshop all the time.
Thx for all the reply keep them coming but right now i look at my friends Mercer with a big smile, why,,, it?s never in the workshop, never. BTW he is the one pick me up every time i have to go to the workshop and believe me it makes his day all the time E 230 2.5

 

I think that you've answered your own original question -- you are unsatisfied with BMW and want a MB. Good luck with your next car, which looks like it will be a MB.

Although I think that your answer was set in your mind when you asked the question, this sure was an interesting thread with lots of great discussions about cars.

 

Hi
Maybe not with BMW but MY BMW, still like BMW dont get me wrong but for a car that cost around 125.000 US in Thailand and is made in Thailand i think you deserve a good car, maybe i am wrong i dont know.