What I've Learned from 10 YEARS of BMW Ownership 

I am an Audi, fanatic myself. I’ve had five Audis, but I have never been able to explain to anyone why they should buy one. I was so dismayed by peoples questions to me of why should I buy an Audi that I went on Twitter and sent the CEO a message telling him Audi has no brand identity. Their PR department tried to counter with oh but we sell a lot of cars. I don’t care how many cars they sell when someone asks you why should I buy an Audi you should be able to rattle off a bunch of reasons right off the bat if not then that’s a problem for them. I was always puzzled by BMW fanaticism. People who love BMWs always say the same thing I love them I refuse to drive anything else, but they are so expensive to own. Over the years, I have played around with the idea of buying one but my father who is a mechanic and a Mercedes fanatic says that BMWs are garbage. I don’t really listen to him because he hates Audis and I’m a 50 year old man and I make my own choices. Since I was always a DIYer I decided to take the plunge and buy a BMW E 39. There was a kid who had one listed on Facebook marketplace, who seemed desperate to get rid of it, and I bought it from him. I live in the Philadelphia area and I have never seen a car stay on there for more than a week no matter how many problems the car had. Somehow this car had been on there for three weeks and so I was curious so I wanted to take a look. Before I wasted my time, I straight up, asked him what was wrong with the car. He literally ran down a list of problems that would have made the average Joe run away screaming, nooooooooo! Instead of doing that, I went on RU-vid and typed in BMW DIY and tons of videos, came up about how to fix all the problems that he named. He only wanted $850 for it so I figured why not? After about six months of wrenching on the car myself and $2500 worth of parts I took my first drive in the car and I see why people love BMWs now. I asked an actual mechanic how much work i did and he said about $8000. I wanted to put some racing brake pads and rotors on the car and while he had it up in the air, I asked him to do an inspection and he said that I did a good job. I hope me and my E39 have many years of trouble free driving.🎉😊

Justin I think you hit the nail on the head about not buying one before you are financially stable. I mean I guess if you are 16 and dad is making 300 thousand a year and paying all the bills it’s ok. But for most people that is not real life.

I own 3 BMWs. Love them. I think they are reliable cars. Cost of ownership is higher but once you get use to driving them there’s no going back.

BMWs are all smiles and cries. Well stated facts in your video that I think all of us DIYers and enthusiasts go through.

By far the best review of BMW ownership I have ever seen.

Got my first E90 335i at age 20. Working as a barista during University. The moment I took possesion of that car, the High pressure fuel pump went. Over the years, I maintained it thoroughly and changed all fluids on time. It got more and more reliable over time. These are great cars, but I was put in a generous situation in when it broke, I could drive my parents car. If you are young on your own, Justin's advice holds true. These cars are amazing to drive and I had so much fun working on them and driving them however, and when you factor in enjoyment these cars are worth every penny.

2017 F30 - No major repairs, no leaks, just routine insurance and change oils. I don't race. I don't push the engine. So far so good.

You did a great job with this babe! It was well thought out and thorough and very good advice! Proud of you and all your hard work making this!

I'm a big fan of your channel and love the content you create. You share a very good perspective on owning a BMW. I was a huge Chevy fan since I was kid and now in my forties bought my first BMW last year. I am fixing a lot of issues, but It's an awesome adventure and the community is one of the best I have ever experienced.

I’ve been a BMW owner for close to 12 years now (age 28-40). When I decided to buy my 2006 E46 330ci ZHP 6MT in 2012, I had made plans to purchase tools to be able to work on it myself. I would not own BMWs if I didn’t do most of the work and maintenance. Total cost since 9/2012 has been about $1100 a year for repairs, maintenance and consumables including tires. I’ve done 90% of the work on it over that time and yet only driven it about 65k miles. It has 125.5K miles. Previous owner had it for 2.5 years and spent 7k in maintenance and repairs taking to a dealer… My e46 is a garage queen now and my daily is a 2017 f25 X3 xDrive35i I bought in 2021. I certainly wouldnt own it if I didn’t have years of built up knowledge of BMw maintenance needs and repairs. It had 4 months of warranty left on it when I bought it with 29k miles. I had the front brake rotors and pads replaced, leaking oil pan gasket fixed, rear differential replaced, and the bottom seat cover on drivers side replaced under warranty. I work from home so mileage doesn’t go up a ton. It’s at 49k miles now mostly highway miles. Just ordered the 3rd oil change kit (oil changed 4 times since I’ve had it), a drive belt tensioner kit and front and rear wiper blades from FCPEuro. It has a very minor oil leak at the turbo return line that I’m monitoring. I replaced the LCD center display screen after it failed Dec 2022. The X3 has way more interior rattles than my e46 but the drivetrain, tech, driving dynamics, are so good compared to every other compact SUV I test drove before ending up with yet another BMW. I probably wouldn’t own anything newer than a F chassis BMW out of warranty at this point. For the price I paid for the X3 (27k) which is now less than the average used car price it is a ton of vehicle for the money.

