2006 BMW 3-series Expensive to maintenant

Between $80 to the hundreds, BUT the oil change lasts you between 12,000- 15,000 miles.your oil indicator will come on and tell you. Expect your insurance rates to go up significantly (especially at your age). I would expect overall maintenance costs will be higher, in my opinion, on a BMW vs VW. Hope your parents are willing and able to help out if you need the big bucks for repairs (Yes, I know you have a job, but your typical 17-18 year old isn't pulling in the serious $$$). Good Luck though...

If I were you, I wouldn't buy it unless you have some serious money backing you like maybe Mom and Dad because 1500 or so isn't really going to do much if you have a serious issue with this car. You are a smart young man! I am so happy to have flipped to the question here and read what you wrote as I just got done writing another post about this very issue. People not thinking things out and you Sir have done exactly what I was attempting to explain. The car for many people is their status symbol, so they buy cars that make them appear to be somebody they are not. That I guess is all fine, if that's how they are as a person and may be have some sort of self esteem problem. But as you have thought out, well what if!! And that is smart.!!! I am not saying you have some issue with your self esteem as it's obvious to me you don't. And everyone wants to drive a really cool car, especially a young man as yourself, because..... chicks, period. They don't want to ride around in a clunker. You really make me so damn happy as I was commenting about these people asking about cars that they want to buy and they no nothing about how much this car is going to cost to have even a tuneup done or oil change. You pal are not the norm and your parents ought to be really proud. The oil change on this car is not really a problem as being as smart as you are, you will be able to simply buy a book or come back here and we can tell you how to do the oil change. But what if something major happens? With high end expensive cars, the repair shops treat you as such, as if you are well off or have rich parents. These are well built cars but have their problems as do all cars sooner or later. What you want to be prepared for is the day when that disaster strikes and something really expensive breaks, then can you afford to have it repaired? The big unknown. You may be better served looking at something more down the line of Japanese than European. The costs are so dramatically different. But if your parents are willing to back you should the worst happen well then that's great and any BMW is a good car, well I wouldn't buy the AWD but generally buying a BMW is buying quality, insurance will be higher also. Everything for a European luxury car is more expensive. But again and am really glad to see a young man thinking it all the way out, that is a far cry from people I have answered that are much older and you would think might know better, great job pal and I hope you can get the car, but maybe looking at other options just on the cost of owning this car might be an idea, they get expensive when things go wrong. Good luck and great thinking.. !!!

@llregal Thank you so much. That was very kind of you, I got to thinking what if I set aside $1,000- 2,000 For unexpected costs I'm pretty used to the High-end cost Of the German engineering Cars for instance I just had a few things replaced and my Volkswagen Such as New brakes $350 Seal on fuel injector pump $850 Oil change $80 Seat stitching $100 New headlight 150 And a few other things I can't think of at the moment But what I'm getting at is I am Used to the high- end upkeep to a German automobile My mother drives a 2013 Lincoln MKS And my father drives a 2012 GMC Sierra 2500 I love the BMW because I think it looks very classy and very stylish for reasonable price for the car I've always wanted a BMW we've never had one in the family but we always had Mercedes, Lincoln's , Cadillac's ect.... My grandmother always wanted a BMW but she never got one she ended up Getting a Mercedes C300 I'm sure if there was any unexpected repairs that were to come about my parents would help me and we would go half and half And remind you I would still have $1,000-1500-2000 Put a way for unexpected cost as well I won't be going straight to college anytime soon I have a full time job now And my requirements for paying my bills are 1/2 my insurance, (the BMW will be around $50-80 on my end) paying my cellphone bill ($50) gas money (160- 180) And all of this is right in my budget I have already looked at the Nissan juke, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry Although I did really like the Toyota Solara convertible But it seemed to be rather a chick car I do like the Toyota Camry on the inside because it reminds me a lot of the Lexus, go figure right! That would only make since! Hahahahah But I really want this BMW really bad and I actually plan on switching my jobs to work at a bank being a teller when I turned 18 I currently work at a clothing store I get called gay all the time for driving a bug! And my father doesn't understand why! He says "I see men driving them all the time" there's a difference between grown men driving one vs 17 yr old guy driving one! The only reason I have this car is cuz it was passed down to me by my mother witch was her mothers before her So essentially I am driving my grandmother's car and.....no! That's not cool!! I really don't care that it gets great gas mileage if I'm gonna be made fun of while I'm driving it! I am made fun of for way too many other things they need driving my car is just another thing that doesn't help I live in a Huge metropolis city with over a million people!! And I need something with a little more pep than a 4cyl 110hp deisol bug! That goes 0-60 12.5 sec this BMW will go 0-60 in 7.2 with would be fabulous for me!!! My mothers car will go 0-60 in 5.4 sec I'm not asking for a rocket such as that but something decent! Most of my friends have cars that will get to 60 in 7.2 sec and I know what u are probably thing! "A teen doesn't need a fast car" well I have news for you my parents taught me how to drive and I took drives Ed for 15months! Yes 15! No typo! I wanted to make sure I was gonna be a great driver!! So I'm a really good driver and very responsible! I actually use common seance behind the wheel unlike a lot of teens do! And I kick anyone out of my car that doesn't want to wear a seatbelt! I just wanted to get across that I'm not like most teens at all! and this car would be a dream but if after all of this me telling you and u still say I should stay away...well then I will I will find something that would suit be better for my needs/wants also just incase would Volvo or saab be a good route to go? If not could u give me some I should look at? Only if u say no to this BMW witch I really really really want!

