Looking into buying a used 2000 323 / 328 Ci

[AEKDB918]

I am concerned about reliability. I've had VW's, Honda's, Nissan's. If I buy a 2000 w/ around 40-50k miles I'd like to keep it for 5 to 7 years. Used to the Japanese reliability. I'm afraid of those big BMW repair bills I've heard of. How reliable would the 3 series be till 150k?

[EDawg]

i would say a late model bmw will be as reliable as a late model honda. if you plan on keeping your car till 150K, reliablilty will depend mostly on regular maintenance and how you drive your car. the engine and transmission in the 3-series are strong and durable for the most part, but things like alternator, water pump, fuel pump, etc will go before the end of your ownership just like it would on a honda. as for maintenance and repair cost, i'm estimating that the cost is generally 1/3 to 1/2 more expensive than that of a honda for the same work. what i recommend, if you plan on keeping your car for such a long period of time is that you learn to do some of the maintenance work yourself. dealers charge an arm and a leg for scheduled maintenance, and this is true not only for bmw, but pretty much all car companies, including honda. if it's offerred, i'd suggest you purchase extended warranty for up to 100K, just so that you will have the piece of mind of not having to come up with unexpected expenses for repair if and when something goes wrong. the cost of the warranty may seem steep initially, but just one or two repairs will usually cost you that same amount.

[playdrv4me]

^agreed, especially on the extended warranty, pretty much ANY of todays cars, down to the lowliest Kias will last you as long as you mentioned if you keep your maintenance up religiously and take care of any problem areas early. I think you would be satisfied.