I heard from another mechanic that the best thing is you can do is buy a 1994 Toyota Celica.

As someone who's worked on many e46 BMWs I can confidently say that they're THE BMW to buy. They're not hard to work on, at all, they handle pretty well and the I6 in the 330 is built like a brick shithouse. Parts are cheap and plentiful.

As a BMW tech, there’s a few things I agree with and some I don’t. You get used to them, there’s some real gems out there but for the love of god don’t buy a E65

I've had an E46 for nine years, I never cheaped out on it and it never let me down.

“There is nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes” Jeremy Clarkson. BMW isn’t far behind.

"If you have a moment where everything in the BMW works , then it's an act of God." - wizard Lmao

It's amazing how BMW went from reliable and practical to unreliable and complicated. Older BMWs were as easy to work on as a lawnmower with a ton of engine bay space. now you have to pull out almost the entire front of the engine to change the alternator.

My 03 e46 runs pretty well at 181k surprisingly hasn’t broken down yet. I would say it all depends on how well the previous owners maintained the car.

BMW has one of the strongest brand followings it’s actually crazy

“I’m gonna tell you guys upfront right now, I don’t like BMWs.” This is why I tuned in. This ought to be good. His honesty kills me.

When a mechanic seems like he is a good person and would make a good friend, you gota trust him. This guy's exactly that. What a gentleman. I'm happy to recommend your channel to others. Wish you and your shop the best.

My dad used to have an '83 320i that he wanted to pass down to me when I got my license. Unfortunately I didn't care much for cars at the time so passed on it. He eventually had it scrapped. Biggest regret in my automotive life.

BMW reliability in a nutshell: Pre-90s: built like a tank, simple, easy to work on, metal everything 1990s-mid 2000s: plastic everything, somewhat complicated, harder to work on than pre-90s but 90% of stuff still DIY-able mid-2000s onward: plastic everything, hyper complicated, computers everywhere, built to be leased not owned

It's like scotty kilmer on Valium...

Bimmer gang!!! I am a new bmw owner and honestly it’s the way it drives that sold me. There is no other make/model that feels like a bmw. And I’m going too maintain it too keep that ride and drive quality.!.?!?!

I'm just enjoying my 04 E53 while it lasts, it's black and the paint still shines and the headlights are crystal clear, the interior is clean and the star pattern x5 rims are clean. The Sound and feeling of that v8 taking in air and growling, I love it. It has 173,000 miles on it and it never left me stranded for the year and a half I've had it. It was an impound at the tow company I work for and my boss sold it to me for $1,900.

On this episode... Car Wizard show's us how to kick a hornet's nest properly! 😂😂😂

"I've seen people lose tons of cash on these cars". Translation "I've seen Hoovie lose tons of cash on these cars"

I think the most significant thing I'm learning from watching your videos and several other car channels is that the model name doesn't equal Quality or Junk (with a couple of exceptions). It depends on the year!

I have an 1990 E30 318. One previous owner. Absolute beauty. Minimal electronics, even manual window winder! 240,000 kms and still plenty of go in her. Surprised the Wizard didn't recommend the E30.

German cars are a little like Jurassic park: Yeah, but your engineers were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should.

E46 is maintanable and not costly if you do the work yourself....the engine isnt bad. Just have to show it some love and replace parts that go bad after 15+ years.

ur completely right about one thing, there's always something broken on a BMW. but there's one thing about floating at 200kph that always puts a smile on my face. I had an E65 2002 with well over 350K km for about 10 years and I was so pleased with that car that I bought an F02 2012 as its successor. I guess it depends on where you live cause over here (Lebanon) EVERYONE knows how to fix a BMW and for cheap!

Literally had an 02 745i with 80,000 miles on it took me like 3 years to fix everything & have it in perfect condition lasted me 3 months till some guy passed a stop sign & destroyed the front passenger side.....now i have a 740i can’t believe how easy it is to work on them & how well everything has held up from the outside to the inside love it .

"BMWs get worse with age, so i suggest the oldest models"

Its such a shame that what was once the pinnacle of automotive engineering has become a [Stupidly expensive] disposable item with more user experience similarities to a laptop than a car.

Loved my 1993 e34 (525i). Straight 6 engine with an automatic. Other than the control arms and dead pixels in the dash it was crazy reliable.the v8 was originally an issue with Nikasil. Also the exposed headlights/foglights always attracted rocks. I'd love another e34 in a 5-speed. I'd take it over my 98 e38, though the 740iL is still solid. (control arm bushings still routinely go). Love the comment and agree with you wholeheartedly.