Great video! I bought a 1999 E46 with 125k miles in 2007 just after graduating from college. I spent a lot (like, a LOT) of money early on, before I started going the DIY repair route. It was stressful being at the mercy of a shop and never knowing what that bill was going to be. I drove and maintained the car for 15 years and put 325,000 miles on it, and learned an incredible amount in the process. The car is in need of a transmission, but other than that runs very well. RU-vid channels and forums were my saviors for DIY work. I recently bought a 2014 335i and have had it almost 2 years. I am much further along in my career and financially stable at this point in my life. That, along with the knowledge and skills to do my own work makes this a (mostly) affordable car to own. Most importantly it is an absolute joy to drive. Cheers!

I bought my 2009 BMW Z4 35i with the n54 seven years ago and it currently has 145,000 miles on it. It my first BMW and I really didn’t know anything about my Z4 when I bought it. I was looking into hard top convertibles and a local used car dealer had it on the lot that I happened to drive by everyday on my way to/from work. One day as I drove by a guy was getting ready to take it for a test drive so I called and made an appointment for a drive. The car was mine the following day. It’s the coolest car I’ve ever had and it’s so much fun to drive. I have put a lot of Highway miles on it and it’s never let me down. I do all of the maintenance/repairs myself but for me it’s been reliable. I replaced the cracked valve cover 4 years ago, installed index 12 fuel injectors and a Precision Raceworks coil system, Bilstein shocks and Eibach springs. Last summer I replaced the brake rotors/pads front and rear. This summer I’ll replace the water pump/thermostat and all coolant hoses as preventative maintenance. My n54 hasn’t been modded or tuned. It’s fast enough for me and I plan on keeping it until I’m to old to drive. 😀🏁

Great video as always! I have been following you for years. Your videos on your e90 were one of the deciding factors when I bought mine. I still have mine 6 years later. Since then , my daughter has an e46 and my wife has a mini countryman. I have learned some much about BMWs and cars since getting my e90. Thanks for all your videos. Keep up the good work!

You helped me with my E90 back in 2013. Switched over between five other cars. Just came back to the fam with a 2021 G20 and I’m happy to see you’re still creating content. Thank you. Seriously, thank you.

Been following you for so many years now, and I think you share an awesome perspective! It’s exactly how I feel about BMW’s, and I hope that the support for these older 3 and 5 series continues as the years go on. Especially with all these plastics being eaten by aging and acidic fluids 😅. Our family 5 series was still my favorite car to drive, and I can’t wait to get back into another

Original owner of a 2008 335i Coupe with the N54 engine. I ordered the car as I wanted a manual transmission and an exterior color other than black, white, or silver. My 335i has been my daily driver since I took delivery in December of 2007 and now has ~91,000 miles on the odometer. I have changed the oil/filter every 5,000 miles (and sent samples of each oil off to Blackstone) since new. My car typically needs new valve cover and oil filter housing gaskets every 5-6 years. The oil pan gasket needed replacement in year 11. The car is on its third water pump/thermostat: the first when it was four years old, the second when it was nine years old; the current pump has lasted 8 years (and counting). In year 14, I did have leaking coolant hoses, specifically some of the plastic hoses and I paid to replace every hose in the cooling system, whether they were leaking or not, as well as the expansion tank as I'd already paid the shop the labor costs to access the entirety of that area. The other high-cost items are the fuel injectors. Prior to going to 'index 12' injectors, there were misfires and occasional check engine lights. However since replacing all six of the injectors with new BMW-branded index 12 injectors in year 13, the fuel system has been perfect. Laughably, one of the most failure-prone items in my car, the high-pressure fuel pump, has never failed, I am still on the factory pump. The only component that has broken that I have not repaired is the Sirius satellite radio module, the rest of the stereo system works fine. Personally, I budget $3,000 every year for maintenance/repairs. I do not spend $3,000 every year, but there will be years where big-ticket repairs are needed (including replacing wear-and-tear items like tires). I do all of the required fluid swaps (oil, brake, power steering, transmission, differential), air filters, spark plugs/coils, as well as brakes (pads/rotors). I send the car to a local independent shop for things like gasket replacements (or any repair that requires the intake manifold to be removed). My 335i is a love-hate relationship. When the car is healthy, it is simply awe-inspiring to drive; that N54 engine really is incredible. But the car also requires far more maintenance than most other vehicles on the road. It does get annoying and every time I see some oil seeping from a gasket or the check-engine light comes on I tell my spouse I am selling the car once I get it fixed. But then, once its fixed and healthy, I inevitably fall in love again when I take it out for a spin.

