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Any previous BMW owners here?

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somerset9

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Los Angeles
Hi all, selling my modded mk5 GTI to get into something more comfortable and/or making up for a E90 that I let go because I got cold feet.

I am getting cold feet yet again, as it will not be cheap to keep a Bavarian automobile, but the allure of the straight 6 and RWD layout keeps me hooked.

As a daily driver, going to and from work (which is 90% of my driving) or being stuck in traffic, is it worth getting a mid/late 2000s BMW over a mk7 GTI?
 
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fiscalpuddle

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
CA
So I've been driving an e90 m3 daily while my gti has been in the shop and it's a nice place to be. It's fast, comfortable, and beautifully engineered. It might not be the straight 6 but the v8 roar is amazing.

However, as a daily driver I really like my gti better. It's easier to park, just as fast during my normal commute (70 miles round trip in LA traffic), and I'm not as worried about leaving it parked on the street. I also think it's more fun to drive because it's a little manic when putting down the power. Also when driving on the street i can tell the BMW has a lot more potential to go faster but I don't have a death wish
 
cb1111

cb1111

Newbie
Location
Virginia, USA
somerset9 said:
Hi all, selling my modded mk5 GTI to get into something more comfortable and/or making up for a E90 that I let go because I got cold feet.

I am getting cold feet yet again, as it will not be cheap to keep a Bavarian automobile, but the allure of the straight 6 and RWD layout keeps me hooked.

As a daily driver, going to and from work (which is 90% of my driving) or being stuck in traffic, is it worth getting a mid/late 2000s BMW over a mk7 GTI?
Click to expand...
How much spare cash do you have to repair the BMW?
 
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Ridebjj

Autocross Champion
Location
lasVegas
If only we could get the 140i hatch in the USA. That car stomps the gti and just about every other hot hatch. A turbo inline 6 with rwd and optional 6mt AND in hatch layout? That's the perfect daily driver.

Edit: ^^ By and large I don't think vw has any room to talk about the cost of repair VS a BMW. Unless you specifically mean having a warrantee VS not.
 
R

relive

Ready to race!
Location
USA
Ridebjj said:
If only we could get the 140i hatch in the USA. That car stomps the gti and just about every other hot hatch. A turbo inline 6 with rwd and optional 6mt AND in hatch layout? That's the perfect daily driver.
Click to expand...

Not unless you need to transport a nuclear weapon in the hatch or passengers in the back without sawing off their legs. In those cases, the Golf is better.
 
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Ridebjj

Autocross Champion
Location
lasVegas
relive said:
Not unless you need to transport a nuclear weapon in the hatch or passengers in the back without sawing off their legs. In those cases, the Golf is better.
Click to expand...

Yes, yes. Good points, Jeremy.
 
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strayts

New member
Location
Seattle, WA
Former E36 and E34 owner here. I like my GTI, especially under warranty. I got tired of wrenching constantly, and newer BMWs aren’t ANY better.
 
shortyb

shortyb

Autocross Newbie
Location
Upstate SC
Car(s)
Felon Taxi,Dad Wagon
Had a 2001 330i that was one of the best driving cars I've ever owned. M54 was powerful, torquey, and smooth as silk. Steering was some of most accurate and had plenty of feedback. Great road car. Did some of the more common mods for a 5-spd and suffered none of the bigger problems of the E46 platform like subframe tearing and cooling system failures. Did replace LCAs twice and did the Beisen VANOS seals kit and routine maintenance way more often than called for. Other than several sets of tires, pretty cheap and reliable to drive for the almost 70K I had it for. Started to nickel and dime me so I stupidly got rid of it with 92K on the clock. Oh well, good memories.

Fast forward a few years and I'm in a really nice MK7. Has more power and torque, rides easily as good, and steering is precise as the Bimmer was. Lots more practical and cheaper to drive overall (except for mods :D). Overall, a worthy successor to the 330. But would I trade for any of the current crop of BMWs? Not a chance. Not even the M2 or even an M5. Sorry, BMWs are not the Ultimate Driving Machines they once were. Now, if I could find a cherry E46 M3? Maybe ;).
 
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ReadTheBook

ReadTheBook

Autocross Newbie
Location
Bay Area Smoke Hell
Car(s)
DVP Spektrm, MK4 R32
MK7.

