I've got a pretty easy task for you today Veeky Forums, simply name one BMW that is both fast and reliable

Base models of what you posted, the 520 and 525. 530 and 535 with the M30 were really tough too, the engine is extremely die hard IF you know how to take care of it.
The E34 is a very hardy machine, but even the newest ones are at least 20 years old by now

It's shimless and most Hondas on the road to date haven't gotten any valve adjustments since new. The car just sounds like a tractor after 200k miles from never ever doing them but it'll never drop a valve

I'll give BMW parts departments credit they're one of the better parts department at most dealerships. Cheap reasonable prices.

And yeah, E90/92 M3 is my contribution. No real issues aside from the rod bearings with them (do them every 60k).

E36 318is

1 year of ownership is hardly any indication of reliability.

This. Anything with the M30 is pretty much a god tier car.

Not exactly. Some stuff yes, but most electronics require it to be programmed to the specific car. Like if you get a DSC unit from a junk yard, it won't work with your car. You lose traction and stability control and all kinds of shit. The intention is that at some point, ever car HAS to visit the dealership.

The notoriety of the autotragics being awful and or unreliable just a meme? From what I remember when I was looking for a E34, the early ZFs would shit the bed.

Automatics are fine, people just get pissed off because hurr not really driving if it's not manual.

Is the M50 just as good as the M30? There's more 525i's than 535s for me on craigslist

I think the M50 is a good second to the M30. Avoid anything with the M20 though (i.e a 520i) since they're timing belts enjoy snapping at random. The M30 and I think the M50 have timing chains.

Also you wouldn't want anything less than 2.5litres anyway, the 520 is really slow. Get a 535 if you can.

>automatics are fine
t. automatic 325xi owner 2 months into ownership
with most of the automatics you're at risk of failure around 125k miles and it's pretty much guaranteed by 175k.
if you have any doubts, ask our resident BMW namefag how his automatic turned out for him

>Anything with the S54 engine
not from my personal experiences.

You cant get a bmw to 100k miles without some large mechanical fault.

>not from my personal experiences
which are?

Automagic owner of an E36 320 for almost 3 years so yeah, they're fine.

What mileage?
the whole "lifetime fluid" shit BMW tries to pull with the transmissions is a factor as well, in this case a vehicle serviced at a dealer is a distinct disadvantage

Just rolled over onto 169k miles. The lifetime fluid has been changed however, it's bullshit that it's "lifetime".

e30 325i
/thread

>2001 M3 67k miles. Water pump blew, garage finds cracked engine block,
>new engine.
>Sell, buy Saab Aero, trouble free motoring.
>Get bored, buy Z4m because mid life crisis.
>Car has problems with stuttering revs and hesitates under acceleration.
> Replace both camshaft position sensors- expensive as fuck for a sensor.
>3 months later, problem comes back
>take to specialist, he cant find other cause for this shit.
>replace sensors, sell car, look at empty wallet.

>buy BMW
>pay someone else to fix it
>can't even diagnose properly
kek
but yeah, water pumps are a pretty common issue starting around 50k miles
that's not a major mechanical fault though.

Have an e30 with the getrag 240. I've read the m54 bolts up no problem and found cheap custom harnesses for the swap. Is the m54 worth the work or should I just ebay turbo the m42 till it pops?

Just do an M54 swap.

It's nobodies fault but your own, should have done preventative maintenance and replaced the block when you bought the car. BMWs do not break for any reason other than owner negligence, if you can't have a trouble free ownership you don't deserve a BMW.

but in all seriousness if you can't diagnose a simple stutter/hesitant acceleration issue you're probably a normie faggot who doesn't deserve ANY kind of performance vehicle

yes, I may as well have just replaced the whole car while I was at it.

I initially "fixed" it. Couldn't figure out why the problem came back so soon so I took it to a BMW specialist. Even those fuckers couldn't figure it out.

