Any BMW owners here?

[Guest ImpRoV]

Do you still have a pic of the car after the wreck? BTW, if you go to full reply you can attach a file through the server without going to photobucket, if that's easier for ya.

Yeah I have a photobucket account with all the wreck pics on it that I gave to our lawyers somewhere, I cant remember the login info though. I'll look around for it

Thanks for the file attachment info btw

[lj35driver]

I've owned three BMW products now-a 535, a new Mini S, and a 323 and doubt I will ever own anything else other than a BMW from now on (although the Audi S5 is looking really good to me right now). All three cars had great build quality and weren't anymore expensive to maintain than most American and Japanese cars. My 1999 323 has over 150,000 miles and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Other than replacing the radiator expansion tank, I haven't spent any other money on the car except for normal wear items like brake pads, belts, hoses, and oil changes. It gets 26 mpg around town and 31 on the highway, so it's pretty damn good considering I don't drive it like a grandma. Parts for the 6-cylinder BMWs are fairly inexpensive with the exception of the M3. Any of the V8 and V12 powered BMWs can be expensive to keep up and tend to be maintenance intensive as they age. I can echo what Improv said about how well they'll take a hit. Mine got rearended by a full size Dodge kingcab Ram. It took out the bumper and turned the trunklid into a mess, but didn't do a thing the underlying structure/unibody. The truck left on a flatbed since the engine got pushed back into the firewall!

Find yourself an E46 since they're plentiful and you'll have an easy time finding one with the options/color you want in your price range. Look for a car with documented maintenance/service history first of all. An owner who really loves his BMW is going to keep every scrap of paper from everything that has ever been done to the car. The manual transmissions are fairly bulletproof and so are all the sixes put in the E46 as long as you regularly service the cooling system as it tends to be the weak link. The automatics are kinda delicate and can be expensive to replace. I R&R'ed the transmission in a friend's 2003 330 and he paid $3200 for a rebuilt one. The last 2-3 years of E46 production offered the ZHP package and brought the 330 up to 235hp and added a special suspension packages. These are some of the most sought after E46's since the suspension performance was considered nearly equal to that of the M3, but with a better ride quality.

The E36 might offer some options to you, but the newest ones are 1998 for the sedan and 1999 for the convertible and coupe. The integrity of the unibody and the quality of the interior materials isn't as good as the E46. However, the first 6 cylinder M3's were E36's and there are some very nice, low mileage ones to be had out there. Expect to pay a premium for them though.

[Guest xclozano]

I've owned three BMW products now-a 535, a new Mini S, and a 323 and doubt I will ever own anything else other than a BMW from now on (although the Audi S5 is looking really good to me right now). All three cars had great build quality and weren't anymore expensive to maintain than most American and Japanese cars. My 1999 323 has over 150,000 miles and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Other than replacing the radiator expansion tank, I haven't spent any other money on the car except for normal wear items like brake pads, belts, hoses, and oil changes. It gets 26 mpg around town and 31 on the highway, so it's pretty damn good considering I don't drive it like a grandma. Parts for the 6-cylinder BMWs are fairly inexpensive with the exception of the M3. Any of the V8 and V12 powered BMWs can be expensive to keep up and tend to be maintenance intensive as they age. I can echo what Improv said about how well they'll take a hit. Mine got rearended by a full size Dodge kingcab Ram. It took out the bumper and turned the trunklid into a mess, but didn't do a thing the underlying structure/unibody. The truck left on a flatbed since the engine got pushed back into the firewall!

Find yourself an E46 since they're plentiful and you'll have an easy time finding one with the options/color you want in your price range. Look for a car with documented maintenance/service history first of all. An owner who really loves his BMW is going to keep every scrap of paper from everything that has ever been done to the car. The manual transmissions are fairly bulletproof and so are all the sixes put in the E46 as long as you regularly service the cooling system as it tends to be the weak link. The automatics are kinda delicate and can be expensive to replace. I R&R'ed the transmission in a friend's 2003 330 and he paid $3200 for a rebuilt one. The last 2-3 years of E46 production offered the ZHP package and brought the 330 up to 235hp and added a special suspension packages. These are some of the most sought after E46's since the suspension performance was considered nearly equal to that of the M3, but with a better ride quality.

