Help!!! - New to Bimmers...should we buy this car

[Mystery]

Hello All,
My wife needs a new car. We've had an old '86 Volvo 740 since '91. It was a good car (except for the transmission). As you can tell, we keep our cars until the wheels fall off. Well now we want to 'move up' to nicer but equally dependable car.

It took us almost a week of searching but we have finally narrowed it down to a 1998 BMW 528i with 98k miles. The problem we have is that we know very little about BMW's longevity, care, or quirks. Also, we hear they are expensive to repair.

So, I am turning to the forum for some sage advice and answers to a few questions:

1) Is 98k to many miles?
2) Are there any major things that tend to go bad after 100k miles?
3) Are there things we should look out for which particular to this model or engine?
4) Are there things we could do to extend the life of the powertrain?
5) Are there service things that should get done prior to us buying the car?
6) Can anyone recommend an extended warranty company that will cover this car?
7) Are there any extended warranty companies that we should avoid?

Sorry for all the questions but this is a 'big' scary step for us.
Thanks to all for your help.

[numberthree_]

i have an older bmw.. '90 E34 so i dont know too much about what kind of problems the new ones can cause but i do know that 98k is NOT a lot of miles for a bmw.. its just 'getting warmed up'.

[dberger]

I just bought a 98 528i this summer and love it. It had 68,000 miles. If you buy that BMW, try to get as much repair history for your own records. Good Luck!

[sp0rky]

a bmw is pretty reliable and not as expensive to maintain as other car companies / some people say they are. Although it can get very pricey.

98k on any car if you plan on keeping it a long time is too many (unless you drive very little (under 10k mi/yr) If the car has been properly maintained, it should last you quite a while longer. Maybe upwards of 200k if not more, but that would be dependant on driving habbits and maintenance.

Theres not too many quirks with major things, just minor, goofy stuff.

For about 200, you can have the car inspected by a BMW dealer and they will tell your their opinion if your worried about it.

The engine and tranny in that car are said to be "bullet proof"

good luck and stick around

[maci4life]

that car is almost ready for a timing belt change, so like the other said, make sure there is a service record. Other than that it's a beamer, and doesn't start breaking in till atleast 300k's