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FEATURED ARTICLES           Thursday, September 09, 2010                                Email to a Friend

Car Purchasing Dilemma: Old Beamer or New Civic? Consumer Guide®, HELP!

Consider alternative 1: go with the Beamer… just saying the name gives you a nice feeling, doesn’t it?

According to Consumer Guide®, a 1990-96 BMW 5-Series vehicle will cost you anywhere from $1,500-11,300 – sounds like a pretty damn good price doesn’t it! Well let’s take a look at some of the repairs that you will likely encounter with this vehicle.

he following information surrounding common problems and repair costs is an excerpt from: http://auto.consumerguide.com/

Consumer Guide's® Auto Editors have researched repair bulletins and questioned mechanics to uncover common problems for 1990-96 BMW 5-Series vehicles.

Air conditioner: Small flakes may come from the vents or a foul odor may be present when the A/C is operated. A redesigned evaporator is available to fix the problem. (1992-93)

Climate control: Fuse #20 may blow repeatedly and BMW has approved replacing the original 10-amp fuse with a 15-amp fuse. (1993-94)

Dashboard lights: The hazard flashers may begin flashing by themselves or the turn signals may flash at twice the normal speed due to condensation shorting out the circuit board. (1992-94)

Doors: If the central locking system unlocks itself after being locked or locks itself after being unlocked, the actuators could be defective or the trunk lock may need to be adjusted. (1992-93)

Oil leak: Oil and coolant leak from valley in V8 engine could be a rear main seal leak. (1994-96)

Starter: The starter may fail because it keeps running after the engine starts. The root cause is a sticking ignition switch. The whole lock and switch must be replaced. (1992-94)

Transmission slippage: Transmission may slip and/or check-engine light may glow due to torque converter clutch (TCC) slipping and/or TCC solenoid failure. (1992-94)

So how much would all of this cost you? Well, Consumer Guide® estimates the following repair costs:

Item Name	Repair Cost
A/C Compressor	$ 1,280
Alternator	$ 610
Automatic Transmission or Transaxle	$ 1,150
Brakes	$ 255
Clutch, Pressure Plate, Bearing	$ 875
Exhaust System	$ 1,015
Radiator	$ 710
Shocks and/or Struts	$ 865
Timing Chain or Belt	$ 1,920

GRAND TOTAL INCLUDING REPAIRS: $19,980 (assuming purchasing cost: $11,300)

Consumer Guide® Rating: Value in Class Scale 5.5/10

Consider Alternative 2: go with the Honda Civic

Consumer Guide® reports that the ’06 Honda Civic will cost you anywhere between $14,360-23,350 – very comparable to the total cost of the Beamer.

There really isn’t too much to say here in terms of car maintenance given that the vehicle would be under warranty (*type of warranty is dependent on vehicle part).

However, there is a $550 destination charge. For more information on this vehicle, please visit: http://auto.consumerguide.com/Auto/

GRAND TOTAL INCLUDING TOTAL DESTINATION CHARGE: $23,900 (assuming purchasing cost: $23,350)

Consumer Guide Rating: Value in Class Scale 9/10 *Winner of the Automotive Best Buy award

Our verdict: Spend the extra $4,000 and get a brand new vehicle. For students, and coming from a student, why buy the Beamer when chances are the maintenance fees may burn a bigger hole in your wallet? I say ‘bigger hole’ because the above calculations don’t consider regular maintenance costs on both vehicles – we all know it costs more to service a BMW vs. a Honda. Thinking long-term, buy the more cost effective, reliable Honda Civic now and save your shiny new BMW for the future (when you can afford one!).

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