Should I Buy a BMW X4?

MoonlapseVertigo on 20/11/2018 - 13:45

Hi ladies and gents,

I'm after some opinions of BMW X4 drivers and BMW drivers in general - I am considering trading in my trustee Subaru from 2010 and upgrade to something with a little lux appeal after many years of a sporty 20 something vehicle.

Before you respond with token ozbargain comments like 'BMW = Badly Made Wobbler' OR any stereotypical comments, I'm after real world experience.

Have you owned a BMW before and how was your experience? Did you have issues across the life of the vehicle and vow never to purchase another?

Or was your experience positive and would see the cost and ownership experience similiar to a japanese vehicle, execept for the $1k battery and $2k headlight replacement costs, all else equal?

Poll Options

  • 15
    Yes, buy a BMW X4, it's worth it
  • 34
    No, they are lemon's and BMW is a poor quality vehicle
  • 11
    Don't know but good luck
Automotive BMW SUV

Comments

  • prisonmike on 20/11/2018 - 13:48
    +3

    Get a new or demo with warranty and paid annual servicing. That may help offset some cost in owning a beemer.

    • SlickMick on 21/11/2018 - 10:19
      +1

      Don't let free servicing affect your negotiated price. They have the best service interval of any make I've owned.
      … and despite what you hear, servicing a bmw is not more expensive than any other car. Replacing parts might be another matter.

      bmtw I didn't take poll, there is no option for great car, best finish I've experienced, but very disappointed with resale value.

  • dcep on 20/11/2018 - 13:54

    if you're going for the badge, might as well get the one below,

    https://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Porsche-Cayenne-…

    • [Deactivated] on 20/11/2018 - 14:23

      That model doesn't have PDLS+ so I will pass.

  • Ryanek on 20/11/2018 - 14:28
    +1

    Even just on looks alone I'd pass on the X4. I'd go the Audi Q5.

    • dcep on 20/11/2018 - 14:31
      +3

      prefer Q7 adblue + instant noodle

      • Ryanek on 20/11/2018 - 14:44

        Q7 is more of an X5 competitor though.

        • MoonlapseVertigo on 20/11/2018 - 14:47

          the X4 strikes me for some reason over the Audi.

          I'm just concerned of getting taken for a ride by BMW with any on going issues which Jap cars just don't seem to have

      • TheOtherLeft on 21/11/2018 - 07:41

        Are the instant noodles the only food you'll be able to afford after buying the Q7?

  • Colombian on 20/11/2018 - 14:49

    No, you should buy a Mercedes.

  • boomramada on 20/11/2018 - 14:54

    Nah, too small, go for BMW X5 or go home!

  • BrewerHaHa on 20/11/2018 - 14:55

    I don't have a BMW but my coworker sitting behind me has a Mini (owned by BMW) and it's been damn terrible for him. His sunroof wouldn't close and the car got flooded when it rained. It's a very low KM car and repairs to it are quite expensive. He had the sunroof closed because a repair was so expensive but plans on repairing it later.
    I think there have been other problems but can't think of them right now but yea, not a great experience for him.

    • resisting the urge on 20/11/2018 - 16:10
      +2

      BMWs have a manual roof winder on the motor drive that you can access by popping off the access panel. All of mine have had a matching allen key in the toolkit, for exactly this circumstance. It rains in Europe 50% of the time, after all.

      BMW Mini will be no exception- indeed here is the procedure (skip to the end tho) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXpOo8B41SI

      And FYI, the roofs are top-of-the-line Hollandias, used in most euro cars. They aren't hard or often costly to fix- but how much someone charges you ina city workshop is another thing of course

      Even 30 year old ones work just fine- so long as you keep them clean (the runners just need careful cleaning and re-lubricating with dry silicone spray) and don't store your car under trees where the drains will clog with organic matter in no time causing leaks down the pillars that you can't see, they are fine to have. Often the first you notice is a certain dampness inside, or a musty, mouldy smell on a warm day emanating from the carpet.

      But sunroofs are seldom worth buying as they weigh more than a sheet of metal and few ever really use them- In Oz, all you get is hot, cold or if less lucky, skin cancer.

      Minis are not a car you should buy for reliability anyhow, they are more about fashion and 'fun', not that he is having any. If I had one I'd expect a lot of ongoing care.

      BTW: You forgot these poll options:
      1. Modern BMWs are just as bad as most other new cars (designed obsolescence, lots of parts designed to break in normal use- generate repair revenue, etc.)
      2. This is just another carbon-gurgling SUV; designed by market researchers and bought by people that give little to no consideration about the most important aspects a vehicle needs needs to avoid collisions, be economical, reliable and easy to maintain

      • BrewerHaHa on 20/11/2018 - 16:49

        Why hi there. My coworker had a look at a lot of different repair videos and said that none of the videos applied to his specific issue and nothing could tell him how to close his roof. Anyway it's closed so it's not a huge issue anymore.

        Anyway you have other points but they're not for me to care about because I don't own a Mini (thank goodness).

