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BMW E30 318i L-Jetronic injection 4cyl 1766cc 105 h.p. 1986 yes 1986 mine for last 28 yrs Simple as a .wheelbarrow, 'Everything' is visible and simple to reach.got a single chain driven cam. NO abs,or any other sensors to give trouble. 8valves. No oil consumption either. I am not a mechanic but I service it myself. Mileage 190,000 miles as of MAR18th 2018 I am a firm believer in frequent oil changes ,filters etc. Yes. things wear out i.e. clutch fork.balljoints.shocks and thats it guys
I absolutely LOVED my carb-converted E12/8 518i (M10B18). Until some (insert words of choice) stole it. And for those who might be wondering, the E12/8 was a South African thing. We didn't get the E28 at first, so they took the E12 body and put the newer E28 interior and suspension in. EDIT: Now I have a prefacelift Z3 (M52TUB28).
Naturally aspirated engines trump over any turbo for longevity and instant thrust. No turbo lag and bullet proof construction is simply good engineering. Totally agree with your honest and well given review.
I have 2 N52 3 series e90 manuals. The turbo ***itself*** isn’t the core problem. The turbo bmw engines also have high pressure fuel pumps and direct injection. These always break and are very costly. Go N52 manual. I have 188000 on one and the exhaust pipe is bone dry; it should go 400,000 miles with babying / warming up and 5k synthetic oil changes.
I love my E46 325i. While I would never part with it, being a highly engineered machine, you HAVE to make sure that the recommended maintenance is performed. And I’m not talking about just oil changes.
I had a 2011 e90 330i manual.awesome awesome car!i then went for something even cheaper:i now drive an e36 328i manual with a cast iron block m52. Love it! Great video and i agree with all you said.old 6cyl bmws are the best.simple machines.
I have had a e39 528i for 14 years, sold it with 327.000km, no major problem, only oil, filters, brakes and other normal wear parts, great engine. Have a F10 520d now, a great car also, has 127.000km and no problem ate all, great car also.
i drive 335i its the twin turbo one its different i'm not concerned about the engine its somewhere close to bulletproof but the turbos are not reliable at all i agree with that but if you change them with borg wargner or something u'll be fine otherwise this car have never disappointed me it runs perfectly no issues with engine or suspension and ETC. in my 5 years of ownership the only thing i worry about are the turbos they are from mitsubishi and they are not reliable at all a total crap as some people would say.
07 328i sport, premium, and luxury package with the 6MT transmission (manual). I bought used with 183k now has 190k still strong and I have done a small mod to increase power still no trouble. I think any naturally aspirated i6 won’t let you down. like the solid N52 3.0L
I HAD a 2002 M Roadster with the straight 6 (pretty much the same engine as the e46 M3), and now I have a 2015 335i with a straight six. I love these engines! NOTHING is as smooth. Nice video, btw.
Although BMW used a few GM transmissions in the past, Getrag and ZF are impeccable and wont ever disappoint. The 4 turbo setups are the new quad turbo diesels for purposes of eliminating lag and run much cooler. Quaife difs are great and use the friction modifier -- even if you don't care about drifting nonsense, it will help in all conditions. AND LSDs also work fine with the electronics.
The Gm Transmissions we're crap The we're breaking to much when you tuned your 3 Liter Diesel a little bit And the Quad turbo Diesels are also crap. You can say every 40d and 50d from BMW is crap Also the 40d v8
I own a year 2000 E38 730d with 142kW as a daily driver. I have owned it for over 2 years now and the odometer has now over 405000 km on it, I have driven it for over 45000 km-s. Very comfortable for the daily commutes and it looks awesome. It recently passed the yearly roadworthiness test and the emissions were over 6 times lower than the allowed limit.
