The absurdity of chasing the "latest and greatest" car on the market

[ShocknAwe]

Tech is great, but I don't want to interact with it. I want to interact with my car. So if the car is worth driving, I'll buy it and drive it into the ground and give it a viking funeral when it finally goes. Been doing great with my 1er, wonderful journey in driving, maintenance, and modification so far. Well see how the 958 I'm going to pick up this weekend does.

Now in so far as interface tech like nav/radio/etc goes, if it's old but still works fine, great. If it's old and outdated and can't be remedied, I'm sure a phone can do the job.

It's the engine, trans, and suspension that counts.

I love the partnership with the car, but if the honeymoon phase ends and a year in I'm not still looking back, I'll ditch it and try something else. Life is too short for dull cars.

[bkfastwagon]

I used to have friends who chased "latest and greatest" and I was one of them if I'm being honest. Most of us grew out of that though. In fact most of us grew out of the whole car thing all together- except me. I think I'm emotionally attached to my M3. It's all rational in my head but most people would think it's absurd. So, I agree with someone who said it all depends on which perspective you take. I certainly wouldn't judge anyone for their car decisions.

[Firaxis]

I know this an old thread but as it’s been on my mind for a few years so I’d like to interact.

I know enough about cars to be dangerous, dropped a subframe to replace a manifold, done basic diagnostics to find issues with glow plugs, MAF and MAP sensors, attempted to replace a few dual masses on some Mondeo’s because it cost nearly as much as the car when quoting from dealers.

Ever since then cars have gotten far more expensive and complicated, sure they’re more reliable but they can often cost far more than a lease if something goes wrong. Just look at the N20 timing belt issues, seen the price of a DPF or PPF brought in due to regulations? Imagine how much an 8AT would cost?

For me the 340i is the pinnacle of bimmers I’ve had or tried, not because it’s the best at any one thing but it’s a great allrounder.

It would take some serious convincing to take it on as a long term proposition though, warranties won’t cover old cars 7 - 10 years usually. Whilst I’d love to get out of the rat race and more than happy to debate it till it makes sense in my head as of now long term doesn’t seem all that attractive.

[Darth One]

It's easier to not fall into the trap this time because new cars are worse than their predecessors in more and more ways now

[Firaxis]

Originally Posted by Darth One

It's easier to not fall into the trap this time because new cars are worse than their predecessors in more and more ways now

True enough, also for example the new M340i is going for £499.00 and 8K deposit. That deposit would easily cover the cost of a refurbished ZF 8AT gearbox and I wouldn't have the 499 a month to deal with.

I do 10 - 20K a year, so if a B58 would last up to 200K miles without failing I'd be happy enough to go with the flow. Also if I get bored of it I can always give it a remap (within reason)..

[F32Fleet]

It's almost cost prohibitive to own a luxury BMW out of warranty because:

Diagnostic software along with a pirated shop manual is essentially required.

Copious amounts of plastic components/clips/fastners which break upon removal and can quickly escalate the cost of the repair.

Technology isn't supported after 7-8 yrs which has a negative impact upon resale.

One essentially needs a lift and that requires room to work.

[10"]

Originally Posted by F32Fleet

It's almost cost prohibitive to own a luxury BMW out of warranty because:

Diagnostic software along with a pirated shop manual is essentially required.

Copious amounts of plastic components/clips/fastners which break upon removal and can quickly escalate the cost of the repair.

Technology isn't supported after 7-8 yrs which has a negative impact upon resale.

One essentially needs a lift and that requires room to work.

Have no idea what you're talking about.

My 1M is 9 years old and has 93k miles on it. It's been one of the most reliable cars I've ever owned.

I didn't buy it for the navigation system I bought it for how it drives.

I love your profile pic though: Weihenstephaner is the good stuff

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by 10"

Have no idea what you're talking about.

My 1M is 9 years old and has 93k miles on it. It's been one of the most reliable cars I've ever owned.

I didn't buy it for the navigation system I bought it for how it drives.

I love your profile pic though: Weihenstephaner is the good stuff

Is that your daily driver?

In any case here's here's an anecdotal example. I had my VCG replaced a couple of months ago. The shop cracked the charge pipe at the connector where the vent tube which leads to the VC is attached.

Plenty of stories where plastic connectors at the OFHG and across the top end of the radiator snap when removed.

Replace the electric water pump and thermostat? That's an underneath job and not very easy to do on jack stands.

Replace an oil pan gasket? NFW. It is 10x easier on my old mustang.

Replace ATF? A lift and a laptop make it no problem. It's a PITA without.

[gosi]

It’s a sad life for the person who thinks leasing or constantly buying new cars with warranties means they will save money. Double shit deal if they drive a luxury car.

