The thing about your videos is that you share information that has tremendous value to anyone in the market for a BMW. The last thing a person wants to be stuck with is a BMW that never stops needing repairs.
I still can’t get my head around the fact that poeple didn’t get the LED headlights on a F3X and took the halogen instead. Those LED headlights does a lot for the car.
One of my customers has a 328i 2007 210k miles on it. Original engine and transmission. Only work we did from 80k( first knowing him) to now 210k was the starter, oil changes, couple coolant hoses here and there, oil filter housing gasket, valve cover gasket, and one transmission fluid drain and fill with new filter and pan with gasket. Very impressed to see the car still going strong to this day
But the e90 has the better drivers experience. The f30 will allure you with the updated look, interior and electronics, but its geared more toward luxury and the electronic steering takes away from that engaged drivers feel and is not as fun to drive. With the N55 being more reliable than the n54, I think the E90 with the n55 would be the car to get over the f30 model. For the Tuners with open wallets, the n54 is a MONSTER and will be the clear go to for modding and insane power. Ultimate reliability: snag a e90/e92 328i or better yet the 330i. The 330i is the best N/A version only offered for 2006 in the US and offers more power, bigger brakes, better exhaust, a better transmission, and more options as standard equipment than the 328i. I have an E90 330i and love the car with it's lower maintenance costs over its turbo brothers as well as the upgrades over the 328i. Definitely a fun car to drive.
Bought my 2011 e92 328i 2 years ago today put nearly 30k miles on it only had to change the brakes and oil changes love this car about to go give it a fresh detail❤️
N55 owner here. My engine is now at 110,000 miles and it is still running really well. My main concern with this car is that the tail lights will fail due to a burnt ground connection, but this can easily be fixed with a replacement kit.
I have an e9x 330i sport with a staggered setup as well, I baby it as I know it will never have an equal. Everything has been CAFE'd into DI, Turbo, 4 cylinder garbage. When I do move to an electric I will keep the inline 6 for weekends. At that time in the future, it might be slower and use $200 in fuel but I will gladly pay.
why does he said that i should avoid 328i f30 and get back to e90? i dont get it . for me it is a perfect looking dream car,is maintenance so expensive or whats the problem? maybe 320i f30 is better solution?
Green DoG Dream car? Before or after that N20 becomes a nightmare for you? The E9x 328i is the 3.0 N52 which is naturally aspirated. Way better engine for fun and reliability.
E90 steering is not just heavy, it is numb and imprecise. Given that BMW are supposed to handle it was the biggest surprise, whereas the unreliability I had expected. After replacing the control arms, sway links and strut mounts (Lemforder) and struts (Bilstein) at least the POS handles better.
I got my f30 LCI 320d for about 3 to 4 months now and i absolutly love the way it drives. Bought it at 129XXX KM and as of now it has 146XXX KM on the clock. Hope it holds up better then my V40 D4 from 2014.
I have a e90 330i 2006 low mileage with alot of modding on it., I just love this car, you have good power and torque. And it´s as you say reliable., And you are spot on when it comes to oil change, I change my oil twice per year, and do alot of other stuffs just to prevent and be safe. Great channel btw!
When you do your oil filter housing gasket repair your better off doing the valve cover gasket at the same time Also buy a water pump just to be ready when it goes out
@@Alecxace I went all the way to 194,000 miles before I had to change my thermostat. My mechanic said that the water pump was in the car the day it left the factory. I was just as surprised as he was, but replaced it since I could just kill two birds with one stone.
I’ve an N52. Had the standard coil problems, leaking valve cover gasket over the 70,000 miles that I’ve covered with it. Just completed a service, and I must say that the car still runs like new right now, it’s a joy to drive. Only deal breaker for me is poor fuel consumption, in Europe, it’s a problem.
@@Jdoug305 it’s a very small leak so I live with it, I lose a litre every 3 months and it’s not getting worse. It’s 14 years old so it’s not worth a lot so I just live with it. It’s a common fault but I’m not mechanically minded enough to attempt to do it myself. There are videos on how to do it, it’s about 6 hours work which in the uk would be £300, plus £80 for the gasket. As my car is only worth £2000 and needs new brakes, I’ll probably just part ex it soon
Thanks for ypur info I recently bought my bucket list 08 325i . .75k N52 and love my dream come true. Keep up tour info ...Im in the Caribbean ..Trinindad and Tobago..
I have 2006 325i going on 2yrs since owning great car and yes reliable recently I’ve been refreshing a lot of mechanical parts to make it last me another 100,000 😊 right now I’m marking at 168,200 I have a list of things I’ve already replaced an another big list of things I’m buying
E90 solid well made awesome engine. Few issues. N52 engines valve cover gaskets fail early and are a chore to change but otherwise great engines that if the oil is kept fresh you'll get 200k plus from the engine.
@@ECPP I had both E90 and E92 in the past which was my lifetime worst experience with BMW cars. Both have fatal engine problems. After valve cover gasket replaced, engine never run again properly even dealer could not program the valvetronic servo. E92 was another disastrous experiences for me, even BMW specialized mechanic friend of mine could not fixed the engine. Over complicated and when you fixe one thing another thing fails. E9x series least reliable cars made by BMW period!