I don’t own a bmw nor do I plan on buying one but I often find myself watching your videos because I know the quality is always up there. love the way you narrate and how calming those videos are, you really have your own thing going on and it’s incredible, great video as usual Justin 🥳

Justin - Outstanding video offering a balanced perspective. Love your work. Keep up the great content. Wish you well my friend.

I love your content and video quality. I own a CPO 2008 BMW 335i and is still my daily driver. I’m only the second owner and have owned it since 2009. I love driving it but it does cost some money when it comes to service. I did a few mods myself such as replacing the door handles, door lock, and the splicing the wires under the shifter. I take majority my services to the dealership. I’m lucky that I make enough to afford the cost of ownership. But I still love driving it after 15 years of owning it. Good luck with the channel and keep up the good work.

This video have really good points 👍🏻 Kudos to Justin as a car enthusiast, BMW lover & owner. I too was in the same position watching videos like these, doing my research on whether to own a BMW etc Genuine advise from experience, dont get a BMW if you’re not truly financially ready Especially for used ones, no matter how great the condition of the car when u are purchasing it. it WILL require fixing and a lot of care and maintenance. It can really add up 💸 Another good tip is to have a spare car. Your BMW cannot be the ONLY car you have available, as it will eventually end up in the workshop or be down for awhile. Even though how troublesome and how much unnecessary stress my BMW brings me. It actually makes it even more rewarding to drive it whenever it’s running in good condition. They are super great cars to drive, just remember to always prepare for the worst and have a spare car

Taking over a 2009 E90 that’s been parked for a bit. Thanks for the video. Got a feeling I’ll be watching a lot more content in the months to come.

You’re videos have been so helpful I appreciate them immensely I’ve only had my 13 f30 for almost a year now but the joy and satisfaction this vehicle brings is immense yes I have run to a few hiccups but that’s to be expected lol

Digging the Edifier speakers in the background. Those things sound awesome!! Also, big fan of the channel, please keep up the good work.

Huge thanks for the guide JB ❤!

Good advice Justin. Going into getting my f30 I wasn’t sure if it was a good decision. But the love of BMW pushed me to making it happen and I don’t regret it one bit.

this video literally came out at just the right time. Me and a friend just bought our very first BMWs (friend got himself a E46 and I got myself a 220i coupe)

Through your E90 videos you have inspired me to buy one too,it has been 4 years this month and is is already 16 years old,but it still drives fantastic.But it was well maintained by the previous first owner,and that's what I do. I do things myself and what I cannot do myself I go to a garage(not a BMW dealer😁),which keeps the maintenance costs fairly limited. Hope to see you soon with a new video.👊🇳🇱🇳🇱

Excellent video. Informative, transparent and honest!

Great video as always. Appreciate your honesty and sharing life lessons. As a BMW owner I agree 100%

Thank you Justine for your great videos and helping people out with their BMWs issues . You have such a calming manner in your videos just like Mr.Wizard .

Totally agree with you Justin. For people getting into bmw, maintanance is key. I’m a firm believer in preventative maintenance. Replace the parts that are known to go bad before they go bad. Won’t break down on the road and your experience will be a lot better!

Thank you for the honest advice man.

Absolutely the best video on long-term ownership. It is truly a treasure trove of useful information. Coming from the JDM world to an M240i. Can't wait.

I have owned 2 BMW’s. A 2011 BMW 328i and currently a 2020 M340i. Maintenance can be expensive and won’t be for everyone and you are absolutely right about being a little more stable financially. I get my maintenance almost free because i work at a Honda dealership and one of our used car techs used to work at BMW so he does some maintenance on my car.

As usual Justin, a great video: Very comprehensive!

