Some of you might say "buy a lexus" but I really like the design of BMW cars.
Clarification: Which model year and model?
Reliable? Not exactly.
Worth it? Up to you. Expensive maintenance and nightmarish repair bills come with the territory. Great cars, yes. But don't kid yourself about the cost of ownership.
I love BMW’s. I used to roll in an X5 with the N52 engine. I miss that car and that engine so much. Powerful and smooth. And the X5 isn’t to shabby a car.
What I don’t miss is the maintenance cost in maintaining an aging BMW. IMHO, most BMW engine are reliable, it’s the stuff surrounding the engine that goes out early and cost an arm and leg to fix. All the plastic stuff, like valve covers, PCV valve, plastic timing chain guides, vanos.
The way I look at the B58, specifically B58B30C.
BMW engineered.
Toyota tested.
Austrian built. Not Japanese or Toyota built.
So the B58 may be better in terms of reliability versus other BMW engines. But not as reliable as a bonafide Toyota engineer, tested, and built product.
Mind you, there is no evidence to back this claim directly. Only the history of other products developed by these companies.
With that said, if you like the design of BMW cars, and you know that it costs an arm and a leg to maintain as they age, go for it! They are amazing fun cars to drive.
I forgot to mention, the one big draw back of the B58 engine is that it is direct injection.
You have to look at the full picture (all the other over-engineered systems especially electronics and extensive use of plastic) not just the engine (powertrain), and then if you plan to get a used one out of warranty - forget it, it will cost a lot of money when (not if) repairs are needed.
You are best minimizing your risk (and pocketbook) by just leasing a BMW and returning before the warranty expires. Even BMW expects most owners to lease their vehicles, hence they intentionally pile loads of tech into their vehicles and build them to get through the warranty period but beyond that all bets are off (again look at the whole picture not just the engine or transmission).
I agree with the leasing option if you really want to have a BMW; never buy one. We have a family friend who unfortunately just hates Japanese cars and we haven't had any luck to change his mind, so instead we convinced him to at least lease the BMWs which is what he has been doing for some years now. p.s. I think this is why he still likes BMW; because he returns it before he has to start paying for repairs.
