Thinking of buying a 2006 325i... - BMW Forum

Leif · 12-07-2009, 09:51 PM

With some of the good deals out there right now, I'm considering buying a certified pre-owned 2006 325i from one of the local BMW dealerships (southern california). Most are between 30-40k miles.

I've never owned a BMW...mostly just Toyotas/hondas. I was wondering if...

A) This is a good model and year
B) Is it Fact of Fiction that a BMW is going to cost A LOT more to maintain and repair vs an average car?

Any other info would be sweet. Thanks!

witeshark · 12-07-2009, 10:57 PM

The key to shopping a car like that is service records and overall history. Is the car certified?

Leif · 12-07-2009, 11:18 PM

Yeah I am looking at Certified ones. Not sure if that means I'm safe or should I still make sure I see all the service records?

witeshark · 12-07-2009, 11:41 PM

Yeah, I surely would.

Leif · 12-07-2009, 11:44 PM

Are repairs/maintenance really THAT much more than other non "luxury" cars?

witeshark · 12-07-2009, 11:51 PM

Not if the factory recommended service (or better) has been kept up.

drz · 12-08-2009, 01:24 AM

It does cost money. You should price some independent shops in your area as well as local dealerships. You will find that they both will charge more for labor than perhaps you are accustomed to pay. Parts aren't really that bad. All in all, I wouldn't call the maintenance prohibitively expensive. If you've been driving Accords and or Camry's, then you shouldn't see much of a difference. If you were driving a Yaris, then you will definitely notice an increase in maintenance costs.

I do think that people try to scare others away from BMW's without knowing what they are talking about. I am on my second 3 Series. The first one I drove while in grad school and managed to keep up with the costs incurred. That car has almost 200k on the odometer. When I was looking for a car most recently, I drove many different sedans: Altima, Galant, Pontiac G6, Charger, heck -- I even drove a Prius. I didn't feel as safe, nor did I enjoy the dirve as much. I went with another 3 Series. Over a year later, I am still very happy with my choice. All I have had to do is change the fluids and filters.\

Good luck!