From the commments above, I can see that all BMW car owners (such as myself) have one thing in common:-You need to love the car to own it .

My 3 series has never broken down or dissapointed me when i needed it most.

It's very reliable and cost efficient ( not to mention, Fine!),

The only disadvantages are that the cost of parts and labour are one of the highest anywhere and you'll get a handful of jealous neighbours.

Once u get one you'll never go back'

trust me.

For me, BMW is a bomb car anyday, anytime. I will suggest u go for it. I use a 5series now and to be sincere, it has been serving me perfectly well for the past 2years. The only killer of BMW is a bad mechanic.

Celemel, u cld help recommend a good mechanic since u hv passed thru the various series of BMW. I sure wld not mind using ur mechanic as the one i use as tried many times to increase fees of some part without success.

@ CHIDIBE.

If you plan to drive a BMW you better have some cash in your pocket. True they are very reliable cars but once they start having problems you have to pay alot of money to fix it. Remember, BMW's are Luxury cars. So if you choose to buy one you must be willing to spend some money. Goodluck.

BMW is a great car!

Easy to drive and low cost of ownership, at least where I live.

For 3years, I never touched the oil or change anything, I only take to my Garage once it reached KM for service. May be 'cos its brand new.

i have only bought BMW cars with my money though I've used other cars owned by aunties and uncles. i think they are great and one can get addicted to them. other than fuel consumption in some models, u can be sure to trust the engine.
with the current increase in the number imported to the country you can be sure of getting parts.

I'm car's are need for speed car's as far as i'm concerned
and most importantly they don have second hand value mostly wen u use Dem on Nigeria roads, i think u should just goggle that shit
but i cud link u up wit BMW dealer's if Ur interested in picking one IT'S ALL ABT THE BALARIES

my guy,prinzgeini,you dey 4ni ooooooooooo, no be SALARIES AGAIN, NA BALARIESSSS, baba lo ma

run down. ;d ;d ;d :d :d

Currently pushing a 1981 320i for the last 2years as a daily drive. Doing about 160 kilos per day (minimum). Its been notin but joy. However, the roads here are good, i put in about $1,000 about 5months ago to change shocks, tie rods, ball joints etc to keep it in tip top shape. parts are a bit expen$ive. But i havent spent a penny on engine (knock on wood). Oil change and a whole lotta beatdown.

My first BMR too. looooovvvvveee it

As far as nigeria is concerned, just do alot of preventive maintenance and make sure you get good parts. it should last you long.

Its simple:

BMW's give you performance and comfort at the expense of servicability.

You need to be the kind who loves driving so much they dont mind spending extra on the car to maintain it properly.

According to consumerguide: BMW's after 1988 models require premium-grade fuel. Good luck finding that in 9ja. SUPER will degrade your beemer with time.

Also, if you live in the east, or the North, you will enjoy the beemer (or a benz) better than a japanese car because they are more fuel efficient at higher speeds, and perform better on your wide, open roads.


If you live in Lagos, you need a car that will not kill you in GO-SLOW. Yes. Beemers and benzes dont like go-slopws, and dont like the tight, winding roads with potholes and almost no chanc e to attain their true potential. If you plan to live/work on Lagos, go for a japanese car. Japanese cars are designed for tight spaces, and will serve you better than a beemer over here.

They are not just reliable but also durable. Dreamt of the machine for 2 years b4 i finally acquired a super "full option" 318i (1990 auto drive model), in 2005. A perfect buy that catches evryones attention, even the non-BM addicts. You cant help having a 2nd & 3rd view of my super machine whenever u r oppurtuned.
Since then the guy has never failed me. A beauty to behold and fantastic machine to cruise, 4 those who understand what driving ought to be. I have no regrets so far 4 evry penny spent. God-willing i dont c maself spending my pepe on any'car' other than beemers. BMW shall remain my no. 1 choice on wheels. A friend of mine started falling inlove with beemers when he saw what i could do with mine, despite its production year.
My idea is that the major 'problems' associated with beemers are scarcity of qualified specialists 'mechanics', in some cases,depending on the model, geniune spare parts, and most importantly you, the owner/driver. I have learnt to be a mechanic in a way myself over the years. Knowing the dos and donts of beemers and having multiple options as to specialists and reliable & very affordable spare parts. I have a friend who owns a 190 benz ( no disrespect) but the clown doesnt know how to remove or replace his car battery, neither does he have esential tools like screw driver in his car. Can you beat that? i believe these are necessary if u call urself a driver/car owner.
Ppl say its xpensive to maintain, but how often does it break down, all things being equal.
To you the beemer lover or prospective owner pls try to get adequate knowledge abt beemers, take the neccessary precautionary measures and servicings when due, have 2 or 3 specialists on standby, not just any roadside mechanic and u wont regret a dime spent. A lot of pple speculate on hear-say, but i tell u ,i 've got some xperience to backup.

