I’m on my 2nd CPO 3-series BMW. First one went for 14 years/120,000 miles before I sold it; I think I put maybe $2000 into it total in those 14 years. I’m going on 6 years on the second one, no major problems, though the scheduled maintenance is definitely more pricey nowadays. I’ve loved both cars – way fun to drive.
No, I just mean that if you have a certain number of problems, the car is ipso facto unreliable, no matter how much you handwave it away. Saying “they’re really reliable, I’ve only been incapacitated once and only paid $1,000 for an engine repair” is like saying, “oh, this car is in perfect condition other than the dent in the fender.” It’s not perfect. If you still like the car, that’s awesome and a testament to all of the car’s other plusses, but not to its reliability. I’ve never needed an engine repair on any of my Japanese cars in 17 years of driving. I hate Japanese cars for other reasons though.
I’d have to say that if, after less than 12 years and 132,000 miles, you’re having that much trouble with the car, then either it was a really crappy car to begin with, or else you have taken very, very, very poor care of it.
The distinction is, of course, rather vital to the decision you are now trying to make. If it was a bad car to begin with, then the answer is to get a good car this time. If you are someone who takes poor care of cars, then why waste money on a really good car that you’re only going to trash the way you trashed this one?
Whoa, who pissed in your cornflakes? Do you have anything to contribute to this thread, or did you just come in here to hurl gratuitous insults? “That much trouble?” “Less than” 12 years old and 132,000 miles? 12 years and 132k miles is a lot. When I was growing up, it was unheard of for a car to last 100k miles. I remember some car company showing a commercial in the late 80’s showing a five-digit odometer rolling over to zero as if this were some incredible achievement only they could boast of. What exactly do you think is “really crappy” or indicates that I’ve “trashed” the car? As far as dings and dents in the body go, was I supposed to be able to control what other people do in supermarket parking lots while I’m in the store? Must everyone live in apartments and work in workplaces with garages, and live in dry temperate climates with no snow or road salt, lest they be accused of “trashing” their car? The one thing I will admit is a drawback is that VW was known not to use the highest-quality plastic interior components and was known to have occasional electrical problems during this time. Yeah, after years of baking in the hot sun, and freezing in the winter, as I said, the center armrest compartment latch broke, a glove compartment hinge broke, a few radio knobs came loose. So sue me. One electrical problem (a frayed conduit) I got fixed, another (window switch) I just ordered a new part for, and the lights behind the heater/AC panel being out is not something I have cared that much to fix. Those lights’ being out doesn’t hurt the car.
Most of these problems arose after the 100k mark. I don’t consider a car that makes it to 100k without those problems a “crappy” car. And “trashing” a car means not getting the oil changed, not getting the coolant flushed, not replacing the timing belt at 100k miles, not taking it to your mechanic when it starts making a funny noise… I have done none of those things. As I said above, if a BMW ownership experience would be similar to my VW ownership experience, I would consider it worth it. If you wouldn’t, fine; don’t buy one and stop crapping in my thread.
I guess we just have different expectations. I don’t think I’ve ever had a car that had less than 100K miles on it when I got it, and I certainly never had any car that didn’t easily last to much more than 132K.
I would certainly have to hold a very low opinion of either any modern car that doesn’t easily make it to 100K, or of that car’s owner. And my first car wasn’t even modern at all. It was a 1969 Falcon station wagon; which had 160K on it when I got it, and 220K on it when it finally died.
Word of caution - not all automatic transmissions are equal. The CVT is a different concept from a DSG type transmission. I have a feeling you’d hate the CVT because it feels like you’re driving a car with rubber bands for a transmission. I’ve read they have improved recently but it still would not be my choice. The seven speed auto transmissions in MB is excellent. No gear hunting. It does downshift when you flog it but the shift is smooth and power deliver almost immediate. Certainly faster than if you were to downshift manually. Paddle shifters make it easy to select the right gear in advance. I’ve not driven the new 8’s and 9’s that are becoming available in some cars now. I’ve been meaning to. It seems like more gears than necessary if you’re going to be rowing them yourself, even with an auto-manual. Probably best to just let the car computers decide at that point.
In all fairness, the late 80’s were quite some tim And even back then it wasn’t unheard of for a car to go 100K, it was just that most cars were old beaters well before then and people got rid of them. My uncle and my best friend’s dad both had vehicles that went nearly 200K back in the 80’s. These days you can get a car that’s still under warranty up to 100K.
It’s odd that I just ran across this thread today. One of my friends was kvetching on FB this morning about the local BMW dealer trying to fuck him over with repairs to his CPO. Apparently the sales folks assured him everything except tires and gas was covered. Turns out it’s everything but tires, gas, and batteries, plus probably a few things he’s not ferreted out yet.
Is the car still under manufacturer warranty? If not, having purchased it CPO doesn’t really mean very much. Most CPO cars sill have a factory warranty but one that is running out. Once it expires, you pay all repair costs (unless it’s a recall).
Huh? One of the main selling points of a certified pre-owned car is the additional warranty. As CrazyCatLady’s friend found out, there are various items (like the battery) that would be covered under the factory warranty but are considered wear-and-tear under the CPO warranty and thus not covered by it. Also, I believe BMW’s CPO warranty includes a $50 deductible for each service visit, unlike the factory warranty under which everything that’s covered is covered 100%. But the CPO warranty is still a warranty, one that takes over when the factory warranty expires. Here’s a list of what’s covered and not covered under BMW’s:
http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Content/CPO/Warranty/Default.aspx
I was comparing it to an extended manufacturer warranty. A CPO, as I understand it, is much less comprehensive. Additionally, dealers will do a CPO for a car that still has a warranty with the manufacturer. I don’t think they’ll do it for a car that is out of warranty.
Correct me if I’m wrong.
I would recommend doing a lot of research on whichever model you plan on purchasing. Both BMW and Audi have models/years that are known to have a lot of problems. Manufacturer specific forums are a good place to get information and to find out what problems you mights encounter.
I know that I will think a long time before buying a BMW after having owned a mini. It was in the shop 4 times for a total of over three weeks before hitting 30,000 miles. Luckily everything was covered under warrenty. Look up intake valve carbon build up if you are planning on buying a car with direct injection.
As one can see from perusing the BMW website, it is less comprehensive than the original factory warranty, but it still covers the engine, transmission, steering, brakes, etc. Also, this may just be a fluke of your choice of words, but as I’ve learned from researching this stuff online, while dealerships will attempt to pitch various versions of their own “certification,” a true Certified Pre-Owned vehicle is certified by the manufacturer, not the dealership, and the CPO warranty is administered by the manufacturer. When a dealership acquires a used vehicle, it has to apply to the manufacturer to have their inspectors certify it. Cars can and do fail this process. It’s not something the dealership can simply declare.
Have you considered test driving the VW CC? My boyfriend (who is very much a car guy) had one, and LOVED LOVED LOVED it. He got compliments on it all the time, too. The only reason he traded it was he got the manual, and it wasn’t a good fit for the daily driving he was doing (plus I can’t drive a manual, and was exceptionally hesitant to learn on a new car).
Barring that, I (and my boyfriend) would lean toward the Audi.
That’s all well and good, but in that case, you have to admit that you’re an extreme outlier. I’d venture to say that the vast majority of people do not make a practice of buying only cars with more than 100k miles on them. The cars you’ve bought must have been pre-selected to be exceptionally reliable.
Yes, but it’s front-wheel drive, and the manual transmission is not available with the more powerful engine choice (a standard practice in the auto industry I’ve never understood, since manuals have long ceased to be an “economy” option and are now largely a niche, enthusiast’s feature.)