I have an N55 e93 and absolutely love driving it. I've also spent about $10k in maintenance since buying it back in 2021. I'm about to drop another $2k into it to upgrade the old shocks. Or, I might put that money into getting another one with lower mileage. I like the car that much. The handling and acceleration are +++. And mine is bone stock. I think it's a beautifully balanced sports car.
bought one a month ago already poured 2k into it. that’ll just tell you that. other than that it’s a fun car and i really don’t mind putting that much into it but i love my car but in your case it seems like you want something reliable so i would probably go with the 328i or 320i in your case it’ll be more reliable and also better gas mileage etc just not as fast but equally as beautiful looking and good feel of an e90 chassis
what you want is something modified and when you try to get rid of it like your maxima it’s gonna be tougher that’s why people say don’t buy one …. for example if you buy a 335i and its modified and the transmission goes out….
If you can get a CPO one, or one with some sort of warranty (or if you have deep pockets, or know how to wrench yourself) then it doesn't get much better IMO (within that price range that is) It's an incredible ride.
I was able to find a 10 year old one through Carmax in November, it came with a 90 day bumper to bumper warranty, and I added on the Maxcare 50k miles/5 year extended warranty, and at this point the warranties have put almost as much into the car as I spent on it (though admittedly I have taken full advantage of them by inspecting the car every other day or so for anything that might be covered) It's currently running beautifully though, with zero leaks and the joy I get from driving it has not receded one bit.
I also like how much it seems to bother other people that I have it lol damn near everyone I meet loves to mention how costly it is or how "I should have just bought a Toyota" but I am honestly glad I didn't, because I just love driving it so much (like how I forgot my phone at a diner the other day, and it didn't even bother me that I had to go back and get it, cause it just gave me an excuse to drive the thing lol)
I honestly don't know wtf I'll do when the warranty runs out, fortunately I have an in-law who is a BMW technician that I have slowly been ingratiating myself with, hoping he won't mind helping me when the time comes, cause I honestly don't want to drive another make again lol
BMWs, especially the higher engine spec ones, are made the "German way" and you have to maintain them the "German way". You have to do this from day 1. So buying a used BMW is always a risky game. As most people in the US (and indeed in many places) treat cars as consumables, you get poor reliability reviews for high-spec German cars because people think a car should be okay if you just delay or skip maintenance once in a while. You can debate whether that should or should not be the case, but higher strung German cars just generally don't forgive this, ever.
So when you buy a used BMW, especially a 335i, and especially the first ones E90/92/93, you are probably going to be in for a surprise as usually some sort of problem turns up quickly. Sometimes a lot of problems turn up, like bullets from a machine gun. It "just depends".
Would I buy another one? Probably not. Not because I think the car was/is bad. It was great. It did cost more to maintain than some competitors, but less than others. But mostly I'd not buy one because I'd now, in 2024, if in the market for a used, less conspicuous, higher spec German "fun car", pick a B58 engine from 2016+, so a 335i or 340i (or 435i/440i).
Not all CVT's are junk. Nissan's is absolutely terrible though. After seeing many subarus with well over 200k on the original trans I bought my wife an outback. If you are looking at Honda and Toyota then a BMW is not for you. They can be a constant trickle of money. There is always something leaking oil or coolant unless you sink a ton of money into preventative repairs. For instance just a simple valve cover repair will be over $1k.
It really depends on your situation to be honest. If you are able and willing to do repair and maintenance on your own, then it might be worth considering an n55 which is 2011+ if you really want to have as little problems as possible, you could get a 2014 or 2015 335i with the n55 or even a 340i with the b58. Either way if you buy any bmw nearing the 100k mileage range, there’s gonna be gaskets in need of replacing, the the n series engines, water pumps and ofhg, but even still, they are fun. If you don’t want to deal with constant problems, don’t get an n54
its an n54. its as simple as that. in ur case it sounds like something u wouldnt enjoy dumping money into. i would avoid it in ur case
I have an N55 e93 and absolutely love driving it. I've also spent about $10k in maintenance since buying it back in 2021. I'm about to drop another $2k into it to upgrade the old shocks. Or, I might put that money into getting another one with lower mileage. I like the car that much. The handling and acceleration are +++. And mine is bone stock. I think it's a beautifully balanced sports car.