        Anyway I've never owned a BMW, a friend does (not the X4) and has no issues with it.

        • resisting the urge on 20/11/2018 - 19:18

          An X car is not a traditional BMW. An X car might be the only SUV that is nice to drive, but if its not the S62/4.7 one why bother. And if it was, you'd be up for a lot of maintenance. Road rocket it may be, but w 300mm tyres, constant wear, you'll be spending big money on maintenance.

          You can buy a M140i and enjoy life- as well as what a BMW is all about, for half as much. And the sunroof is optional, IIRC

  • mini2 on 20/11/2018 - 15:07

    If in doubt, don't buy one. Imagine something goes pop and your missus/parents/friends/OzB will be like "I told you so"…

  • wannagrababargain on 20/11/2018 - 15:25
    +3

    While I personally don't get the appeal and price premium of a coupe/SUV crossover, in general BMWs are sensibly engineered cars. Don't know where you got the "$2k headlight" idea from. Historically BMWs that had halogen headlights were as easy to replace as any other car with standard bulbs, and now that BMW is in the LED era it's a non-issue because LEDs are so reliable anyway. Batteries are a large AGM unit to support stop/start features and all the gizmos on board, generally $500-$700 to replace at dealer prices but again with battery management techniques used in the cars now the OEM fit battery won't show issues until the 8-10 year old mark.

    Basic fixed price service costs are comparable to the likes of Mazda and Subaru. Where the cost of ownership will hit you is in the above average consumption of fuel, tyres, brake pads and brake rotors (ie the non fixed-price servicing costs). The 6 cylinder cars will add more to all of those cost components abve the 4 cyl cars, but these days you need to go pretty high up in the range to get a 6 cyl.

  • rockytauhid on 20/11/2018 - 15:45

    I have an X3 and planning to buy a Subaru SUV next year. In general, maintenances are expensive and the resale value is really poor. On the other hand, drives excellent, fuel economy is great, and looks stylish.

    • SlickMick on 21/11/2018 - 10:29
      +2

      lol I'm driving a Subaru SUV atm after a BMW 320D. You aren't going to enjoy it - just keep reminding yourself how much you're saving :)

      and I found bmw maintenance to be no more expensive than any other car I've owned - you just need to find a good independent repairer.

      I agree with the rest of your assessment - great car, excellent economy, but resale value sucks. I think older cars need parts replaced and so older BMWs probably become expensive to own. I had my share of replacing components in it's later years, and eventually sold it unregistered rather than fix the headlight failure.

  • mskeggs on 20/11/2018 - 17:17
    +1

    Everyone else has skipped it, so let me be the one.
    Depreciation on new cars, especially luxury cars, is very high.
    You can do many, many things that bring more pleasure than a ride in a BMW for the money you will save with a financially sensible car.

  • NancyCat on 20/11/2018 - 17:28
    +2

    Secondhand/demo/near-new X5 or X3. Not X4/X6.

    • FTTNope on 20/11/2018 - 18:20
      +2

      Agreed. Everything in the X4/X6 style is awful

      • [Deactivated] on 20/11/2018 - 22:33
        +2

        Subjective.
        I'd rather the X6 out if the lot, reminds me of the Warthog from Halo

        • FTTNope on 20/11/2018 - 23:28
          +2

          Probably doesn't help that there's a badly modified X6 that lives near me, but the proportions of all such sedan-SUVs are terrible to my eyes

    • SlickMick on 21/11/2018 - 10:35
      +1

      tbh I don't know the x4 (or x6). I was only weighing up between x3 and x5. I was surprised x3 had features x5 didn't, like auto opening tailgate.

      for the record, I'm going Kia Sorento. I was surprised that it's nearly as expensive, but it includes everything (except auto high beam and auto wipers!!??). 7 year warranty was the clincher. I'm really surprised other manufacturers allow Kia to do this unchallenged.

  • Godric on 20/11/2018 - 18:13
    -1

    Sure

  • starburstyellow on 20/11/2018 - 18:48
    +1

    But you dont work at Westpac though?

    On a serious note, if you did buy new, consider: http://www.melbournebmw.com.au/com/en/corporateprogramme/log…

    IMO, the X4/X6 styling as others have said is awful. the X3/X5 looks way better.

  • MoonlapseVertigo on 20/11/2018 - 19:27

    Thanks to all who contributed. Some great insights here. Anyone have any thoughts on Lexus as an alternative??

    • BrewerHaHa on 21/11/2018 - 09:31
      +1

      Glorified Toyota but it's comfortable. Every Lexus I've been in has been nice to sit in. It's quiet because they use a fair bit of sound dampening but it makes it heavier meaning worse fuel efficiency.
      Replacement parts will be cheaper because they would be shipped from Asia but ongoing cost is still probably going to be a fair bit.
      I personally have little experience with Lexus but I haven't heard any bad things about them from friends who have owned them in the past (even though that's very few friends)

  • btech on 21/11/2018 - 12:04
    +3

    I'll add my 2c with my experience. I should probably hand in my Ozbargain card, but I have owned all of the German 3, including a BMW (an X1). The BMW was the only car I never had a single problem with. It was 100% rock solid. I had the corporate programme so I didn't pay for the servicing, but I drove it about 65000km and the brake pads still had about 4000km on them according to the computer so other than a set of tyres I didn't spend a cent even on consumables.