I bought a used 2007 BMW E92 330i back in 2013, it had 109,000 km on the clock, built in Germany (US models are built in the US). It comes with the N52 3.0 liter inline six normally aspirated port injection engine delivering 272hp at 6,500 rpm. It's my weekend car, I do roughly 8,000 km a year with it, so not an awful lot. Now with 150k km on the clock. No HPFP issues (only low pressure fuel pump in this model), port injected (valves get cleaned by fuel, no carbon buildup, no injector failures inside a combustion chamber), no turbo failures (normally aspirated), no electric failures, no overheating, no limp mode, no horror stories. Maybe I've been lucky I don't know but the only thing I did to the car was change the battery 2 years ago, it was 11 years old from factory, not bad, would still start but the crank was a bit longer than usual and I didn't want to risk it. That was a 100 euros job at an independent trusted garage. A few things are said to be prone to go at some point (electric water pump, thermostat, valve cover gasket, oil filter housing gasket, oil pan gasket, ABS pump). But so far so good, touch wood. The smooth progression of the accelerator are a real joy. It's not crazy fast but plenty enough for me (0-100km/h or 0-62mph in 5.9s). The noise of this engine is sublime over 4k RPM, it'll scream for more. This is all the car I need to get my adrenaline pumping.
Buy a Toyota if you want reliability, end of the discussion. I just sold my E90 for a 2001 Camry and it's been great, parts are so cheap and it doesn't break down every month like my previous BMW. I've owned 2 BMW before and I feel so relieve after selling the 2nd one. The motor (especially N52) can be reliable but things like oil leak, water pump, alternator, power door lock, power windows, crankshaft/camshaft/eccentric shaft sensors, timing chain (loosing), spark plugs/coils are common things that can break on BMWs.
Just got my first BMW which is a 2008 E90 328xi 6spd manual with 80k miles and with all service history done at the dealer. It was also only owned by 1 previous person, which was a woman in her 50's, and I got it for $9k USD. Hope it lasts awhile without too many headaches. It's such a solid and fun car to drive!
You only mentioned that the models with inline 6 is reliable. But what build quality? Which Bmw are reliable in the aspect of electricals and electronics?
Definitely e90 inline 6.. I have a 2009 328i with 127,000 not anything but reg oil changes I bout it at 77,000 so some things in sure we're replaced by then under warranty.. but yea it's been a great car just leaks a little oil but it's a Bimmer they all leak oil..
I purchased a 2012 BMW E93 328i hard top convertible with coral red leather interior and black sapphire metallic exterior. Fully loaded with M Sport. This car is absolutely amazing and fun to drive. People think my car is brand new. You're right about the M Sport package... I figure why would I want to pay so much more for an M3, pay more for fuel and pay more on maintaining that powerful V8 M3...when I can purchase an inline 6-cylinder 328i with an M Sport package. To me it's such a reliable, responsive and attractive car. I am so happy with my BMW as it is my first. I got so lucky when I found this car and yes, it's reliable as I have not run into any issues!
WTF? Realiability is shit too compared to the m57. My car have over 200.000km done with tuning (320hp 700nm) without any problem and i drive my 3series very hard hundreds of kilometers with an speed over 240km/h.
2006 E60 M5 5.0 V10! I’ve had it about 2.5 years, got it on finance for the same price as a new Ford Focus 1.2 eco or something, it’s been solid and insane fun, sounds that make your hairs stand on end, pulls like a train all the way, and it’s actually gone up in value a tad since I’ve owned it so you can’t go wrong!
just wait till something goes pop 5 digits at MINIMUM when things go bang in an e60 m5 :D if you have had it 2.5 years with nothing going wrong..............that means it will be totaled before summer is done :D
I have a 2015 X3 F25 lci 20d (B47D20 Engine) stage 1 tuned with 103000 KM's on it. Using 8.4 L / 100 KM average with 20" wheels. Have not had an issue of a day old thus far.
Thanks for sharing. I waited 10 years for my friends immaculate z3 E36. Got it at 300 000km. Now had it 5 years and 400 000km. It was chipped before. (205hp) with a M3 gorgeous noisy exhaust. Incredible indestructable, simple straight forward machine. Its a daily but through clubs we're also doing sprints and informal fun racing events on track. We swear never to sell. I used only Castrol edge synthetic oil. Dirt cheap to maintain although we recently had all shocks and CV rubber booths, alternator and (aluminium) thermostat housing replaced. Most underrated car!. We never want to part with this joy called little Zetta.(red) AGREE THIS INLINE 6 IS AWESOME! (PERHAPS BEST OF THE BEST)
Dude at 2004 we purchased a new e46 318i 1895cc.. The car runs at its best.. No problems with oil..The car has 300.000kilo on it and still the power for the specs of the car is satisfying..I don't know about your experience but me as an every day driver who's if I see a nice turn I will take the ASC off I'm more than happy with that car. I know its heavy etc. But its really fun to drive. I liked your video tho 👍
Running a E36 318i m43 with 414000km on the clock and still going strong, only major parts replaced is the water pump and the plastic coolant flanges. Keep up with normal maintenance and your engine will last you a life time.