I bought E90 from germany, did a complete flush and clean of the engine including timing chain etc. (N47 the most "problematic"), and it runs just perfectly even during winter no issues

Not only are BMW’s expensive, there are a lot of different nuances to each model and model year as well. If someone is planning on purchasing one, doing extensive research about the series and model year is vitally important. I bought the first gen N63 and I wish I had done way more research than I did about that motor. Now I don’t have any major complaints yet, but I just know that when I get hit with the N63 plague, my pockets are gonna weep green tears lol. But all in all, I’m very satisfied with my F10. Would I go back and buy a newer model, yes. But as long as there’s no rough or hard driving, I think it’ll serve me well for a long while. Great vid bro! BMW owners definitely stick together that’s for sure. Couldn’t be any happier than I am being a part of the Bimmer community

Hi Justin, great content as always and I’ve been following your channel for a while. As Brit living in Germany I’ve owned 14 BMWs over my lifetime and you hit the nail on the head regarding the reliability issues with these cars. The older ones certainly last longer unlike the newer models. The major issues in Europe is the diesel models with swirl flaps or EGR issues, where the USA seem to have a load of issues on the gas models. Anyways not for the faint hearted owning these beautiful cars but so long as you keep on top of the maintenance and don’t drive like you stole them, they will last a lifetime.

Preventative maintenance is key, changing your oil sooner than the recommended intervals from BMW will help with the cars health in the long run. Changing the oil gasket helps.

I started watching these videos 2 years ago because I was looking at buying a e90. I still don’t have a BMW but I still enjoy these videos and have been attending BMW car shows and stuff too.. one day I’ll pull the trigger. I recognized some of the people in B-roll in this video from shows I’ve attended. I’m happy to say I seen a few of my clients from my videography business in this video as well which is cool.

Great video Justin 🙌🏾

My BMW experience has been mostly with a 2008 335i and your channel saved my -s many times. Just sold it with almost 229k miles and bought a 2023 330i. Can’t stay away from them! BIMMERlife! Lots of lo❤e from Dallas Texas.

Great video, you've earned a Sub, that last advice is really important.

Sir; New to your channel. In a world of social media, and tons of Internet influencers, I cannot express the relief my ears hear when you give your honest advice to your young viewers, about the cost of ownership of having a car especially when you’re out of college, or just starting your life on your own. That is good-sound and honest, financial advice, and very specific direction. Young kids nowadays do not listen to their own parents…. So, thank you. God bless you.

Great video! Spot on with everything you said!!!

I can't wait to get my M340i! Thanks for these high quality and info packed videos. --Loyal Nine

Thanks for the video. Hits me as well. Bought BMW f31 as a first car recently and wish you made this video earlier) Got a lot of emotions from driving the car but in a same time frustration when went first time to the service and got a list of repairs worth 5k usd. But now, knowing this is the part of experience, I think it’s worth paying if you capable and want to enjoy car you driving, and not just having a car for going from point A to point B.

Great vid! I have 3 of them a E39 540i, E70 X5 and a E91 328xi...I just love Bimmers no matter what!!!

coming from all jdm cars, tons of turbo subarus. I wanted something better on fuel but still fun to drive. Looked into diesel BMWs. Found a 2010 e90 335d for a really good price and knew it needed work just didnt anticipate as much as it needed lol. Lots of little things go wrong and im lucky to know my way around vehicles and havent been too frustrated at the car working on it. Most expensive repair was an injector failing, about 500$ just for the part. But slowly going through the car and fixing all the little things im sure to have a well sorted car at some point. currently at 273,000kms on it and hope to get well into the 300s. So many people make jokes about bmws and dont really understand why until you truly own and drive one. they are amazing cars but not for everyone as you said. Thanks for the video, subscribed!

2016 F20 and 2013 E84. N20 and N55 in the latter. Changing fog light bulbs is unnecessarily difficult. I do pretty much everything myself on any car and it’s frustrating not having available repair manuals. Thankfully, between forums and FCP Euro vids, I have most of what I need. Having a general knowledge of how engines work helps greatly.

After watching this, I still want a BMW. Watching with love from Ghana.