I had a 2008 CPO e90 328 I bought in 2012 with 36k on it. Low miles. Perfect shape. Passed PPI w/o issue. It had been a 3 year lease and then someone owned it for like 9 months. Found it at a Kia dealership on their lot, not advertised as CPO, but it was.

In short, I had 9 trips to two different dealers in under 2 years to address CPO-covered issues, including sudden gauge cluster failure, sychro failure in the transmission, so they replaced the whole 6MT. Lifters were done for a ticking issue. Valve cover twice. I also had to pay to put in 2 new fuel injectors and a few other odds and ends in the 2.5 years I had it. in the end the headlights started to die and turn signals started to intermittently function at just 67k miles.

Just not worth it to me. I don't know if I'll ever own another BMTroubleYou again.

My MK7 hasn't exactly been trouble free, but I think folks here have proven the platform has great longevity and generally low cost of ownership, especially compared to BMW.
 
anotero

anotero

Autocross Champion
Location
Hither and thither
Car(s)
Mk7 GTI
Ridebjj said:
If only we could get the 140i hatch in the USA. That car stomps the gti and just about every other hot hatch. A turbo inline 6 with rwd and optional 6mt AND in hatch layout? That's the perfect daily driver.

Edit: ^^ By and large I don't think vw has any room to talk about the cost of repair VS a BMW. Unless you specifically mean having a warrantee VS not.
Click to expand...

Pfff.
 
Y

yakuza70

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
San Mateo, CA
I went from a 2011 BMW 135i to a 2018 Mk 7 GTI Autobahn last year. Yes, the 135i with the straight 6 was a dream to drive and I really miss it at times. The power, refinement and handling was impressive. That said, it was not very practical, especially compared to the GTI and I only got about 20 miles per gallon. Two door coupe meant one passenger and a very small trunk. The repair bills were mounting up too: two water pumps, an AC system leak, and an oil leak in less than five years of ownership. I'm really enjoying my GTI for its space, practicality, handling, safety and entertainment tech, and fuel efficiency.
 
C

Cytokine

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Ottawa, Canada
Car(s)
2017 LSG 6MT Golf R
I drove a 2006 330i 6MT sport package for 9 years. Had a couple issues, no more than my MK7 R. Was a great car. Still miss the rear wheel drive and the instant throttle response. Was a great car, really miss it. As a daily driver, was great, would get another in a heartbeat. Actually looking for an E92 M3 for some fun.

That being said, a newer car will always be more reliable than an older one.
 
TheJokker

TheJokker

Go Kart Newbie
Location
jacksonville
relive said:
Not unless you need to transport a nuclear weapon in the hatch or passengers in the back without sawing off their legs. In those cases, the Golf is better.
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One car is brilliant in every way and the other tried to kill me...
 
S

somerset9

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Los Angeles
fiscalpuddle said:
So I've been driving an e90 m3 daily while my gti has been in the shop and it's a nice place to be. It's fast, comfortable, and beautifully engineered. It might not be the straight 6 but the v8 roar is amazing.

However, as a daily driver I really like my gti better. It's easier to park, just as fast during my normal commute (70 miles round trip in LA traffic), and I'm not as worried about leaving it parked on the street. I also think it's more fun to drive because it's a little manic when putting down the power. Also when driving on the street i can tell the BMW has a lot more potential to go faster but I don't have a death wish
Click to expand...

I actually had a great opportunity to take a road trip in my friend's E92 M3 from Ohio to LA. It was a great car but on the interstates you really don't feel the FWD vs RWD provided the steering is tuned right on the FWD car, as is the case on the GTIs. When I used to have the Mazda, I did miss the feeling of never having to worry the car blowing itself up or not starting.

strayts said:
Former E36 and E34 owner here. I like my GTI, especially under warranty. I got tired of wrenching constantly, and newer BMWs aren’t ANY better.
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I have absolutely zero interest in the newer BMWs. Girlfriend drives a F30 328i and I laugh every time I see a current BMW ad billing itself as the ultimate driving machine.

Gti jake said:
Mk7 is the ultimate daily driver for the money, period.

IMO of course
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For the money, I do agree with your opinion, and that is, again, an opinion.
I think the GTI's greatest strength is also its weakness--it doesn't excel at one thing but it doesn't lack in one area. I think I'm just afraid of living a life of regretting "whatif I did get that BMW". I can always wait and hope there is a E36/46 M3 in a reasonable state in 3-5 years' time.
 
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