Anonymous
Post 05/18/2026 10:41     Subject: BMW maintenance costs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the input. After much thought, I am going to get a Japanese car. As much as I love driving European cars, I don't want to deal with the possibility of an expensive repair.

You made the right choice. European cars are nice but they aren’t for everyone. They are for people who can afford them.
If you aren’t really a car enthusiast, you’ll be happy with a Toyota. You don’t need an European car.


Toyota has plenty of cars for car enthusiasts, you are just being ignorant


No true car enthusiast is excited about Toyota. No mainstream Toyota is appealing to car enthusiasts. Many mainstream BMWs are appealing to car enthusiasts. It's that simple.



Problem is there are too few car enthusiasts to begin with, not enough for car companies to be interested. Toyota/Subaru twins and Miata are really the only affordable classic lightweight rear wheel drive sports cars available new in the US, who knows for how long. BMW moved mostly to heavy high horse power cars which are what $70k plus?
Anonymous
Post 05/17/2026 07:55     Subject: BMW maintenance costs
As some who has owned Mercedes, BMW, FIAT, Toyota, Subaru, Nissan, AMC, Chrysler, Ford, GMC here are my thoughts.

BMW best driving car. Very expensive maint, pretty reliable rarely broke
Mercedes. Best luxury car and prestigious. Very expensive maint and broke down a lot
Toyota boring to drive, very reliable slightly higher maint due to foreign parts
Ford, GMC broke slightly more Toyota but parts cheaper a wash

Fiat/Chrysler shit breaks all the time
Anonymous
Post 05/16/2026 13:55     Subject: BMW maintenance costs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the input. After much thought, I am going to get a Japanese car. As much as I love driving European cars, I don't want to deal with the possibility of an expensive repair.

You made the right choice. European cars are nice but they aren’t for everyone. They are for people who can afford them.
If you aren’t really a car enthusiast, you’ll be happy with a Toyota. You don’t need an European car.


Toyota has plenty of cars for car enthusiasts, you are just being ignorant


No true car enthusiast is excited about Toyota. No mainstream Toyota is appealing to car enthusiasts. Many mainstream BMWs are appealing to car enthusiasts. It's that simple.
Anonymous
Post 05/15/2026 00:39     Subject: BMW maintenance costs
Check out GR Corolla. It is a really fun car to drive
Anonymous
Post 05/14/2026 22:37     Subject: BMW maintenance costs
Anonymous wrote:OP here. You're right. I currently have a Jetta GLI which is an absolute joy to drive. It just reached 100k and stuff is starting to go: car seat heater not working, touch screen freezing, fickle interior lights and windows, etc. It's only worth $6k so not worth it to me to put $1k in repairs in it. I would love a BMW, but my mechanic friend said if I really want one, I should just lease. After looking at the prices of leasing a new BMW, it's way above my budget. The BMWs I can afford are ones where the mileage is when they start needing repairs/expensive upkeep.

Among luxury cars BMW consistently has some of the most favorable lease terms. Go look at some examples on Lease Hacker.
Anonymous
Post 05/14/2026 14:33     Subject: BMW maintenance costs
OP here. You're right. I currently have a Jetta GLI which is an absolute joy to drive. It just reached 100k and stuff is starting to go: car seat heater not working, touch screen freezing, fickle interior lights and windows, etc. It's only worth $6k so not worth it to me to put $1k in repairs in it. I would love a BMW, but my mechanic friend said if I really want one, I should just lease. After looking at the prices of leasing a new BMW, it's way above my budget. The BMWs I can afford are ones where the mileage is when they start needing repairs/expensive upkeep.
Anonymous
Post 05/14/2026 13:38     Subject: BMW maintenance costs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the input. After much thought, I am going to get a Japanese car. As much as I love driving European cars, I don't want to deal with the possibility of an expensive repair.

You made the right choice. European cars are nice but they aren’t for everyone. They are for people who can afford them.
If you aren’t really a car enthusiast, you’ll be happy with a Toyota. You don’t need an European car.


