[vedant]

I don't deny how great the E90 generation was in terms of the 3 Series. I see so many every day when I'm running errands around town. But some people say after 5-10 years, BMWs are a pain to own, especially modern ones. So then why are they still on the road? Most drivers I see I wouldn't take to be enthusiasts-- just your every day people who like a bit of luxury and sportiness in their life I suppose, and the badge upfront doesn't hurt, I don't know if they're holding onto the car for any purist reason. Can any of you shed some light on the secret?

Are they just not as unreliable as they seem, with the exception of some of the turbo inline-6 models?

[fazm]

If I have a catastrophic failure of some sort with my car....



I'm dealing right back in. Miiiight go e61, but I'll aim for another e91/e90.

[Serf27]

They are pretty reliable and the body style is aging very well.

You will hear people say they had horrible experiences with the chassis and I’m sure some do, but for the most part it’s a good chassis.

Nice car, pretty comfortable and maybe people have no reason to get something else?
I’d guess non enthusiasts are driving them for the badge, but when a $1600 job comes up, they are ready to sell it.

[JapanRotn52]

So this e90 is my second bmw, first one being a 2002 325i (e46). This time around I picked the more "modern" one simply for the luxuries that are common in most everyday cars nowadays (aux, sun roof, heated seats), and the fact that it's newer looking. Originally knew nothing about the e9x. Fell in love with the car at test drive and took it home same day. I've now had issues on it that "general" mechanics couldn't help, had to get specialist or friends advice. Decide it to sell it because as common as it is.... Overheating. (It's my biggest peeve) I just couldn't figure it out ( I do my own work for most part) Had a bmw guy really interested as I have a 3.0 2006 325i manual which was only made for the 2006 models, changed to 2.5 after that and the 328i became 3.0 i believe. Finally fixed it and I got a chance to finally hit a nice pull again and feel in love with it again. The handling, the torque, the comfort. Ever since that day i have worked on it my self almost 100% and found it to be extremely easy to work for someone that knows almost nothing about cars. As long as you have the tools and make your work easy by sometimes removing things in the way. You will love this car too

[JapanRotn52]

oh also parts are very expensive and most mechanic charge alot to work on a bmw because they need special tools. So I search the web for best prices and scrapyard dive when i have to. SHOUT OUT ROCK AUTO, oem specific or close for less than have the price.

[ctuna]

Mechanics charge a lot true but it is kind of the same for a lot
of cars now.
They have certain quirks that you have to be aware of .
There are things you have to stay ahead of.
They are solid cars for the most part and drive real nice.
The average time that people keep there car is growing since
the car makers can't make new cars now.
The newer ones are more complicated and not as solid due to
turbo's and cheapening .
turbo's mean trouble.

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showt...&highlight=400

[Efthreeoh]

I saw mine just on Thursday!

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by vedant

I don't deny how great the E90 generation was in terms of the 3 Series. I see so many every day when I'm running errands around town. But some people say after 5-10 years, BMWs are a pain to own, especially modern ones. So then why are they still on the road? Most drivers I see I wouldn't take to be enthusiasts-- just your every day people who like a bit of luxury and sportiness in their life I suppose, and the badge upfront doesn't hurt, I don't know if they're holding onto the car for any purist reason. Can any of you shed some light on the secret?

Are they just not as unreliable as they seem, with the exception of some of the turbo inline-6 models?

Older BMWs stay on the road because they are built so well that they are worth repairing. I ran my E30 for 18 years. My wife's Z3 hits 25 in March this year. The E90 is particularly stout.

[tcphoto]

I owned a Tiag '01 325Cic for nearly seven years but I wanted a manual car with real leather, not pleather which had far too many owners. I loved the car but the E92 was BSM and one owner so I bought it. If something happens to it, I would look for a LCI coupe with manual transmission and lower miles. I do not care for the latest 3 Series front end or DCT, plus the pandemic has made new car prices insane.

[michaelalex17]

I see a decent amount of e90s but I see a ton of e46s still on the road as well. Long live old 3 series models!

[bkwld]

I thought about this too.
I believe the E90 looks and ages really well and does great in the secondary market. Add to that most major repairs are pretty reasonable (especially 328s) and gets fixed at the dealer for selling in the lot or the new owners would get them fixed. Enthusiasts does a great job getting their cars on the road 335. Etc. I guess this is what reliability really means.

[e90yyc]

I’ve never thought my N52 was unreliable in the slightest. The opposite, actually.

Most people heard a friend tell them once that BMWs break down all the time, and few of the people who speak so convincingly about how unreliable BMWs are have any idea or experience with what they’re talking about. In no way am I suggesting they’re not without their problems—absolutely they are—but what a lot of people fail to understand or acknowledge is that “reliable” should be a relative and not an absolute concept, or else it’s kind of meaningless.