Ayyyy I seen a clip of you riding in Port Huron !! That’s my hometown!🥳🥳 just bought my first bmw , it is a 07’ 328i e92 , i love it and excited to build this car! Thank you for all the advice Justin

Im buying a 3 series soon, this is very helpful, thanks bro

First car I ever saw that had power windows was an E28 back in the mid 80s. I was enamored! Later my dad had an E34 525 and an E46 316 (which he has owned for 23 years and currently has only ~16k miles). My next door neighbor had an E34 518 and a bunch of my peers drove their parents' E34s and E30s in high school. My uncle also had an E60 525d as soon as those came out. I wanted a BMW for a long time and was finally able to pick up an E90 335i - my first and last BMW for all the reasons stated in this video.

Accurate advice. I’ve owned more than a few. The 2012 E91 I’ve had since 2015 is likely the last one I’ll own. It’s a wagon, RWD, that smooth 6, hwy mpg is 30+, little over 70k miles. But like the other BMWs I’ve owned, it’s not without its repair expense even with low miles and well maintained. The best advice is if you want one, lease it.

Started with an LCI 2009 328i at the age of 16. My dad told me to pick any car I wanted (under 10k) as long as I paid for my own gas and maintenance. I learned a lot to upkeep it and it was worth every penny. Custom ordered a Mustang GT at 19 when my business started taking off, but the car wasn't me despite all the modifications I did with it (FBO E85). I enjoyed the 3 years I had with it but deep down I was missing my 328i that I couldn't get rid of ever since. A new opportunity came and I wound up getting a BMW M3 Competition recently at the age of 21. I couldn't be happier. Had the car for a week now and it's been ceramic coated, got an exhaust, lowering springs, spacers, and cosmetics. BMW is truly a lifestyle.

Across all my BMW ownership, my most expensive repair has been either AC or thermostat/waterpump/hoses on my E90. Everything else hasn''t been too bad, and I've done all maintenance except AC myself. Tires were my arch nemesis, and that wasn't any fault of BMW but our roads and sheer amount of driving. 2015 X1 xdrive35i - New to 55k (totaled) 2014 X1 xdrive35i - 35k-104k (current) 2009 328i - 115k-190k (sold running in great condition, also the most economical car I've had in a long time) 2016 550i - 33k-60k (current) 2021 X3 M40i - 24k-26k (current)

A very useful Video, Justin! I made the bad experience with my first car, a Saab 9-3. Which was cheap to buy, expensive to run, incredibly expensive to keep maintained. The BMWs (2 e60d's) got my finances back on track, actually, as they prooved reliable and long-lasting. But again: By then I had my experiences made and my network set up to get parts cheap and repairs reasonably done. I was still surprised by the low service-bill of a friends yaris... that's just another league which I will never reach... but which i maybe don't want to reach, because I love driving a car that rewards you with a driving experience. It's important to know that that "sporty experience" needs sophisticated tech, which comes at a price.

BMW requieres a lot of DIY to keep it affordable, 100% true. Had an E90 and now with a F32 I felt bimers are getting more expensive to fix (specially here in Japan) and more prone to break for vehicle cost reduction and weight... aka more plastics. Yet BMW is a great machine, like their stance and noticing people looking at the car and get compliments pays off the efforts 😊 Being following from years and you helped me a lot specially during my e90 time and even motivated me to start a RU-vid channel!

Great video...ty ver much for sharing.

Great video, I currently own 05 325xi. Great is active snow storms, nice to have for weddings, funerals and and evening out. BUT they have to be maintained. It is starting to show age where little things are setting off the sensors. It is quite annoying. But the car just rides nice and hugs the road! It is hard to let it go.

I've been owning BMWs for over 20 yrs. Besides normal maintenance never had problems. Replacing the battery is ridiculously expensive these days but that's not something which happens often.

Your advice is spot on I’ve owned BMW, Porsche and Toyota. I least enjoyed my Toyota but it was the least expensive to own. (All business) Porsche engineers their cars more for enthusiasts and definitely are much easier to work on. I think that comes from their racing and production engineering being tied so closely together. BMW has been the most high maintenance and head scratching “why did they do that?” vehicle for me. I loved my X5 and love the 650i ($15,000 if you choose the dealer for valve stem seal replacement) The one thing BMW does have right is their driving experience is incredible. Great advice! I hope people listen to you.

Bro im watching you since 2013..always love your Diys on E90. ❤️❤️❤️

Justin, I bought my first bmw in 2020 on a whim. It was an amazing experience driving, but I was hit with all the maintenance. I didn’t let it discourage me. Watching your videos, Kies & a few other guys from the community has helped encourage & educate me, and I went on to buy another F30. Still working on her, but most of what I’ve learned has been from you guys. Thank you!! 🎉 Ps, I’m in detroit, would love to see your build sometime if you’re ever in the area!

