E-31 Maintenance Cost Myth (archive)

As you'd expect, the members of this board will highly recommend buying the 850. And we'll usually dispel the myth that the 8's have "really high" maintenance costs. If the car is well maintained, has all it's records, and has been gone over by a good mechanic, you can expect a good healthy life for it. Unfortunately, 90+% of older 8's have become "beater" cars that were not taken care of. Yes, the 850 will have some high ticket repair items as it ages, but if you research it (a lot of good info in the archives here), you'll find that you can almost predict when things will near replacement time and budget accordingly. It is not a cheap car to own or operate, but certainly reasonable, especially for something with it's sophistication and engineering. It is also now a BMW "classic" as they aren't made anymore [Yes, Carl, I know about the Alpina's for the ME!!], so this only adds to the prestige. Compared to any other V12 supercar, the 850 is hands down the most economical to support. You'll find various budget figures, from $1-$2K a year for the DIY'ers up to $5-$6K for the folks who use the dealers for service. In any manner, as has been stated more eloquently by others here, you need to decide if you can afford a car that will cost a little bit more for upkeep, balanced with the sheer joy and passion of owning any E-31. My $0.02.

Stan C.
'92 850iA
Bay Area 8's

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