New story.
>My parents used to have a 2005 530d, around 80k
>Car started emitting heavy black smoke. Sounds easy enough to fix. But no.
>They must have spent the value of the car trying to diagnose this fault. They replaced the whole exhaust system, turbos, air flow sensors, had compression testing, fuck, everything. But still clouds of black smoke.
>They took the plunge, it went to BMW to fix. They gave up after about a week. Didn't charge for parts they tried, just labour.
>Sold car to unknowing sketchy asian car dealer.
>He goes out of business a few months later, don't know if related.

They probably weren't particularly thorough.
Stuttering revs, hesitant acceleration, jumpy idle etc. are almost always sensor related. MAF sensor is a common and easily testable component
sometimes it's fuel delivery, this is similarly easy to rule out

MAF sensor was replaced, did nothing.
The real confusion was why the sensors being replaced would temporarily fix the problem.

any non-auto, non-convertible e30
all non-auto e28
all non-auto e34
any non-auto, non-convertible e36
all non-auto e39
>exceptions: ZF trans autos
any non-auto, non-convertible e46
>exceptions: auto 330s (they have the ZF instead of the GM trans)
this isn't that fucking complicated
hell even the auto trans do fine if you do a drain and refill every 50k
class 4 shitpost
its literally like no one can replace a water pump
fucking benchracing autists

Maybe the new sensors were bad?

> e30

he did say fast tho

I've done it once and I'm going to do it again this weekend.

This. My m3 and z4m are bulletproof engine wise.

E39 530d

No. Get the proper software and do it at home. As older the vehicle gets, easier it is to get it.

I do it. So yeah, I know it can be done.

Is this true?

e92 m3, obvious...

mercedes w126 owner here. it's not too bad tbhfam. does any 7 series compare, in terms of being able to buy one as a daily driver?

It is. Even the E60 530d Not that Veeky Forums on the whole would ever believe it.
Also my E39 M5.

The V12s are impractical as a daily driver.

The 730 and 735, with the glorious M30 straight six mind you, are perfectly fine as a DD. Sure they're a bit larger and don't go easy on the fuel, but the mechanical parts are bullet proof. 730's are a bit more easy on the amenities, which is a good thing because you won't be paying your ass sore for self leveling suspension bits and such.

Shit, I had an auto 730 E32 as my daily for 2 years, as a student, and I was perfectly fine with he thing. It ain't going to break your bank and kill your family as long as you take care of it and do all the work yourself.

Anything short of a prius is impractical as a DD. But yeah, the V12's probably aren't the second best thing after electrics and hybrids.

E34 540i/M5
E36 328i/M3
E39 540i/M5
E46 325i/330i/M3
Everything post 2012 so far

Contrary to popular belief, BMWs are rather reliable if you follow the user manual like the holy book. Infact they have one of the more reliable drivetrains out there, since it's accounted for all the 18yo buying it as their first car to rip mad skidz infront of their poorer highschool classmates.

It wouldn't be as bad if it also came with manual. We did a roadtrip in my friend's 850i and over 3K km of European highways and backwater roads, we had average 10l/100, which is roughly 24 american MPG

Good thing about 730 and 740 BMWs is that they come also in manual. 750's come in auto only.
And yeah, I daily a 750 myself right now and everyone memeing about the V12 BMWs being bombs on wheels and needing millions a week worth of hard labour, tears, blood and money are wrong. Sure it's a bit more complicated to keep than a god damn civic, but it ain't anything impossible.

Both the mercedess and BMW v12 of the old days are some of the finest engines that have been made by their respective companies. The issues that they're still subject to wear and tear, and even though making 200K+ miles in a V12 is outstanding even by today's standards, it's still going to cost you a fortune once things go wrong

Of course, anything short of an old diesel benz or a redblock Volvo will have lived its life extremely well if it hits 200k.

Still, it's not like the thing will just suddenly and catastrophically fail just like that if taken care of. And sure, taking care of it will undoubtedly cost way more than a civic will, but I don't think it will be anything impossible for anyone who can do some wrenching himself and has a job.

i would pick the twin turbo v8 on the earlyer M5s or the newer v10 on the current m5s

i dont know much about BMWs desu tho

>i dont know much about BMWs desu tho
At least you're honest.
Earlier M5's had the V10, newer ones have the TT V8.