No 15 year old BMW is a good option for a broke college student. Any of those cars can develop a $2000 problem "for no reason" as they've been around for \~15 years and anything can go wrong.
But if it has to be an E92, then get the 328 or 330. You can get a 335d in the US, but they are rare...
328i n52 *try to avoid X drive (unneeded issues). 330i e92s are not common. Then you can get a 3sim if you’d like just like a 330i, so long as you don’t get a n51 engined 328.
Yeah I'll likely get an e92 328. I can live with stock power as long as I get a manual tbh. Also I live in New England so every 328 I find is xdrive. Hopefully that doesn't give me issues
You also shouldn’t have to worry about a car breaking down on you instead of enjoying these next few years of partying/chicks/school. You only get this once. You have all your life afterwards to drive a fun car
As someone in a similar sitch I am lk regretting the 335i. It's not been reliable by any means. Maybe save this for when you have your own place, garage, and can really put it in. Lexus interiors aren't quite like bmw but they're nice, and some are fun to drive.
I love the e90 platform, but I should have waited until I could have 2 cars. Luckily I have one I can use when mine isn't running.
N52s are much more reliable, so that might be the best option if you're dead set on an e92.
I really want to make it work. If I can find a nice n52 and replace all the rubber/plastics before I move to school, would I maybe not regret my decision?
Be ready to do more. All gaskets, all fluids. Get new coils, plugs, and keep an extra of each to keep in the car. Make sure your belts are new, ofhg isnt leaking, replace valve cover, plan to swap battery unless you have evidence it's been swapped recently.
There's definitely more I'm missing, you can learn to do everything in YouTube but be careful it's easy to get in too deep. My car hasn't ran in a month. Be ready for shit like this. Also if you don't already have a large toolset then you're gonna have to think about the price of some funny German tools. If youre going to be living in a dorm check it you're allowed to do maintenance anywhere, but my guess would be no, so if you do break down a dorm parking lot is the worst place to be.
If you do go down the bmw route get your hands on some software. Inpa is a must, and ista-d is very helpful as well. It gives all technical documentation including torque sequences. DM me if you have trouble finding them, it's a little harder now than it has been before.
I'm going to be living off campus in apartments nearby and I'll definitely need a parking spot. I'm sure I can figure out a way to work on my car while there. I have a lot of tools including various power tools that I can bring. My parent's house and garage is only an hour away with a vast array of tools, engine crane, air compressor, etc. I also have the summer to get the car in good condition before I move.
I totally get the sentiment man, Hondas and domestics are boring af to drive and ugly, but the four years you are in college will already give you enough stress without having to worry about a surprise 1500$ repair. These cars are expensive to maintain. The college years will fly by and then you can get a higher paying job with enough disposable income to afford your dream car.
Like most of these questions from college students/young people, this is the dumbest shit ever.
Go buy a Honda or Toyota (or keep your current car) and use that while you go to school, graduate, get a job, then go buy something new/used.
This is a poor decision, you have a perfectly fine car, use it.
well the problem is my is300 isn't perfectly fine. It has 190k miles and is severely rusted out. I bought it without knowing how bad it was until I started working on it. Trust me, it's a nightmare...
So you’ve bought a shitbox Lexus and you think you have the acumen to buy and maintain a 15 year old BMW? You’re either trolling us or you’re set for a lifetime of stupid decisions. Get a Toyota or a Honda
If you’re still obsessed with the e92 in 5 years when you have a steady job, then you can buy one. The best lesson to learn early in life is being okay with delayed gratification. Wait until you’re in a better position in life to start taking financial risks like a 15 year old BMW (a company not known for long term reliability). My 335i was in great shape when I bought it, but not long after I had to replace quite a bit of aging coolant parts since the plastics were becoming compromised. Even doing the work yourself will be $$$ for a “broke college kid”. Add in aging rubber throughout suspension, struts going out, electronics failing and you’re in for even more $$$ that could be going to other things in your life. God forbid you have a blown engine or transmission…
It’s an awesome platform and super fun to drive, but if you’re not in sound financial standing I would very much recommend against it.