If BMW followed Toyota/Lexus’s approach of developing a powertrain and then using it for 20 years, over which time they will have tweaked the ever-living christ out of it until it’s practically bulletproof, I can almost guarantee you that BMW would be just as reliable as any of the Japanese cars.

Sorry for the rant

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by e90yyc

I’ve never thought my N52 was unreliable in the slightest. The opposite, actually.

Most people heard a friend tell them once that BMWs break down all the time, and few of the people who speak so convincingly about how unreliable BMWs are have any idea or experience with what they’re talking about. In no way am I suggesting they’re not without their problems—absolutely they are—but what a lot of people fail to understand or acknowledge is that “reliable” should be a relative and not an absolute concept, or else it’s kind of meaningless.

If BMW followed Toyota/Lexus’s approach of developing a powertrain and then using it for 20 years, over which time they will have tweaked the ever-living christ out of it until it’s practically bulletproof, I can almost guarantee you that BMW would be just as reliable as any of the Japanese cars.

Sorry for the rant

Interesting observation. So BMW back in the 1970's when they really started to get popular were using a basically 15-year old tractor engine (M10) design (okay maybe tractor engines did have hemi heads...). The M10 was in production from 1962 to 1988, a long dang time though.

Then in the '80s' basically the M20 (17 years in production) and M30 (27 years in production. BMW's longest). But in the 2000 recent times BMW seems to have vastly shorten production life-timeframes. The N52/N54/N55 have been short lived seemingly. But they are damned fine engines.

Yet having been a BMW owner since the E30 and deeply connected to the E21 (though never owned one) the one thing I have observed with the 3-Series is the chassis is well-built and easily repairable. I might not say that for the E36 chassis, but the E36 drivelines used were bulletproof and it was basically an E30 underneath. I have a relative with an early F30, which seems to be holding up quite well so far.

[CTinline-six]

I think part of the longevity is if the car is worth repairing when it does break. I live in New England, and while most Japanese cars have solid drivetrains, what typically sends them to the crusher is rusted out body and structural components. Most older BMWs tend to be owned by enthusiasts who can repair them and try to keep them on the road longer since they enjoy driving them.

If I owned a 13 year old rusted out appliance I'd be less likely to repair it compared to a car I enjoyed.

[Dx11]

Running an e93 here, every time I see someone new, they compliment me on my new looking car. It's was a bit ahead of it's time I guess, still looks pretty damn modern.

[jsunma]

Originally Posted by vedant

But some people say

Well, there's your problem.

If "some people" are random people on the Internet, well....

Just get out there and drive and make your own opinions.

[Mike K]

I’d also toss in great parts availability and solid e90 post support. Having a strong online community was always a big prerequisite for me owning any car. DIY and this great support network allow me to have a nicer ride than a dealer or indy repaired Honda or Toyota!

Balancing performance, comfort, capacity, styling, value and yes resale value made my e91 a satisfying purchase. Even for a ten tear old car. I learn more about it every day.

[tcphoto]

Some people say that the earth is flat, vaccination's are bad and that JFK is alive and well...I would use my own brain and determine what is true.

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by Mike K

I’d also toss in great parts availability and solid e90 post support. Having a strong online community was always a big prerequisite for me owning any car. DIY and this great support network allow me to have a nicer ride than a dealer or indy repaired Honda or Toyota!

Great points here! I have to maintain two E9x and a F10, and the availability of E9x content and support is amazing compared to the F10. Also interestingly, F10 parts run about 10-20% more than comparable E9x parts. Wifey loves her fiver though...

[Serf27]

The biggest complaint I hear people say is that bmw parts are too expensive. I tell them the parts are necessarily expensive, the labor is.

[Sterling Roadster]

There are definitely a lot of BMWs out there with long over due maintenance and general neglect but in my opinion a beaten up old bimmer is still more fun and exciting than your average a to b car so people are more inclined to take care of them. Also you can still have a decently cared for e90 for around 6K where I live. That's pretty cheap, even if parts and labour are more expensive. If you love cars it's worth it, if it's just a vehicle to you, then it's not.

[mecheng77]

BMW definitely makes some extremely unreliable cars: all of their V8s have major issues and so many 7 series and x5 are very costly to own and that reputation applies to the whole brand when in reality they make great inline 6 engines, bodies, and suspensions.

One generalization is true, the use too much plastics in their cooling system and their gasket design improved a lot. So what, small deficiencies for an overall Great car that doesn't rust to pieces like some of the competition