The World Has Won

[wdc330i]

Interesting comments. I do think the B58 is exceptional. I really love my car. I miss a bit of luxury being at the 2 level, but the platform is otherwise very satisfying. A great all-arounder.

[John V]

Originally Posted by JST

Interesting, JV. How come?

Because the 3 series is big, bloated, soft and isolated and it sucks to drive stuff like that every day. And it's a modern BMW, so reliability is likely to be horrible.

[robg]

Originally Posted by John V

Because the 3 series is big, bloated, soft and isolated and it sucks to drive stuff like that every day. And it's a modern BMW, so reliability is likely to be horrible.

Maybe but JST is looking to replace a Golf R which is no lightweight at 3400 pounds and is replacing due to reliability / dealer service issues.

I do think bmw has cleaned up their act significantly in the last 5 years when it comes to reliability - especially when compared with VW.

FWIW, I’ve leased 3 new Bmws in the last 10 years and they’ve all been nearly flawless . Dealer service has been excellent as well.

[Josh (PA)]

Originally Posted by John V

And it's a modern BMW, so reliability is likely to be horrible.

My experience suggests this is an artifact of the N54 /N63 engine generation. I've now owned four n55s and they've been the most reliable vehicles I've ever owned. Other than a water pump on my 135 at 3xxxx miles, I've had do nothing to any of them. From everything I've read and the experiences of the members here, the B58s seem even better. I've been really happy with the build quality and reliability of our more recent BMWs. I think we've owned the 1er (97k miles now) and the x5 (108k miles) long enough to have a pretty good perspective.

I *really* hope I didn't just jinx myself.

[wdc330i]

Originally Posted by Josh (PA)

My experience suggests this is an artifact of the N54 /N63 engine generation. I've now owned four n55s and they've been the most reliable vehicles I've ever owned. Other than a water pump on my 135 at 3xxxx miles, I've had do nothing to any of them. From everything I've read and the experiences of the members here, the B58s seem even better. I've been really happy with the build quality and reliability of our more recent BMWs. I think we've owned the 1er (97k miles now) and the x5 (108k miles) to have a pretty good perspective.

I *really* hope I didn't just jinx myself.

Ditto with our last several rounds of BMWs. Although at 7 years old, the E71 needed some expensive fixes—much was covered by the extended BMW warranty.

Edit: E70. How soon I forget.

[FC]

-Hardly any issues with my E46 ZHP (6yrs/60k) - Coil plug recall, worn fuzzy wheel, hesitation at start-up.
-Absolutely nothing on my E91, but admittedly only 27 months and 19k miles.
-F80 flawless so far (11 months 4k miles)

In all cases I had cars deep into or at the end of the model lifecycle.

[Josh (PA)]

Originally Posted by wdc330i

Ditto with our last several rounds of BMWs. Although at 7 years old, the E71 needed some expensive fixes—much was covered by the extended BMW warranty.

What did it need? We are in that time window... 2013 build

[John V]

I guess it's probably a wash which car will be less reliable. Unlike most of you guys I keep my cars a long time in general, so I'm concerned with things starting to fall apart beyond the 60k milestone. IMO no modern car should have issues before 60-100k miles. But E91s (even non turbo ones) seem to have a lot. Water pumps going out, worn suspension parts, window regulators, valve cover gaskets, CELs... no thanks. The driving experience isn't worth the pain, and the newer cars drive even worse.

Obviously preferences vary. But BMW has not built a fun non-M 3 series in a long, long time. I like the GTI a lot, and from what I've read about the Golf R, it's just as refined as the GTI but quite a bit more fun. That's a win in my book.

I also frankly don't really see the point of suggesting a 3-series to Josh. He's already got a Model 3, so what purpose would a 3 series serve? If the answer is "fun car that can be used on longer trips where the Tesla isn't practical" then buy an M3 and sell both the Golf R and the Boxster.

[FC]

Originally Posted by John V

But BMW has not built a fun non-M 3 series in a long, long time.

Agreed. Pretty sad, really. I didn't want to spend M3 money, but the difference between it and non-M's is huge. And I'm not talking about power.

I like the GTI a lot, and from what I've read about the Golf R, it's just as refined as the GTI but quite a bit more fun. That's a win in my book.

Yes. This is why I was so close between an M3 and a GTI/R. It sounds dumb to be waffling between those two choices, but that was where I was at.


Finally, I also agree that 3er + Model 3 is a lot of redundancy. I'd opt for something with more versatility. Don't they sell a MT Golf wagon allroad thing? There is a good chance I may pick up a used one of those in the future for wife/kid use.

EDIT: They do sell a MT Alltrack, but it only comes with the wimpy 1.8T with 168hp.

[wdc330i]

Originally Posted by Josh (PA)

What did it need? We are in that time window... 2013 build

Off the top of my head:
Coolant leak/cooling system failure
CEL
Climate control failure
Water pump
Gas emissions issue
Some suspension parts, I think.