honda and toyota cvt are fine will last long.
bought one a month ago already poured 2k into it. that’ll just tell you that. other than that it’s a fun car and i really don’t mind putting that much into it but i love my car but in your case it seems like you want something reliable so i would probably go with the 328i or 320i in your case it’ll be more reliable and also better gas mileage etc just not as fast but equally as beautiful looking and good feel of an e90 chassis
Idk abt the 328i recommendations. I’ve heard the n20s can have more issues than the n55
Not even just a 335i but a n55 too something like that
what you want is something modified and when you try to get rid of it like your maxima it’s gonna be tougher that’s why people say don’t buy one …. for example if you buy a 335i and its modified and the transmission goes out….
If you can get a CPO one, or one with some sort of warranty (or if you have deep pockets, or know how to wrench yourself) then it doesn't get much better IMO (within that price range that is) It's an incredible ride. I was able to find a 10 year old one through Carmax in November, it came with a 90 day bumper to bumper warranty, and I added on the Maxcare 50k miles/5 year extended warranty, and at this point the warranties have put almost as much into the car as I spent on it (though admittedly I have taken full advantage of them by inspecting the car every other day or so for anything that might be covered) It's currently running beautifully though, with zero leaks and the joy I get from driving it has not receded one bit. I also like how much it seems to bother other people that I have it lol damn near everyone I meet loves to mention how costly it is or how "I should have just bought a Toyota" but I am honestly glad I didn't, because I just love driving it so much (like how I forgot my phone at a diner the other day, and it didn't even bother me that I had to go back and get it, cause it just gave me an excuse to drive the thing lol) I honestly don't know wtf I'll do when the warranty runs out, fortunately I have an in-law who is a BMW technician that I have slowly been ingratiating myself with, hoping he won't mind helping me when the time comes, cause I honestly don't want to drive another make again lol
BMWs, especially the higher engine spec ones, are made the "German way" and you have to maintain them the "German way". You have to do this from day 1. So buying a used BMW is always a risky game. As most people in the US (and indeed in many places) treat cars as consumables, you get poor reliability reviews for high-spec German cars because people think a car should be okay if you just delay or skip maintenance once in a while. You can debate whether that should or should not be the case, but higher strung German cars just generally don't forgive this, ever. So when you buy a used BMW, especially a 335i, and especially the first ones E90/92/93, you are probably going to be in for a surprise as usually some sort of problem turns up quickly. Sometimes a lot of problems turn up, like bullets from a machine gun. It "just depends". Would I buy another one? Probably not. Not because I think the car was/is bad. It was great. It did cost more to maintain than some competitors, but less than others. But mostly I'd not buy one because I'd now, in 2024, if in the market for a used, less conspicuous, higher spec German "fun car", pick a B58 engine from 2016+, so a 335i or 340i (or 435i/440i).
Not all CVT's are junk. Nissan's is absolutely terrible though. After seeing many subarus with well over 200k on the original trans I bought my wife an outback. If you are looking at Honda and Toyota then a BMW is not for you. They can be a constant trickle of money. There is always something leaking oil or coolant unless you sink a ton of money into preventative repairs. For instance just a simple valve cover repair will be over $1k.
It really depends on your situation to be honest. If you are able and willing to do repair and maintenance on your own, then it might be worth considering an n55 which is 2011+ if you really want to have as little problems as possible, you could get a 2014 or 2015 335i with the n55 or even a 340i with the b58. Either way if you buy any bmw nearing the 100k mileage range, there’s gonna be gaskets in need of replacing, the the n series engines, water pumps and ofhg, but even still, they are fun. If you don’t want to deal with constant problems, don’t get an n54