Thanks for the video, i appreciate the insider knowledge, i have an e90 320i unfortunately but next time will def be looking at a straight 6, whether 323-330i m package. One question, what do you think about the e70 x5 with the inline 6 petrol engine?
Currently own a Canadian spec 98 m3/4/5 with 274k kms (~170k miles)and runs better than my ‘99 Corolla 5 sos with 160k Kms (90k miles). E36 ALL THE WAY
e39 523i for 9 years. One vacuum hose changed... that's it! Stock spark plugs, factory coil overs. One word - perfection. Quiet, dynamic, hodoie when you want it to be, economical, bulletproof reliable.
my 2001 540i sportwagon only had 3 coils changed and new front cupholders installed rarer than a veyron, better to drive than a veyron, also it did 290,000kms before it needed a trans and engine rebuild (cue 20k canadian) my suspension has been cycled a few times because i drive the car as it is meant to be driven :D
A 330i with a quaiffe ATB diff will not be as close to a real ///M than a 335i single turbo would, but it would still be great fun! But to be honest I've been in modded 335i's and overall they still drive nothing like the real deal. Even modded 335i's still cannot go round the twisties like a real M can, they can have the expensive bling coilovers and BBK setups and still be left behind. True, the N54 is a brilliant engine and for relatively little money they can be turned into nukes by remapping so it is no wonder they are so popular. I even toyed with the idea of selling my own E46 M3 to put towards a nice 335i running nearly 500hp but when I drove it I couldn't believe how benign it felt compared to the S54. Sure, straight line blasts were brutal, lovely engine but the overall driving experience was so neutral it left me desperate to get back in my own car and blast it through some back roads. The problem with the latest range from BMW over the past decade is that they are slapping M-Tech badges onto random models throughout the range and some people think they are buying a near ///M equivalent. Brilliant marketing trick, but still bordering on goddamn fraud!
Got my 1998 pre-lci 528i E39 for around 4.000€, even though it already had 230.000 km, the old M52B28 still runs perfect until today. Guess they nicknamed the old five series "the best car ever made in the world" for a reason...
Thank you so much for this video! I'm shopping for a reliable BMW around 10 000 euros and this explained exactly what cars to buy and which to avoid! Prob going for a 320 or 330i E90 2011. I don't want to spend my hard-earned money on a car that will break down all the time!
There is a nice 2009 135i sport that drive perfect when I test drove it. No strange smells.... no noises or anything.... 45K miles on it. Seemed pretty solid... I left it running for awhile just to see if it had an engine code like the last one I drive.... it did not.
I'm very pleasured with my e46 318i 143ps.Just regular oil &filters change without compromise with oil quality (buy most expensive oils on the market) it's a BMW!
I would have a 335i rather than a 330i, the twin turbo puts a smile on your face. Besides, turbochargers are taking the world by storm, and it is good, smaller engines, less space, less fuel consumption, more power, who could complain? Reliability should not be an excuse since 2JZ engines from toyota are turbocharged and rock stable.
2007 E92 330i inline 6 NA manual gearbox here. 272hp is enough for me and I value reliability first. Bought it preowned with 100K km on the clock (62K miles). Five years of sheer pleasure so far. Only standard maintenance and a new battery (was 11yrs old original from factory).
I’ve been driving the x6 35i for 3 years now no issues, the key to bmw reliability is to change out all fluids earlier than suggested, check hoses and fuel lines, and stick to shell vpower Gasoline.
Music-A very Bad interior quality and there are Just two engines you can buy The old 30d with 235hp and the 35d The BMW n series diesels are cheaper Made, wich makes them very unreliable when they have a Lot of power. So the 30d in the Facelift should also be ok, but i would not recommend to buy a facelift. And never touch the 40d's and 50d's When you want to have a really good BMW suv/sav, Just Look for a e 53. They are better in any Part
Thank you for the comments, I was thinking to buy an x6 2009 or maybe go for 2011 8 gear automatic, and make a facelift (although I'm not sure if I can put the new tail headlights, and front lights of the 2014 model) and maybe upgrade the M6 steering wheel... and here in my country don't have any diesel engines, so it will be the 35i (won't go for the 5.0)as specification I like the x6 look, 4x4 (maybe not that relatively to wranglers and other options...) and I don't have kids... and I need a hatch back sporty suv coupe.. I'm just afraid if there are many mechanical failure to this bmw...I have a Mercedes benz now and for 10 years I only visited the garage once... I'm worried if the computers, electronics and mechanic goes bad in the x6 after 100 000mile. what do you think ?
