Are you on the market for a used BMW and you want to learn more about the maintenance of these cars and you are looking for the answer to the question are BMW parts expensive? If that is the case, then you are at the right place because we are going to cover everything you need to know when it comes to the cost of owning a BMW in the long run.
- BMW Maintenance
- Is It Expensive?
- Are Parts Expensive?
- Cheapest BMW To Maintain
- Most Expensive BMW To Maintain
- Conclusion
Planning the maintenance costs before you purchase a vehicle is probably one of the best ideas that you come up with. Why is this the case? This is the case because owning a car is one thing and maintaining a car is a completely different beast.
Car maintenance isn’t cheap and as the vehicles get older this cost goes up and up. The older the car, the more expensive would be to do the maintenance and repairs. This is the case because the older is the car, the more extensive repairs the car is going to demand. More repairs equal more money spent on mechanics and mechanics shops.
That’s why planning your ownership in advance and learning about the possible defects is going to save you a ton of money in the long run.
In this article, we are going to learn what is a BMW then we will cover the topic of BMW car maintenance and we will answer the question of are BMW parts expensive. Then we will cover the question of cheaper BMW to maintain and most expensive BMW to maintain. Then we will compare BMW with other car brands. So, follow along.
What Is A BMW?
When it comes to luxury sedans, BMW is probably on the top of your list. But we don’t talk about any ordinary luxury sedan. We discuss cars that drive well and deliver quite a lot of performance. Cars that are driver-focused and aim to deliver the best experience to the driver.
These things BMW represents from its inception. They market their cars as the ultimate driver’s machines and this is quite correct. As we said, they focus solely on the driver and make sure that the driving characteristics of the car are sporty.
This means a harder suspension with less comfort and more precise steering accompanied by big power numbers under the hood. All these things make the BMW one of the first choices when it comes to purchasing a vehicle. Especially the younger drivers that are in the search for something sporty but it will also have a luxury status that will make them feel good.
All these luxuries and features that are implemented in BMW cars mean that there is a price to be paid. Both for purchasing the vehicle and maintaining the vehicle.
BMW cars are quite expensive to buy as new cars. The price that you pay for a BMW can go from $30k and up to $130k. Depending much on the model and the year that you want to get for yourself. And also the maintenance, the maintenance is a story by itself and that we are going to cover in the next chapters where we will learn are BMW parts expensive.
Nevertheless, owning a BMW is an experience by itself and you should aim to make sure that you get a good one. And that we also going to cover later in the article.
BMW Car Maintenance
Car maintenance is probably one of the costs that are underestimated by many owners. They just go and buy the car without thinking that this car would also require extensive maintenance in order to keep it running properly.
Not knowing the possible problems that you might come across and the cost to solve these issues will make you end up with a basket case full of problems and these problems would drain your pocket fairly quickly. So, why I’m saying this? I’m saying this because, in life, nothing goes as planned and there are many things that can come up and cost you a ton of money to repair.
In order to be on the safe side. You need to plan your expenses based on the cost of the car. For example, if the car costs $50,000 new. You should have another $100,000 in the bank. Don’t buy a car that you cannot afford. It is really stupid to waste a ton of money only on a car and not plan your budget. Even though cars look cool, if you can’t afford them, don’t buy them.
Doing Research
The second thing that most people are not doing is research. Before you buy anything, especially a second-hand car. You need to do research. Like in this example, you need to learn if are BMW parts expensive? How much does the average service cost? Etc.
Also, you need to do research on that specific model that you want to purchase and see if there are possible defects. Some cars are prone to problems and these problems could cost a ton of money to fix.
That’s why you need to learn the issues. Google “BMW E46 328i problems” and learn the possible issues that you can face. Learning the issues in advance is going to save you a ton of money in the long run.
If you know what are the most common problems that this BMW has, you will know what you can expect when you go and see the car in person. You will be able to tell if there are issues that are common to these cars. If there are not these common issues, you can expect that you will get a good car for yourself.
Also, knowing these problems will allow you to plan your budget ahead of time. You will know how much you are going to have to pay for the specific repair and this will guarantee that you will have the right budget to maintain this BMW. And that we are going to cover next. We will learn are BMW parts expensive.
Is Maintaining A BMW Expensive?
The answer is yes. Maintaining a BMW is quite more expensive than your regular Toyota. This is the case because BMW is a luxury brand. These brands cost quite a lot more to own and also to maintain.
BMW is on par with Audi and Mercedes when it comes to the maintenance costs that you will need to pay from your pocket in order to maintain your BMW in the long run.
But what is good is that if you get a new BMW, you will not have to pay a ton of money for maintenance. But why is this the case?