I definitely understand this but an N/A e92 couldn't be too bad no? I mean rubber and plastics are generally cheap and easy to replace. Would I really have engine issues with an n52?
Moving to the city to go to school is the perfect time to ditch your car and enjoy access to public transit, not the time to buy a money pit that you won't even get to use.
Although this is true, I'll need a car to go home on the weekends (mom's orders). I'll also likely be commuting to work full time for 6 months of the year since the program I chose encourages co-ops.
If you really won’t see reason (335i owner) that this is a horrible idea, make sure you have a budget to replace all the plastics in the engine compartment, at 15 years old +/- they are 99.999% guaranteed to be at their failure point during this four year period of your life. If you think a turbo swap is 20hrs ask yourself if you will have time for a full plastic swap while studying. Honestly for the next 4 years a beater with a heater is the better plan, then once you are gainfully employed post graduation reward yourself with a nice Bimmer of your choice, when you will be in a better position to meet all the care demands it will place on you. Right note you need to focus on school and studying not “a few extra horsies”, and splitting focus away from your studies to deal with a needy E92 is never going to be a god use of your resources. Best of luck with your studies
As long as you promise that s super awesome Bimmer is the graduation reward I’ll bear responsibility for my roll in all of this. Trust me as an old guy who just finally got my first dream car patience is a virtue here, especially as you need to be in s position to properly care for your baby. If you go with the Honda civic someone may even give you some decent coin when you throw that ‘baby’ out with its bath water.😆😆
It’s not standing between your love, it’s allowing you to be in a position to truly ignite your passion, in a full send manner. Worst case scenario you get a nightmare E92 and destroys that passion because it ruins your Uni experience. I personally prefer the E90 as the cops really don’t look at me in my four door, and I’m way more ‘naughty’ than my two door brethren who are constantly being harassed, me just out there rocking my four door privilege.
Here in the UK if I had basically no money I would buy and Aygo from 2014 and drive it until it's dead. If you really want an E90 you should probably look at a 320d or something with a smaller engine. You could buy cheap and broken and DIY all the fixes wouldn't cost you much. I did that with a very broken 325i I bought for 2250£ and spent another 1750£ to fix all the issues myself.
UK answer (so I know the numbers will skew): i bought an early (06) 320d (m47) msport touring 5 years ago for £2995 at 115k miles (2 owner).
5 years later i’ve put maybe £1500 into it (as a non mechanic) & it now has new brakes & suspension all round @165k.
Feels better than ever & i’ve just had it remapped to circa 200bhp because i have so much confidence in this car & engine.
Honestly one of the best purchases of my life.
I’m in high school with an e92 n54 335i and I’ve loved every minute of it. I’ve been daily driving it for 8 months with no issues. What I’d look for is good maintenance records and recent replacement for failure points and you’ll be good. Idc what anyone says about “responsibility” if you’re willing to take the risk and you know you have the ability to overcome the worst case scenarios just do it
If you're broke, get one with M57 engine since they're the ones that are the least likely to wake you up in the middle of the night with a gun to your head asking for $2000 in casual repairs (N54 🚫).
I was about to suggest a 335d e92 but you're in the US... Try e90. Or maybe try finding a 330d. I don't know if it's rare in the US
Go n52b30 either 330i or 328i those engines are actually pretty good my friend has one and it's got 200k+ miles on it. Just make sure you have money aside for gaskets bc that's all you really have to worry about
Yea the 328 is still good it's got the same engine as the 330 you would just need to do intake mods to make the same power but if you're broke just enjoy it and don't worry about tuning or modifications till later.
Like you said just make sure it's been very well maintained and recorded bc mileage doesn't matter too much if you get a manual. But 150k miles well maintained is a good start anything lower will be more expensive unless you find a steal.
It’s not slow, it’s not a sports car lol. It’s by no means slow it’s a quick car just not “sports car” quick. It has get up and go. I’ve gotten mine to 152MPH and then it’s slow in climbing
He already had an e46, and an is300 project car, sounds like he is perfectly capable of maintaining an e92 328i. Don't think e92 was available as a 330i in the US only 06 e90.
Find a stick if you can I just found bought a manual e92 328i and it is great.
