Is the BMW 3 Series a good buy?
I am thinking of buying a BMW 3 series 1.6, either 2006 or 2007. Love the car but have been a little put off by horror stories of repair bills being astronomical. Mileage on the 2006 is 80,000 miles. Mileage on the 2007 is 50,000. What would be a good price for both and is the BMW worth it (are the scare stories true?)?
Thanks a million.
Stephen Bruce (Blackrock)Apr 2013 Filed under: reliability
Expert answer
Hi Stephen,
I'd figure on around €12,000 to €13,000 for the 2007 model and around €10,000 to €12,000 for the 2006 version. As for reliability horror stories, there aren't any really specific ones but it's worth bearing in mind that the image of German solidity and reliability is just that: an image. While BMWs are generally well made, they suffer from reliability issues to roughly the same extent as most major rivals.
If you want something truly reliable, the rule of thumb is simple: buy Japanese. Or these days, Korean too. If you're keen on keeping costs down (and who isn't?) then there are a few independent BMW specialists around the country (Allen's in Straffan, Co. Kildare for instance) who know the cars but generally charge a lot less than a franchised main dealer for any work that needs doing.
Let us know how you get on
Neil Briscoe - Complete Car Adviser@neilmbriscoe