New Cars Too Pricey for Many

[sanantone]

Have any of you ever owned an Audi or BMW? How expensive are they to maintain? I'm looking at their most reliable models, and I've found several 2018s and 2017s with low miles for less than $30k.

I've owned several BMW's. The old ones can be problematic and expensive to maintain, but the newer ones are generally pretty low maintenance. In fact, they usually come with free maintenance. Up until 2017 they used to offer 4-year/50,000 mile free maintenance, but I believe they lowered that to 3-year/36,000 miles last year. That is in addition to the standard warranty.

The BMW maintenance program even covers brake pads, rotors, and wipers; which is pretty cool I thought. So if you're looking at a 2017 or 2018 model year, you should be covered for at least the next couple of years. If you get a CPO vehicle, I believe that adds 2-years to both warranty and free maintenance. You can also purchase an extended warranty beyond that, but it doesn't come with free maintenance.

I've heard good things about Audi, and there are a few Audi vehicles I wouldn't mind owning, but unfortunately, I can't offer any hands-on experience there.

It looks like the maintenance program is non-transferable? That eliminates used vehicles as an option. I don't know if a new maintenance plan is given for CPO vehicles. It also looks like BMW cut way back on what it will cover. 

https://www.bmwusa.com/explore/bmw-value...tions.html

[Merlin]

Have any of you ever owned an Audi or BMW? How expensive are they to maintain? I'm looking at their most reliable models, and I've found several 2018s and 2017s with low miles for less than $30k.

I've owned several BMW's. The old ones can be problematic and expensive to maintain, but the newer ones are generally pretty low maintenance. In fact, they usually come with free maintenance. Up until 2017 they used to offer 4-year/50,000 mile free maintenance, but I believe they lowered that to 3-year/36,000 miles last year. That is in addition to the standard warranty.

The BMW maintenance program even covers brake pads, rotors, and wipers; which is pretty cool I thought. So if you're looking at a 2017 or 2018 model year, you should be covered for at least the next couple of years. If you get a CPO vehicle, I believe that adds 2-years to both warranty and free maintenance. You can also purchase an extended warranty beyond that, but it doesn't come with free maintenance.

I've heard good things about Audi, and there are a few Audi vehicles I wouldn't mind owning, but unfortunately, I can't offer any hands-on experience there.

It looks like the maintenance program is non-transferable? That eliminates used vehicles as an option. I don't know if a new maintenance plan is given for CPO vehicles. It also looks like BMW cut way back on what it will cover. 

https://www.bmwusa.com/explore/bmw-value...tions.html

Well, that bites. I wonder if that is new? I remember the free maintenance coming up as a selling point when I was looking at CPO cars a few years ago. My last BMW was leased as a new vehicle so transferability never came up as a potential concern. I suspect they lowered the free maintenance to 3-years specifically since most people lease their new cars, so being non-transferable makes sense in that context.

In any case, it shouldn't remove them as an option. Most manufacturers don't offer free maintenance. They will still be covered by the regular 4-year warranty which covers most things. Without the free maintenance you'll just have to pay for your own oil changes and wipers like everyone else.

[MNomadic]

https://www.eliomotors.com

I've been following this startup for a few years now. If they ever start production, they will have quite a value proposition:
-brand new car for under $8k
-80miles/gal
-american made

Yeah, I've been following them as well. They look really interesting for folks in dense urban areas but a lot of people don't like their aesthetic. They remind me a lot of motorcycles with a car-like body.

They sent me a note about their cryptocurrency ICO to raise money. If that takes off they should have the funding they need to start production.

Wow, I'm not a big fan of ICOs.

Yeah the motorcycle style is definitely not appealling to everyone but it does have it's benefits: easier to park & can use carpool lane with only 1 occupant.

I think they're target customers are going to be urban/suburban people who want a second(or third+) car to handle their daily commuting.

[Johann]

I only know two Audi owners - and this was back in the 90's so ... maybe things have changed, but I don't know. One reported extremely high maintenance costs - over $1,000 for normal brake job - and that was more than 25 years ago. He said they were great cars when working but he'd never have another, due to high service costs.

