If you care about driving experience above all else, get the BMW. I loved mine until I didn't, and I'm back in a Toyota because I need something reliable, predictable, and as close to bulletproof as possible. You can't fart in the general direction of a BMW for less than $1500, and you'll be lucky to get 100K miles. But if that doesn't matter to you, go for it. They're fun.

I'm the OP and beginning to think a BMW is like getting a pet. Agree that seven years is the max. But if I get a CPO, it only has four years of driving until I hit this mark. Plus, new BMWs have free maintenance for three years. With the CPO, I would need $4K for four years @$1K each plus another $4K for an extended warranty good for seven years on the vehicle.

Looked at the numbers and it might be cheaper to lease once those costs are out of the picture.

Depends on how long you want to keep it. A Camry will be bulletproof with low maintenance costs for 15+ years. A BMW will have higher but reasonable maintenance costs for the first 3-6 years, but at 7+ years old it will start tossing big maintenance bills at you.

The TCOL of a used German car is going to be much higher than a Toyota, especially a new one. If BMW's are your thing lease them like everyone else does.

I'm the earlier poster, but also consider the 5 series as its slightly bigger but much nicer inside. Also try driving the X3/X5 if you are looking for a good handling SUV.

DH has a 335xi. I hate it. It does drive nicely, but repairs are so expensive. Even premium gas is always so much more.

If you're looking for status, the bmw has it. But just a car to drive from A to B? toyota.

Anonymous wrote:When a BMW needs to go into the shop, the same issues costs multiples of a Camry going into the shop. If you can afford it, 3 series are really fun to drive. If not, then stick with a toyota

This. It's not just the initial price of the vehicle.

BMW handles, accelerates, and brakes much better than any Honda/toyota.

I’ve avoided many accidents because of my 3 series.

If you can get an extended maintainece warranty on a bmw cpo then you’re good and won’t have to worry about repair costs.

If you’re tight on money and won’t be able to afford 1k+ bmw repairs then go with a Japanese car.

Anonymous wrote:22:11 and 10:21, thank you for the responses. Planning to test drive by the end of the month. Question; what do you think about the CPO in general. They are usually off lease and if a three year old one with low 20,000 miles is $17K less than a new one, seems like a good deal. If I go this way, would only pick a dealer with great reviews and also have the car checked by an independent mechanic.

My wife bought a CPO and it turned out fine. She has had the car for nearly 17 years. We recently bought a new car for her and our kids are using her old one. BMW offers free service for the first 4 years. That means that there is a good chance that a CPO was correctly serviced during that period. Also, BMW should have a record of any service it has so you should be able to ask for that. You will get a decent warranty. The one case where I would avoid a CPO or a used car in general is with electric vehicles. You have no idea how the previous owner treated the battery. But for a gas car, CPOs are a good deal.

When a BMW needs to go into the shop, the same issues costs multiples of a Camry going into the shop. If you can afford it, 3 series are really fun to drive. If not, then stick with a toyota

22:11 and 10:21, thank you for the responses. Planning to test drive by the end of the month. Question; what do you think about the CPO in general. They are usually off lease and if a three year old one with low 20,000 miles is $17K less than a new one, seems like a good deal. If I go this way, would only pick a dealer with great reviews and also have the car checked by an independent mechanic.

It depends on what you value. Is the car only to get you from A to B or do you enjoy driving?

Its like comparing eating at Outback vs. Capital Grille to get a steak. Outback will check the boxes of steak and sides, so why the difference in price? Its the overall experience which includes a better steak, service, ambiance, drinks, and sides.

Going back to the cars, the Camry will have a 6 cylinder, leather, sport suspension, and decent acceleration to check the boxes, but the driving experience in will be completely different. BMW intentionally designs their cars around their handling which includes keeping an even 50/50 weight distribution. Taking it around a curve and the damping of the vehicle will feel more composed, tighter, and a better sense of confidence. Even the seats were designed by PhDs so that they are as ergonomic as possible for the driver. Before someone jumps on me for selling an ad, I've personally moved on from the owning the newer BMWs as they don't make a vehicle I am looking to enjoy.

I have mostly bought BMWs and we currently have three of them. My parents have only bought Toyotas for decades and have had several Camrys. So I have spent quite a bit of time in both of these cars. Some Camrys can be just as fast as a BMW, but there is a huge difference in feel. If you haven't driven a BMW, take one for a test drive. If you like how it feels, then maybe it will be for you. If you don't think it is anything special, get a Camry. The one thing where the Camry has a huge advantage is maintenance costs.

The other issue is the user interface. If you are used to how Toyota's controls work, it might take a bit to figure out how to do things with the BMW. I have the opposite issue in that getting in a Toyota now feels foreign and it takes me a while to figure out how things work.

Either one will cost around $35K. Was on a two lane road with both side by side in front of me for a few miles and I got to thinking about how different they really are? OK, I know the BMW is a performance luxury car while the Toyota is mainstream. Both are great looking vehicles.

What I have done in the past is buy the "sport" version of a mainstream car (e.g. like the SE) where they give you wider tires, stiffer suspension, and maybe a different transmission set up. And again, I know it is not a turbocharged BMW with exotic parts, but I am also not looking to drive on the Autobahn. So my question is, for 85 or 90% of the driving regularly encountered, both interstate and country roads, would a person really notice a difference between the two vehicles? Or are you paying a lot of money for the name?