As a young BMW owner, I have a whole life ahead of me to make money, but short time to enjoy the power of a B58...

Hey Justin great video. If you want something reliable, the magic formula is rwd, manual, naturally aspirated inline 6. With turbos everything becomes more complex as there are a lot more parts to go wrong. My 06 330i is a great compromise making 255hp which is only 50 less than a stock 335 and has been bulletproof.

I have had my E90 LCI (318D its stage 2 now) for 4 and half years now, no big problems and loved it. Now im trying to get my hands on a F30 335i/340i :X

Thanks for this video. I'm lucky I came across this. I've been looking to buy a BMW E39 or a E46. And I was going to do it on a budget. After watching your video, made me realize maybe this isn't the right time for me to go for a bimmer just yet.

I have a 2018 X1 and it’s been great so far. 67,000 miles. Then again it’s used for commuting to work mostly highway miles.

Thanks JB, very informative and on point. This video should be watched by everyone but it's essential for young adults, first time buyers of pre-owned cars. Before they make a decision on what car to buy. BMW and other brands in that category are not for people with a shoestring budget and who are also not car enthusiasts and don't have the time to do their own diy. They are great cars but they can be expensive and frustrating at times. Toyota and any Japanese car is gonna be 100% more reliable.

Ive had my 430i for about six months now and its been in the shop twice. Muffler flap broke and made the car sound like dog shit, replaced with Dinan High Flow (no flap) and sounds absolutely amazing now. That was $1300 P&L - Thermostat housing cracked and that was $2600 P&L. I would be laying on the floor crying having to do this at 22 with a 4 year old car. Luckily I am now in a position where I can get by with these bills and the BMW experience makes it worth it for me.

Owned many over 18 years. Current f25 x3 driven over 100k miles, second owner. O2 sensors and coolant reservoir. They're reliable if you know how to buy them. Prefer ones that are in rougher shape with less maintenance from current owner. They tend to goof things up. I had to replace all the fasteners and fix things that are missing from the previous owner on my e46 m3.

Im a mechanic and I changed the upper oil pan gasket on a 14’ 550 x drive. My summarized experience is that, these cars are very very nice, you can see all the research and technology that goes into making it feel the way it feels. But all that admiration turns to anger when you realize BMW requires you to drop the subframe, steering rack, sway bar, shocks, requires the sway bar to be bled with a specific procedure (yes the sway bar uses fluid to variate stiffness) to replace a gasket. I know some of these things are purposely done to induce mistakes to people without first hand dealership procedure information. A good example is the lack of a dipstick. With a BMW nothing is straight forward. When you learn to know them and take care of them you just laugh at those things but; at the very beginning it can be tremendously frustrating, or expensive if you decide to pay someone else to do it (which you should)

Had an 01 528 for awhile and now own a manual 340. Video is spot on. However, my 340 has been a tank.

Totally agree with you. You don't need to be rich to own a BMW, but you should do your homework to know what to expect, make sure you're buying a used one that has been well maintained, and learn how to at least do the basic maintenance yourself. I started with an E90 with N52 engine because it was known for few issues besides oil leaks. Recently added a F30 with B58 engine for the same reasons plus a whole lot more power and fun. Now I have all the basic tools and a lot more knowledge to do a lot of the work myself... some of which was gained from this channel!

I have an F20 M135i 2015, I did every type of maintenance/replacement by myself, this is the key for own a bmw without too much pain. I agree with you, the quality on last car generation is lower than the older one.

This is wild… I followed this guy when he bought his first BMW….. so cool to see him still doing well!

My first car was a 2014 338i xdrive, I loved that car, customized it and everything. Most of my diys were done watching kies from his first videos. I traded it in 2020 when they told me it needed a new turbo and I wasn’t gonna pay for that. I would love to get back in a bmw, maybe an SUV as my family has grown since then

Own a E39 dinan 5 love that car. Sometime it's a pain in the ass but love it. Has 200k , replaced the timing guide and vanos. Was a bit pricey but now it drives like a dream.

I drive a 200k km 335i e92 with an n54. This car has had less problems then all lexuses and Hondas in my family. It's all about doing maintenence and changing your oil on time. Also being an engineer helps with this.