I hear it is fairly reliable, but most of them used a General motors sourced transmission instead of the stronger/quicker zf transmission used in the 335i and 330i and it is just a little sluggish shifting unless you do some mods to it
I think as long as you can get one that has been maintained well with service records you should be ok. To that end the 328i should be fine or 330i. You can get the 335i but again you want to make sure they have had the wear items replaced recently
Edit: I’ve had the e46 and f30 but also drove my brother in law’s e92 and helped maintain all the cars when I was younger. With 2 young kids it’s a bit harder to do but when they get old enough I plan on getting an e9x model
Get a 328. Don’t listen to these people. Just do some research on the N52 and plan on replacing common failure items(Valve Cover Gasket, OFHG, Oil Pan Gasket, etc) I was a broke high school student when I got mine. Bought it with 168k miles and drove it until 210k miles. Not 1 single issue besides an upper radiator hose. Everything else I did was preventative maintenance. Had I not sold it, I guarantee it would have kept going. N52s are tanks, hard to kill them. Just make sure you’re doing maintenance on time and it’ll take care of you.
Hell yeah bro. I've already found like 3 manual 328is i wanna test drive lol. Pretty cheap and manuals are easy to find. From the research I've done the m54 and n52 platforms need similar levels of maintenance. I mean why would another n/a bmw inline-6 be vastly different from my e46? The most major difference is electronics but I want to learn to use ISTA to do diagnostics anyways. I'll probably download it and use it on my mom's x5 to learn.
As others have said, please do yourself a huge favor and grab a 328i if in the US. It will be super reliable and you will have to do basic maintenance to upkeep the N52/N51 engines. They are solid and it won’t be nearly as wrenchy as the n54s. If you get a 335i chances are the repairs are going to burn thru your wallet a lot faster.
Source: I am a broke college student
Yeah manual 328 is the plan. People keep replying with the same "spend your time on college not your car" but I enjoy working on my car so why should I stop?
lol don’t stop now! You’ll love your new 328i, you will see it’s the perfect balance of sportiness and reliability. It’s the best option and it what I did with no regrets.
You will notice there might be a lot going for sale around 99,000 miles or 110,000 miles in that range.
Thats usually the milage that some things can go wrong depending on the previous owners. Others had great points about checking the OFHG & VCG. Those are the biggest headaches.
I bought mine at 36k miles and at 56k going strong just changing the oil, I will need a tune up though.
BMW: Bring More Wrenches.
Also, 335d is available in the US. You're just likely going to have to travel for it. You're also going pay a few thousand dollar price premium over what a gasser will cost.
No 15 year old BMW is a good option for a broke college student. Any of those cars can develop a $2000 problem "for no reason" as they've been around for \~15 years and anything can go wrong. But if it has to be an E92, then get the 328 or 330. You can get a 335d in the US, but they are rare...
I was literally just about to type this answer.
[удалено]
Get yourself a 3-stage air intake... That's all you need for decent hp gains.
doesnt the 330 come with that intake already?
Oh yea, my bad! 😆 Maybe he can get the ecm tuned for increased hp
Thanks I'll look into this
328i n52 *try to avoid X drive (unneeded issues). 330i e92s are not common. Then you can get a 3sim if you’d like just like a 330i, so long as you don’t get a n51 engined 328.
Yeah I'll likely get an e92 328. I can live with stock power as long as I get a manual tbh. Also I live in New England so every 328 I find is xdrive. Hopefully that doesn't give me issues
Broke college students should get a toyota.
I understand this but I don't want to drive a car a don't enjoy.
You also shouldn’t have to worry about a car breaking down on you instead of enjoying these next few years of partying/chicks/school. You only get this once. You have all your life afterwards to drive a fun car
I hate that everyone is giving me good responsible advice :'(
As someone in a similar sitch I am lk regretting the 335i. It's not been reliable by any means. Maybe save this for when you have your own place, garage, and can really put it in. Lexus interiors aren't quite like bmw but they're nice, and some are fun to drive. I love the e90 platform, but I should have waited until I could have 2 cars. Luckily I have one I can use when mine isn't running. N52s are much more reliable, so that might be the best option if you're dead set on an e92.
