Are used premium cars as BMW 3 series really expensive to own and maintain?

Masha_2

Hi, I see that a reliable bmw series 3 is with high mileage and a bit aged is affordable to buy (I wish I could have a jaguar xe but probably is too much). Are really parts that expensive? or can those parts could be second hand and work done in the car for independent garages? a friend who owns and audi, told me he takes his car to an independent dealer that knows about german cars, but didn't think to ask of cost parts. 

my alternatives are mazda 6 or vw passat so far  as I read they are reliable too. 
I'm just stubborn on buying a sedan, I love the look of it, and it's just for just me and my daughter. we want to travel a bit more and just enough space for us. and of course I want a reliable car, fuel efficient too. 
I need to buy now, as my car wont pass MOT and reparis will not make economic sense. still dont know. 
Thanks for your comments   

AdrianC

You'll struggle to find many garages which will be willing to fit used parts, because they can't give any guarantee as to whether those parts are any good or will last.

Audi is a different situation to BMW, in that most of the running gear is shared with "non-premium" brands, VW/Seat/Skoda.

Any modern car is very dependent on technology - but the higher-spec the car, the more technology there is, and technology is where there can be very expensive problems which are very hard to track down. Touch-screen HVAC, electronic handbrakes, all the alphabetti-spaghetti stability/traction aids. And, of course, "premium" cars, especially those with a "sport" bias or image, tend to come with big wide low-profile tyres which are expensive and make the big alloys more vulnerable to road damage.

tacpot12

There are lots of pattern parts available for BMWs. They are cheap to buy, but rarely last very long and can cause serious problems. It is better to pay for genuine BMW parts, which are expensive. If you want to fit second hand yourself, you can. As stated above garages will tend to be reluctant to do so, but will in certain cases. You are taking a risk fitting a second hand part - if it fails you will also have to pay the cost of removing it and fitting another second hand (or new) part.
There are lots of independent garages that specialise in BMWs.

Have a friend that knows about cars, or a mechanic, look over the car you want to buy. 

Ditzy_Mitzy

I gained a little bit of experience in this field by owning an old BMW 3 Series coupe and using it as my daily car.  Since then I've not gone for another 'premium' marque, sticking instead to Fords and Mazdas.  The BMW was a good car all round and superb in some ways; I used to have to commute cross country, so the car's handling really came into its own.  Detractors were lack of boot space, a small back seat, not terribly good ride, basic equipment and pointless aggression from other motorists.  This was a long time ago; people don't seem to hate BMW drivers like they used to.  It was an attractive car from the outside, well proportioned and with a purposeful stance.  Interior design wasn't my favourite; perfectly acceptable but a little spartan and modernist.  I have no taste, though, so you may feel differently!!  The seat adjustment mechanism was also a bit weird.  
On the maintenance front, however, things were more complicated.  I found the 3 Series to be reliable, generally, with the caveat that it needed a greater degree of looking after than comparable ordinary family cars.  The engine was powerful for its size, but it needed frequent oil and filter changes.  The exhaust pipe, which I had to have replaced, was tuned to produce a nice sound but was an expensive part.  The suspension, responsible for the good handling, was on the highly strung side and seemed to always want something doing to it.  Tyres, too, seemed to wear quickly.  
I had everything done by an independent garage that specialised in BMWs.  Would I have another one?  I don't know really.  Was it better than the equivalent Mazda or VW?  Objectively yes, probably, but it needed more attention than either of those would.  I suspect a rough BMW, that hasn't had such attention, would be a poor prospect second-hand.  

Mickey666

Masha_2 said:

Hi, I see that a reliable bmw series 3 is with high mileage and a bit aged is affordable to buy (I wish I could have a jaguar xe but probably is too much). Are really parts that expensive? or can those parts could be second hand and work done in the car for independent garages? a friend who owns and audi, told me he takes his car to an independent dealer that knows about german cars, but didn't think to ask of cost parts. 

my alternatives are mazda 6 or vw passat so far  as I read they are reliable too. 
I'm just stubborn on buying a sedan, I love the look of it, and it's just for just me and my daughter. we want to travel a bit more and just enough space for us. and of course I want a reliable car, fuel efficient too. 
I need to buy now, as my car wont pass MOT and reparis will not make economic sense. still dont know. 
Thanks for your comments   

What is your car, how old and what are the repairs it needs and cost.  I ask because ‘economic sense’ can be interpreted in many ways.  Say your car is worth £1000 and needs £1500 of repairs, some would say it makes no economic sense.  But some would say if the £1500 buys another two years of motoring then it’s probably cheaper than buying a new/used car instead.  Sometimes, such things are just an excuse to change cars, which is a good enough reason in itself.
I once had an old Saab that was 17 years old.  I’d had it from 3 years old and it was totally reliable, even though it was only worth around £500.   One service coincided with needing three new tyres and brake pads and the cost was around £750.  Was that ‘economic sense’?  I decided it was because tyres and brake pads are just a normal cost of motoring, whether the car is worth £500, £5,000 or £50,000.

