The Worst Mistake You Can Make Buying a BMW
BMWs are some of the coolest, most powerful, and most well-made cars on the market. Not only are they stylish, but many BMW models are also excellent cars for everyday driving. That said, before you or anyone else buys a BMW, there’s one big mistake you may have already made.
Research is critical to buying a BMW
As with making any major financial decision, research is essential. Research isn’t just important for the particular specs or trim you’re looking at, but you should also look at the hidden costs that dealerships probably don’t want you to know about before you sign on the dotted line. Unless you’re so rich that a brand-new BMW is worth the same pocket change, a car’s price is probably one of the most significant factors you’ll be looking at.
In terms of a car’s hidden price tag, many people may already be familiar with how its fuel economy can affect your wallet in the long run, but there are other costs as well. Depreciation is another hidden cost, and many cars will lose value quickly. This may ultimately hurt how much you can sell your vehicle for if you ever go down that route.
By far, the most relevant reason why every BMW fan needs to do more research on their potential new Beemer is repair costs. If you forget this research topic, then you’ve made the biggest mistake you could make.
BMWs have tons of obvious and hidden maintenance fees
According to Your Mechanic, BMWs are easily the most expensive car brand to maintain. It’s not even a close contest. BMW is ranked No. 1, with an average maintenance cost over 10 years of $17,800. At No. 2 is Mercedes-Benz, which has an average 10-year maintenance cost of $12,900. For comparison, Toyotas are well-known for not needing much maintenance, and as such, the average Toyota only costs $5,500 to maintain over 10 years.
This massive maintenance fee is not uncommon in German luxury cars. Audi is No. 5 with an average 10-year maintenance cost of $12,400. This is mainly because these luxury cars use expensive, high-end parts. When those parts break or need repairs, naturally, they’ll cost a lot of money to repair.
That said, despite being luxury cars, they also suffer from chronic issues. For example, Your Mechanic claims that the average BMW is four times more likely to not start than the average car. This put it at No. 7 overall. Additionally, for some reason, BMW’s window regulator needs a replacement 18 times more often than the average car needs one.
Used BMWs have plenty of problems too
While buying a used BMW may be a great way to get a cheap and powerful car, old Beemers may end up costing you more in the long run. An old BMW isn’t too different than a used car from any other automaker. It’s still probably going to have a lot of issues, but the difference is that you’ll probably have to pay a lot more to fix them.
Obviously, each used car is a roll of the dice, and there’s no guarantee that your used BMW will require massive repairs. However, if it does, then it will probably cost you a lot of money, and in some cases, it may cost you as much as you spent on purchasing the vehicle in the first place.
This is ultimately the risk of buying a BMW, as the brand’s repair costs are so high that the car may cost you a lot more than the sticker price said it would. That’s why research is vital when considering buying a new or used BMW.