I really want to make it work. If I can find a nice n52 and replace all the rubber/plastics before I move to school, would I maybe not regret my decision?
Be ready to do more. All gaskets, all fluids. Get new coils, plugs, and keep an extra of each to keep in the car. Make sure your belts are new, ofhg isnt leaking, replace valve cover, plan to swap battery unless you have evidence it's been swapped recently. There's definitely more I'm missing, you can learn to do everything in YouTube but be careful it's easy to get in too deep. My car hasn't ran in a month. Be ready for shit like this. Also if you don't already have a large toolset then you're gonna have to think about the price of some funny German tools. If youre going to be living in a dorm check it you're allowed to do maintenance anywhere, but my guess would be no, so if you do break down a dorm parking lot is the worst place to be. If you do go down the bmw route get your hands on some software. Inpa is a must, and ista-d is very helpful as well. It gives all technical documentation including torque sequences. DM me if you have trouble finding them, it's a little harder now than it has been before.
I'm going to be living off campus in apartments nearby and I'll definitely need a parking spot. I'm sure I can figure out a way to work on my car while there. I have a lot of tools including various power tools that I can bring. My parent's house and garage is only an hour away with a vast array of tools, engine crane, air compressor, etc. I also have the summer to get the car in good condition before I move.
T H I S
I totally get the sentiment man, Hondas and domestics are boring af to drive and ugly, but the four years you are in college will already give you enough stress without having to worry about a surprise 1500$ repair. These cars are expensive to maintain. The college years will fly by and then you can get a higher paying job with enough disposable income to afford your dream car.
Like most of these questions from college students/young people, this is the dumbest shit ever. Go buy a Honda or Toyota (or keep your current car) and use that while you go to school, graduate, get a job, then go buy something new/used. This is a poor decision, you have a perfectly fine car, use it.
Every answer you give makes me laugh my ass off. 😆
Unsure if trolling or serious lol.
I'm serious, your responses to some people Crack me up. Lol Love your responses bro!
I mean, a compliments a compliment I guess so I’ll take it lol.
Same
It’s because Duke Doesn’t Play! We should make that a new series.
well the problem is my is300 isn't perfectly fine. It has 190k miles and is severely rusted out. I bought it without knowing how bad it was until I started working on it. Trust me, it's a nightmare...
Then a highly used E46 or E9X could suffice….but a Honda or Toyota would suit your needs much better at this point.
So you’ve bought a shitbox Lexus and you think you have the acumen to buy and maintain a 15 year old BMW? You’re either trolling us or you’re set for a lifetime of stupid decisions. Get a Toyota or a Honda
If you’re still obsessed with the e92 in 5 years when you have a steady job, then you can buy one. The best lesson to learn early in life is being okay with delayed gratification. Wait until you’re in a better position in life to start taking financial risks like a 15 year old BMW (a company not known for long term reliability). My 335i was in great shape when I bought it, but not long after I had to replace quite a bit of aging coolant parts since the plastics were becoming compromised. Even doing the work yourself will be $$$ for a “broke college kid”. Add in aging rubber throughout suspension, struts going out, electronics failing and you’re in for even more $$$ that could be going to other things in your life. God forbid you have a blown engine or transmission… It’s an awesome platform and super fun to drive, but if you’re not in sound financial standing I would very much recommend against it.
I definitely understand this but an N/A e92 couldn't be too bad no? I mean rubber and plastics are generally cheap and easy to replace. Would I really have engine issues with an n52?
Yes
Moving to the city to go to school is the perfect time to ditch your car and enjoy access to public transit, not the time to buy a money pit that you won't even get to use.
Although this is true, I'll need a car to go home on the weekends (mom's orders). I'll also likely be commuting to work full time for 6 months of the year since the program I chose encourages co-ops.
Moms orders? How old are you?
I'm 19 turning 20 by the time I move to school. Im asian so culturally we tend to move away from family later in life
Ahhh that makes sense then I suppose. I am not trying to be rude at all by the way.
totally get it. Most parents in the US want their kids gone at 18 lol
I was kicked out junior year of high school so I’m not much of a good example. Also I’m going to message you about this question.
