[Harrison335i]

So I'm a highschool student and I want to get my first car and was looking at the bmw e92 335i, I was planning on doing the maintenance myself but have no experience with working on cars, do you think I should go for it?

[neilvan]

Absolutely not

[CTinline-six]

A 335i is not a good first car.

Here's why:

-cost to maintain and repair
-too much power for a new driver
-high insurance
-not a good car to learn to fix cars on due to the complexity.


Buy a cheap beater car to fix yourself and learn to wrench, get your speeding tickets and stuff with that one haha. Experienced mechanics still screw these things up because they don't know what they are doing. You'll thank yourself later if you buy it as a second or third car after you've done some work yourself on others.

[Mosaud1998]

Originally Posted by Harrison335i

So I'm a highschool student and I want to get my first car and was looking at the bmw e92 335i, I was planning on doing the maintenance myself but have no experience with working on cars, do you think I should go for it?

Well, that depends on how much money you bring in or even if you have a job.

BMWs require more maintenance and care than what the average owner is willing to put up with. For example, a Toyota owner would skip over the transmission fluid at 60k (manufactures interval to change it) and probably never change it. The car most likely will run fine But, If you skip out on normal maintenance items such as transmissions fluid changes, etc on a BMW It'll come bit you in your ass later down the road.

Take care of the car. Meaning oil changes on time, don't neglect maintenance items, and if there is an issue, dont wait until it gets worse fix it asap.

If I was a high schooler, I'd avoid a 335 and stick with a 330, 328, or even a Toyota Camry.

[Buug959]

Originally Posted by Harrison335i

So I'm a highschool student and I want to get my first car and was looking at the bmw e92 335i, I was planning on doing the maintenance myself but have no experience with working on cars, do you think I should go for it?

Welcome to the forum. If I were you, and taking into account that you don't have any experience working on cars, I would look for a 328i or maybe a 330i if you can find one. There is a lot more to consider with a 335i, ie. a lot more to go wrong. A 328i has lots of power to get you in trouble and is easier to learn on than a 335i. I would also avoid xDrive too for the same reasons.
Whatever you decide you'll find that there are a lot of very experienced enthusiasts here and everyone here will try to help you with any problems that you encounter, just don't be afraid to ask the question.

[relative4]

Get a Honda. Get a Toyota. Stay away from any BMW, especially that one.

[tcphoto]

Never recommend buying a BMW as a first car, let alone a 335 for an inexperienced driver.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Mosaud1998

Well, that depends on how much money you bring in or even if you have a job.

BMWs require more maintenance and care than what the average owner is willing to put up with. For example, a Toyota owner would skip over the transmission fluid at 60k (manufactures interval to change it) and probably never change it. The car most likely will run fine But, If you skip out on normal maintenance items such as transmissions fluid changes, etc on a BMW It'll come bit you in your ass later down the road.

Take care of the car. Meaning oil changes on time, don't neglect maintenance items, and if there is an issue, dont wait until it gets worse fix it asap.

If I was a high schooler, I'd avoid a 335 and stick with a 330, 328, or even a Toyota Camry.

The only time a high school student drives a Camry is of his gives it to him when she gets a new Camry.

Kid, buy a Civic and rice it out.

[Bimmer_Engineer]

Originally Posted by relative4

Get a Honda. Get a Toyota. Stay away from any BMW, especially that one.

So you're suggesting an S2000 or a 2JZ supra right???

[Buug959]

^

[Vivek.]

Nothing wrong with a BMW but the e92 335i is gonna be more than you can chew unless you've been karting since you could walk and your dad owns an auto shop and is willing to gift you his techs' time.

Go for an e30, e46 or something; perfectly good cars that are easier to work on and more manageable. Plus the e30's often have LSDs which is fun for drifting which I'm sure you're not opposed to. They're cool cars, handle well, and are a ton of fun without getting into trouble. My 318 has plenty of power to learn to drive on and I still enjoy the hell out of it coming from my 335is (couple months ago I kept up with an M2 Comp thru the mountains in my e30 318i. Trust me that's a better feeling than having a car that is 'scary fast').

[freakystyly]

e30s aren't widely available in Canada anymore unfortunately, they've been appreciating for some time now. e46, e90 are all pretty much bottomed out tho with obvious exceptions to low mileage.

