In order to wrap up this article, let’s review everything we’ve covered. In general, BMW vehicles get good gas mileage. They typically reach their maximum range of 150–250,000 miles. Therefore, anything in the range is considered to have a mileage that may be too high to justify owning the car. But when they reach 60–80,000 miles, the majority of BMWs fall into the high mileage category. Therefore, it is clear that there is still a long way to go before you reach the “too high” point.
With all of that in mind, purchasing a high mileage BMW might be a wise financial move because you’ll receive a great car that’s dependable, has plenty of miles remaining in the tank, and is much less expensive.
I’m Scott, a huge fan of BMWs and a long-time owner of these incredible vehicles. I’m here to chronicle my encounters with BMWs over the years and, hopefully, to be of use to others.
In This Article...
All-around High Mileage
100,000 km or more is regarded as high mileage for the majority of sellers and BMW owners. Drivers typically estimate that a car will only last four to five more years after 100,000 miles.
A basic BMW will survive for at least 150,000 kilometers. But because to technical improvements made by BMW, some of their cars may now survive up to 200,000 or even 250,000 kilometers. In order to get the most life out of a used BMW, try to choose one with fewer than 100,000 miles on it.
A typical American driver logs 12,000 to 13,000 miles annually. Multiply the number of years you anticipate using the vehicle by 12,500 miles, and then account for the remaining mileage on the BMW. For instance, you must go at least 62,500 miles if you want this BMW to last for 5 years. You must locate a BMW with 100,000 miles or fewer because they only last between 150,000 and 200,000 kilometers. More than that, and the BMW is probably going to malfunction before the five years are up.
How Was the Car Maintained by the Previous Owner?
The importance of the owner taking care of the vehicle’s maintenance and repairs increases as the vehicle ages.
High mileage BMWs can be quite valuable to second, third, and fourth owners, but if the mileage reaches close to 100,000, it is crucial that the car has been well-kept.
The last thing you want to do is buy a ten-year-old E90 3 Series with 120,000 miles on it and poor maintenance from the previous owner. It WILL deplete your bank account and BE VERY UNRELAXED. You will have spent thousands of dollars more than the cost of the car by the time you are done restoring one to good condition!
I have firsthand experience with the dramatic impact that properly maintained BMWs make. In my line of work, I occasionally purchased 3 Series BMWs with more than 100,000 miles on them to conduct some small repairs and resell, and occasionally I purchased BMWs with the same mileage for $500 since they were in terrible shape.
How far can a BMW travel?
BMWs are renowned for their high efficiency ratings and reliable engines, but with a price tag to match, customers wonder if they are really worth it. How many miles is a BMW good for?
With regular maintenance, the majority of BMW vehicles have a lifespan of 200,000–250,000 kilometers. As a car ages, you can anticipate replacing common elements like the battery, electric windows, and coolant system in addition to routine maintenance.
BMWs bought in the 1980s that are still in use today are not rare. On the weekends, you might even see well-kept BMWs with odometers showing more than 500,000 kilometers at the racetrack.
A 3-series was the first BMW I ever owned, and I drove it until it reached 209,000 miles on the odometer before trading it in. With that in mind, it’s important to think about what you should do (and avoid) to prolong the life of your BMW.
How many miles should a used BMW have?
When assessing the condition of low mileage used cars, you should keep the following things in mind if you’re thinking about buying a used BMW: What is high mileage in terms of use? Anything with a mileage of over 75,000 fits into this group. However, compared to 75,000 miles of motorway, 50,000 miles of stop-and-go traffic deteriorates more fast.
What is a BMW’s maximum mileage?
This 1986 BMW 535i is the BMW with the most miles overall, having been reported to have traveled 563,000 miles. This 535i is being offered by a private seller in Finksburg, Maryland. According to the ad, it has only had two owners since the present owner purchased it from the first owner in 1996.
BMWs still dependable after 100,000 miles?
BMW is renowned for producing opulent vehicles with outstanding handling and driving dynamics. Do BMWs still be reliable after more than 100,000 miles on the road?
JD Power and other reliability evaluations have routinely placed BMW among the top ten most trustworthy cars.
Furthermore, having driven a BMW myself, I can vouch to the reliability of these vehicles, even after more than 100,000 miles on them. Some models are trustworthy while others are not, therefore it also depends on the models. They require maintenance, but any vehicle that you want to keep in good running order requires maintenance as well.
It heavily depends on the circumstances. It has been said that several BMW models, including the E46 and the E90, can go more than 300,000 miles on a single charge.