noclaf

Expensive parts and servicing generally comes with the territory with the prestige marques..Audi,BMW, Mercedes and I would add Volvo to that list too...it's debatable whether Volvos quality and cars are on par with the German brands but their servicing and repair costs certainly are!
Indie mechanics can help to keep costs down but IMO if you choose to drive a higher end car such as a BMW (nothing wrong with that too) then you have to be willing to accept the higher costs that will likely come with the car. 
Op- BMW's are popular cars, the power, the ride and for some the perceived 'bragging rights' and image but what you will find is some older cars have been bought and then maintained on a shoe string budget as some simply can't afford the runnings costs but still buy one anyway...so if you decide to go down the used BMW route good luck but keep your eyes and ears open..be wary of cars which had minimal servicing or cut corners for repairs etc

Herzlos

"If you can't afford to run it new, you can't afford to run it used".
So called premium cars have expensive parts, as well as having the badge premium. The 3 series BMW is probably different because it's so common there should be plenty of 2nd hand parts available (which you can install at your own risk).
VW Passat will be cheaper to buy and maintain. So would something like the dreaded Mondeo or Insignias.

clive0510

it doesn't matter what car you have, they all cost. and I don't suppose a bmw will be different to any other car. my peugeot for instance, just had service, and a mot, about a month ago hit a pot hole. had to have new tyre, and the wheel had to be straightened......... and so it goes on. 

Masha_2

Mickey666 said:

Masha_2 said:

Hi, I see that a reliable bmw series 3 is with high mileage and a bit aged is affordable to buy (I wish I could have a jaguar xe but probably is too much). Are really parts that expensive? or can those parts could be second hand and work done in the car for independent garages? a friend who owns and audi, told me he takes his car to an independent dealer that knows about german cars, but didn't think to ask of cost parts. 

my alternatives are mazda 6 or vw passat so far  as I read they are reliable too. 
I'm just stubborn on buying a sedan, I love the look of it, and it's just for just me and my daughter. we want to travel a bit more and just enough space for us. and of course I want a reliable car, fuel efficient too. 
I need to buy now, as my car wont pass MOT and reparis will not make economic sense. still dont know. 
Thanks for your comments   

What is your car, how old and what are the repairs it needs and cost.  I ask because ‘economic sense’ can be interpreted in many ways.  Say your car is worth £1000 and needs £1500 of repairs, some would say it makes no economic sense.  But some would say if the £1500 buys another two years of motoring then it’s probably cheaper than buying a new/used car instead.  Sometimes, such things are just an excuse to change cars, which is a good enough reason in itself.
I once had an old Saab that was 17 years old.  I’d had it from 3 years old and it was totally reliable, even though it was only worth around £500.   One service coincided with needing three new tyres and brake pads and the cost was around £750.  Was that ‘economic sense’?  I decided it was because tyres and brake pads are just a normal cost of motoring, whether the car is worth £500, £5,000 or £50,000.

Thanks a lot for your sound advice. and all the comments here so so helpful.
my car is a Peugeot 407, electrics fail all the time, ABS comes up after repair all the the time, central locking is not working as one door is not making the connection the back window is out of order but it's holding there, it trembles a bit due to the depollution system failing I think , but this gets better with a iquid I put in the tank, I think it's called redox, it also may need to change the brake discs. so not in a very good state. However, it always started and runs really nice when all in order. 

I will take it to MOT tomorrow and see it from the point of view you mention here. as for me is scary to look for a new used car, I know a little bit now, before didn't know anything, and luckily my friend was selling hers and I took hers. I'll continue looking on mazda and vw I think my favorites so far. 
Many thanks, 

Masha_2

Thank you so much for your comments. it's really helpful. 
If the cost of passing MOT is not ridiculously expensive I will have it fix and continue with my car for a while more until I can find a car I like. 
 Thanks!

MEM62

Masha_2 said:

Hi, I see that a reliable bmw series 3 is with high mileage and a bit aged is affordable to buy (I wish I could have a jaguar xe but probably is too much). Are really parts that expensive? or can those parts could be second hand and work done in the car for independent garages? a friend who owns and audi, told me he takes his car to an independent dealer that knows about german cars, but didn't think to ask of cost parts.

I do 20,000 miles a year and gave up my company car two years ago as the tax on it was onerous - even with my commute.  I bought a 2011 320i with 50k on it.  It will soon be at 90K and I have spent nothing on it other than routine servicing and four tyres.  The service intervals for my model are 18,000 but I have services every 10,000 (I don't trust 18,000-mile old oil)  A small service is around £100 and a full service circa £250 at a non-franchised BMW specialist.  I would not waste my money putting second hand parts on it as, given the mileage that I do, I need it to be right.  The car averages around 40mpg.  I save the money that I would have paid in tax on my company car and this allows me to budget for replacement like-for-like every three years - even if the residual value in my car is nil.  Therefore anything I get for it as trade-in is a bonus.