I almost shut off the video when you said you don’t like driving manuals 🤯. But I was able to regain my composure and finish hearing you out. Great video.

I was on the brink of buying a E60 M5, that V10 had me mesmerized for a while. Did my research, they're cheap for a reason. No hate, just more than I wanted to mess with.

Save all the E46s for me, pretty reliable car if you do your own work and keep up on maintenance

Couldn't agree with you more. Had two 320i's, a 1978 & 1981, and felt I can work on them when the time came. I also liked their build quality, timeless looks and solid handling. Adequate power for normal driving at around 100hp yet still tossable. Sorry to have sold the 81, I wish I kept it as I'd still be driving it to this day!

Thank you wiz and the misus. Your advice is very helpful coming from a nuanced and true experience perspective. As a car enthusiast, I really enjoy these "buy these, not those" vids. I hope you don't get too much slack from the automakers, but maybe they outta listen to you also, and hopefully improve their cars. Kudos.

Love my E46 325i with the ZF-5hp, just rolled over 109k miles! Best car I bought for less than $5K with little money as a college student. Most affordable BMW I've had. My dads friend works on BMWs since the 80s. Drives a 2002 330i M Sport with a manual the past 8 years. He helped me with fixing the little things on my 325i. It all comes down to how it was treated. Just like any car.

Can you do one for Audi's please my good sir

The E90 3 Series is a great car with a great engine if it has the N52 engine in it. It can keep running for thousands of miles with regular maintenance.

Love your videos thanks keep bringing the good content and saving us a lot of research !

E30, E24, E28, E21, E32, E23 or pretty much any Bimmer from the 80s is awesome, and anything before that is too!

I love how calm he is, it’s hilarious

Thanks Car Wizard! I’m currently in the market for a vehicle and your videos are really helping out.

I have been recently considering an e38. Nice to hear a good mechanic's opinion.

In Germany we say BMW means "Bring Mich Werkstatt" which means "bring me to a mechanic"

Instead of 40,000 miles service on a BMW, just put it on a lift, stand under it and get a free 40,000 mile oil shower. I like sourcing parts from World PAC. We had a customer with an X3 with a jumped timing chain, the estimated labor hours to replace the timing chain for the cam and crank was 22 hours. The customer declined the repair and the car was scrapped. A BMW salesman in Houston stated that 80% of new BMWs sold are leased. I can see why.

Had an 2010 E60, drove it over 100k miles, never had a major issues. Never did any work on it. Never went to the dealer except for recalls. By the time I sold it, it did have issues that I didn’t want to deal with - mostly PCV stuff, Sunroof track broke, and there were some other little things but it was mostly in tack. The interior build quality was exceptional. It was still worth detailing and looked great. Timeless design, still looked current and relevant. But it was definitely a smart phone on wheels and had a lot of plastic in the engine bay.

I have used and new budget BMW experience. I never chased the name, but just gravitated toward these particular cars due to how they drove. The first was an 88 E30 325i with four doors and I would call that the best "investment" in a car. At the time (2008), I was looking for a beater for $2k or less to drive myself to work and save wear and tear on the newer SUV. I didn't need 3 rows off seats and a V-8 to drive by myself. I got my 325i for $1800 with 212k miles on it and blown front shocks. The AC didn't work. I plugged in a connector and then it worked. The engine and transmission, however, were solid. I thought I'd have it for a year or two and get rid of it, but I had it for 8 years. It was easy to work on and I could do a lot of things myself. It also just felt great to drive. I loved the look and feel of it. I had to do typical things on it like the water pump/timing belt, clutch, fuel pump, and wheel bearings. The odometer broke at 284k miles and I'm sure I had it will over 300k before I got rid of it. For a few months, I kept this while I had a new car and still drove it for utility purposes or anywhere I didn't want my new car getting scratched up. I did end up getting crazy and replacing the control arms and steering rack myself. For my convenience, the two used/remanufactured racks both leaked, so that was awesome. Having done that and gotten power steering back, it developed a cooling issue and at that point, I just got rid of it. I wish I hadn't now, but I was tired of working on it and couldn't justify putting money in when I had a new car. The new car (which I'm on now) was a 2015 X1 base model. This is the last year that was based on the 3-series chassis, so it has rear wheel drive, solid handling, a great transmission, and the thing is actually practical. In the price range (low 30s), I was looking at all kinds of small fuel-efficient crossovers to replace the big V-8 SUV. I need some cargo space, but not that much. It was about finding something efficient, yet still fun to drive. This is rated at 34 MPG on the highway, but also 240 horsepower and 260 ft lb torque. I didn't get a lot of tech options, but I don't care about that. I'd otherwise have been looking at something like a Ford Escape, Hyundai Santa Fe, whatever crap GM had, etc. What made me go this direction for a new car was the warranty and maintenance vs. other cars and better dealership experience. At the time, it was 4 years/50k miles for both. I work from home, so I don't rack up the miles. Fast-forward to 2023 and it's out of warranty now... The general plan is 10 years or 100k miles for me to keep it. I'm not stupid... I do not want to own an "old" BMW that's newer than the early 90's. It was problem-free during the warranty period. Literally nothing wrong. What's gone wrong since: Front and rear washer fluid pumps, radiator, and one of the shade panels for the panoramic roof separated from the track. Now that panel operates "manually." I'm at about 56k miles with it now. It's in excellent condition, but I think it's conspiring to bankrupt me pretty soon. All that being said, I love this car. It doesn't win beauty contests, but it does everything I want it to do and is a pleasure to drive. I would not, however, buy a new BMW or go up-market with the model. They're just too expensive and complex even though the loaners are fun to drive. A restored E30 though, I'd be all over that.