    I will say that out of all of the cars I've owned, it was the most "boring" but that's probably down to the fact that I went for the X1 and a diesel one at that so it was the least sporty car I had owned. In the end, my only issue was that the X1 was too small really - about the interior space of a Corolla, so it wasn't great as a family "wagon". But that's not the model you're looking at anyway.

    But, and it is a BIG but, the depreciation on it was an absolute killer. From that point of view it was by far the worst car I had ever owned. In the 4 years it lost 62.5% of it's original purchase price (and that doesn't include the fact that I saved a decent amount on the purchase). So be mindful that even amongst the luxury brands I had owned I had by far lost the most on the BMW. Surprisingly, the fact that it did not have a sunroof (it had a large amount of other extras) was a big issue for a lot of the potential buyers. I guess when you're after a second hand BMW you want it to have all the kit.

    Finally, another big lesson to learn: You will lose pretty much all the money you spend on extras, especially for a car like the BMW that you can option with a bazillion combinations. IMHO you're better off with buying a model up in the range than optioning up a lower spec car with just the extras you want. When you end up putting it up on carsales or whatever, people will compare an xDrive20d against an xDrive20d and not the extras against extras.

    Finally, from a pure financial perspective the best car I ever owned was a Toyota Corolla (base model). Bought it for 22k, sold it for 13.5k 4 years later. Depreciation of 38.6%. Running costs practically zero. Amazing. But it was no BMW.

    However, I think for a lot of people money isn't the prime consideration when people buy cars. It's more often than not an emotional purchase. (Can I even say that on Ozbargain?) So yes, understandably most people are commenting about the financial sensibility of buying a BMW (or any other luxury car) on this forum, but the enjoyment you might get out of it could be worth the cost. You just have to be clear on whether it is to you.

    Hope that helps somewhat.

    Edit: sorry for the essay

    • MoonlapseVertigo on 21/11/2018 - 13:37

      thanks @btech - this is exactly the real world experience i was after. Depreciation is killer as you mentioned - and it's a bit odd that i'm asking members of a bargain website if I should consider buying a BMW. If money was not a consideration then all else equal, it seems a fairly well made machine.

      Thanks for your valuable insight

  • khomeini on 25/11/2018 - 23:16
    +1

    Wife's a BMW X1 owner. We purchased it as a demo and have not had any major issues with it whatsoever.

    It's all going strong after 4yrs and 120+k later with fuel economy at about 5l (roughly 1000 on a full tank or more sometimes).

    Yes depreciation is higher than other makes but if you buy used/demo it will be better. Also get a good German specialist mechanic and prices will be okay (higher than Jap makes but not exorbitant).

    Also wife recently had someone rearend her and the old RAV4 was written off whilst the bottom of the rear bar needed changing on the X1. Overall quality car.

    I'm also partial to the looks of the X4 and X6. Cars are always fun to look for so happy hunting :)

  • MoonlapseVertigo on 26/11/2018 - 12:27

    thanks mate. Thats great. I've also heard of accidents with euro cars and the euro car seems to come out with nearly no damage. This is another selling point.

  • MoonlapseVertigo on 29/11/2018 - 11:47

    I still want to buy one. I'm also now considering the 2019 3 Series BMW - it looks great and updated

    • greatlamp on 02/12/2018 - 14:47

      The 320d is an excellent all rounder, I am not a fan of the 320i, it is underpowered IMO.

      In my experience BMWs have above average reliability, and are a much better built car than a ford or a mazda.

      The reputation for being unreliable seems to come from them being expensive to fix, not because they require fixing often. It seems that the most vocal about the poor reputation have never owned a european car. All Europen cars are expensive to fix in Australia, but not all are built well.

      A friend of mine had to replace a radiator in his 320. $700 used or $1200 new, plus labour.

      A radiator in a ford falcon (of the same age) will cost you about $250 plus labour brand new. However the ford radiator will not last anywhere near as long as the BMW one, which is obvious when you put the 2 next to each other.

      A Mercedes is going to be better built than a BMW, their current models are more reliable than Toyota, I would recommend also having a look at them.

      I cannot say the same for VW/Audi, probably about the same as BMW in reliability. Fiat is trash.

  • tunzafun001 on 04/12/2018 - 00:07

    Tried an electric Phev? After driving one for 2 months watching people in crawling traffic just idling there precious petrol away you quickly realise how old / ridiculous a petrol engine is. no gears, super smooth. Will be great when mitsi gets some competition.

    • whooah1979 on 03/02/2019 - 11:52

      Op is looking for a luxury vehicle. A Mitsubishi is on the other side of the luxury scale.

  • UTEtv on 03/02/2019 - 11:16

    All do it votes come from independent BMW repairers.

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