[whyzee125]

Get a 4runner, seriously.

As moddable as 335i's
Reliable
Never dies
Never depreciates
Super badass
Girls love guys who drive 4runners (it's a fact)
Super fun
Seriously. Do it

[marvinstockman]

Do you have 'friends' who are car people and can help you?

Does HS have a car shop?

Check with the insurance company before you buy anything, as being the sole driver of any type of car, and being under 25, will cost you dearly.

[Gamb1t]

There is a suburb in Vancouver, BC where high school kids start out with M4 CS or Cayman GTS. Then by University, they would be sporting G-Wagen (safety first!) or R8s or 911s (on time for classes!). You can usually see them with the learner's permit 'N' sticker at the back.

I think OP's ask points to a source of great humility and a place of learning. I say go for it. 335is are so cheap (for a reason). Buy a few for spare parts.

[JonOhh]

No. I've seen enough friends make that mistake.

Get a 328i or 330i to learn how to work on BMWs, and then once you're proficient in that, and have the background knowledge of how they work, parts costs, and an income or financial stability to afford up to $6,000 in parts on any given month, then you can explore a 335i. You can get the same level of satisfaction from a 330i unless you only care about straight line speed.

[JonOhh]

Originally Posted by whyzee125

Get a 4runner, seriously.

As moddable as 335i's
Reliable
Never dies
Never depreciates
Super badass
Girls love guys who drive 4runners (it's a fact)
Super fun
Seriously. Do it

Can confirm. Guys who drive 4Runners are hotter.

Although the Tacoma's have a negative hotness factor of about the same.

[thisisMikeNa]

he put 335i in his username. i think he's already made his decision 😂

just have a few grand available at all times just in case

[tcphoto]

I cannot imagine what a high school student would pay for insurance on a 335. What happens if a turbo goes? It's going to take a lot of extra shifts at Baskin Robbins or mow more lawns to pay for that or does he have a parent with deep pockets to help.

OP's buddies: Who you taking to Prom?
OP: No one, I've got to pay for new tires.
OP's buddies: Damn, I was going to ask for a ride.

[Hoody007]

Originally Posted by Harrison335i

So I'm a highschool student and I want to get my first car and was looking at the bmw e92 335i, I was planning on doing the maintenance myself but have no experience with working on cars, do you think I should go for it?

Take it from someone who has one - stock - the 335i is way too much power for a high schooler. You can get in trouble very easily; even a 328i is a bit too much, honestly.

I had a 330Ci in high school, and I have the speeding tickets to prove it.
Remember, the MSRP on these cars was north of 50K - parts / labor is still reflective of this. If you want to learn how to work on a car, try an E90 325i…

I’m also 24, so I’m not coming from the perspective of a “kids these days” viewpoint.

[Aceway]

If you have some sort of financial backing then I don't see why not. Would be financial suicide if you're just working regular jobs. I don't think it would be a good idea in that scenario.

[2one3E90]

GET a CIVIC SI or a Bmw e90 328i. Dont get a 325i with a ZF 6 speed auto. Get a Sulev 328i. It saved my ass many times, had mines since Junior year and I had a choice between a new civic or used bmw. My dads a honda dude and likes them alot for a first car cuz they teach you so much. He didn't even recommend the Corolla. But also he started like BMWs and knew that the NA Inline 6 was the way to go. I wanted a 335i but man all the ones I checked out wearnt running right and they had "modifications" like those cone intakes and BIG ASS 19 INCH WHEELS. Dark ass tints. I hate tints, u can see at night or drive as fast. But when you shined the light on the engine. JEEZUS. Oil filter housing gasket seaping or leaking. Valve cover is totally MOIST LEVEL OF LEAKING. Oilpan for sure perhaps and the dudes didnt have much files of maintenance. Checked the tire pressure and it wasnt even optimal. Like how tf did you drive to this parking lot to show me this FASTEST AND TUNABLE BMW. They kept saying JB4 this or that. (this was 2016). Well I got a 328i from a mature gentleman that actually was selling his to get a M3. He gave it to me for a good deal and I still have. Not a day goes by where it ends up sideways in corners and redlined.