I know this might be a stupid question, but are the bmw 3 and 5 series any good in terms of reliability and cost of ownership. I am looking to buy a used one. My budget is 30k. I have been looking at some bmw's 3 series and 5 series. 340i to be exact and the 540. I have also looked at genesis and infiniti. The one that caught my attention the most was a 2016 lexus is 300 withj 13,000km(awd) for $27k. I am looking to buy a sportyish sedan that handles ok in the snow with snow tires as I live in Canada. My current daily driver and only car is a 2012 ford 150 with the 6 cylinder engine which I would drive if the roads are in really bad conditions or to tow stuff during the summer. Are there any vehicles anyone would recommend in that price range? Sporty/luxury sedans like the bmw 3 and 5 series or the lexus is 300 that would not cost me a fortune to maintain and that will last me for about 4/5 years.
of course not they're money pits. Scotty says it all the time.
The only two brands I would consider for sporty luxury would be Acura and Lexus.
Acura ILX
Acura Integra (ideally Type S, if not then A Spec)
Lexus IS
A few other Acura and Lexus would fit the bill but these are the most affordable.
If long term total cost of ownership didn’t matter, I’d get a BMW in a heart beat. I love the way they feel and I am partial to their inline 6 engines.
Yes, I would agree. Lexus and Acura are the way to go in terms of reliability. I had some buddies tell me that their series 3 and 5 were pretty reliable but I am not too sure about that. I agree with you if the cost of depreciation and maintenance was not an issue i'd get a bmw as well.
I know from first hand experience about maintaining a BMW. I spent 4 years maintaining an older BMW X5. And in that 4 years, I spent more money maintaining the BMW than in 20+ years of owning my Honda Accord. I loved the BMW, but it was definitely a money pit.
If you are not an exotic/German car guru like The Car Wizard or LegitStreetCars (and can do all the troubleshooting, sourcing of parts, and repairs yourself) then forget about owning any German vehicle outside of a nice warranty. It’s just not worth it for the rest of us.
not cost me a fortune to maintain and that will last me for about 4/5 years
For this specific case, pretty much anything that’s low mileage AND passes a thorough pre-purchase inspection.
As the others have already said, your best bet would be the Lexus.
Since you see a lot of snow, also test drive some Imprezas..
