[BrownE92]

hey everyone so i was looking to buy a bmw e92 as my first car was wondering which model and year is the most reliable, power isnt my priority but reliability is. i have come aross a 320i mt but ive heard its quite unreliable any suggestion on which model e92 i should go for
ps:we dont get diesel once here :P

[whyzee125]

In the states the N52 is the most reliable. I have no experience with the 4 bangers, but a 325, 328, or 330 especially with an MT is a well built and overall reliable car.

[Suvorovo]

Originally Posted by BrownE92

hey everyone so i was looking to buy a bmw e92 as my first car was wondering which model and year is the most reliable, power isnt my priority but reliability is. i have come aross a 320i mt but ive heard its quite unreliable any suggestion on which model e92 i should go for
ps:we dont get diesel once here :P

Honestly, a 328i or forget it. Since you're looking for a coupe, you can definitely find a '12, '13 model year. These model years have teflon cam ledge bearings and don't have issues with vanos bolts shearing off. The two problems are the only "catastrophic" issues that plague the n52 engine.

[BrownE92]

Originally Posted by Suvorovo

Honestly, a 328i or forget it. Since you're looking for a coupe, you can definitely find a '12, '13 model year. These model years have teflon cam ledge bearings and don't have issues with vanos bolts shearing off. The two problems are the only "catastrophic" issues that plague the n52 engine.

12-13 models are quite out of my budget ive come across another 330i 2008 model any thing i can do to prevent the vanos bolts shearing off?

[BrownE92]

Originally Posted by whyzee125

In the states the N52 is the most reliable. I have no experience with the 4 bangers, but a 325, 328, or 330 especially with an MT is a well built and overall reliable car.

i dont think we get 328i here but iam looking for 325i and 330i atm is there any major problems i can expect these models?

[Suvorovo]

Originally Posted by BrownE92

i dont think we get 328i here but iam looking for 325i and 330i atm is there any major problems i can expect these models?

330i is a more reliable engine, but there are more components that can fail which aren't too hard to fix/maintain.
- DISA Valves
- PCV. You live in a warm climate, you shouldn't have problems

325i suffers from poor piston ring design and can start burning oil.

[whyzee125]

Originally Posted by Suvorovo

330i is a more reliable engine, but there are more components that can fail which aren't too hard to fix/maintain.
- DISA Valves
- PCV. You live in a warm climate, you shouldn't have problems

325i suffers from poor piston ring design and can start burning oil.

Don't they have the exact same engine? To my knowledge, both use an identical N52b30 with a different intake manifold and tune, at least in the states. I think some parts of Europe got a 2.5 N52 at some point then switched over to the 3.0 for both applications.

[Suvorovo]

Originally Posted by whyzee125

Don't they have the exact same engine? To my knowledge, both use an identical N52b30 with a different intake manifold and tune, at least in the states. I think some parts of Europe got a 2.5 N52 at some point then switched over to the 3.0 for both applications.

That's a good point. I'm not sure. I just know the 06 "325i" develops issues with gunked up piston rings which lead to oil burn. It's pretty well documented on the internet.

[FimbulWinter]

N52 is great, get the 330i for b30 or 325i for b25 especially 2011 and above.

[BrownE92]

Originally Posted by Suvorovo

330i is a more reliable engine, but there are more components that can fail which aren't too hard to fix/maintain.
- DISA Valves
- PCV. You live in a warm climate, you shouldn't have problems

325i suffers from poor piston ring design and can start burning oil.

thats a relief hahah guess ill start looking for a 330i with my budget i think i can only find 2008-2009 models nothing to worry about that right?

[StradaRedlands]

Don't kid yourself, there will be a LOT of maintenance on a 15 year old BMW, regardless of the engine. Valve cover gasket, oil sump gasket, oil filter housing, accessory belt/tensioner, water pump, radiator/hoses, transmission filter and seals, alternator, starter, front suspension rebuild, rear window regulators, passenger door lock, interior door grabs, trunk wiring, rear subframe & guibos... that's not even everything! You should feel comfortable doing this work yourself, or prepared to pay a mechanic to do it. It won't all hit at once, or even right away, but everything up there will need to be done at some point.