Music-A i dont know much about the Electronics But i know that the interior quality is Bad. For the Petrol engines Never Take a 50i They have huge turbo Problems because they are between the v The 35i's are a little weak and dont need much less fuel than the v8. A "little" Petrol engine in such a heavy Car can be boring But when the power is No problem, the 35i should be a good choice
Love my 2005 325Ci convertible, but I have to do repairs all the time. I'm glad I can do it myself, otherwise would go broke. Odometer around 270,000 km.
If you want a reliable BMW, drive a well looked after classic, like an E30. The BMW's of today are garbage for reliability. A classic will only go up in price vs down.
I drive an E46 330ci. She currently has 445.000 kilometers on her (276.500 miles), and the engine still runs so, so good. To anyone buying a used BMW I would say: The most important thing to look for is a car that has had the right maintenance. Buy a car that either has all the paperwork that can prove regular maintenance, or buy it from an enthousiast that did the work themselves. I care alot about my car and I change my own oil every 12.000 - 15.000 kilometers for example, those are the things most people wont do but which will make these 6 cylinder engines last for a long long time.
i got my e39 540i sportwagon for 6500$ canadian, and it came with it's original rims and new tires, some e46 m3 rims and winter tires, AND some e34 m5 rims with summer tires........ good deal for such a rare car? 2 previous enthusiast owners, cars is mechanically perfect i can tell that no teenager ever went out in the car ripping around breaking shit :D
It's not the cars that are at fault it's the clowns behind the wheel,they drive like their arse is on fire jumping queues and constantly changing lanes to get one vehicle ahead always got to be at the front and they don't give a shit how they get there,if you treat any vehicle like that you are going to get problems and expensive ones at that,they are a good vehicle if driven correctly but like any other manufacturer they do have their limitations and weak points.
I have 2 N52 3 series e90 manuals. The turbo ***itself*** isn’t the core problem. The turbo bmw engines also have high pressure fuel pumps and direct injection. These always break and are very costly. Go N52 manual. I have 188000 on one and the exhaust pipe is bone dry; it should go 400,000 miles with babying / warming up and 5k synthetic oil changes.
Let me share my very painful experience with BMW. Bought a 2012, 528i M package with only 41k, from a dealer. (that time car was less than 4 years old), beautiful car, excellent driving experience until in about 2 WEEKS (yes saw it correctly) it started smoking like crazy early morning when the engine was cold, found out these car have issue with Turbo charge and BMW offered extended warranty due to this common issue. It was fixed in BMW of Monrovia in souch CA. in less than 6 month check engine light came on and dealer charged me 190 to diagnose the issue and told me it will cost me 850 to fix a thermostat. and they did, few month later, it was another check engine light but this time another mechanic helped me and changed the engine belt. The battery was the next to get changed, Then the seat belt holder got messed up and I had to buy a used one form Ebay and changed it myself. In less than 2-3 years and when the car had only 60k all the interior bottoms started chipping paints and the seat (in particular driving seat) started fainting), I bought interior paint and fix the seats but the bottoms kept chipping, and while in 72 k can had drive train issue and needed either new engine (12k) or thanks god, I found a mechanic who helped me change the Timing chain, and tensioner (which BMW is under a huge lawsuit for) for about 4k. and gladly sold the car. If these are not reliability issue what will be!! stop selling this stupid car until the company takes responsibility.
N52B25 in my Z4 E89 engine... I think this engine is a reliable one.. What do you think? I change the oil and filter every 10 000km or every year and it runs sweet.. It revs well and sounds lovely.. Not the most powerful but certainly enough in everyday life..
I've mainly had bmws over the past 12 years. Some models were better than others for reliability. My e46 m3 was probably my favourate but it had plenty of things go wrong with it. I have had an e36 328i for the past year and it hasn't had a single problem (yet). Surprising considering it will be 24 this year. Thinking of getting an e39 530 or 535 next, as i've not had one before.