The other buyer was a licensed mechanic, who purchased a used Audi for his wife. It needed work, but the price was right and he was qualified to do the work. He found that a programming card was necessary to re-set the radio presets. He knew an Audi dealership mechanic well, so he asked to borrow a programming card. The guy said no - this is how it works. You pay the dealership $85 (this was in 1994) and we use their programming card. No freebies.

$85 to re-set the radio? What does REAL work cost?

[dewisant]

I only buy used vehicles. I have been working on my own vehicles since I was 16. My first car was a 1969 MG Midget, that car taught me a lot. I went from being a car mechanic to being an aircraft mechanic. My daily driver is a 1999 Acura 3.2 TL with 250k on it. I am looking to get a pick-up truck to replace it as a daily driver. We already have a 1970 F-250 w/big block and a 1989 Bronco XLT. I have never owned a Mopar.

[cookderosa]

We've looked at pre-owned cars, but the price difference over the life of the vehicle is not that great when you look at cars with high resale values.

Therefore, we've just decided to buy only Honda or Toyota because we know they'll last 10+ years. We buy new and suck it up and make car payments, but know that we'll own the car for many years after the payment is gone. Others may have better ideas for buying cars, but this works for us.

Our Honda mini-van is now going on 12 years and we just got a new Toyota Corolla and hope for the same lifespan.

My sons have 4 Toyotas between them (2 Camrys, 1 Corolla, and a Tacoma)- all over 10+ years old, all run perfectly. In fact, my son just bought his boss' 1994 (?) Camry or Corolla for $500 and it's mechanically very sound. He'll get a year out of it no question before selling it off. My other son's is a 97 (I think?) and it looked pretty bad (to me) but he paid $700 then got a $300 paint job and now it's a really nice looking car! Gotten him back and forth to school for 2 years and it's only just needed brakes and an oil change this weekend- hasn't cost a penny in repairs. These are their dailys, but there are also Jeeps and a very modified Mustang in there for fun lol.

All that said, my oldest is a mechanic and my other sons are very mechanically inclined- so having that knowledge is important - if not yours, then someone you trust. I have zero mechanical inclination, but the only thing I care about are heated seats

[BrighterFuture88]

I own a 2006 Honda Accord and do the majority work on it myself and it has made this car last to where it is currently (223,000 miles). The transmission is slowly starting to become a teenie bit sluggish like any Honda due to their tranny problems, but it is a damn good car for what I paid for it (Got it at 200K miles for $1.5K) and has lasted me nearly a year & a half. Once I did flushes (excluding the tranny since that you ONLY do oil changes) on all the components, moved it over to full synthetic oil and updated the brakes, rotors and such, this baby runs beautifully. My next vehicle will definitely be a pre-owned Toyota since I need something that will last a long time for commute purposes.

[Life Long Learning]

I own a 2006 Honda Accord and do the majority work on it myself and it has made this car last to where it is currently (223,000 miles).  The transmission is slowly starting to become a teenie bit sluggish like any Honda due to their tranny problems, but it is a damn good car for what I paid for it (Got it at 200K miles for $1.5K) and has lasted me nearly a year & a half.  Once I did flushes (excluding the tranny since that you ONLY do oil changes) on all the components, moved it over to full synthetic oil and updated the brakes, rotors and such, this baby runs beautifully.  My next vehicle will definitely be a pre-owned Toyota since I need something that will last a long time for commute purposes.

I just spent $6,000 to do maintenance (all fluids, new brakes, shocks, etc) on a 19-year-old truck.  It is in great shape now. No way am I buying a new truck.

[elcastor21]

I haven't been in the market for a car in a while, but I was shocked at how expensive new cars have gotten in the past five years. Unless one wants a sub-compact car or crossover, the cost of a vehicle from one of the reliable makes is close to $30k. Even though I could afford a $30k car, I'd rather not spend that much. I hate having high car payments. So, I'm waiting for year-end deals. Some of the cars I've been looking at have already been discounted by $9k. 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/used-car-sa...1537700401

Sub 5? more like sub 2, cars were way cheaper in early 2021 and before, they have gone to the moon recently

If only people invested in cars instead of crypto, they would have recovered their investments...

[Pats20]

It’s actually cheaper to buy new today than 1-3 years old. We just purchased a new car for less than the used ones on the lot. Lots are full of used cars for that reason. Very little new inventory on lots. Manufacturers are building on demand. We had to put $500 down a month before delivery to the lot to be the first to look at a car