Only now realising the true cost of running these cars and its getting quite depressing. I've had it 18 months and so far its £1000 a year for tax and insurance,22mpg,air leak fault £300,insp 2 and cam sensor fault £800,tyres and brakes £1000 refurbished wheels £340. Thats £4400 without petrol costs and now the car is not running right just 2 weeks after the service I'm dreading another bill for the thing. Soemtimes I really miss my Audi.
Money pit
- Thread starter goon
- Start date
There's not a lot you wouldn't have been able to anticipate there to be fair, goon. Presumably the wheels and tyres weren't great when you bought, tax and insurance fixed costs, Inspection II scheduled and likely to throw up something, approximate mpg known.
Mine came back from Inspection II last week, feels like it's misfiring a little and wasn't before the service
Mine came back from Inspection II last week, feels like it's misfiring a little and wasn't before the service
That's a pity.
My running costs, after a year of intensive urban hooning, are much lower than my old 2005 Hyundai Tiburon V6.
Parts and labour cost more or less the same, the mpg is better, insurance is a bit higher but it's my pride and joy anyway. Wheel and tyre costs are the pleasant ones - more bang for the buck than many other evil pleasures
My running costs, after a year of intensive urban hooning, are much lower than my old 2005 Hyundai Tiburon V6.
Parts and labour cost more or less the same, the mpg is better, insurance is a bit higher but it's my pride and joy anyway. Wheel and tyre costs are the pleasant ones - more bang for the buck than many other evil pleasures
Putting some reverse spin, it sounds like you now have a well sorted car which on average will not need common service items or a major service for 2 - 4 years, you have an ///M not a 116! I've just been hearing about my mates £2.4k bill to fix his Saab TD motor which puts it all in to perspective, enjoy it 
goon said:
I'm feeling that mate. After shelling out for inspection 2 I had hoped for the car to be running better (if it was possible), not worse. Something virtually impossible to prove of course. It's only slight and perhaps I'm getting paranoid, but every so often it feels like the car is being pulled back for a split second. Revving stationary it is still smooth.
JMO but i wouldn't daily drive a M version anything unless under manufacturers warranty or i had a surplus stash put away for repairs , they are high performance cars with bills & running costs that match 
They are not really suited to town driving / short commutes & are obviously much better when being thoroughly warmed up & stretched towards their potential :wink:
A 3.0Si would have been a good starting point to work from .
Hope yours settles down & you can enjoy it for what it is
They are not really suited to town driving / short commutes & are obviously much better when being thoroughly warmed up & stretched towards their potential :wink: A 3.0Si would have been a good starting point to work from .
Hope yours settles down & you can enjoy it for what it is
I know it can be frustrating when it feels like you're continually shelling out for a car, but to be fair most of what you just listed off is just normal car maintenance. It doesn't sound like the car is unreliable.
I wouldn't expect to run an upmarket sports car with semi-super car performance on a shoestring.
I'm not being unsympathetic by the way, my last car was an Alfa Spider and I spent about £4,000 in 18 months just on parts and maintenance. Problem was that most of it was parts failing that really should not. Now that is frustrating.
I'd love the performance of a Z4M but after the cost of looking after my last Alfa, I wanted something a little less highly strung so plumped for the Si.
I'm sure you're car is all worth it on those days when the sun is shining and you've an open road in front of you...particularly when I'm behind you and you power off leaving me in the dust... ;-)
I wouldn't expect to run an upmarket sports car with semi-super car performance on a shoestring.
I'm not being unsympathetic by the way, my last car was an Alfa Spider and I spent about £4,000 in 18 months just on parts and maintenance. Problem was that most of it was parts failing that really should not. Now that is frustrating.
I'd love the performance of a Z4M but after the cost of looking after my last Alfa, I wanted something a little less highly strung so plumped for the Si.
I'm sure you're car is all worth it on those days when the sun is shining and you've an open road in front of you...particularly when I'm behind you and you power off leaving me in the dust... ;-)
Liverpool
To put in into perspective, mine does 25k+ miles a year as my daily driver and the annual costs (rounded/rough numbers) are something like this (excluding petrol @ 27.5mpg average).
If I don't use the for some reason (i.e. working from home, or having to use public transport, planes, etc.) then my mileage can go down to 5k a year, so the servicing, tyres & brakes costs reduce significantly for that year, and could reduce my outgoings by £2k a year.
I've even considered renting a car for my 'Ring trips (i.e. flying/passengering over and renting a 'Ring racer). But whilst that might save me £500 a year in added maintenance (oil service, brake fluid change, wear on tyres/brakes), it would cost mush more to rent a car for the 6 days of track time (e.g. about £500 a day).
I bought mine at 2 years and 9k miles old - it's now 7 years and 84k miles old. Since then I know what's been done on it with regards maintenance, lorry accident repairs, paint correction details, etc. but I know the next owner will probably not think anything of the time & money I've spent keeping it in good running order.
Mine will be over 100k miles by the end of the year and I don't think it's worth keeping the warranty after that as the wear & tear conditions cover many more components.
- Insurance: £800-£1200
- VED: £500
- Tyres: £600 (less than 1 set of Michelin PSS a year)
- Brakes: £400
- Scheduled servicing: £1000 (1 oil service and one inspection)
- Interim servicing: £400 (oil service every 7k miles or before 'Ring trips, plus brake fluid changes)
- BMW Insured Warranty: £1000 (fully comp, no excess, BMW assistance)
If I don't use the for some reason (i.e. working from home, or having to use public transport, planes, etc.) then my mileage can go down to 5k a year, so the servicing, tyres & brakes costs reduce significantly for that year, and could reduce my outgoings by £2k a year.
I've even considered renting a car for my 'Ring trips (i.e. flying/passengering over and renting a 'Ring racer). But whilst that might save me £500 a year in added maintenance (oil service, brake fluid change, wear on tyres/brakes), it would cost mush more to rent a car for the 6 days of track time (e.g. about £500 a day).
I bought mine at 2 years and 9k miles old - it's now 7 years and 84k miles old. Since then I know what's been done on it with regards maintenance, lorry accident repairs, paint correction details, etc. but I know the next owner will probably not think anything of the time & money I've spent keeping it in good running order.
Mine will be over 100k miles by the end of the year and I don't think it's worth keeping the warranty after that as the wear & tear conditions cover many more components.