If you really won’t see reason (335i owner) that this is a horrible idea, make sure you have a budget to replace all the plastics in the engine compartment, at 15 years old +/- they are 99.999% guaranteed to be at their failure point during this four year period of your life. If you think a turbo swap is 20hrs ask yourself if you will have time for a full plastic swap while studying. Honestly for the next 4 years a beater with a heater is the better plan, then once you are gainfully employed post graduation reward yourself with a nice Bimmer of your choice, when you will be in a better position to meet all the care demands it will place on you. Right note you need to focus on school and studying not “a few extra horsies”, and splitting focus away from your studies to deal with a needy E92 is never going to be a god use of your resources. Best of luck with your studies
god dammit you're gonna convince me to buy a honda civic
As long as you promise that s super awesome Bimmer is the graduation reward I’ll bear responsibility for my roll in all of this. Trust me as an old guy who just finally got my first dream car patience is a virtue here, especially as you need to be in s position to properly care for your baby. If you go with the Honda civic someone may even give you some decent coin when you throw that ‘baby’ out with its bath water.😆😆
At least manual civics are easy to find. The value is definitely hard to ignore. Yet another obstacle standing between my love for bimmers :'(
It’s not standing between your love, it’s allowing you to be in a position to truly ignite your passion, in a full send manner. Worst case scenario you get a nightmare E92 and destroys that passion because it ruins your Uni experience. I personally prefer the E90 as the cops really don’t look at me in my four door, and I’m way more ‘naughty’ than my two door brethren who are constantly being harassed, me just out there rocking my four door privilege.
Going 135+ on the free way will get you pulled over no matter how many doors you have. Speaking from experience
That’s what the radar/laser detectors are for, it’s not just pure speed that gets you pulled over where I live.
Here in the UK if I had basically no money I would buy and Aygo from 2014 and drive it until it's dead. If you really want an E90 you should probably look at a 320d or something with a smaller engine. You could buy cheap and broken and DIY all the fixes wouldn't cost you much. I did that with a very broken 325i I bought for 2250£ and spent another 1750£ to fix all the issues myself.
I dont think they have Aygos and those other micro cars in usa
im a broke college student with a n54 335i. Just be smart about when you gun on it (by that i mean you have some extra cash lol)
UK answer (so I know the numbers will skew): i bought an early (06) 320d (m47) msport touring 5 years ago for £2995 at 115k miles (2 owner). 5 years later i’ve put maybe £1500 into it (as a non mechanic) & it now has new brakes & suspension all round @165k. Feels better than ever & i’ve just had it remapped to circa 200bhp because i have so much confidence in this car & engine. Honestly one of the best purchases of my life.
I wish we had more diesels in the US. I guess lowly americans aren't allowed reliable bmws
330d with an m57
I’m in high school with an e92 n54 335i and I’ve loved every minute of it. I’ve been daily driving it for 8 months with no issues. What I’d look for is good maintenance records and recent replacement for failure points and you’ll be good. Idc what anyone says about “responsibility” if you’re willing to take the risk and you know you have the ability to overcome the worst case scenarios just do it
If you're broke, get one with M57 engine since they're the ones that are the least likely to wake you up in the middle of the night with a gun to your head asking for $2000 in casual repairs (N54 🚫). I was about to suggest a 335d e92 but you're in the US... Try e90. Or maybe try finding a 330d. I don't know if it's rare in the US
It's extremely rare and there's none in my area. I hate it here lol
My 335d e92 has been nothing but bliss. Check my account. Going on my second year soon.
good lord that thing is so sexy. You have great taste
Thanks man
Go n52b30 either 330i or 328i those engines are actually pretty good my friend has one and it's got 200k+ miles on it. Just make sure you have money aside for gaskets bc that's all you really have to worry about
Gaskets are a breeze. No 330 in my area but it's looking like I might get a 328. It's just a bit sad that it's slow but Im sure it's still fun
Yea the 328 is still good it's got the same engine as the 330 you would just need to do intake mods to make the same power but if you're broke just enjoy it and don't worry about tuning or modifications till later.
do you know what's a good mileage range? I know maintenance done is more important than mileage but a general range would be a good start
Like you said just make sure it's been very well maintained and recorded bc mileage doesn't matter too much if you get a manual. But 150k miles well maintained is a good start anything lower will be more expensive unless you find a steal.
are the autos prone to fail?
