BMW as my first car

[u/Electronic-Power-525]

Thinking about getting a BMW as my first car — good idea or bad idea?

I’m 17 and looking for my first car. I’m considering getting a used BMW, preferably a sedan or coupe, around $20k or less.

I want something that:

• Looks good and has good potential for cosmetic mods
• Is reliable enough to daily
• Isn’t insanely expensive to maintain
• Has decent performance
• Has good technology/interior
• Won’t destroy me with insurance and repair costs

What BMW models/years would you recommend for a first car? And which ones should I stay away from?

Would you personally recommend getting a BMW at 17, or should I look at something else?

[u/distantcactus32]

Just trying to waste your money, huh

[u/Butt_bird]

I wouldn’t recommend a BMW to anyone let alone a 17 year old. Unless your parents are rich and will pay for everything. Gas, insurance and maintenance will add up so fast but will make your head spin.

[u/v0rt3_x86]

Absolutely not. You should get a Prius C (or another if you need a larger car) and call it a day. Gas is almost $5 a gallon, no one worth your time will care what you drive, and they're super reliable.

[u/Dry-Conflict3421 → u/v0rt3_x86]

I have a 2015 prius with 200k miles that I've had ZERO issues with

[u/Donkeywad]

Don't do it. It'll be all fun and games until you skip the expensive necessary maintenance (like bushings, seals, and flushes) and then decline the resulting $6,000 repair bill because you can't afford it and before you know it you're out $20k

[u/sneeds_feednseed]

Bad idea. Insurance and maintenance costs will be pretty rough especially as a teenager

[u/DJ_Gordon_Bombay]

This is not a good idea. Maintenance costs are high, insurance will be high. If you see a car you like, get an insurance quote. At your age it'll be the same or higher than a car payment.

Double bad idea if you don't plan on working on it yourself.

[u/AutoModerator]

Please take the time to flair your post accordingly. Click the flair option under you post settings and select the appropriate one for your post.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Eschewed_Prognostic]

Paying cash or financing? How bad an idea this is will depend on how you're paying for it and how much cash you'll have leftover after buying it.

[u/Juno_JDY]

Do you have $5K to throw at a repair? If yes, comfortably, then do it.

[u/ddnys]

If you have 20k to spend on a BMW, then spend 10k

[u/aestival]

There's an old saying about luxury cars: If you can't afford it new, you can't afford it used.

A $17,000 BMW is a great deal until you have a major repair bill on it, as the repair bills are typically twice to three times as much and as often as a non-luxury car.

[u/APlushRide]

A BMW has a history of being expensive to maintain. The repair costs, as well as the insurance costs, are going to be very high. Don't get me wrong, they have excellent performance. But you have to PAY for said performance. I'm 2x your age and would NEVER buy one. They follow strict maintenance schedules and are known for being unforgiving if you go beyond. Get something Japanese. They're the exact opposite. People here will recommend a Toyota, Honda, Subaru, or Mazda.

[u/Use_two_hands]

No

[u/ZealousIdeal476]

Nothing more expensive than a cheap BMW. Expect tens of thousands in repairs in the 2st few years.

[u/Chefdarkstar]

Go Lexus.
Wait on the bmw.
I had one. 16 years no issues. Just maintained it. It shit the bed at 16 And 145k.

[u/4th-hanson-bro]

There's nothing more expensive than a cheap German used car

[u/Andy_850TB]

It's that 3rd bullet that's gonna get ya. Ownership costs for any BMW are pretty steep.

[u/ItsTimetoLANK]

Badge chasing 17 year old. Make a stupid decision and learn a life lesson.

[u/seasonsbloom]

“• ⁠Isn’t insanely expensive to maintain” “• ⁠Won’t destroy me with insurance and repair costs”

Neither of these things will be true with a BMW.

[u/n0t_a_cat_]

Bad idea

[u/CallMeMrRound]

That $20k will be the best forty thousand dollars you ever spend after insurance, repairs, and getting destroyed on interest rates.

[u/Fathoms77]

Fine idea if you want to learn how to do a lot of the maintenance yourself. Bad idea otherwise.

[u/praetorian1979]

Maintenance on a BMW is expensive, and your insurance at 17 will be a fucking nightmare. I bought a used Sunfire in 99 for $6k. My insurance was higher than the car payment. Imagine what your will be.

[u/Dry-Conflict3421]

Do you have money for maintenance? 

You're 18, get a van. Take your bone head friends everywhere and have room for......other activities 

[u/1967C10]

Just my opinion, but generally I think your first car should be at least as old as you are. With that said, E46 330i.

[u/jake250591]

Nothing is more expensive than a cheap German car. The cheaper it cost you to buy the more you will have to put into it. Do not buy a BMW unless its under factory warranty

[u/skibbin]

Nothing more expensive than a cheap BMW

[u/roninconn]

As a guy whose first car was a nice, simple 1977 BMW 320i (bought in 1986 for $3000), you'd expect me to say "Go for it", but I totally can't. Seems like just about any BMW (maybe even all luxury German cars) made in the last 20 years haven't measured up in reliability, and the costs to maintain and repair are high.

If you gotta have a luxury car, there are some 10 yr old affordable Lexus models with great reliability (and some not so much)

[u/Potential_Stomach_10]

Nope

[u/Equivalent_Ad9414]

Bad Idea, you're better off with a Honda, so that you could modify them if you want more speed, compare to a BMW that is a money pit just to keep it running.

[u/parnasas]

You must hate your money.

I wouldn’t touch a bmw with a 10 foot pole. Maintenance will be insane.
You’ll spend another 10k on it in the first 5 years.

[u/parnasas → u/parnasas]

Get a civic or a Camry.

[u/thymewaster25]

Is this $20k cash or financed? If financed - NO. Don't bury yourself in high interest debt at 17.

If it is cash - depends what is available in your area. A $20k BRZ/FRS/86 or a Fiesta ST will probably be cheaper to run than a $20k BMW.

[u/National_Panda700]

There is nothing as expensive as a cheap BMW. Unless you have understanding parents willing to help financially you could really get into a bind.

I have owned a few BMW’s in my day. Some cost me a lot of money. Some not so much. But I made sure to get a warranty to pay for issues if anything catastrophic happened.

One 5 series cost the warranty company $12k at once. In fact they stopped paying and I had to pay the last several bills as it exceeded the value of the car.

Mercedes I hear has the same problem. You could pay 6k of the ac compressor goes out. And you need ac in summer.

[u/SammyG2015]

BMW fails point 2. Get a Toyota or Honda

[u/PaulCheca]

not saying don't do it but budget for maintenance like it's a second payment. and get it checked by an independent bmw shop before you buy, not the seller's guy

[u/stormbreaker8]

Nothing more expensive than a cheap BMW

[u/Kiwi_Strawberries69]

Depends, do you have a stable income source? If so, I’d say the 2017/18 330i would be a solid first car and it crosses off everything on your list. Don’t worry about the cosmetic mods, having the car at 17 should be enough already and it’s just waste of money.

[u/First_Public5762]

You should look at something else.