Used 2004 BMW 330CI Purchase - Is BMW's poor post warranty reputation deserved?

I'm considering purchasing a used 2003-2004 BMW 330CI. This is either past factory warranty or about to cross over (I'm looking for around $23k asking price which puts me right around 45-50k miles). If I buy CPO for the extra 2 years, 50k mile warranty the asking price jumps up to $30k.



I'm planning on owning the car for at least 4 years, so either way I will go past the CPO extended warranty. Is the BMW reputation for being so prone to expensive repairs deserved? Is trying to save $7k worth not having that extended warranty coverage? And is Mechanical Breakdown Protection from a third party a viable alternative?



Thanks!Used 2004 BMW 330CI Purchase - Is BMW's poor post warranty reputation deserved?The chance that something will go wrong with the engine or transmission on a BMW is small. However if they do fail, they are VERY expensive to fix.



Used engines are around $4000, tranmissions about $2500. If you go new then you can at least double that. And that doesn't include the $100 per hour labor you get to pay at the BMW shop.



Not just the big stuff either, electrical problems occur with these cars. Paying a shop $100/hr to chase a short isn't not fun. Basically anything that would cost $100 to fix on a Chevy would cost $200 on the BMW. Oh and have you checked how much oil changes are? You'll love that.



They are very nice cars. But there are reasons the extended warranties are much higher than that of other cars.



Personally, I wouldn't drive a BMW outside of a warranty.



Check out www.carsurvey.org and see what other BMW owners say.



Good luck!