Topic: Trade a 2012 Mustang GT for a 2014 BMW 228i/M235i = Bad financial decision?

[BWII]

BTW, Consumer Reports mentioned BWM being even more reliable than Ford:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cars/which-car-brands-make-the-best-vehicles/

Opinions?

 


Then again I've never owned a BWM and I've always owned a Ford (or two)...but still...

You mentioned something about being OK with having to spend money after 60,000 km, c'mon, seriously.  You shouldn't have to spend money for longer than that. I've got 70,000 on a Sonic and I've never done anything to it. 147,000 on my Fusion, and only thing it does is need the rear axle seal done every couple of year t the tune of $80 or so ($16 part, rest labour & taxes  -need to learn that one myself).  I keep a spread sheet of all stuff done to the cars, oil, filters, even wheels and tires, and the Sonic is at 2 cents per km and the Fusion at 3 cent/km (not incl fuel and insurance - insurance which is almost identical for both cars  ).  Not exactly expensive to drive.  I wonder what a BMW would run...

Good luck with the hunt though. Nothing more and less fun than car shopping. 

Sonic vs Fusion

[qtcar]

So I shopped around and here are the only 2 interesting deals I could find for 2-series (they both have 20k km).

I honestly couldn't feel to much of a difference in terms of engine for both. I thought it was going to be night and day like when I had a Mustang V6 and traded for a V8, but it wasn't (or maybe I just need to drive the 228i again).

2014 BMW 228i (Final price after trade-in: $15,000)
http://www.autotrader.ca/a/BMW/2+Series/Ottawa/Ontario/5_29391689_20101008133908153/?ursrc=hl&showcpo=ShowCPO&orup=3_15_4
Pros:
Cheaper
Comes with A/T and sunroof

Cons:
Would still come with 4.5 years of warranty, but 3 of these are from BMW's third party "ServiceOne" company, which I guess it might be more hassle than dealing directly with BMW).
Scrapes right above front plate and bottom left side of front bumper. I'm guessing it would cost around $400 to $500 to fix that.
Something seems wrong with the steering wheel. I've never seen a BMW with such a glossy steering. But the previous owner said it's stock.

2016 BMW 235i (Final price after trade-in: $20500)
Pros:
Better model and also newer, meaning I might still be able to get $5500 more than the 228i if I resell them 5 years from now
Manual transmission and no sunroof, so less things to break (even though I would prefer the A/T since it is a very good one)

Cons:
More expensive
It's 2 years newer but already same mileage of the 228i
It was leased by one of BMW's employee for 12 months. I think this would reduce it's price?
No A/T

Opinions? If none of them make sense, I might also just give up and maybe downgrade to something like a Civic.

[mmret]

I've owned a Mustang GT Convertible for the past 2 years. Great car, always loved the huge engine torque and sound of the aftermarket exhaust. The car has also been pretty reliable, nothing done other than regular oil changes and replacing tank pressure sensor.

I'm not sure if I'm just getting older, but I've been thinking in replacing the sportiveness with something more comfortable and quieter. I guess what I was really looking for was a more "mature" car, one that does not get too much attention on the street but at the same time gives you more punch than most cars.

My search started with the Golf GTI. Seems to be a great car. Then I quickly jumped into the Golf R, but my max budget would be $37k, so no Golf R for me.

Then I found out about these great little cars, 228i and M235i. The used ones (2014 model) I've checked range between $32k and $38k, so within my price range and low km's. I test drove one today and really liked the sharp handling and comfortable seats.

Then coming home and doing some research, I find out from previous owners that BMW is probably one of the most expensive and least reliable brands to own. Started to wonder why so many of these are for sale with less than 25,000km. Is it really THAT bad compared to my Mustang? Or most people are just used to Honda's and Toyota's cost to own?

One example: Replacing pads and rotors for my car might cost around $1k (granted, I have Brembo brakes and would be putting very high quality pads/rotors). Until the car completes 60k km, I would be comfortable with paying $500 for annual maintenance. More than that makes no sense to me for such a new car. Would a 2 series go way above that? I would be ok paying a bit more for higher quality parts, but what I would want to avoid is having something fixed all the time as I heard some owners mentioning.

BTW, Consumer Reports mentioned BWM being even more reliable than Ford:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cars/which-car-brands-make-the-best-vehicles/

Opinions?

BMWs are less reliable and more expensive to maintain that many other brands.  So if you go this route, you'd better have an iron clad extended warranty.  Not every BMW is a maintenance turd of course..but you'll hate life if you happen to get one that is.  Even the little things can cost big money on these cars.  You have to be prepared to spend more money to maintain and repair than many other cars.  It's up to you to determine if it's worth it.

A car that ticks the things you're looking for is a Lexus IS-F.  V8, 414 HP, dead reliable, comfortable, great handling, superior build quality, quiet (until you romp on it) etc etc

I'm sure others will chime in with recommendations too...

I mean, who the hell knows where this chart actually comes from, but its astounding how much more expensive BMW is. Everything else is kind of closeish. Meanwhile BMW is like $5k beyond 2nd place hahahaha.

From my very limited experience, modern (mid 2000s+) BMWs are designed to keep you coming back to the dealer for expensive services and parts. I also find them to be priced hideously, almost Porsche like money-grubbing but without the benefit of it being a Porsche.

Google "BMW transport mode"

[tooscoops]

why would you go to the civic? the car you own should be your "worst case" scenario... the car you own is always the best deal to keep driving... otherwise, you are trading a wholesale price for a retail one on *any* new(or used) car.

you have only had the mustang for 2 years... how much have you changed in 2 years?! while i understand it can get tiresome and such, it's not like it's a bad car. would you prefer to have a car that stands out a bit more than you'd like, or get financially invested in a car that means nothing to you?

just keep the 'stang... that's my vote.

[tortoise]

Agreed.

Is a 228 that much more comfortable, quiet and smooth compared to the Mustang?

[KD]

Quite surprised to see where VW falls on that list....

I'm surprised Saturn is even on the list.   

[84im]

I'm really surprised the Mini has the same long term cost as Mazda.