Doing your own DIYs help a lot

Being a broke college student with an 08 328i for 6yrs now, can confirm it is possible to own THAT model on a budget. Other than crucial drivetrain/suspension/electrical parts, everything I got was from 1) the junkyard 2) amazon/ebay and 3) fb/offerup. A LOT of sleepless nights too. But it's worth the drive the following weekend. Love my e90 so I'll keep her 'til she dies

I loved my 2006 e90, and found this channel because of it. I got rid of it when I had my first kid for practical reasons.

I've driven BMW for the last 24 years and I always come back to an E46 instead of the M for daily. I've put 360k miles on them in those years and they do require maintenance but manageable. It tolerable, nice to be inside my E46 for 8hr+ road trips.

This is my 6th BMW. My 2017 M2 I picked up was $17,000 and you must be thinking that's crazy cheap and sure, it is, but there were a number of things that needed doing and I knew that going in. That included the entire cooling and brake system! $5000 later and it's basically completely refreshed but if it wasn't for my mechanical knowledge where I did all of the work and the fact I understand the OE and OEM markets for parts, that number would easily have been $10,000 or more in parts and labor.

Big BMW enthusiast here. On my 3rd one now and agree that they use too much plastic for engine components. However, after driving my M340 for a couple minutes I dont care about plastic components anymore. The linear power that comes out of that B58 engine and driving dynamics put a smile on my face every time :)

First car was an e46 330ci, it cost around 3000 dollars in the last three years of ownership in just maintenance (I've done everything myself and this doesn't include oil changes and basic stuff.) what you learn when you take apart older BMW's is all these seals will leak so you might as well replace it while you're in there to save you time and money, one time it left me stranded on the freeway but I still own it, and now I daily drive a 2014 335i and love it. BMWs are problematic but once you get into them it's so incredibly hard to leave, they're truly great cars.

I've owned 8 and still own 4 M3s. Never had any big issues, but I have to admit the most modern ones are much more annoying to maintain due to (unnecessary) electronics - yes, they want you to bring your car to the dealer (although many other brands took that as an example)

I am watching this video because I'm thinking of buying my first German car, a Panamera. This is an incredibly helpful video because I have thought about BMW in the past but I'm not ready for them. Porsche seems to have a bit better build quality (subjective of course). You are an awesome presenter and articulate the issues well.

I just turned 23, graduated college, have a full time job for over a year now, and have saved up money for a 340i Xdrive. Found one with 54k miles and had it checked out by a trust European automotive repair shop in the area, and it’s being sold by a Volvo dealership. Praying everything works out! Been watching for one for over a year and held back on a lot, think I’m making a very conscious decision

if youre in to diy it can be worth it, my first bmw that made me fall in love with bmw was a 1989 e30 coupe that i regret selling, bought when they were cheep and sold when they were still cheep, got an e36 after that and ended up toatling that car but it did have 328k miles and i hardly did anything to that car and beat the crap out of it every day, got another e36 which i still have, i had to replace the engine after overheating it and warping the head and have basically turned in to a track car, after that i had a 2009 535i i picked up for $1300 bucks, previous owner said a shop diagnosed it as having a bad head gasket. from all the research i did it was unlikely to be a bad head gasket, it ended up being a leaking injector, i swapped the suspect injector to a different cylinder and the misfire followed. this was when index 12's could be bought new for around $1200 bucks. a new set of injectors and i was on my way, not bad for 2500 bucks. i put new tires, brakes, some bilstein shocks and h&r lowering springs. i ended up having a turbo fail on me after a couple of years and parked the car in my garage where it sat, my next bmw was an e46 which i pulled out of a field for $500 bucks, previous owner gave up on replacing the water pump and the car sat, i put some style 400m wheels and nice tires, brakes, swapped out that ugly dove grey interior for a black and peanut butter interior, ended up money shifting that engine and replacing it with a low mileage engine i did some things to while it was out, ended up trading it for my current daily which is a 2010 535i e60, i swapped all the cool parts i had from my 09 on to this one, took everything of value off the 09 and just cut my losses. i figure i had $1300 bucks in to it, it was grey the paint wasnt that great and it had dove grey interior, i drove it for a few years i had my fun with it and got my moneys worth. my current e60 knock on wood has been pretty good, aside from an oil leak im suspecting the oil pan which isnt too bad i have plans and dreams for it, done a bunch of cool things and am in the works for more.