This is the case because new cars rarely break. While old cars break more often and these problems cost a ton of money to fix. So, if you opt to go for a BMW, I would advise going for a BMW that is less than 5 years old and is low miles. This will somewhat guarantee that you will not pay a ton of money on repairs for this car.
The older the BMW the more expensive the repairs would be. This is the case because a lot of the components are discontinued or are very difficult to come by. They have to be imported from Germany or another European country that has them in stock. So, yes, BMW parts are expensive.
This process costs money and time. Your car would be out of use for weeks and sometimes months until you get that specific part for your BMW. This means that you will not have a car during this time and you will have to pay for an Uber or a taxi. Not to mention the expensive repair bill that you will have to pay.
BMW Ultimate Care
Fortunately, BMW offers a program for BMW owners. This program focuses on making BMW ownership far cheaper than it actually is. And this is by giving you some of the maintenance components extra for free.
But this is only if you are the first owner of that BMW. This means that you bought the BMW brand new from a dealership and this Ultimate Care package is only for the newer low mile cars. As they say, it is good for the first three years or 36,000 miles.
The ultimate care covers some of the items that are the most frequent wear and tear items. Namely, filters, engine oil, spark plugs, vehicle inspection, and key battery. The car is designed to tell you when it’s due for service. This interval is usually adjusted at 10,000 miles. The car is going to remind you when you will need to do your service.
The most important thing is that these services are done by professionally trained BMW mechanics. This will guarantee that you will not have any problems after you do your service.
If you plan to purchase a new BMW it is a good idea to ask your dealership about the Ultimate Care offer that they have and what is included in it. Because for all of the models there is a difference. That’s why you will know what is free and what is not.
The most important thing if you are a new BMW owner is to service your new car at official dealerships. Because if you don’t do so, your warranty might get voided. After the warranty finishes, you can take your BMW whenever you want to do your service.
Are BMW Parts Expensive?
So, are BMW parts expensive? Yes, they are more expensive similar as the maintenance is quite more expensive to do on these cars. So, why is this the case?
This is the case because as we mentioned before, BMW is a luxury vehicle brand. This means that they produce less volume of cars in comparison to Toyota. The bigger the production numbers the cheaper the parts can go.
The smaller the production run, the more expensive the parts are. So, if you have an M3 for example, you can expect to pay for the most expensive repairs. Why is this the case?
This is the case because let’s say only 10,000 M3 vehicles are made. While there is a 320i that is produced in a big number of 100,000 samples. So, more parts on the market for these cars equals lower prices for the specific part.
A Camry for example is produced in 1,000,000 samples, which means that the cost of the parts is much cheaper than the 320i.
Here is also the privilege aspect because not everyone can purchase a BMW. These cars are considered to be luxury items. Similarly to purchasing an iPhone or some expensive fashion brand. Sometimes you pay more for the name than the actual value of the product.
This also adds up to the price and makes the car and the maintenance much cheaper. BMW is targeting the wealthier audience that has more money to spend and they would not have a problem paying extra for some service that they want to do to their car.
So, we hope that we answered the question of are BMW parts expensive. There is no clear answer because there are a ton of BMWs which parts cost is different.
Cheapest BMW To Maintain
Since we scratched the surface of this topic in the previous chapter. Let’s elaborate in this chapter on which is the cheapest BMW to maintain and in the following chapter we are going to cover which BMW is the most expensive to maintain. So, you have a better perspective of which BMW you should go for and which of these cars will be closest to your budget.
As we mentioned. The newer the car the cheaper will be to maintain. Newer cars with low miles tend to break far less in comparison to old cars with a lot of miles on them. That’s why if you are on the market for a used BMW, you should opt to go for a newer vehicle with a low amount of miles. Even better if it’s still under warranty.
Another aspect is the class of the vehicle. BMW although is a luxury brand. It produces cars from different classes. There are sedans, SUVs, cabriolets. All these cars have different maintenance requirements and cost differently.
Also, even BMWs from the same class can be somewhat different to maintain and more expensive than others.
You cannot compare a BMW 3-series with a 7-series. The 7-series is considerably more expensive to own and maintain. So, if you want a BMW and you are asking yourself are BMW parts expensive. The best thing would be to go for a 2-series or a 3-series. Especially some of the most common models like the 320i or 328i.
Before you go for one of these it is also good to learn the maintenance costs for a timing chain, water pump, timing belt replacement (and considering replacing the timing belt). These components often cost a bit to perform and you need to plan the maintenance ahead.