The E36 might offer some options to you, but the newest ones are 1998 for the sedan and 1999 for the convertible and coupe. The integrity of the unibody and the quality of the interior materials isn't as good as the E46. However, the first 6 cylinder M3's were E36's and there are some very nice, low mileage ones to be had out there. Expect to pay a premium for them though.

Did you buy your first BMW new ? I'd really like to get one as my LT mobile

[lj35driver]

Did you buy your first BMW new ? I'd really like to get one as my LT mobile

No, bought both BMWs used. I don't know how far you're willing to travel to pick up the car, but try www.luxurymotors.com. They've got pre-owned BMWs out the yinyang. You could buy a newer E90 3 series through them for between $18-25K which I think is doable as an Lt. New is nice, but let someone else take the hit on depreciation. The only way I'll ever buy a new car again is if it's something I plan on keeping for a long time and I want it configured a particular way.

The other option is to wait an try to get overseas where you can order through Pentagon and save a good chunk of change. The more expensive the car the bigger the discount, but a three series starts out around $5K off stateside price not to mention the tax break.

[Herk Driver]

not to mention the tax break.

Beware the tax break. When you bring it back to the states, you will more than likely pay sales tax in whatever state you register. Especially if it is TX. If you can't show a bill of sale with sales tax paid, they will stick you for it.

[JeepGuyC17]

Beware the tax break. When you bring it back to the states, you will more than likely pay sales tax in whatever state you register. Especially if it is TX. If you can't show a bill of sale with sales tax paid, they will stick you for it.

If you get it shipped to South Carolina I think they have a maximum sales tax of $300 on a new car, not a bad deal.

[Herk Driver]

If you get it shipped to South Carolina I think they have a maximum sales tax of $300 on a new car, not a bad deal.

2. If you are stationed there or that's your HOR, then not a big deal. There is a very tangled web of problems you could run into if that's not the case though. For example, if you ultimately want it registered in FL, you have to hold a stateside title on the car for a minimum of 6 months before registering in FL with no tax ramifications. Most states require you to register within 30 days of entering the state. Under SCRA, you can register in the state you are stationed or your HOR. So, doing so in a 3rd state makes for an interesting time.

Just an example and only saying that the 'tax-free' sales pitch only goes so far.

[Guest Curt2000]

'07 335i 1Lt here and loving it! I know a ton of CGO's on base that have bimmers and most of them are '07+. Guess all us engineers are trying to make up for something :(

Edited July 22, 2009 by Curt2000

[Guest ImpRoV]

I failed to note on my original post that a big concern, not to be mistaken with a SERIOUS problem, is the fact that the oil tends to get hot in recent bimmers. I checked up on this on bimmerfest and found out that ALL new bimmers after march will come with a factory preinstalled oil cooler. BMW designed the 3.0-liter twin-turbo to run hot anyhow. Just for you lads looking into getting a new bimmer

[slacker]

Apparently, not everyone likes a BMW.

Police: NY teen torches BMW because he 'hates it'

Jul 17, 9:01 PM (ET)

FREEPORT, N.Y. (AP) - Most drivers who don't like their car either trade it in or sell it. Police on New York's Long Island said a teenager set his BMW on fire "simply because he hated the car." Nassau County police didn't offer additional details on the alleged motive.

Police say a surveillance camera recorded the 18-year-old torching the 1992 BMW on July 10. At the time, it was parked about 2 1/2 feet feet from his apartment building.

The defendant was awaiting a court appearance Friday in First District Court in Hempstead. The charges include arson and reckless endangerment.

Teen torches BMW