Well, i dont have a single clue about engines and all that, but i have driven a 5 series new model, brand new for close to 5 years and all i can say is that its only worth the trouble when u have like 3 other low maintenance cars and use it as a jackpot, in order words just for those big occasions.Otherwise u should be deliciously wealthy or else it will turn u into a broke ass.Do u know that just one of it head lights cost about N80,000 to replace, and thats just starters and since like other cars u cant have any street mechanic handle it in emergencies, you will burn money on service centers and all. Recently,i was unfortunate to loss my keys and i found out its impossible to cut a spare or do anything else so its been sleeping gracefully, waiting for the new key i ordered from Germany to arrive, what a waste, i say. Its an official car thats why i put up with it. Well, forget the beauty, class and prestige it commands, it is totally 100% high maintenance.

My mum is currently using a BMW 5 series, with a V8 engine and its only the gear box that has been the fault for the past two years. Do anyone in the house has experience with V8 engine, cpmpare to V6?

@Ejov,

Havnt driven a v8 before(540i) All i can tell u is that v8 is much faster but consumes more fuel. hence more maintenance cost ( 8 plugs vs 6 plugs). If you woulnt be going competitive racing. v6 should do u

If you are not engineering savvy and into automotives with analytic understanding, don't buy a BMW. You are better off with a Lexus. The Grand Sport Series (GS) signifies the heights of Toyota's engineering. It's rear wheel with 50/50 but poor suspension and handling. That, you can change and have the feel of the BMW. You will definitely have to drop-low the Lexus a few inches for precise handling. Lexus cars are smart cars that work. BMW cars are smart cars that don't work. Software glitches! Europe rules in mechanical engineering, Japan sees to it that electronics are their domain. If you were considering the 3 Series, try the Intelligent Sport 250 (IS250 RWD). I don't mean the IS350, the 250. You cannot match an M3 to this vehicle to the V8 version of this Lexus. It packs a blow but not many would be sold in the United States. Toyota plans to release a V8 version soon.

You can retard the timing about 3 degrees to accomodate your gasoline grade. That's all, nothing complicated in facts. It will work well.


dakmanzero (m)
lagos
Posts: 674

Offline

Re: How Reliable Are BMW Cars?
« #42 on: January 08, 2007, 12:45 PM »

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Its simple:

BMW's give you performance and comfort at the expense of servicability.

You need to be the kind who loves driving so much they don't mind spending extra on the car to maintain it properly.

According to consumerguide: BMW's after 1988 models require premium-grade fuel. Good luck finding that in Nigeria. SUPER will degrade your beemer with time.

Also, if you live in the east, or the North, you will enjoy the beemer (or a benz) better than a japanese car because they are more fuel efficient at higher speeds, and perform better on your wide, open roads.


If you live in Lagos, you need a car that will not kill you in GO-SLOW. Yes. Beemers and benzes don't like go-slopws, and don't like the tight, winding roads with potholes and almost no chanc e to attain their true potential. If you plan to live/work on Lagos, go for a japanese car. Japanese cars are designed for tight spaces, and will serve you better than a beemer over here.

there are just two types of cars in the world
BMW and others
i"d go for a bmw anyday

BMW , the Ultimate driving machine, sound familiar?

dude, there can hardly be anything better than loving a BMW, thats the perfect road peice. from the super-performance engines to the lovliest suspension system, beautiful interior engineering sense,and the everlasting social class associated with a BMW.please follow ur dreams and own a car of real worth.if it ever disappoints u, sue me

You need to own one before you conclude on the slogan. BMW's are money pits. Not worth the time and money. If you want the 50/50 weight distribution, then you'll have to modify your suspensions and drop low the height to have a feel of the bavarian hot rod. They don't last! BMW's failure rates are high. The new Daimler Chryslers are worse. Today, the automotive corporations give their respect to Toyota. One of my colleagues drove his brand new BMW of the lot. It was a 545i, '07 (8Cyl). Down the freeway, enjoying his sports package, the vehicle stalled at 43 miles. It was towed and three days later, he was told it was an electrical problem. Those things are lemon's waiting to be noticed. Refer to http://www.bmwlemon.com/ for more (if you care).