Most Expensive BMW To Maintain
We have covered the cheapest BMW to maintain and are BMW parts expensive and now let’s see which is the most expensive one to own. Since we need to learn both sides of the story. You need to have a clearer idea of which BMW to go for if you are on the market for a car. Knowing this will save you a ton of money for maintenance and possible repairs and will also prevent some damage to your budget. So, let’s get into it.
The most expensive BMW to maintain is the oldest one. The older the car the more money it costs to fix it when something breaks. And cars especially luxury makes tend often to break after 10 years of use. These repairs are often timing chain issues, turbo issues, transmission problems.
All of these problems cost thousands of dollars to repair. So, you need to open your eyes before you go and buy a car that looks like an excellent deal. Make sure that you learn the service history and learn the possible problems that you could have with this car. Knowing this will somewhat help you out in order to avoid some expensive repairs.
Another aspect is probably the class of the vehicle. Vehicles that are higher class often cost a ton of money to fix. Especially if they are pretty old and have a lot of miles.
From Which Ones To Stay Away
So, a 7-series from 2004 is going to cost you a good amount of money to get it sorted and return it in proper working order. So much that you could get a good used one. These cars depreciate quite a lot and you can get yourself a car that had an MSRP of 100k for only $3,000 which is insane. But it’s also a red alert.
Why would someone want to get rid of something so expensive for such a low price? The answer is simple. The car is beyond the economical repair logic and costs a ton of money in order to return it to proper working order. That’s why stay away from cars that seem to be a good deal and are more than 10 years old. Because you will end up disappointed at the end.
Also, the M-series is quite expensive to maintain properly. These cars contain rare parts. These parts are not easy to come by and could cost a ton of money to fix.
That’s why if you want to get an M-car, you need to go after some vehicle that is properly maintained and serviced. It is very unlikely that you will find an M-car driven by a grandma, but sometimes these know to pop out. But for a good penny. Money that you will be prepared to spend on it.
So, remember, good deals, in reality, don’t exist. If the price of a car seems lower than it should be then you know that something is wrong with it and you need to learn if are BMW parts expensive. And the answer is, yes, they are.
BMW Maintenance Compared To Other Brands
Since we answered the question of are BMW parts expensive, now let’s elaborate where BMW stands among other brands out there in terms of cost to own and maintain. Knowing this will help you out to learn what is your market and which cars you should focus on the most. Since there are not only BMWs out there on the market. There are a ton of other cars that also are worth your attention.
The most expensive brands to own and maintain along BMW are Mercedes Benz and Audi. These cars are a class higher than anything else out there. So, before purchasing one for yourself you have to be prepared for higher costs in terms of maintenance and parts.
Then there are the more affordable luxury brands like Land Rover, Acura, Lexus, Volvo, Infiniti, Cadillac, Lincoln. These brands will also cost you considerably more in comparison to some brands. These brands are also luxury brands. But still, they do not match the German trio. So, with these makes you can also expect high costs for repairs.
Then there is the lower end. Cars for the people as some would say. These are the good and reliable Ford, Chevy, Volkswagen, Kia, Subaru, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, GMC, Dodge, and of course Toyota and Honda. All these brands cost considerably less to own and maintain than BMW. Precisely Toyota costs three times less to own and maintain than a BMW from its category.
So, if you want a car that has cheaper maintenance. Go for the last brands that we mentioned. They will cost you far less in terms of purchase and as well maintenance.
Facts: What You Need to Know Before Buying a BMW
- Research is important when buying a BMW to not only understand the specs and trim, but also to know the hidden costs.
- Depreciation is a hidden cost that can hurt the resale value of a BMW.
- Repair costs for BMWs are high, and they are the most expensive brand to maintain with an average maintenance cost of $17,800 over 10 years.
- The use of expensive, high-end parts in German luxury cars like BMWs makes repairs even more expensive.
- BMWs have chronic issues, and according to Your Mechanic, the average BMW is four times more likely to not start than the average car.
- The window regulator in a BMW needs replacement 18 times more often than the average car.
- Used BMWs may be cheaper, but they may cost more in the long run due to the potential for expensive repairs.
- If a used BMW requires repairs, it may cost as much as the price of the car.
- Mercedes-Benz is the second most expensive brand to maintain, with an average cost of $12,900 over 10 years.
- Toyota is well-known for not needing much maintenance, and the average cost to maintain a Toyota over 10 years is $5,500.
Conclusion
In this article, we have covered a lot when it comes to BMW maintenance and BMW parts in general. We learned what is BMW and why BMWs are expensive. Then we learned what is important to do before you get a BMW and that is doing proper research.
Then we answered the question of are BMW parts expensive and we learned that they are quite a bit more expensive than other brands. Lastly, we covered which are the BMWs you should get and which ones you should avoid.
