Usually I just don't put much weight into what these guys write/say. I find it to be confusing as to what they're looking for, or what they value at any given moment...sometimes I wonder if the fix is in...like are they getting something from certain manufacturers, and are they just sometimes looking for that surprise element to sell magazines? Sometimes the performance aspect takes a back seat to ride feel and comfort. I've seen them gush over Mazda's several times...they love that brand's "feel" and innovation. They fell in love with Honda for years, it seemed like they could do no wrong for decades. Lexus had their run. BMW has always been a favorite. Mercedes and Audi has had their moments. And of course some new models briefly steal the show from Caddy and even Lincoln. But never is reliability taken into account. And I find that brands/cars that haven't changed much (like the LS460) will do terrible. Refreshs and little updates are a waste of time when it comes to car reviews from the major magazines. It's all about new, excitement, glamor....and then the next car comes along. Meanwhile half these cars are sitting in the shop at that point, with no idea how to fix them, as factory reps look on and customers are planted in rental cars trying to get out of the brand.

 

If I want to buy a car that will fall apart and need a million repairs 5 or 10 years down the road, at least it should be cheap up front, like a $25K Chrysler. At least that a fair trade off (sort of).
But to spend megabucks for a Eurocar AND end up with big repair bills at 50,000 miles adds insult to injury. My 2 cents.

I'm kind of amazed at these reports here of someone's Lexus with just a handful of repairs after 6-figure odometer values. Well, time will tell with mine but I'm hoping I follow in these footsteps.

 

Well the car in question came in today...80,000 miles and the thing is leaking like a sieve.
It's actually tough to pinpoint where the leaks are coming from because it leaks as much oil as coolant. But water pump for sure...valve cover, oil pressure switch and at least two more oil leaks.
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WHO's car is this? Yours? This looks like the underside of a BMW....

 

No it's not the underside of my car! Lol, my LS460 is bone dry with 155,000 miles on it.

This is is the BMW that my boss bought, it's a 335i with 80,000 miles on it. He brought it in because it was "leaking something".

I'm pretty sure it's a water pump, but it's hard to tell because the water pump is buried underneath and it's hard to get a good look at it. After some research I've discovered that BMW uses an electric water pump and they are prone to failure at 40-50k. But the coolant isn't his only issue, the thing is leaking oil from a number of places.

So this is the actual car that I started the thread about a month or two ago.

 

roger that. I thought so. When it comes to BMW and theres a leak, it could be ANYTHING! Why? Because EVERYTHING leaks on a BMW. For my 7 series, it was valve covers and other seals when it leaked oil. For coolant, it was the coolant tube buried in the engine, requiring a tear down of the upper engine, or a water pump, or a myriad of other spots. Then there was the transmission leaks..... all before 50k miles. Then there was the BURING of oil due to valve guides at 50k miles, requiring a 7-10k dollar rebuild. Oh....and the carbon build up in the engine. Disaster.

 

OMG, I was very close to buying a new 740iL about 8 years ago. Even my Benz S430 didn't have anywhere near those types of problems.

 

The 740 was a better car than my 745i was.... marginally. But the 745 and 750 and 760 are lemons. My local indy BMW shop called them "disposable" and urged me to get rid of it. He made a hefty living off of those cars.

 

Somehow that's even more disturbing, that different sub-models within the same series could be so significantly different. But, as usual, I will say that Beemers sure drove like they were an extension of my own body and I would have one if not for these types of issues. (At the time, I still wanted all wheel drive, and X-drive wasn't around yet, and that's why I didn't get one.)

Driving a car is a matter of trust and faith; your life depends upon it.

 

The first few minutes is Australian-market specific, but he gives a very interesting breakdown of auto journalism starting at 7:33

 

My last several cars were BMWs and a few years ago I purchased a new 335i coupe/6speed. It was a fantastic car, but I always dumped them right before the warranty ran out. I knew many higher mileage guys with rebuilt turbos, rebuilt transmissions, etc.