RA40

iTrader: (6)

Here is an article on a 500K mile E46.
http://www.bmwblog.com/2016/05/18/ce...viced-bmw-e46/

dseag2

My uncle, who owned a car dealership, always said "Miles don't hurt a car, age hurts a car". Some of the higher mileage cars are still reliable because they have been driven often and on the highway so parts are always moving and lubricated. That same car could have been owned for 15 years, sat in the garage for all of 20k of them, and parts would have gone bad.

KevinGS

I think so, only made possible because of my reliable Lexuses. An ES300 and GS430, rock solid.

Now I can cycle through some German cars until that thirst is quenched. Hoping for a Porsche next. But the M4 is sweeeeet in many ways, except the way it sounds....nothing sounds like a proper, well-tuned V8.

Aron9000

Depends on how you store a car and drive it to as if parts will start going bad due to age/lack of use. Store it in a temperature controlled garage with a slab, not in a dirt or gravel barn floor. Usually one that's attached to your house is temperature controlled enough, ie it never gets above 90ish or below freezing.

If you drive it once or twice a month for at least 20 miles each time, ie let everything get up to operating temperature, run it on the highway, rev the engine up a bit to keep carbon from building up, keep fresh gas in the car, do the proper maintenance, then your garage queen will still be minty fresh 15-20 years later. Now if you let it sit for 2-3 years and don't start it, that's where you have problems. Or storing the car outside, even under a cover you will have issues.

Coleroad

What makes a car that sits go bad, is not keeping the car in a good garage and maintenance. You need to treat it like it is driven daily. Still changing coolant, oil, differential fluid. Still starting and moving it often, with intermittent longer drives. Wash and wax it like you drive daily. Clean the interior, run the ac and heater when you run it. Mileage and age are not what makes a car good or bad. It is how it is maintained. All of my cars are low mileage for their age. None of them have had major problems. I have no problem taking any of them on a long trip. My jaguar is 16 years old. I drove it straight through from Michigan to Texas. No problem and no problem after. It just now turned over 92,000 miles.

jdigga99

My wife has a 2010 C300. It's been really solid, about 112k miles on it now. Have really only replaced the battery and the passenger seat (expensive but under warranty). Before that we had a 335i which was great. However battery died twice within a year ($350 each time) and then some sensor or something that was $1,100 right after the first dead battery (and the warranty ended). Before that the only thing that was replaced was the water pump under warranty. We didn't like that trend so we traded it in for the Benz. I had a 2004 Audi A4 3.0...loved that car but it had the worst transmission ever made...the CVT...I had constant issues out of that thing. The last being a complete transmission rebuild which was covered under extended warranty but only because i showed proof that i had the transmission flush done on schedule.

My experience shows that while German cars don't necessarily break all the time....when something does need fixing it is almost always expensive. All of that came into play when i was deciding on my GS.

dseag2

Thanks for bringing the thread back on track (although sorry to hear about your Audi issues).

bd5400

My last car was a BMW but with the warranty end date on the horizon, a recalled airbag that wouldn't be replaced for well over a year, and depreciation that was like a sinking stone, I decided it was time to say goodbye, for now. I only had one major issue while I owned it but I didn't want to deal with any headaches that weren't covered by the warranty.

I came to Lexus for the reliability because I figured there was nothing in their stable I'd enjoy driving as much as my BMW (which actually wasn't anything that special because it had xdrive). I thought about leasing an RC 350 but I couldn't get past the concave headlights and the DRLs, plus I wanted to buy a car to keep long term, so I went with a used GX 460. I only have one parking spot right now, and can't get another one, but if I can ever get a second spot I'd probably fill it with something fun again. I'd either get an older E92 and just deal with maintenance issues, a coupe version of the Jaguar XE if they ever make one, or just suck it up and get an RC 350 because I love the interior. Mercedes have largely never appealed to me and while I like the Audi S5, it has lost some of its appeal for whatever reason.

Side benefit: people are nicer to me in the GX than they ever were in my E92. I don't know if its the size, or the brand, but I have far fewer issues with people not letting me merge, trying to block me from changing lanes, or just all around being courteous.

Aron9000

^ Have you thought about a used Jag F-Type for a fun car in a couple of years? Jags depreciate like a falling stone, I'm sure you could swing it.

Fizzboy7

I'd put most Jags at the top of the list for the most trouble-prone vehicles. They are consistently problematic when new, and even worse once used.

dseag2

Probably because the S5 has been on the market for 9 years in the same configuration. Still a beautiful and great-driving car, but yes, even the most beautiful designs become familiar. There will be a brand new model introduced in Spring 2017. There are pics and videos out. Also, it is a very conservative refresh, but some areas (like the new front end) have not gotten the greatest responses. The new interior looks promising.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/car...no-thread.html

MattyG

It's true that people will criticize German styling at various times for being too understated. But there is a universal axiom about German cars. Their styling ages extremely well. You know when a German car is on the road. The reason it becomes familiar is that the competition starts imitating it.

An S5 is going to look good for years and years, as will the E92 - my personal coupe fave easily! A timeless well proportioned coupe that exudes athletic power and grace.

Other manufacturers have fits and resort to gimmicks that get short term attention and then it all fades away.

What stops a lot of car buyers with the Germans is pricing, and reliability after the warranty runs out.

bd5400

The new interior is nice (except for the center screen), but I, like others, did not like the new front end when it was first revealed. Particularly the hood and the lower bumper are my biggest issues. The lines on the hood don't fit the car, particularly because the overall look of the car is very close to the previous generation, and I really dislike the heavy use of chrome and black filler plastic on the lower bumper.

Aron9000

They're better than they used to be, but then again we've been saying that for years now

I'd say live a little, if its a second "toy" car, it gets more slack IMO. Plus there are alternatives to taking it to the dealer and getting hosed for overpriced repairs. Take it to an independent mechanic who knows Jags, or work on it yourself. There are forums like this one where you can read about common problems, how to fix them yourself or what to expect if you let a professional do the work.

patgilm

I have had at least one Lexus in my garage since 2003. I have always had Japanese cars (with the exception of the Viper) since I started driving. Since I just started leasing cars and my lease is up next month I have been looking at all kinds of cars and looking for something small to commute in. I narrowed it down to the IS350 F-Sport and the Audi S3. I test drove both twice and I really liked the S3 much better even though it is a little more and a little smaller. The interior and exterior is more plain looking but I thought it was way more fun to drive. Since I am leasing I don't care how much it costs to fix something but it does scare me a bit to have to make more trips to the dealer since I am used to going in for oil changes only with Lexus and not much else. i just don't have much time anymore. With that being said, I am ready to make the switch, I am tired of the same power plant/ powertrain in the Lexus over the last several years.