Are new BMWs worth the extra ££s

nick&sandra said:
we are purchasing a Range Rover

Frying pan + fire springs to mind. I only know 3 people with them (RR full fat, RR Sport and Freelander), so it is not a proper sample size, but the cars spend a significant time in the garage with the weirdest issues, some serious were all acceleration is just lost for no reason.
 
Range Rover - perhaps time to check customer feedback on these before purchasing!
 
I will say though my E89 is one of the nicest interiors of any car I've owned but let down in other areas where BMW have used cheap tat, I don't know if it is cost cutting or an attempt to use thinner lower quality plastics to save weight :| examples being the weather stripping along the doors and windcreen scuttle which is the worst quality plastics on any car I've owned, on the Z3 the quality is far better. The use of polysterene on the chassis instead of plastic or rubber :? just a feeling it won't last if the car was a keeper. Granted no car is 100% perfect but I had the same impression when I was given an F20 loaner and thought the interior no better than Fords, Citroens etc and think well what are you actually paying for? Luckily reliability of the 5 BMWs I've owned over the past few years has been good compared the Peugeots and Vauxhall, exception being the MINI.

Tim.
 
I find that looking at forums for reliability issues tends to give a rather distorted view in as much that people only post when they have problems & don't bother announcing that their car has been problem free.
I think there is an official site which details how many cars are returned for warranty work-it would be more accurate looking at that rather than an owner's club website to ascertain reliability.
Regards
 
Not denying there are issues, but I would not just jump because of that as Landrover certainly is not a stranger to those either. Even the last Motorway Cops episode had a brand new Evoque on the M6 stuck in the outside lane causing chaos where the engine just stopped for no reason.

The difference so far seems to be that BMWs might have issues, but they don't seem to leave you stranded as such whilst the newest RRs simply break down or just won't start at all (i.e. no electrics).

My personal experience is too old to be relevant (early 90s) with my Discovery, and that was the worst car I owned as even under warranty, it was standard for all oil seals to be replaced so that every service would be £1000 or so. That might have changed now of course.
 
nick&sandra said:
z4 2003 (3.0i SE) - both rear springs broken car was only 2 years old
z4 2004 (3.0I SE) - Sticky steering issues plus broken springs
Z4 2005 (3.0I SE) - Sticky steering issues plus broken springs
Z4M 2006 1 Year old - spun a bearing car only done 6000 miles
Z4M 2006 (black) - sat nav screen packed up
z4M 2007 (Silver) - hesitation issues
Current 2003 silver Z4 SE 3.0i seems to be ok (but both rear springs replaced )
I think owning seven Z4s is a record?
 
nick&sandra said:
Oh yes ... I also forgot

The countless forum members on this site with numerous electric roof issues / blocked drain holes / hydraulic motor submerged in water ... list goes on and and on

then there's the N52 tapping knocking issues on the facelift Z4 ... oh and the countless misty fog lights

don't get me wrong I like my current Z4, but come every one .. do I need to list anymore issues and defects for a so called premium car brand, we had a Jaguar S Type R for a while and that was all ok ??

all the best

Nick
You forgot to mention the emission light on the 2.0 :roll:
 
Every manufacturer has problems...But i agree that BMW has more than its fair share,and it really shouldnt be happening on a premium brand with premium price tags..

As an Independent garage we see the full cross section of cars and the most reliable over the last few years seem to be the Korean makes.Of course your sacrificing other things,but reliabilty wise they are very very good. Thats why they will issue 5 and 7 year warranties..

What i will say is that BMW are more reliable than Audi/VW......You also have to take into account the amount of BMW's on the road nowadays,literally every 3rd or 4th car is a BMW....Gone are the days that BMW was for the wealthy and privileged..
 
Must agree with Gwatson - I've got an F10 5 series and I think it has the best interior of any car I've been in short of an Aston, Bentley, Rolls etc. Haven't been in the current 3 series, but the 1 series is definitely a long way behind.

Not entirely convinced it's all about lightness... More likely cost. One more aluminium panel would surely offset any amount of weight gain from slightly thicker plastic.

I suppose bmw figure as long as it lasts c. 5-7 years it will be long enough for the original owner and probably an approved used purchaser to both get their use and sell it on. year 8+ residual isn't really a consideration for the average new car buyer. If they could make the wheels fall off at year 10 (safely) they probably would!
 
Depends on the model but I definitely agree that they are slipping. There are beginning to use more cheap plastics and some flimsy materials in the lower end cars especially the 1 series.

I'm sure the 5,6 & 7 are much better incl the X5 & X6. My experience of my 2013 zed and cars I have test driven such as the new 1 & 3 series I would say the quality of interior has declined.
 
I see the subject has latterly drifted from BMW's to houses !!! Analogies are ok but not when they go right off the original subject.
 
Nobody should be surprised a 5-series feels more premium than a 1-series. It's a lot more expensive on comparable engines. I reckon Audi has the nicest interiors but they find savings elsewhere where the customer can't see them. Mercedes interiors are pretty cheap and nasty too these days. The current C-Class in particular. So I reckon it's most of them. The F-type Jag is pretty average too and that's a starting price of £60k. Oh and the previous gen Range Rover Sport had a naff quality interior too. I went in a 2012 model and it was no better than the Rover 200 Coupe company car I owned back in 1998. So the point is it isn't just BMW.
 
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