Toyota has plenty of cars for car enthusiasts, you are just being ignorant


They are doing OK in that regard, but I guarantee OP doesn't give a crap about any of the enthusiast Toyotas, and Toyota's core products are truly horrid if you're a car enthusiast. The most miserably awful anti-car car my family ever owned was a 1997 Toyota Camry. And the engine eventually blew up anyway.
Anonymous
Post 05/11/2026 21:15     Subject: BMW maintenance costs
Anonymous wrote:BMW AWD SUVs are supposed to be very good snow vehicles. My BIL and his wife both drive them for this reason.


LOL no one needs a BMW SUV for snow, get real.

If you want a BMW, buy one that’s actually fun, not a grocery getter.
Anonymous
Post 05/11/2026 21:11     Subject: BMW maintenance costs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the input. After much thought, I am going to get a Japanese car. As much as I love driving European cars, I don't want to deal with the possibility of an expensive repair.

You made the right choice. European cars are nice but they aren’t for everyone. They are for people who can afford them.
If you aren’t really a car enthusiast, you’ll be happy with a Toyota. You don’t need an European car.


Toyota has plenty of cars for car enthusiasts, you are just being ignorant
Anonymous
Post 05/11/2026 20:39     Subject: BMW maintenance costs
Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the input. After much thought, I am going to get a Japanese car. As much as I love driving European cars, I don't want to deal with the possibility of an expensive repair.

You made the right choice. European cars are nice but they aren’t for everyone. They are for people who can afford them.
If you aren’t really a car enthusiast, you’ll be happy with a Toyota. You don’t need an European car.
Anonymous
Post 05/06/2026 14:12     Subject: BMW maintenance costs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I enjoy BMWs and currently drive a 2021. When I bout out the lease I made sure to get an extended warranty - just replacing one headlight unit costs about $8500 from the dealer (its all one piece). You will absolutely pay quite a bit for maintenance, just like with any German car. A lexus should be more reliable and (slightly) cheaper to maintain. Still premium gas. Also, they drive differently.


OMG


That's a lie. I've had one replaced.
Anonymous
Post 05/06/2026 14:08     Subject: BMW maintenance costs
Anonymous wrote:Part of the cost is that you must use a dealership or shop that can reprogram the car to accept repair parts. We replaced a car battery, and I was shocked that it cost $1000 because they needed to reprogram it or the car would complain or the battery wouldn't work. It's supposed to be for safety or theft, but it seems like a cash grab. I am used to going to AutoZone, getting a $150 battery, and doing it myself.


Do you realize how easy it is to code a battery change in a car's ECU? I mean, obviously not yet, but you should.

I recommend you look into it. It takes an adapter and five minutes on your phone or laptop. And it's not usually needed anyway.
Anonymous
Post 05/06/2026 14:05     Subject: BMW maintenance costs
Anonymous wrote:I’m a Mercedes owner and would never buy another German car. My Toyotas are much more reliable and cheaper to repair.


Anyone who would consider a Toyota should definitely buy a Toyota.
Anonymous
Post 05/06/2026 14:01     Subject: BMW maintenance costs
I drive a 2022 x3. Consumer Reports has consistently rated it as being reliable and it has the B48 engine, which is also used in the Toyota Supra. So far so good as I bought it CPO with an extended warranty.

Repairs can be expensive, but to me the trick is preventive maintenance. Oil changed every six months or 6,000 miles. Driven like you are not running from the law. Some of it is plain luck - you can do everything right with any car and still run into problems. IMHO, the CPO mitigates some risk.
Anonymous
Post 05/06/2026 11:23     Subject: BMW maintenance costs
Anonymous wrote:Part of the cost is that you must use a dealership or shop that can reprogram the car to accept repair parts. We replaced a car battery, and I was shocked that it cost $1000 because they needed to reprogram it or the car would complain or the battery wouldn't work. It's supposed to be for safety or theft, but it seems like a cash grab. I am used to going to AutoZone, getting a $150 battery, and doing it myself.


This is highway (pun intended) robbery.

If you have AAA, you can get the battery changed at a nominal cost. They will come to your house.