This, however, depends on a number of variables. For instance, it’s possible that your car may need significant repairs after 100,000 miles if you don’t change the oil in it frequently or maintain it properly.
A BMW can it last 300k miles?
When properly maintained and driven cautiously, the BMW 3 Series can endure between 200,000 and 250,000 miles. It will last roughly 13 to 17 years if you drive 15,000 miles per year before needing pricey and uneconomical maintenance. In some cases, the 3 Series can travel up to 300,000 kilometers.
How far can a BMW travel?
With the right care, almost any BMW has the ability to last up to 200,000 or even 250,000 miles, and there will always be outliers that go even longer. It’s simple to get off to a good start because every new BMW comes with free factory-recommended maintenance through BMW Ultimate Care.
The BMW: a dependable vehicle?
Fortunately, ratings of BMW dependability from several organizations support that excellent reputation: Customer Reports Every BMW in the lineup received a score above average in the 2020 rankings. The i3 electric car and the X6 midsize SUV are BMW’s most reliable models, and the brand as a whole is ranked seventh.
Is a pre-owned BMW worth it?
BMW is renowned for producing some of the best driving machines the world has ever seen, yet the majority of mechanics will advise you to steer clear of pre-owned models.
Once upon a time, BMW was a renowned automaker, a premium German brand with a lengthy history and an amazing collection of vehicles crisscrossing the globe. Sadly, though, circumstances are now different for the employees at the Bavarian Motor Works. The brand has been permanently damaged with prior owners and do-it-yourselfers due to an emphasis on producing mass-market automobiles that don’t age well.
August 2021 revision: You’ll be delighted to know that we’ve updated this post and go into more detail about the many issues a Bavarian automobile owner may run into if they decide to purchase a used BMW. This should assist you in making the greatest choice for your upcoming automobile purchase.
The majority of knowledgeable owners and mechanics will advise you to avoid used BMWs, especially those manufactured within the previous 20 years or so. Simply put, they are not worth the money you will undoubtedly have to invest in them. They are expensive to repair, have expensive replacement parts, and require a lot of labor.
They certainly have a cool appearance and a certain charm. But when you force personal checks to pour in at the neighborhood Euro repair shop, that beautiful siren tune will finally hit a string of unfavorable notes. Here are 15 compelling arguments against buying a used BMW.
What is a good used car mileage?
What Used Car Mileage Is Considering High? Most automobile buyers prefer to purchase a secondhand car with less than 100,000 miles on the odometer.
Is BMW prone to breakdowns?
The only fully electric BMW in this study is the i3, which is also the first mass-produced electric vehicle to leave Germany and the only fully electric BMW on the market in 2019. The producer will launch a number of new electric vehicles in 2021, including the BMW ix3.
Despite the fact that there are over 17,000 of these vehicles on UK roads, ReliabilityIndex was unable to compile an accurate performance report due to a lack of data.
The Which? consumer reliability survey included more than 55,000 participants, and with this number of responses, there was enough information from BMW i3 owners to create a comprehensive picture of the car’s dependability.
A remarkable 16% of newer vehicles contain faults. When they do have problems, they are also quite quickly fixed; the average downtime for an i3 in the 12 months before to the poll was just one and a half days.
The number of cars that had a fault so severe it forced them off the road entirely was 4.4%, despite the fact that the fault rate is well below average (which is positive). Although this is higher than the industry average for more recent electric vehicles, the entire % needs to be viewed as a number as with other data-based statistics. Less than 1% of all new BMW i3 owners are actually impacted by the breakdown rate, which is only 4.4% of the 16% total recorded issues.
Serious motor troubles, which can occasionally result in a full motor failure, and ventilation system problems are the most frequent problems that i3 owners report.
According to statistics gathered by Which?, 36% of owners of older i3 models (between 3 and 8 years old) reported having a problem with their car. 7.4% of owners reported having trouble starting their cars. The i3 is not like many older automobiles, which require much more time to fix than their more modern rivals. Owners were without their cars for an average of two days when the vehicle needed to be taken in for maintenance.
The engine electrics were the main problem customers had with an older generation i3. 15% of owners who experienced a problem determined that this was to blame. Battery charging issues were reported by a very tiny percentage of owners.
Overall, evidence obtained from current owners of the i3 by Which? indicates that it is a dependable electric vehicle. Due to this, the upgraded model received four out of five stars in the 2020 consumer report. Older models only received two stars out of five since they were not thought to be as dependable, had more major breakdowns and troubles, and were not thought to be as desired.
The i3 is a model that you may be considering if you want to go electric, and its reliability makes leasing a new car a very appealing option. Especially when you consider the stark disparity in reliability between the newer and older versions.