I agree with OP in his sentiment. I waited for a long time and knew exactly what I was looking for when I bought my car. And I don’t have any interest in buying anything else for a long time.

Also the idea that new cars are impossible or to expensive to fix is just plain wrong.

[Gdiddy23]

Originally Posted by Firaxis

True enough, also for example the new M340i is going for £499.00 and 8K deposit. That deposit would easily cover the cost of a refurbished ZF 8AT gearbox and I wouldn't have the 499 a month to deal with.

I do 10 - 20K a year, so if a B58 would last up to 200K miles without failing I'd be happy enough to go with the flow. Also if I get bored of it I can always give it a remap (within reason)..

Where did you get $8k for deposit amount on M340i? The BMW website?

I literally paid $0 and $0 MSD's and my payment is sub $550 before tax. And I lease through my business. Not all leasing is bad and I think has a bad rep.

[Firaxis]

Originally Posted by Gdiddy23

Where did you get $8k for deposit amount on M340i? The BMW website?

I literally paid $0 and $0 MSD's and my payment is sub $550 before tax. And I lease through my business. Not all leasing is bad and I think has a bad rep.

Nope that's a discounted car (Personal contract) from a main dealer and I wasn't talking USD either. After currency conversion it's more like $626.00 with $10K in.

Even business leases are coming out at $572.00 and $5.1K in on a 36 term, personal lease is $688.32 and $6.2K. It's always slightly cheaper to lease but you can't buy the car at the end. Tax is included on my quotations but if I could get anywhere close to your deals I'd get an M3 / M5.!

[10"]

Originally Posted by F32Fleet

Is that your daily driver?

In any case here's here's an anecdotal example. I had my VCG replaced a couple of months ago. The shop cracked the charge pipe at the connector where the vent tube which leads to the VC is attached.

Plenty of stories where plastic connectors at the OFHG and across the top end of the radiator snap when removed.

Replace the electric water pump and thermostat? That's an underneath job and not very easy to do on jack stands.

Replace an oil pan gasket? NFW. It is 10x easier on my old mustang.

Replace ATF? A lift and a laptop make it no problem. It's a PITA without.

Yes daily driver.

Only family car too.

[10"]

Originally Posted by gosi

It’s a sad life for the person who thinks leasing or constantly buying new cars with warranties means they will save money. Double shit deal if they drive a luxury car.

I agree with OP in his sentiment. I waited for a long time and knew exactly what I was looking for when I bought my car. And I don’t have any interest in buying anything else for a long time.

Also the idea that new cars are impossible or to expensive to fix is just plain wrong.

THIS! Thank you

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by gosi

It’s a sad life for the person who thinks leasing or constantly buying new cars with warranties means they will save money. Double shit deal if they drive a luxury car.

I agree with OP in his sentiment. I waited for a long time and knew exactly what I was looking for when I bought my car. And I don’t have any interest in buying anything else for a long time.

Also the idea that new cars are impossible or to expensive to fix is just plain wrong.

Sometimes it's a risk decision. Some people don't want to deal with the risk of annual 4-figure repairs on a 4+ year old vehicle

Most car owners in general are like this since a majority are unable to diy

[Firaxis]

Originally Posted by F32Fleet

Sometimes it's a risk decision. Some people don't want to deal with the risk of annual 4-figure repairs on a 4+ year old vehicle

Most car owners in general are like this since a majority are unable to diy

It’s not that bad, I’ve had 4 bimmers so far and not had any issues. It’s the 10 - 15 year proposition that’s the quandary. One only has to read the E90 forums or peruse the issues with the N20 amongst many other sources. Yes I know many don’t come here just to praise reliability but a car can become a money pit irrelevant of people’s opinion.

I’ve had many a banger in my time.. Most of them cost more than the car to keep running..

The only reason I’m considering it is because the B58 seems reliable and it’s practically brand new.. End of the day a new engine is only 5k, not the end of the world if you bought a 3l in the first place but sinking that kinda money into an old car that would eventually get replaced anyway doesn’t seem worth it.

If all is right in the world and major components keep spinning you’re laughing.

[Germanauto]

I agree with the premise of what OP is saying, but cars are very complicated to work on now and reliability of German cars has been shitty for decades. I would've loved to hang onto my E90 forever, but at 80k miles it just started falling apart. Thanks to BMW's poor reliability record and the fact they leased so many E90s, these cars are worthless now. So it doesn't make any sense to pour thousands into a car not even worth $10k. Same sad story for two other BMWs in my family.

My current DD is an 8 yr old car which I've owned for the past 5 years. Only now am I getting to the point I feel due for an upgrade. I only have a handful of cars I truly want as daily drivers at some point (M2, maybe M3, Boxster, 911), so the whole 2-3 years lease then dump isn't my thing. Definitely plan on having one old BMW or Porsche or Ferrari in the garage for weekend use.

