Mileage

[Mspbcguy]

I am looking to buy an F15 in the next few month. What mileage do you guys consider high/ would stay away from? I have an E93 for the summer, but need an all wheel drive for the winter and something more practical as a daily.

[Violator]

Originally Posted by Mspbcguy

I am looking to buy an F15 in the next few month. What mileage do you guys consider high/ would stay away from? I have an E93 for the summer, but need an all wheel drive for the winter and something more practical as a daily.

Which of the 3 motor options are you considering?

[DanG]

I wouldn’t buy any BMW with over 100,000 miles.

[Mspbcguy]

Originally Posted by Violator

Which of the 3 motor options are you considering?

I'm not 100% set on that yet. probably the 35i but I was thinking about the 35d as an option as well. the 40e might not make sense for me and I definitely don't need the 50

[P1]

There is a big difference between a 100K X5 with full (dealership) maintenance history vs. one sitting off a no-brand car dealership in small town USA.

[Violator]

Originally Posted by Mspbcguy

I'm not 100% set on that yet. probably the 35i but I was thinking about the 35d as an option as well. the 40e might not make sense for me and I definitely don't need the 50

If you decide on the 35i/d, and as P1 stated, the service history is good, no reason >100k would cause concern.

[Mspbcguy]

Originally Posted by Violator

If you decide on the 35i/d, and as P1 stated, the service history is good, no reason >100k would cause concern.

I am aware of that. I usually check the carfax first and look for 1 owner vehicles. If I do decide to go with 100K+ do you have any pointers what I should look for / what should have been done or might go out sooner than later?

[Fined]

Originally Posted by DanG

I wouldn’t buy any BMW with over 100,000 miles.

From personal experience with problems? Not 3rd party anecdotal stuff, but cars you owned or personally worked on?

I'm asking since I planned to keep my M2 for a long time.

[DanG]

Originally Posted by Fined

From personal experience with problems? Not 3rd party anecdotal stuff, but cars you owned or personally worked on?

I'm asking since I planned to keep my M2 for a long time.

Let’s say that I have been stranded too many times over the years by older BMWs. All I bought new so lack of routine maintenance wasn’t the issue.

And most dealerships will tell you the trade in value drops dramatically after 100,000 miles,

[P1]

Originally Posted by Mspbcguy

I am aware of that. I usually check the carfax first and look for 1 owner vehicles. If I do decide to go with 100K+ do you have any pointers what I should look for / what should have been done or might go out sooner than later?

Don't look for anything yourself. Take it to a dealership or a independent BMW mechanic you know and trust, and simple for over $250 and have them do a thorough pre-purchase inspection.

If I were to buy a used BMW with a decent bit of miles, I'd do the above along take a good look at the binder full of service history records.

But just be aware that stuff will break, and you'll need funds set aside to cover there. Car could pass PPI with flying colors, and you could suffer an injector failure the next week.

[P1]

Originally Posted by Fined

From personal experience with problems? Not 3rd party anecdotal stuff, but cars you owned or personally worked on?

I'm asking since I planned to keep my M2 for a long time.

For all the miles American log, they aren't fans of high-mileage cars. That being said, there is a difference between a 100K mile vehicle that you've owned for a significant amount of time vs. buying one with 100K already on the ticker.

[simonZRH]

Personal experience:
- My uncles 3 series E46 got sold with 290k meters, but because of electronical problems. the motor (320d) was as great as from the beginning

- I recently sold my 3 servies (E90 320i) with just under 200k meters and again the motor was not the problem, but the space :-)

[Violator]

Originally Posted by Mspbcguy

I am aware of that. I usually check the carfax first and look for 1 owner vehicles. If I do decide to go with 100K+ do you have any pointers what I should look for / what should have been done or might go out sooner than later?

There are several threads on here covering “common issues with F15,” review them and create a checklist.

Originally Posted by P1

Don't look for anything yourself. Take it to a dealership or a independent BMW mechanic you know and trust, and simple for over $250 and have them do a thorough pre-purchase inspection.

If I were to buy a used BMW with a decent bit of miles, I'd do the above along take a good look at the binder full of service history records.
But just be aware that stuff will break, and you'll need funds set aside to cover there. Car could pass PPI with flying colors, and you could suffer an injector failure the next week.