1985 BMW 535i, 5 speed manual transmission. Perhaps the most reliable car I've owned. Sold it with 300K miles on Original engine, did not burn oil and would blow the doors off most new cars. Easy to work on, parts were available. Great handling. Miss that car.

e39 540i M-Sport, they're slowly fading away but the good examples last forever.

yo wizard been watchin a while and your recommendations saved me a couple times lol but dude you are so unintentionally funny its crazy

maan, we had and E53 for 4 years...It was incredible. the only issues we had were a fuel pump relay, and a couple of outer door handle carriers. It was endlessly fun to drive, had 330,000km (205,000mi) on it when we moved on from it. Do not regret it at all.

The older BMW's (until the late '80s) were pretty rust sensitive, while the newer one's (after about 2000) are too complex with too much electronics and plastics. So, the best choice are the '90s like the E34, 36, 38, 39's and above that, these are also the best looking ones 🙂 Further, the 6 cylinder types are relative simple and typical BMW good quality (I own a Z3 / 2.8) while the 8 cylinder types are more complex and repair sensitive.

I’d have to disagree with you on the E46. Had a few and they run like a clock and have held up really well. Really enjoy working on them. E34s are my favourite but they love to rust and replacement parts are a bit costly sometimes. Also, if you get one replace the entire cooling system along with an electric fan conversion. No idea why you’re recommending a V8 though lol. 6 cylinder M50/M30s are really the only the ones to have. I tend to stay away from E60s and E90s since they are absolute pigs to work on. Early N47/N57 diesels are shit too.

Great job David! another great video! liked and subscribed!

Wizard you’re nailing the BMW recommendations I should have watched first before commenting

In Poland, we are saying that BMW is shortcut of "Bedziesz Mial Wydatki" which mean "you will have expenses" :)

Is that what happened to the Wizard, he pulled out all his hair working on E60s?

Hi Car Wizard, I really enjoy your videos I wish I could bring my car to you for service but I am in Canada. I had a 1983 320i in university and you are correct - that thing was bullet proof. No more BMWs for me though, especially after watching this. Thanks again.

To be fair I bought an E46 330ci at 187k miles with no reverse and aside from the trans which I rebuilt and is working great now it had no other issues and is absolutely pristine, I have to say when we’ll maintained these cars are absolutely wonderful if you can fix them yourself they are joyful to own

I am original owner of my 2003 e46 330Ci. Always ran great never left me stuck anywhere. Just gotta make sure you do the cooling system refresh at 100k-120k miles

I currently have a e46 330i. 207,000 miles on it. Great car. I picked it up and have put about 50k miles on it. I love working on the m54. Easy to work on fantastic car to drive. Not even that expensive to fix/maintain.

Love my E38. I’m so glad that was one of the ones you recommended. Originally bought it as a secondary car not really a daily, but it quickly became my daily, and it’s been my reliable mode of transportation while my E92 is in the shop lol. Honestly thought it would be the other way around haha. Old is gold.

I have a e46 and very little issues with it. The work isn’t hard to do yourself. Absolutely love it

E39. Perfect combination of built like a tank, simple design and a HUGE following, very easy to mod and plenty of them out there to find parts. Materials were top notch.. Still have their issues like window regulators that no matter who makes them, they break.. poor design but insanely cheap to repair and easy to do. LOTS of DIY videos on KZfaq. Again, maintenance is key.

E21 is really tough to find in decent shape and used parts are tough to come by. The e30 would be the better choice in my opinion. Much larger enthusiast base, aftermarket support, etc. yet a very similar driving and ownership experience

I have a 2003 X5 that has 230k miles. It has an M54 engine with the GM transmission and regular springs instead of the air suspension. It's quality and reliable and does great in the snow. Seems to be the exception to the early X5s.

I just got done doing the CCV job which involves taking off the intake manifold on my 2002 e46 325i lol. I did the CCV system, Starter, Coolant lines, and vacuum hoses. I broke just about every plastic slip and discovered that if you want to change the starter you need to drop the transmission and use a 12mm torx socket I think. I opted not to do that so i used a 3/8th tiny wrench and a breaker bar and was able to change it. Working on these cars is not for the faint of heart but you definitely save thousands doing it yourself. That doesn't mean its worth it tho lol.

I think you missed the mark on this one, Wizard. E46 are about as good as they come. The m52-m54 engines are pretty bullet proof. Yeah, they have their common failures and you will be doing a few coolant system overhauls and your typical oil leaks but they are great cars. For you to recommend a BMW v8 in general as “reliable” just shows how much you missed the mark on this video. M62 had the cylinder liner issues, valve stem seals, timing chains, timing chain guides, they are money pits. And then you recommend an e83 but then not an e53? Both have 3.0 inline sixes. The same engine. Same components. The v8’s in the e53 are trash but the inline 6 is bullet proof. You missed the mark on this.

I love that there's guys like you out there in the world, thank you for your honesty and advice Car Wizard!

As an owner the e83 is a lot of fun. Never left me on the side of the road especially after I started replacing everything and trust after 150k you’re gonna wanna start but you can push it to 200k if you want but just start earlier lol

Nice!! My folks bought me a 1983 BMW 320i as a HS graduation gift in 1991, it had the 4cyl w/the 5spd and a sunroof...it was Baltic Blue w/a phantom top...lowered, 5star Fitipaldi's, two 15" Redline woofers, Bose mids and tweets, JBL cassette deck and 2 JBL self-cooled amps, with a 24key Zapco EQ w/the 200w boost, so in total over 1200watts....as soon as Pantera released it 1992, the album A Vulgar Display of Power was heard for blocks when I was around, "F***king Hostile" was always blaring....🤘🏻🇺🇸

Not the year but the model 2002 I really like

Do Audi next!

Hey Wizard - love your channel!!

My e60 m5 has been very very reliable to me. I've driven about 25,000 miles in the 2 years I've had it. I'm sitting at 160,000 miles and only have had minor issues 😁

I have a 1989 525i 5spd with 289,000 miles on it. It even passed California smog test. In the rain that car is very fun for such low power lol

The e38 7 series was my favorite BMW. The 740il in silver is just pure sexiness.

Just bought a 07 X3 M sport (E83) I’m so glad to hear it’s one “to buy” my heart is so rested knowing that lol!

Bought my first Bimmer a couple months ago: a 2016 228I convertible (I live in Florida so can drive it with the top down virtually every day). It has 64k and is in great shape. Everything works and it is a blast to drive. I'm not going to track it and probably won't reach 100 mph, so it is plenty quick and fast enough for me. Beautifully balanced making it handle great.

I love my e36 M3. I also loved the e39 M5 that I had, but it was admittedly expensive to maintain and keep in perfect shape.

Want a BMW? Early 90s and older - Buy New ones - Lease

Yeah, I bought my 2001 325i new and have taken care of it all of these years. In 75K miles it has been completely reliable. It finally needed struts and control arms and bushings. The installed cost of these items exceeded the trade-in value of the car. The car still looks almost new inside and out, but I'll junk it before paying for any more expensive maintenance. I would never buy one used, regardless of how nice it seems to be.

Good video.I have a E46 330ci for nearly five years and it has been a troublesome car,most recently the front brake caliper seized again,it's now on it's third caliper in the same place (left front) in less than five years these were OEM (ate BMW) calipers.The European E46's were made in Germany,mine is RHD for the UK.Replacing the thermostat was a bastard of a job(over cooling at 54K miles) I just hope the alternator does'nt pack up it looks a nightmare to get to.Great to hear you pronounce Porsche correctly,that's the sign of a true motor technician.

I actully love BMW, but i totally agree with you 😂 i think the e39 5series is a good choice aswell. Awesome quality. Love the e90 3series aswell

The beauty of older BMWs is you can pick them up dirt cheap and assuming you turn your own wrenches, you can have a great car for a very fair price. Case in point, I picked up an E46 330i M-sport in need of TLC for $2k. $800 in parts later, I have a reliable, fun, daily beater for

Thanks for advice! Really helps 👍

I have had good luck with the e30 325i. It's mechanically simple and nice to drive, and there is good parts availability for them still.

I don’t care what you say, I’m sticking with my e46 325i and I love every bit of it

I have to disagree on the e46, yes they are often neglected but that’s every old German car. Other than the cooling systems they are pretty reliable. Last generation BMWs you should buy: E39, E46, E38 just my 2 cents.

Seen ya on car issues and love your style brotha!

The E38 Seven Series is such a beautiful luxury sedan! The E32 before it is great too, especially with the V12!

LUV THE "BUY THIS... NOT THAT" EPISODES ... PLEASE KEEP THEM COMING... THX CAR WIZ..

As someone who just dropped almost $10K on my BMW I agree!

I have an E39 and it is pretty solid and for the most part, straight-forward to work on. I've had E36s and E46s too and while they definitely feel more built down to a price than the 5, they aren't THAT bad to work on (in my opinion) but unfortunately as he said they tend to be run into the ground at this age. If you can find a good one thats been properly maintained then actually and E46 CAN be a reliable (ish) car but I think really the last cars that BMW built properly were the E38 and E39. Get one now and look after it because they won't be cheap for much longer! Also the 6s are more robust than the V8s.

I’ve owned and run the E60 M5 now for over 3years and it’s been fantastic and this is due to preventive maintenance and services by mechanics that know these engines not a dodgy Dave’s back street garage who owes you a favour , also buying the right car that’s been well maintained and looked after in the first place with full Bmw history is a must ...these cars are going up in value here in the U.K. and are quite rare to see on the roads before I purchased this I had the M3 E46 which was another fantastic car and vey reliable 😎👍🇬🇧 PS: these are weekend toys only not commuting cars.

I already had a feeling that BMW was at it's peak in the 90's and this just confirms it. Even so my dad had a beautiful 3 series 1994 ragtop convertible that was pretty much perfect until the engine head cracked. I still think a well cared for 90's Bimmer is cooler than any of their offerings from the last 20 years.

Ive actually owned a e53 x5 with the 3.0L engine. No air suspension. Its had some issues but its actually been a really reliable car. Its very heavy and feels tight to this day. I think its most likely a hit or miss if you get a good one of these. Plus if it was maintained well from day one you'll probably have better luck.

i agree on some, especially do not buy the e60 m5 v10, the engine in that was not thought out well, but the diesel e60s are a dream, had one since 05, worst issue so far was the chain going to hell at about 340k km, luckily we managed to rebuild it, other than that and the egr and suspension, ive not had any big issues. bought another e60 recently for tuning, got a new turbo, straight piped, rebuilt intake, new cam, bigger injectors, better valvesprings, deleted dpf, egr gone too and a dyno tune, its pushing 460hp

I have a 2005 E60 545i that I bought as Certified Pre Owned at a dealer with 86K miles. As of Feb. 2023 it has 202K and has been great. Only think that put me on a tow truck was the upper radiator hose fitting broke. Could have replaced it in place if I had the part. I did replace the upper and lower suspension arms, only needed a bushing at it turns out. I also did the stupid rubber gasket where you have to remove the motor mount and alternator and all that. It was a pain to get to the gasket, but doable with patience. It still goes like a bat and is tight and quiet. I replaced a lot of gaskets on the engine and there are NO oil leaks. I replaced the coolant tank and hoses when the upper hose broke for peace of mind. I love it and do oil changes often. I can say that everything is working and has been for years. I hope I didn't just jinx myself.

The E39 5 series is arguably the best ever.

I'm a powertrain development engineer and although I love the E60 M5, the engine durability is woeful. Conrods, pistons, crank should have infinite life. That's why I got an E39 M5 (as well as the E60 530i).

I had 3 e60 525d, 530d and 535d (current) I have 2 e65 745i and 745d Diesels are amazing, no problems at all, 5 series e60 with manual and a lot of torque is best feeling ever behind the wheel!

You do a good job with presentations. You focus on the subject rather than attempting to convince us what you know. I look at all your videos.