Right guys, this in reply to what lordimpaq said, first and formost, I like to correct you about MPG, it simply menas Miles Per Gallon so the MPG is a mesure of how much fuel you cosume as you acelerate in your travel.
Secondly when you say BMW328, this simply mean searies and fuel capacitey, in the BMW 328, 3 stands for the series, 28 is the engine fuel capacity, so it means the engine's full fuel capacity in one circle is 2.8 litre, now your MPG is meant to be lower when you are driving at minimum force, ie going down a slope,I won a BMW325TDS 3 series, turbo Diesel,this car is Auto and it switch betwen turbo and economy drive so I have left the suspension setting to sport as it sute Nigerian roads.so guys look at the back of cars an check the last two digits on the model, that the fuel consumption so a 1.4 engine will do you good, but smaller engines are more expensive as the a more fuel efficient and for those of you who said BMW consume more fuel, there is a BMW£!^, thats a 1.6 ltre engine so its cool, SO I can tell you that a BMW316 is more fuel efficient than a Honda2.6 ok any question ask, I will explain more.

does this mean, that cars with high MPG rating are more fuel efficient than others with low MPGs

Yes definately, thats what it means,if your car uses 1 Gallon per mile or Km, it means its fuel efficient than a car that uses 2 gallons per mile/Km irrespective of what make or model of car x

depends on whether your bmw or benz is made in germany or south africa.
if your benz is made in east london SA and i am not talking England then you may be well advised to steer clear

he he, whats that got to do with anything, since my post, my gf has a Peugeot406 and its a 2ltr engine, like I said earlier, MPG=Miles per Gallon, my BMW is a 325TD so its a 2.5 litre Engine but Diesel tho, its more fuel efficient than the 406 as i do 12miles to and fro work everyday, I spend like £15 a week on the Bima and 25 a week on the 406, so in theory for all cars of same fuel the higher the MPG the more fuel efficient the car is ie car will give more miles per gallon if you study your Arithmetics well so all II'msaying is a Toyota car with a 1.6 litre engine has a higher MPG than a Toyota Supra with a 2.5 llitreengine, but the supra is faster and has more Horse power.And for all you who are in Lagos and thinking bout you car suspensions just upgrade it and it will fit the roads and pot holes, and for that guy who said the BMA hate small roads lol common the UK has the smallest roads in the world and i can squeeze and pack in tight spaces, cos the steering is wicked.

BMW cars are big boys ride perfectly realible, people are talking of part, coscharis motors have all the part for all brand of bmw nt just engineers to handle the job but professional from germany,india,isreal,etc with a bmw diagnosing machine for proper repairs if faulty

asking price is =N=700,000
just brought it in from Uk

@ ruescho
The VW Phaeton is VWs most unsuccessful car. They shouldnt have tried getting into the luxury car game. Passat is a good car.

BMW IS UNDOUBTEDLY ONE OF THE BEST CAR ON THE PLANET TODAY. ITS A FAMILY CAR, I DRIVE ONE OF THE MOST RECENT 3 SERIES AND SO IS MY WIFE.
GOLD IS SOLD TO THOSE WHO KNOWS THE VALUE. 100% YES. PLEASE GO FOR IT.

teetalks:

asking price is =N=700,000
just brought it in from Uk

You are not supposed to bring in a right hand drive car to Nigeria. You are breaking the law.

This can only happen in Nigeria. What a pity.

well, there aint no place in law that says you cant bring in RHD cars into Nigeria, my BMW is LHD, I drove it in the UK for 4 months B4 I took it to Nigeria OK, the HUmmer Jeeps in the UK are all LHD< go and check www.autotrader.co.uk, you will see.

@erico2k2:
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U r obviously well grounded about cars, i respect that!!! I have already resolved to owning a BMW and i'm working towards buying a 328i or 330i (2000-2003) as my 1st car sometime next year. My questions are:
1. Whats the fuel consumption rate between a 1.8, 2.8, and a 3.0 litre engine as it relates to 3 series? Are the differences (fuel economy) really high?
2. From ur experience with diesel powered engines what would u say about its fuel economy relative to its pms powered version?
3. How do i know the MPG of a car?

to the house
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Whats the average price of acquiring a toks 3 series (2000-2003) model in naija? Please post helpful links.

Thanx