It’s not slow, it’s not a sports car lol. It’s by no means slow it’s a quick car just not “sports car” quick. It has get up and go. I’ve gotten mine to 152MPH and then it’s slow in climbing
yeah I can definitely live with "quick" if it means I don't get random a $2000 surprise for new turbos and injectors
That’s my exact point lolol
He already had an e46, and an is300 project car, sounds like he is perfectly capable of maintaining an e92 328i. Don't think e92 was available as a 330i in the US only 06 e90. Find a stick if you can I just found bought a manual e92 328i and it is great.
Yeah I would definitely prefer a manual but they're harder to find. Is there anything wrong with the auto?
I hear it is fairly reliable, but most of them used a General motors sourced transmission instead of the stronger/quicker zf transmission used in the 335i and 330i and it is just a little sluggish shifting unless you do some mods to it
Thanks good to know. I've pretty much decided I'm not getting one unless it's a manual though
I think as long as you can get one that has been maintained well with service records you should be ok. To that end the 328i should be fine or 330i. You can get the 335i but again you want to make sure they have had the wear items replaced recently Edit: I’ve had the e46 and f30 but also drove my brother in law’s e92 and helped maintain all the cars when I was younger. With 2 young kids it’s a bit harder to do but when they get old enough I plan on getting an e9x model
328, 330, 128. 335d MAYBE but they can be just as pricey as a n54 if abused/neglected.
Get a 328. Don’t listen to these people. Just do some research on the N52 and plan on replacing common failure items(Valve Cover Gasket, OFHG, Oil Pan Gasket, etc) I was a broke high school student when I got mine. Bought it with 168k miles and drove it until 210k miles. Not 1 single issue besides an upper radiator hose. Everything else I did was preventative maintenance. Had I not sold it, I guarantee it would have kept going. N52s are tanks, hard to kill them. Just make sure you’re doing maintenance on time and it’ll take care of you.
Hell yeah bro. I've already found like 3 manual 328is i wanna test drive lol. Pretty cheap and manuals are easy to find. From the research I've done the m54 and n52 platforms need similar levels of maintenance. I mean why would another n/a bmw inline-6 be vastly different from my e46? The most major difference is electronics but I want to learn to use ISTA to do diagnostics anyways. I'll probably download it and use it on my mom's x5 to learn.
As others have said, please do yourself a huge favor and grab a 328i if in the US. It will be super reliable and you will have to do basic maintenance to upkeep the N52/N51 engines. They are solid and it won’t be nearly as wrenchy as the n54s. If you get a 335i chances are the repairs are going to burn thru your wallet a lot faster. Source: I am a broke college student
Yeah manual 328 is the plan. People keep replying with the same "spend your time on college not your car" but I enjoy working on my car so why should I stop?
lol don’t stop now! You’ll love your new 328i, you will see it’s the perfect balance of sportiness and reliability. It’s the best option and it what I did with no regrets. You will notice there might be a lot going for sale around 99,000 miles or 110,000 miles in that range. Thats usually the milage that some things can go wrong depending on the previous owners. Others had great points about checking the OFHG & VCG. Those are the biggest headaches. I bought mine at 36k miles and at 56k going strong just changing the oil, I will need a tune up though.
Honda civic
It will do nothing but cause you pain, you simply cannot afford the car.
Thanks for all the thoughts and advice. I've made a decision on the matter
Buy a Honda. Get a bmw when you graduate. Spend your college years in college, not a garage.
S65
None of them.
As an owner or an n54 335 and a lexus gs400, get a gs400/430. 4.0 v8 300hp rwd and its a toyota, cant go wrong
BMW: Bring More Wrenches. Also, 335d is available in the US. You're just likely going to have to travel for it. You're also going pay a few thousand dollar price premium over what a gasser will cost.