So You Want to Buy a BMW
- Thread starter blackrock13
- Start date
Have heard nothing but bad things about gently used BMW's. I guess it doesn't matter if you are buying a new one, but a vehicle that costs several multiples of any other vehicle to service do 50K - 100 K standard maintenance and keep in good running order is junk in my books. Plus they are ugly.
I've owned (not leased) two. They're OK but crap in the winter. I never had an X-drive and perhaps my opinion would've changed.
Personally, I think that they're over-rated. The first one had the most un-reliable clutch. The second was OK but nothing to have blown me away.
Was an old skool Bimmerphile back in the day, before they became Yuppiemobiles.
Had a killer 73 2002. Still looking for an e21 323.
Had a killer 73 2002. Still looking for an e21 323.
Fixed it for ya, sunshine.This has been sent to me so often, time to share.
BTW, you were trying to treat a thread (which is a website) as a image. Vbulletin doesn't work that way.
Is the X drive in a BMW full time AWD (like the Audi) or is is ON Demand (like say the Infiniti G37x which only comes on when you slip, or when you lock it on)??
Owning a RWD car in Canada would definitely suck in the winter. (Reminds me of when I was a kid growing up and everything on the road was RWD. I remember pushing the old man's 73 Ford out of many a winter jam. FWD is better, but still sucks compared to AWD.)
Owning a RWD car in Canada would definitely suck in the winter. (Reminds me of when I was a kid growing up and everything on the road was RWD. I remember pushing the old man's 73 Ford out of many a winter jam. FWD is better, but still sucks compared to AWD.)
In my time, I've owned a 3 series sedan, and M5 and an X3, never had an issue with them, great engine, hugs the road, feel safe in them, my only complaint is they are shit in the winter, poor traction. I also own a lexus and will take a lexus over a bimmer for winter traction any day.
what is not ugly?
Mercedes and Lexus are even more of a soccer-mom cliche than BMW, and Audi A6 is only gonna be available in maybe 2011 (and it looks the same anyway) ...so what do you have left in this league? Jaguar maybe.
PS - Aston is not fucking ugly, neither is PAnamera, but it's not the same $$ by far.
X-drive is full-time all wheel drive. It has a rear-wheel bias to maintain the BMW feel but can shift power as needed. I have found it works well in winter driving (in a 3 series).
TH
I was told that x6 is not much of an SUV if you take it off-road, but I hope 5 series x-drive should be sufficient for city streets.
The one disadvantage to the AWD drive in say the 3 series sedan would be the added weight.
Typically AWD adds about 400 pounds of dead load to a vehicle. This will affect performance and fuel economy.
That said, the increased driveability in the winter (combined with a good snow tire) would be worth it.
Typically AWD adds about 400 pounds of dead load to a vehicle. This will affect performance and fuel economy.
That said, the increased driveability in the winter (combined with a good snow tire) would be worth it.
When I got the 335xi, the published weight was 100 kg more than the non-AWD 335i. So, there is a weight penalty, although the published 0 -100 km/H is actually 0.1 seconds better for the 335xi. This is possibly due to the way it puts power down through the AWD system. It does have a slight fuel economy penalty though.
I have also had a couple of 5 series. I found that they were not too bad in the winter with snow tires. Snow tires are essential for this kind of car. I must admit that most of my winter driving is in the GTA. You could turn off the traction control (at least on my 2002 and 2005 5 series) which helps to get moving in snow. The button has two settings which turns the traction control off partially and then completely when pressed for a few seconds if I remember correctly.
I have had a few Bimmers, both new and used. Are they the best values new? Prob not, I agree. Just don't understand why there is such a big negativity on them. If you don't put appropriate (e.g. snow tires in the winter) and good tires on them they will have bad traction. Don't like RWD? Then don't get one (also rule out cars like G8/Holden, Corvette, Camero, most Porsches, Lotus Elise, etc. for you). Never had any big issues with them... may be I'm lucky? Yuppie-mobiles? That depends on your attitude towards it.
Yes, you can completely turned off traction control, at least on my current one. Just pressed & hold the traction control button for a few seconds.
However, my favorite Bimmers are not the current ones but the old 2002 Turbo and the E24 M6...
Yes, you can completely turned off traction control, at least on my current one. Just pressed & hold the traction control button for a few seconds.
However, my favorite Bimmers are not the current ones but the old 2002 Turbo and the E24 M6...