[scanspeak]

100% agree with the sentiment of this thread by 10". I've never owned a car less than 7 years (other than my first couple of beaters while at college).

I intend to keep my 2007 325i forever, gradually modifying and tweaking it over time. Is it the fastest? No. But it has classic styling, 4 seats, is relatively light, quite reliable and a blast to drive. Being a non-turbo, it's relatively easy to DIY and the engine bay isn't like an oven. Nothing new in the market interests me except maybe a Mazda MX-5. Everything is so overengineered which chains you to the dealer for maintenance.

As far as lack of navigation/infotainment goes for being the reason to upgrade, that's nonsense. Virtually every model, including i-drive versions, have an aftermarket upgrade of some sort and you can use your phone for navigation.

[W///]

Revisiting this thread after almost exactly responding to it 1 year ago. A few things have changed since then:

1) I have picked a 2016 Tundra as my daily. Love it so far, and it's a truck I plan to keep forever. It's so nice to be able to work on the house when you can haul supplies with the truck, not that it happens often.

2) I've never bought a car new personally, and when I buy them, I tend to keep them for a long time. Recently, I don't even sell them and now at 4 cars total. I'm getting to the point where not many new cars do it for me. Whether you're talking about maintenance, repair costs, how much more expensive cars are ect... It just makes me realize that cars from the late 90s to early 2010s are the best ones for me.

3) I also think Covid has changed my perspective on a lot of things. While I do consider myself a car enthusiast and always will be (also work in the automotive industry), I realize that there are more important things than cars. I miss traveling, and when things clear up, I'd much rather be spending more on that than car payments. With all the uncertainty going on, I find myself looking at new car reviews less and less. Just not as relevant to me as it used to be.

Having said that, if I had to pick a car experience to try out, I've been interested in super old luxury cars. Things like a Bently Arnage T, which can be had for the price of a new X1 these days haha. I think something like that is way cooler than the newest and greatest thing.

[SSW]

In the 60's, I use to change/swap cars every year or less but they were all junkers that only cost $100-200 because they were the only cars that I could afford. When they broke down and/or required too many repairs, I just sold/trashed them and bought another.

When I started to work and actually had some $ in the 70's-80's, I started to buy/lease new cars that I turned over every 3 yrs or so.

That stopped when I stopped earning "good" $, got divorced and took a job as an LEO in the 90's. Since then, I have only bought used cars, nothing "newer" than at least 3 years old when they had appreciated at least 50% below their sticker price.

My current stable includes a 2002 MR2 Spyder that I bought over 15 years ago, a 2002 Ford F250 that I purchased about 10 years ago, my 2008 335i that I bought about 7 yrs ago, a 2012 MB ML350 that I bought 3 years ago and my 2000 911 that I bought just 9 months ago.

They are all in excellent mechanical and cosmetic condition and I have no desire or intention to sell any of them. In fact, I'm thinking abouy adding another sports car to the stable.

Just need to find one the "right" one in the "right" condition for the "right" price.

OBTW, the MR2 only has 54k miles on it but the F250 has over 200k and the other 3 each have just over 100k miles on them and they all run FINE!

[GenXer]

Live rich and die broke.

Even the tax man can't come after you when you die especially when you don't have any descendant.

[Alfisti]

I have this argument with the wife all the time. She wants to lease and says repairs are insane but i've never seen a scenario where it's cheaper to keep updating every 3 years than send money on repairs. If you want a new car just say so, don't pretend it is cheaper than an old one.

Short of lunching a gearbox or engine, you're always in front.

We had a 2013 X3 for 3 years, total cost of ownership including depreciation and maintenance (and yes the water pump let go as expected) was a little over $500 a month, leasing from new was $850. So over 3 years we saved over $12K.

[Firaxis]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

I have this argument with the wife all the time. She wants to lease and says repairs are insane but i've never seen a scenario where it's cheaper to keep updating every 3 years than send money on repairs. If you want a new car just say so, don't pretend it is cheaper than an old one.

Short of lunching a gearbox or engine, you're always in front.

We had a 2013 X3 for 3 years, total cost of ownership including depreciation and maintenance (and yes the water pump let go as expected) was a little over $500 a month, leasing from new was $850. So over 3 years we saved over $12K.

I’ve had a car engine go Kersplonk (that’s a technical term) and been left with a hefty bill (something you don’t forget quickly) but in general it’s rare unless you have an N20 apparently.

With the B58 I’m coming around to your way of thinking, it’s too much for the road / practical / comfortable and at this point upgrade options are seriously limited as the only other car I’d want is a Camaro and they don’t sell them over here.

After much deliberation I came to the conclusion there’s little reason to replace my car unless I get seriously bored of it.