VW to BMW?

Zola.

Hello folks,

A brief background. I currently have an old VW Bora with 230,000 miles on the clock. A fantastic running car, but obviously it won't go on forever. I would like to upgrade the car in the next year or so, and BMW is a brand I have been considering. I like the 3 series and also the 5 series. My partner likes the 1 series more, but I prefer saloons.

As someone who is relatively spoiled by low maintenance costs with my VW, is BMW a bad idea? Are servicing/parts costs a lot more?

Is there a specific model of the 3 series of 5 series that have been considered as being better builds than others?

As with any car, problems can happen randomly, but I want to do a little research to see what would be a good option.

Was thinking of something 3 or 4 years old if it was good value.

I am definitely open to other cars, but I want to upgrade to something a little more special. A Passat or Jetta doesnt excite me much.

agrinnall

What mileage do you do and under what conditions (town/country/motorway)? Budget?

Zola.

Up to £12k tops

I would do a 20 miles commute round trip for work 5 days a week (mix between stop start town roads to 5 or 6 mile flowing country roads) and then running around 2 or 3 miles in the evening.

On weekends I usually drive 40 miles to see family.

weejangus

I currently have a 2012 BMW 520d and I think it's a fantastic car.

The 3 series looks very similar but there's something about the 5 series that (to me) is just.... well, better. I know that when the time comes, I'll be trading it in for a newer 5 series - there's nothing out there for the money that I would rather have.

Servicing costs - even at a BMW dealership - are quite resonable however you will always get it cheaper at an independant specialist. I have a full BMW service history and want to continue having one so I recently parted £140 for an Oil / Filter service. Not too bad.

Just make sure your partner is comfortable with the car before purchase (assuming they will also drive it). It's a big car. My wife liked the look of it and thought she would be okay driving it... she drove it once and refused to do so again! Cost us another £14k for an Audi A1 to keep her happy! :rotfl:

agrinnall

For the sort of use you describe I think you'd be looking at a petrol engine rather than a diesel. That means you don't need to be worried about the well known N47 diesel engine timing chain issues. If you can find one at the right price for you then a 330i or 530i might well be a good buy.

Zola.

I am naturally drawn to diesel because of how much mileage you can get out of the car before it dies (in theory!)

I plan to do the same as what I have done with my VW Bora - keep it as long as possible and get my money's worth haha.

There is more fun in a petrol though...

paddyandstumpy

The 330 petrol or diesel is a fantastic car. I've owned both, the torque in the diesel is phenomenal!

Zola.

Did/do you always get it serviced at a BMW dealer, or independent?

Are servicing costs high ?

agrinnall

Zola. wrote: »

I am naturally drawn to diesel because of how much mileage you can get out of the car before it dies (in theory!)

I plan to do the same as what I have done with my VW Bora - keep it as long as possible and get my money's worth haha.

There is more fun in a petrol though...

But you are talking under 10,000 miles a year, which is a long way under the mileage at which it is generally considered sensible to choose diesel. There's no reason why a good BMW petrol engine won't last just as long as a diesel one.

paddyandstumpy

I agree with the above, low mileage and short journies, get the 330i.

I always got them serviced by an indie, as my best mate owns a garage!

thescouselander

In my experience BMW reliability is woeful but they are easy to work on. I'd go for the petrol as you'll want to avoid the swirl flap problems that occur on BMW diesels.