Enjoy your bottom or the barrel bare bone base cars then, because anything you pick up in the price range will be more expensive in ownership. Guaranteed!wow this thread has deterred me a bit from getting a bimmer
Please tell me you mean per year....or at least per 6 months.
True cost to own a ____ car for 5 years in CA:
2010 Honda Civic Si 2dr Coupe w/Nav (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
True Cost to Own® * $42,936
Total Cash Price $24,541
Average Cost per Mile* $0.57
2011 BMW 328i 2dr Convertible (3.0L 6cyl 6M
True Cost to Own® * $71,154
Total Cash Price $54,102
Average Cost per Mile* $0.95
BMW dealers can be really shitty to their customers, it just depends on the dealer in your area, so ask around / look at reviews online of the dealer. Also, the new BMWs have a high number of plastic covers and things that rattle or come loose, this could be annoying. But, more importantly, they have so much computerized stuff, there's always something to be fixed. So, as Imdmn04 mentioned from anecdotal evidence, and taking it further, pay it off before the warranty is up so you can sell it when it's no longer under warranty and use the cash. Plus less interest to the financing company - as a rule of thumb - buying a new car is always a terrible investment.
OK, I know I'm in the UK, but nearly all the BMW dealers I have used have been great. Great service, great environment, decent parts prices, etc. Even the coffee and sodas are better when you have to wait.
As for the plastic covers thing, I'm not buying it and as for the "computerized stuff" needing to be fixed all the time, well, in my experience that's not the case either.
And your final point is correct, "buying a new car is always a terrible investment." . This is 100% true, but a new car is NEVER an investment, it's always a necessity, sometimes with some luxury and desire thrown in, too.
Whoops. Yes. I meant $2,100 per year.
Like someone mentioned, the windshield also chips very easily. I have multiple gouges in my windshield but not bad enough to replace although there is brown one from a brown rock that dropped off of a dump truck that is exactly eye level and right perfectly in front of the driver seat.
On a somewhat related note, I almost got rear ended again yesterday! I came to a dead stop in traffic on the highway. I heard a horn and saw an 18 wheeler with its brakes locked and white smoke coming from the tires coming right at me. Fortunately, he stopped in time but that would have been the 3rd rear end accident in 9 months. I think my car is cursed or something. I've never had so much trouble with cars in my life.
On another related note, I drove about 370 miles the last 2 days and averaged about 30MPG.
C
My only real big expense is petrol...it drinks it...19-20mpg most of the time, lots of liberal right foot stomping. I would not enjoy spending £200-250 a month if I commuted in my car!
I can manage about 29mpg for 310-320miles on the motorways, not bad.
And as for too much plastic covers...BMW's have much less than this...
But not too much less...
You are aware that the majority of the plastic there is the actual intake system feeding 10 throttle bodies and not just plastic for laughs, right?
This was just a flimsy premise for me to post a picture of the engine, even if it was just taken with my cell phone.
So you're gonna make the place that you get tires from pay for the taxes, go pick up the tires, mount and balance, then dispose the old tires all by yourself? Great!
You are aware that the majority of the plastic there is the actual intake system feeding 10 throttle bodies and not just plastic for laughs, right?
As for the plastic covers thing, I'm not buying it and as for the "computerized stuff" needing to be fixed all the time, well, in my experience that's not the case either.