[Suvorovo]

Originally Posted by BrownE92

thats a relief hahah guess ill start looking for a 330i with my budget i think i can only find 2008-2009 models nothing to worry about that right?

My 90 330xi was well maintained and had new suspension and water pump/thermostat done.

Here are some of my bigger expenses in USD, except Vanos solenoids and CV axle, nothing else was really broken. DISA Valves are a good preventative maintenance at 120k miles, they can break and pieces end up in the engine:

Tires $700
DISA Valves $660
CV Axle $450
Vanos Solenoids $300
Vanos Check Valves $80
PCV $330
Coils/Plugs $150
Brake Booster Hoses $100
Power Steering Reservoir Kit, Differential fluids, Transfer Case Fluid, Manual Transmission Fluid, brake fluid, Serpentine belt kit, gaskets, seals, single use aluminum bolts and nuts, good torque wrenches, specialty sockets, specialty tools, pressure bleeder. These things add up FAST.

I still have to do oil pan gasket and start budgeting for a clutch job.

[BrownE92]

Originally Posted by StradaRedlands

Don't kid yourself, there will be a LOT of maintenance on a 15 year old BMW, regardless of the engine. Valve cover gasket, oil sump gasket, oil filter housing, accessory belt/tensioner, water pump, radiator/hoses, transmission filter and seals, alternator, starter, front suspension rebuild, rear window regulators, passenger door lock, interior door grabs, trunk wiring, rear subframe & guibos... that's not even everything! You should feel comfortable doing this work yourself, or prepared to pay a mechanic to do it. It won't all hit at once, or even right away, but everything up there will need to be done at some point.

really appreciate it dint know about all this hahah guess ill need to reconsider now

[BrownE92]

Originally Posted by Suvorovo

My 90 330xi was well maintained and had new suspension and water pump/thermostat done.

Here are some of my bigger expenses in USD, except Vanos solenoids and CV axle, nothing else was really broken. DISA Valves are a good preventative maintenance at 120k miles, they can break and pieces end up in the engine:

Tires $700
DISA Valves $660
CV Axle $450
Vanos Solenoids $300
Vanos Check Valves $80
PCV $330
Coils/Plugs $150
Brake Booster Hoses $100
Power Steering Reservoir Kit, Differential fluids, Transfer Case Fluid, Manual Transmission Fluid, brake fluid, Serpentine belt kit, gaskets, seals, single use aluminum bolts and nuts, good torque wrenches, specialty sockets, specialty tools, pressure bleeder. These things add up FAST.

I still have to do oil pan gasket and start budgeting for a clutch job.

thats quite overwhelming guess ill have to save up a little longer haha thank you so much

[kalashnikov0309]

Tought id add.

1st year with my N52B30 MT e92.

So far, starter motor failed and i had to do the usual, brake disks, pads, HB pads, all 4 shocks.
I do have rough idle however and the car throws some VANOS codes here and there that i should look into.

Oil change every 8k and she runs hella good.

[GregSimon]

Well, I heard a lot, and been an owner of, that e92 320d (180hp) is a very very reliable. I can't recall this engine mark but, it was a common one and encountered a millions of BMW powered with it.

[ptpending]

Originally Posted by whyzee125

Don't they have the exact same engine? To my knowledge, both use an identical N52b30 with a different intake manifold and tune, at least in the states. I think some parts of Europe got a 2.5 N52 at some point then switched over to the 3.0 for both applications.

all countries outside of the US got 325 with N52B25,
the only exception is EU 125i which also have N52B30 head
and EU 2007+ 325i have N53B30 head
so if that a person from US military and can bring US spec car with him anywhere he does duty, that one question
if that a citizen of a country, then he has options above

[tcphoto]

You are looking at it wrong, it's the car that has been properly maintained and driven moderately not modded. I've owned my E92 N54 for over eight years and it has performed well as a daily driver.