These videos are a great resource. Thank you. I used to own an E90 but got rid of it in 2010. Now I'm looking into getting a used BMW and have seriously considered the E90 again. However, one deterrent is fuel consumption. Those E90s do consume more fuel compared to comparable F30 models and, in addition to that, these vehicles require premium gasoline. So if you're budget conscious, don't forget to estimate your fuel expenses as part of your cost of ownership.
What's your opinion about B38 engine on F30(318i) the 3 cylinder is that good or the vehicle will crawl and make major problems later on also tell me if the N13 the 4 cylinder one(316i 1600cc) is good enough to buy it on F30? I need your opinion on low cubic capacity cars BCS in Greece the taxes are high on 2000cc cars and more
A small input from Holland. In 2013 a update N47 diesel engine came out. The N47TU (technical update) this engine has the timing chain issue resolved. So when searching for a F30/F31 diesel. Make sure the engine is built in the year 2013 and has the engine code N47TU. Then your good. Greets from Holland
How is it possible that bmw did not make that tu in the beginning of the f30 in 2012? Still putting the bad chain engine in the New model 3 series. Cant believe that
@@freekveenstra2746 probably BMW and there contracted suppliers had alot of chains in stock. So the they had to finish that first before installing a better chain. This is likely due to al there contracts and they couldn't right them off. In the US this chain problem was also added as a warranty coverage after consumer lawsuits. A least in some states.
Great video! But just wanted to add that the LCI change for the F30s came in 2016, not 2015. Also, the B58 motor was added in 2016, and the B48 or 30i engine came in 2017.
I love my 2011 E90 328i. It's the best car I've ever driven besides a 2001 E38 740il. I bought my E90 last year in perfect condition with only 84,000 KM on the odometer. The hydraulic steering, naturally-aspirated I6 engine, and Executive Package trim combine to make, in my opinion, the last truly GREAT 3-Series BMW. As nice as the F30 is, it just doesn't beat the feel of a silky smooth E90.
Have 40,000 miles on our E90 328i. Repairs: eccentric shaft sensor replacement $850, spark coil and plug replacement $900, tires $1,000, front struts control arms and sway bar links $1,120, front brakes $50 did it myself, oil filter body gasket and aluminum bolt replacement $42 did it myself (shop wanted $400). I told my partner to buy a Lexus, not this piece of junk, but she wouldn't listen.
What the f**k? I could do all that work for 500$ ,watching RU-vid videos if you weren’t sure on the job. The bmw is cheap if you stay out of shops lol.
@@Tyler-qy7dj The eccentric shaft sensor is $454. The struts,control arms, sway bar links and bushings are $650. The point is not that I have the cheapest shop in the world. The point is that BMWs are unreliable junk.
As a youth, I remember an old SCCA racer, who piloted some BMWs, that you "You must drive the sh**t outta them everyday, and hard, and they will not break down. That's what those motors were designed for, with such tight tolerances".. The lesson, if you baby a BMW like an old lady, she will stay in the hospital trying to get well... Great lesson. That's why their mantra is "The Ultimate Driving Machine"... get it?
N20 was used before facelift. Then for all LCI's came B48 which is much more reliable, especially after 2017 revision (that went into 7 series first and now into new G20). So basically all 330i F30's are great and better than N52 engines in E90.
I think a lot of youtubers talking about this engine have never driven a 30i b48. It is nearly as smooth as an old 6 cylinder. I now bought my fourth bmw and can say that from an owners sight. I have also driven the 140i ;-) Great motor, bad fuel economy in the city and heavy turn in feeling, but a great deal for a straight line autobahn.
@@zrMysli The thing with B48 is that it can be tuned with Stage 1 to 310+ bhp with practically no reliability concerns and no issues at all. Getting 55-60bhp just from a simple map without any downside is just amazing. Also 310+ bhp from a 4 pot engine with stock turbo, intercooler and exhaust is quite an achievement.
@@perakojot6524 This is not correct. For reliability you have to change some hardware like the new 135i has. Crankshaft, cylinder with more copper... One of my friends is working in munich at Frauenhofer Institute in cooperation with BMW.
Always makes me laugh, Americans ripping into the best European cars, compared to the shit they make, BMW, Mercedes, Audi versus, what Chryslers ! My god, get a grip, you make great engines, but interiors, and bodywork are rank, cheap and nasty shit, so sorry USA don't beat on European cars, they leave your scrap way behind.
According to folks that I have heard from, these are improved and less prone to failure but there are still some with a few failures as noted and worst with firewall side of engine. Oil co sumptuous too as a possibility due to extended oil services. Do frequent servicing and it will help. I personally love diesels for daily vehicles due to great power delivery and massive fuel economy
Make sure it's a N47TU engine. They where a Technical update of the N47 and came out in building year 2013. The dont have any oil consumption and the timing chain issue is resolved. Greets N47TU enthusiast.
Please, it is hard to write down info as fast as you rattle it off. How about a sort of newsletter we could sign up for just listing the good points and the bad points???