I got the e90 325i n53. Same as a 330i 3l inline six. 5years and 220k Km. Driving it like I was on a street race and it just keeps holding on without a single issue. This is my first BMW. And next I'm looking for a alpina b3 f30.
I've had my 2014 428i M Sport Coupe going on 4 years with zero problems. My neighbor has a 16 GC and it's been solid as well. Remember a single shop may see 8 cars of the same make and model come into their shop with issues in a 6 month period. So, It sets the tone for that model (and shop) even though it's a very small representation of that vehicle world wide. I know there has been problematic particular series for BMW, but so has there been for Audi and Merc. I've owned them all. When you buy a sports saloon or coupe from a German manufacturer it simply cost more to maintain because of it's performance and build quality. Maintain your rig with regular maintenance and enjoy it. Shit will happen from time to time with just about any car in the market. Good Luck!
Bought a 2002 525i sport package (not an M series) with 150,000 Miles last year January 2017. The car, total lemon, after about 6 months car started giving us problems. Took it to a guy who specializes in BMW’s. Claims the cylinders were misfiring and they supposedly fixed it but the car drives worse and is louder. About three months later, oil leaks and the car shuts off when it wants. About to get rid of it. Will never buy BMW’s again!
Hello!I wanna know about the reliability of the BMW X5 F15 Xdrive30d. theres several years model from 2015-2017,Im not sure which model is the best to purchase. All I need is an SUV with huge power and reliability for daily drive (my XC90 is really weak on power) .Please give me your advice for my first BMW. Thanks!
Love my N62 straight 6 engine in my BMW 630i Sport... such a smooth feel, and enough power for most situations. Total opposite in character to my Ford Focus Mk2 RS.
I agree with you that 330 E90 was the best I used 3 of them .. but nowadays we should think about fuel cost so I bought 330i F30 4 cylinder twin turbo much fun and more power
I sold my 325i E90 for a small upgrade to 330i E90, both are great cars and yes the N52B25 is quite a lot quieter, cannot imagine how quiet the cabin of F10 523i can be.
The 523i F10 is the most quiet inline 6 has engine I have ever heard. It's also economical and punchy as well. Not too impressive, 0 to 100km/h in around 8 seconds, but it's a pleasure to drive.
I got myself an 07 e90 328xi And seems like the previous owner didn’t do much maintenance so I’m stuck with a somewhat problematic car but I still love the hell outta of it
Wow! You have so much knowledge! Thank you for sharing with us. I am looking at purchasing a 2016 228i Xdrive with 16,000 miles on it. Would you recommend this car? This would be my first BMW and do not want to make a costly mistake.
Should I consider buying a 2.0 Liter, twin turbo, inline 4, 16 valve 240 HP ,2013 Series 5 BMW with 82K miles ? It was in a left front end accident (it was repaired, no air bags deployed). The service record is thorough, up to 1 year ago. One of my concerns is I heard BMWs often have electronics problems, maybe the accident weakened the electronics and a year or 2 down the road, I may have problems ?
E90s are horrendous in terms of reliability at least for me. I have a E93 valve cover gasket replaced at least 3 times, radiator replaced, multiple spark plugs and injectors just fail over time, cracked all of my rims, even the amplifier broke, my convertible top was stuck in the trunk for like a week. Don't get one
I just bought a E90 2008 328i Low Mileage, yes I yearn for a Twin-Turbo!!!! But I put my wife in a BMW that I can maintain the engine that has more horsepower than my best bud’s Mustangs I grew up with!!! GT V8 Mustangs!!! Without a “Made in Germany,” placard!! This is a no brainer!!! It’s going to be a collector car!!!
I took my 1998 528i to 330k miles before someone hit it and totalled my car. Great engine... only issue was coolant expansion tank would break all the time
2004 325i with 140K miles and original cats. Still makes it from San Francisco to San Diego in one stop, over 32 MPG, racing down the 5 with all the girl Asian UCSD students that won't move because I don't know why.
Hello thanks for the great video. I’m considering purchasing a 2011 BMW x drive with the n-63 engine 4.4 liter v8 twin turbo. I’m aware there was a recall in 2019 and bmw supposedly repaired the issues at no cost. Is this model reliable after the recall issues are fixed ? Thank you.