+1

[dís_f30]

Have a pre-inspection done by a mechanic. The more history / records on it, the better, that way you know what has been repaired, updated and upgraded.

If you plan on keeping it for a long time, keep records of repairs, updates, upgrades, mods, where you got your parts from and the brand, what garage did the work, etc. (for example, people are going to trust FCP Euro over Alibaba and a known independant shop over Lil Jimmy's Garage) Not just for yourself but also for a future owner down the line.

[OnlyGerman]

Originally Posted by DanG

Let’s say that I have been stranded too many times over the years by older BMWs. All I bought new so lack of routine maintenance wasn’t the issue.

And most dealerships will tell you the trade in value drops dramatically after 100,000 miles,

You dont really have the knowledge to support facts on BMWs past after 100k so your input is irrelevant..

OP, get a 35i n55, and you will be fine. These are solid engines.

[DanG]

Originally Posted by OnlyGerman

You dont really have the knowledge to support facts on BMWs past after 100k so your input is irrelevant..

OP, get a 35i n55, and you will be fine. These are solid engines.

50 plus years of driving BMWs gives me plenty of knowledge.

[cfm56d7b]

Originally Posted by P1

There is a big difference between a 100K X5 with full (dealership) maintenance history vs. one sitting off a no-brand car dealership in small town USA.

I would add to the above one more consideration. Search this form for F15 being sold by an owner with a maniacal commitment to maintenance - and detailed service records.

[Mspbcguy]

Originally Posted by OnlyGerman

You dont really have the knowledge to support facts on BMWs past after 100k so your input is irrelevant..

OP, get a 35i n55, and you will be fine. These are solid engines.

That's what I am leaning to go with. what are your thoughts on the diesel engine?

[OnlyGerman]

Originally Posted by Mspbcguy

That's what I am leaning to go with. what are your thoughts on the diesel engine?

Not sure, never owned a diesel

[GerryC]

Originally Posted by Mspbcguy

That's what I am leaning to go with. what are your thoughts on the diesel engine?

I've had two, an E70 and an F15. Just traded the F15 in on a MY22 G05 x40i. BMW diesels are solid, reliable engines but they have some issues. I would highly recommend them IF they fit your needs.

The F15 diesel has lots of torque and drives wonderfully. And if you watch your speed, you can get over 30 mpg on the highway. You can easily get 600 miles on a tank of fuel. So they're great if you spend a lot of time on the freeway.

OTOH diesels require more maintenance (more $$) that can offset that fuel economy. And they definitely don't like short trips around town where they don't get hot enough to regenerate the diesel particulate filter (DPF). BTW, I just got notice of a recall to replace the HP fuel pump (that's actually a good thing.)

So if you drive a lot on the freeway and are willing to take care of it, a diesel is great. Otherwise, not so much. One of the reasons we traded ours.

[Mspbcguy]

Originally Posted by GerryC

I've had two, an E70 and an F15. Just traded the F15 in on a MY22 G05 x40i. BMW diesels are solid, reliable engines but they have some issues. I would highly recommend them IF they fit your needs.

The F15 diesel has lots of torque and drives wonderfully. And if you watch your speed, you can get over 30 mpg on the highway. You can easily get 600 miles on a tank of fuel. So they're great if you spend a lot of time on the freeway.

OTOH diesels require more maintenance (more $$) that can offset that fuel economy. And they definitely don't like short trips around town where they don't get hot enough to regenerate the diesel particulate filter (DPF). BTW, I just got notice of a recall to replace the HP fuel pump (that's actually a good thing.)

So if you drive a lot on the freeway and are willing to take care of it, a diesel is great. Otherwise, not so much. One of the reasons we traded ours.

thanks for your input gerry. I wasn't aware of the extra maintenance on diesel and with me driving 15-25 miles a day on average is probably not worth it

[TabsTheCat]

I owned a Z3 with 186,000 miles and it still drove fine and passed emission tests easily. Didn't even burn any oil. An over sill needed replacing and the exhaust rear box heat shield rattled but everything else worked fine.

The only time that car was unreliable was in the first 12 month from new (radiator splitting, rear screen got UV damaged).