Thank you so much. Bmw officially said long service intervals, but every mechanic on earth said use the best oil and change it every 6,000 miles. Oil powers the tensioner, and if not changed can get gluggy, and cause the tensioner to malfunction
Driving my 2014 F31 318d every day för the last 2 years has bin great. Great fuel economy and not a single problem. It has simply bin the perfect daily driver.
I have a 2006 330xi with 306k on the motor. its not as reliable as any compact car these are not daily drivers But the engine and manual transmission makes it a bit more worth your time
Great video. I have the 2011 e90 with inline 6. Nice and smooth. When I first got the car about 5-6 years ago had issues with ignition coils but since replacing them the car has been pretty reliable. Some minor anything little things that creep up such as trunk release but aside from that I’m happy with it.
I got a used 2009 328i e90 a year and four months ago. I bought it with just under 85k on the engine and up to this day I’ve had two main issues, engine gasket leak, and the thermostat. That’s about it. I’ve had other issues, but those were just maintenance things, headlights and brakes, wipers etc. The car has been great! Love driving it, looks modern, and drives well. For my first BMW, I think I did well on my research and getting the 328i. Good info on the 2015 f30 which I will now highly consider.. 🤔🤔
why does he said that i should avoid 328i f30 and get back to e90? i dont get it . for me it is a perfect looking dream car,is maintenance so expensive or whats the problem? maybe 320i f30 is better solution?
Hey Mark thank you for finally making this video! Question, I have the N26 SULEV almost 120k, my timing chain should be fine right? I change oil every 5k.
I think my next purchase is 2015 530 D as I am older now and not that interested in performance.Thanks for telling us the better years Mark. Good research
Hope someone can answer me I got a bmw f30 2014 with 114k miles, and it’s amazing but I want to change oil and coolant. Which oil do you suggest Motul 5w40 full Synthetic, castrol 5w30, valvoline o castrol ?
Almost perfect! When it was more relevant, you stopped! So, big question: I understand that f30 328i have some problems, but, after 2015, is there any 2L gasoline engine? And second, have you any idea if timing belt is at the back of the engine like in n47? Cus, if it in the front, changing timing belt shouldn't be a problem. Thank you!
This video got me clear one thing that i need it so bad, i want a 330i e90 2012 lci and as he says this model is the one to go, so this has the n52 engine too, thx
The LCI e90/92 are wonderful and the N55 is a great engine and the NA engines are nice too, just a bit older tech. Either way, you cant go wrong because they are all fun cars to drive.
Thank you so much for your time to answer, great youtube channel, i have learned so much from your videos, one more follower, i let you know when i got my first BMW 👌👌👌i will take your advise
He left out the SULEV that came with 2015+ 328i with the N20 and N26 it addresses the timing issue with an extended warranty that most states accept. The extended warranty is good for 15 years. The extended warranty comes with the car no need to pay extra for it
Hey, Mark. Fellow Canuck here. I dig your videos and have told friends to check out your channel. I was wondering something. Why do so many of your videos have the words "reliable" or "unreliable" in them?
The S85 ten cylinder motor was the best engine bmw ever made. Yes they have flaws but that formula 1 engine for the street was unmatched in its time. No other brand can match the performance for the price, sorry dodge viper owners the bmw ten cylinder is the king of the hill. I own a 335is and have had the typical problems oil leaks,waste gate rattle etc but the engine was developed by Alpina and with a tune I was able to get 400 hp and 420 flb. of torque at 2000 rpm with stock turbos and be able to drive it every day. The major mod was a catch can and i would advise installing for any direct injected motor. The N54 is a stout motor it"s just all the other accessories attached to it that really fail. Great video as always
E9x 335 N54 is the old M54 engine with two turbos. It has an aluminum engine block instead of the N52's magnesium and has no VANOS. BMW extended the warranty on the N54's HPFP to 10 years. They stopped selling the E9x 330i in North America but was for sale in Europe.
Thanks a lot Kevin. Any closer to getting a Gallardo ? Still got the Supra it ch, I don’t blame ya they are holding some insane value these days. Also have you been watching Stradman and his new Supra ?
ExoticCar PlayPlace Yeah I have been watching him with the new supra. I actually want to buy the stradmans Gallardo. I've reached out to him multiple times with bo responce. But about a month or two ago he responded and said he wouldn't sell it. And he posted that video recently saying he won't sell it.
Well that’s encouraging because I have reached out to him with no response. Either way I am seeing a few gated cars pop up here and there and prices seem a bit soft on Gallardo’s right now.
ExoticCar PlayPlace Found a few 2004s for under 90k gated but not in colors I want. I would preffer orange or black. Just keep messaging him he will respond eventually. I even contacted his brother lol
My girlfriend had an e90 328i and I have an f30 328i and both are very reliable but the big thing for me is the gas mileage on the e90 is so low and the f30 gets you up to 33 on highway potentially
The difference in reliability is negligible. You’ll enjoy a much more powerful car with the 330 without sacrificing reliability. I really would stay away from 320 they’re way too anemic. Same engine different configurations but nothing that will be a detriment to its long term dependability.