I bought one when I was 18, it was an E90 318i. Their engines are not known for reliability and mine was no different. From things like coolant system issues to oil leaking onto the exhaust, it was a handful. Once it broke down for the last time I decided to cut my losses and sold it, financially it was the right thing to do but it hurt to see it go. It's definately a handful to own one but since I am into BMWs, I will be buying another when the time and money is right. I loved the video, everything you said was completely true and I love that you were 100% honest about your own experience. Thanks, Justin!

first bmw was a 2011 e90 328i. started watching your videos about 4 years ago when i was considering picking that up. the expansion hose cracked and leaked all the coolant. seemed like a simple fix, but one thing led to another and ended breaking the radiator connection because it was plastic so needed to replace that lol. saw you got an f30 340i and damn that really made me want to upgrade since a m3 or m4 was out of my reach during that time. now have a 2019 f36 440i, picked it up a few months ago. hoping i dont make any big mistakes like the radiator again and working towards in getting a m4

I currently own two e46s ('02 325i and '06 325Ci) and an E90. The '02 was a hand me down with Dinan stage 2 intake, exhaust parts that I maintain for sentimental reasons. The 325Ci I bought for $6k was for the wife but didn't like how low it was on the ground. The E90 had 95K miles when I bought it for $2.5k. Bottom line is I'm a sucker for German cars BMWs particularly. Since I don't make car payments I spend most of my "expendable" income maintaining these cars and any one of them can be driven 300-400 miles with no issues. My advice is 1) never buy cheap parts from Ebay since you'll replace them again soon, 2) be diligent on the maintenance schedules and you'll be fine 3) enjoy the driving sensation whenever you can 4) keep and excel file of all the maintenance done so you can keep track what else needs to be done 5) Don't bring it to the dealer for whatever reason unless you have a 6 figure income. I know a shop near my house who maintains my cars (for almost 20 yrs) and fix my BMWs without the dealer $ and can do it faster, and 5) life is too short to be driving boring cars. BTW I also own a Prius (we call plastic car) and a Honda Pilot which I call boring since nothing breaks.

Bought my 2015 335i 2 years ago and have had no MAJOR issues. Tuned the car got misfires so had to upgrade spark plugs and coils, parking brake cable rubbing on driveshaft was fixed with zipties, and coolant expansion tank plastic broke leaving me stranded once. Other than that no issues and the car is my daily driver. Do have an oil filter housing leak so planning on fixing that and upgrading to the mosselman thermostat in the process. Bought the car at 50k miles currently sitting at 81k.

Most expensive repair I had to do to my N52 was the water pump and thermostat replacement. Expensive parts and took me four days and nights to do in my driveway. Didn’t have any leverage so it was really hard tryna take the original parts off and put the new ones on.

I’ve had 4 BMWs, 1-3 series and 3-5 series BMWs. If you cannot afford to replace an engine and transmission at the same time on a bmw DO NOT BUY ONE. And it’s true. They build them to last the lease period and give them back. These cars ARE a lifestyle. I recommend all bmw owners to have a MINIMUM of $15,000 set aside after purchase of your bmw. Make sure you get a good PPI! I use LemonSquad personally. DIY will save you money but most are paying a shop to do the work. Average repairs will be $1,000+. I cannot stress enough these cars a lifestyle. If you can’t throw away $10,000 or so when an engine blows (a shop is not installing a high mileage engine due to liability reasons) unless they’re sketchy. Do not buy one. The bmw doesn’t care about you. Sorry to say, it cares about how much money you can throw at it to keep on the road. 07 530i E60 - sold at 164k 13 328 F30- sold at 161k 14 535 F10 - sold at 100k (do not buy an f10 IMHO go for a g30 the f10 was the most problematic I ever owned) 18 540i xDrive B58 now at 120,000 miles fantastic car but recently did radiator coolant hose and expansion tank $2500 paid by warranty at a shop. When the oil filter housing goes bad on these you’re looking at DIY of $600 or shop job of 1800-2200. OFH is buried under the intake manifold towards the back of the engine.

You know Justin, I've been following you when I bought my 2014 550i and I can honestly say that I haven't had many problems nor high maintenance cost ,the warranty paid for my camera, door handle, gas line system, so I can't really complain much about mine, and it's 10yrs old with 130k miles

well said bro im driving bmw from e46s e60s for over 25 years and it is the main point on this you need to try do alot of small repairs yourself im now driving 2011 bmw 520d msport f10 chains done engine mounts done oil filter housing gaskets👌👌👌👌👌 done and now on 6 months of ownership and i love this car she is my baby great content bro you said it all stunning content bro love your channel