Newer Hyundai Genesis vs older BMW 3 series

[RayH]

Ultimately it comes down to the specific model and year of the car and the actual car that you are interested in. The great thing about looking at a used car is that you can probably find a forum that covers it and see what all the common problems are and their fixes. If the car you're interested in hasn't had the problem and had it fixed just assume it's likely going to have that problem and factor that into your decision.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Sedan or coupe? Are they even the same car?

Friend of mine has a new Genesis sedan and he loves it. I've ridden in it a number of times and it is a nice car. Smooth, decent power, comfortable, nicely equipped (his is the top of the line model with all the bells and whistles). Dare I say it feels better put together than my wife's Lexus ES350?

I'd definitely consider it if I were in the market for a new car and it is bigger than the 3 series.

 

[JulesMaximus]

It would be very simple for Audi and BMW to instill confidence in their reliability. Do what Hyundai did. Put their money where their mouth is and offer a free 100K mile warranty.
If the car is truly reliable, it shouldn't cost them much.

Auto manufacturers don't do that because they are confident their cars are reliable, they do it to sell more cars. Most times you'll see companies with traditionally horrible reliability offering warranties like this. It has nothing to do with how well made the car is.

 

[alkalinetaupehat]

I drive a 2007 BMW 335i. (6MT FTW!)

For me, the issues that spring up here and there are outweighed by the driving experience. If you're okay with doing most of the repairs yourself, they aren't that expensive to own. Only real pain is doing the water pump, which should be a preventative item (all-electric, no symptoms of impending failure).

The 328i's are an interesting bunch, same for the 330i. They still rock electric water pumps, but in my experience have way fewer problems (at the expense of no twin-turbo goodness). The throttle response on a 328i is very crisp, take one for a drive and see what you think. They can use the intake manifold from a 330i and with a tune, put down some pretty good numbers. (IIRC +50hp)

 

[KIAman]

I drive a 2007 BMW 335i. (6MT FTW!)

For me, the issues that spring up here and there are outweighed by the driving experience. If you're okay with doing most of the repairs yourself, they aren't that expensive to own. Only real pain is doing the water pump, which should be a preventative item (all-electric, no symptoms of impending failure).

The 328i's are an interesting bunch, same for the 330i. They still rock electric water pumps, but in my experience have way fewer problems (at the expense of no twin-turbo goodness). The throttle response on a 328i is very crisp, take one for a drive and see what you think. They can use the intake manifold from a 330i and with a tune, put down some pretty good numbers. (IIRC +50hp)

My 06 330i is a hair from 170,000 miles. I'm waiting to hit 200k before I write up a life history on this car but so far, so good ;p

 

[Midwayman]

I am going to stick with my recommendation. I think German cars are OK to own/lease under the warranty period, not afterwards, unless one is mechanically inclined.

I don't think they are particularly prone to problems. I know MB and BMW are above average in pretty much any study these days. I think the issue is when something goes wrong it cost 3x to fix and people can't wait to tell everyone about how horrible the car is because of that. Specific models can be streaky though. Worth your time to do some research.

 

[KentState]

Been seeing a lot of new Genesis sedans on the road and I always confuse it for another car initially. Have to hand it to Hyundai, the know how to blend the best parts of other cars into one design. I don't see anything original, but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing.