So hard to give this up

[W37V]

Every time I’m tempted to give up this car, it (car) makes an argument not to.

[yupetc]

Must be the diesel version. Mine doesn't come remotely close to that mpg and mine's a 3.0 gas. Why getting rid of it, might I ask?

[W37V]

Originally Posted by yupetc

Must be the diesel version. Mine doesn't come remotely close to that mpg and mine's a 3.0 gas. Why getting rid of it, might I ask?

Yaps. Diesel.

I have 3 toddlers and having 3 kiddo seats across the rear seats is bit of a pain. Plus kids are getting bigger and tend to kick the front seats a lot etc. I was eyeing x7, but good used ones cost more than new ones at the moment.

[Chilled]

Originally Posted by W37V

Yaps. Diesel.

I have 3 toddlers and having 3 kiddo seats across the rear seats is bit of a pain. Plus kids are getting bigger and tend to kick the front seats a lot etc. I was eyeing x7, but good used ones cost more than new ones at the moment.

Have you considered boarding school, or selling them off to slave labour. With the latter, I'm sure it can help with the X7 or any other car.

[crystalworks]

Originally Posted by W37V

Every time I’m tempted to give up this car, it (car) makes an argument not to.

Pretty easy to get a 40+mpg rating over 18 miles averaging 59mph. That's the sweet spot for gas mileage. We've never averaged >27.5mpg (calculated, so indicated on iDrive would have been ~28.5mpg) over a full tank.

The diesels are good on gas for sure when compared to the 50i. But the 35i does almost as well. I love our diesel, but was hoping for 30mpg on highway trips.

The huge benefit to diesel is that during fuel hoarding and runs on gas (hurricanes, pricing, etc), diesel is still always available.

[Vivek.]

Originally Posted by W37V

Yaps. Diesel.

I have 3 toddlers and having 3 kiddo seats across the rear seats is bit of a pain. Plus kids are getting bigger and tend to kick the front seats a lot etc. I was eyeing x7, but good used ones cost more than new ones at the moment.

Originally Posted by Chilled

Have you considered boarding school, or selling them off to slave labour. With the latter, I'm sure it can help with the X7 or any other car.

Yeah if I did that as a kid I'd be walking to our destination

Originally Posted by crystalworks

Pretty easy to get a 40+mpg rating over 18 miles averaging 59mph. That's the sweet spot for gas mileage. We've never averaged >27.5mpg (calculated, so indicated on iDrive would have been ~28.5mpg) over a full tank.

The diesels are good on gas for sure when compared to the 50i. But the 35i does almost as well. I love our diesel, but was hoping for 30mpg on highway trips.

The huge benefit to diesel is that during fuel hoarding and runs on gas (hurricanes, pricing, etc), diesel is still always available.

I just drove mine 2200 miles. I returned 27.5mpg (calculated) between 80 and 90mph indicated and a hair over 25mpg between 90 and 100mph. 30mpg is a realistic figure if you stick to 60-70 but my time/impatience is worth a 10% loss.

[devlinsky]

On the contrary, I am really tired with the constant anxiety related to "what expensive and impossible to track part will break next". I am on a verge of trading this car in for some really boring Toyota or whatever.

[crystalworks]

Originally Posted by Vivek.

I just drove mine 2200 miles. I returned 27.5mpg (calculated) between 80 and 90mph indicated and a hair over 25mpg between 90 and 100mph. 30mpg is a realistic figure if you stick to 60-70 but my time/impatience is worth a 10% loss.

Pretty consistent with my road tripping driving style and mpg returned. I've hit 30+ as you said, if I drive 65-70 and don't use the radar cruise control. Not worth the effort considering the time and fatigue trade off.

Originally Posted by devlinsky

On the contrary, I am really tired with the constant anxiety related to "what expensive and impossible to track part will break next". I am on a verge of trading this car in for some really boring Toyota or whatever.

You're not the first, and won't be the last to throw in the towel with what it takes to maintain a modern BMW. I always tell ppl when they ask about my fleet that they should steer clear of the brand. With a few exceptions: Can you afford to buy it new? Then go for it. Are you a reasonable shade-tree mechanic with computer skills? Then go for it. Are you independently wealthy? Then yeah go for it and pay an indy to work on it.

People who don't fit those three ownership demographics... shouldn't buy a modern BMW. Hell, even I get frustrated with them sometimes. I just did the equivalent of $30k worth of work to our E70 X5 diesel to get it back on the road. Seriously, not exaggerating.

[Vivek.]

My last F15 diesel needed a $15k repair in the 7,000 miles I owned it. Still bought another because they are awesome and IMHO the interior is better than the newer one.

[devlinsky]

Originally Posted by crystalworks

You're not the first, and won't be the last to throw in the towel with what it takes to maintain a modern BMW. I always tell ppl when they ask about my fleet that they should steer clear of the brand. With a few exceptions: Can you afford to buy it new? Then go for it. Are you a reasonable shade-tree mechanic with computer skills? Then go for it. Are you independently wealthy? Then yeah go for it and pay an indy to work on it.

People who don't fit those three ownership demographics... shouldn't buy a modern BMW. Hell, even I get frustrated with them sometimes. I just did the equivalent of $30k worth of work to our E70 X5 diesel to get it back on the road. Seriously, not exaggerating.

It's a little more complicated. I drive BMW for last 12 years, I'm not the poorest person on this planet and I know a lot of people around the brand including the dealerships. But I own an M50d that is not really rare, but rare enough that indies don't really know then since they only recently came off the warranties and dealerships don't really know them deeply since all the problems are solved by replacing whole modules or bigger chunks of the system, not by getting to the root of the problems. Like infamous cold start wobble - it's injectors related, but nobody really understands how. Replacing injectors is the only way so far - but those injectors are more than $1k a piece and can't be really checked, tested or fixed beyond the ISTA corrections report. So I can afford to fix the car and the maintenance was always done at the dealership - but it happens often enough to really annoy me.

But overall - I agree with you. My case is a little more complicated because the car is a little more unique so less well known to the mechanics.

[crystalworks]

Originally Posted by devlinsky

It's a little more complicated...

But overall - I agree with you. My case is a little more complicated because the car is a little more unique so less well known to the mechanics.

Did not mean to single you out as not being able to "afford" to own the brand. Apologies if it came out that way. Just meant you would not be the first to throw their hands up in frustration, whether it be from cost, or in your case, parts availability, knowledge, and down time.

The M50d is the "M" version of a diesel BMW. Or closest thing to it anyway. Going to have the same ridiculous parts prices and lack of competent people to service it unfortunately.