You know what there Californiaman, I say go for it. You have thought it out to the point of even asking a complete stranger for thoughts about this and that's thinking way out side the box. I'm 57 years old and was retired after an extremely bad crash after driving for GM for 9 years, Corvette Racing. I lived in CA. in the Valley and cars are everything down there and I have been involved with cars since I was even younger than you are now. I'm not just some square old dude, I love speed and power. But smart about it and knowing the risks has to always be on the front of your mind. You, in my opinion are exceptional and I meant what I said that your parents should be damn proud of you. It is also very apparent that they are beyond great parents themselves. I don't seem to see it much anymore. Buy the car, they have your back and if I had a son like you and I knew you were in a jam, I would do what had to be done to get you out of the situation. So, meaning if the car blows a gasket on you, well they will help you. I'm not saying it will, but that is one of the many types of off the wall things that can happen and no fault of your own, unless your drag racing your buddies. Dangerous, always keep that in mind, and the trick is make them not to want to even consider racing you, modify always works, turbos etc. LOL.. I have a lot of cars and none of them are slugs, and no one cares to race me either. As what ever they think they are bringing, I'll make sure that I'm always bringing more power. It's my nature, I love speed and it nearly killed me finally. Don't forget college !! It pays off in the end game. You stay on top of your car and keep the maintenance up and don't put things off, that car, what ever it is, will do you right, most of the time. If you want to learn more about high speed driving, go to a performance driving school. They are great, I still do it about every other year, just so I can keep up with the skills and then test the youngsters..LOL I am very competitive. So, bottom line bro, buy the car !! Be careful and as far as VW's, The Sirocco set one of the fastest laps at Germany's Nuremberg Ring. So screw the guys talking crap about VW, they won't beat this one. Good Luck young man, your great and your a good thinker. Give your parents and Grandma my best.....

Interior of a slug,

One of those unexpected things and some serious repair bills, hospital bills and instant career change. Just just clowning around, maybe?....LOL

@llreal thank you so much! You have been very kind gentleman to me and I Appreciate that, and all your smarts on driving. the best type of learning you can get is from the people around you that are older than yourself! :) and thanks for the pic! Those are very interesting!!! I never knew that about Volkswagen and yes sir, I have thought this out a lot! Ive wanted a BMW or Mercedes since I was 5yrs old when my mom & dad brought me home a little toy car (red 1955 Mercedes sl190 convertible) I cherished that thing so much, and my dad has always been into American cars but all because of that one little toy it started a fire inside making my passion for cars grow stronger and stronger! Lol and ever since then I've always wanted one!!! My parents was gonna buy me a 1995 Mercedes s430 sedan for my first car but I got this bug instead :/ oh well! Life goes on, you gotta roll with the punches I guess! Hahaha but thanks again for all your help and best if luck to you and I'm glad you where ok from your wreck those are always scary!! Thanks again from California! Isint the Internet cool?!? Hahaha

You are so most welcome, and you are going to go places in life that is for sure. Sounds like this is going to be your first big loan so you will be establishing your credit and driving the car you deserve, I'm glad you said CaliforniaMan, and not kid because your not a kid, your a great, smart young man, be careful and if there is ever anything or question you want to ask I be around. Good luck and by the way screw those clowns that think your gay because you sell clothes, would really like to see what they all do, your going places, I'm sure of that and it has made answering these questions for no other reason than wanting to help people, finally all worth it. I am glad you came along. Good luck pal.... Gary

Yes it is my going to be my first loan! And thanks a lot Gary you have been very helpful and super kind! Ps: working at a clothing store isint all that bad! You get great discounts on their cloths! Lol! Take care and be safe! :) .... Lane

@tom that's a good idea I could always try I've never been a Candidate for jumping into things and trying to figure them out on my own but there's always a 1st time for everything! :)

You are very welcome CaliforniaMan, and Tom has been around for a long time and his suggestion also is more than likely a good one. Working on your own car will save you a lot of money, even just the basic maintenance things, oil changes and the like. There are a lot of really knowledgeable guys on this site and on the flip side some just flat out want to be knowledgeable and don't know jack shit, so always double check things before taking what you are told as gospel. Except for me, as I am brilliant ya right...LOL, So you nailed it by coming here. Here you can get really good answers or some really stupid answers, believe it. Just learn who is who. And generally there is so much on the internet and also YouTube will surprise you with the amount of vids guys have done on so many auto repair issues, shit I go there all the time, don't let the Guru thing fool you, I have no crystal ball and I don't wear a turban well not when I'm sleeping, The number one thing is to know when your going to be in over your head and don't go there. That's part of the trouble with manuals at the Auto Parts store like Haynes,or Chilton, they give you just enough info to screw someone up. They make it sound so easy. I like the way you think things out CaliforniaMan, your smart and I can't tell you that enough, it really is and has been a pleasure from my point of view to honestly feel that I might have been able to help a guy on a major decision and this one is, and then to feel appreciated as a lot of people come to this site and they can't spell, they don't know what the little red squiggly line under a word in their post means and they want instructions how to rebuild their motor and then call you an asshole because you tell them that they are not capable. Well you Mr. have made all the hanging out here and answering stupid questions, suddenly so worth while and I thank you for that. It's a big investment for you and I was thinking of one expense you didn't calculate, or at least you didn't mention it, how much you are going to need to set aside for WAX, Mothers Brand is my favorite.... You are going to be spending a lot of time washing and waxing and starting all over...LOL Have fun youngster, you come back if you need anything ! Bye the way, there are a lot of really cool 3 Series body kits, and just a little lowering and the right tires and wheels, sleeper look is really cool. Your going to have a bad ass ride, I'm sure of that. See ya pal.

@llregal lol hahahahah you seem like a pretty cool guy! And ill have my younger sister wash it for me! Lol and in return i will have to drive her to the mall hahahahah lol hahah I appreciate all you have done! Thanks a lot! Gary stick around I'll have more questions in the future :) see ya :)

He is. Until, you get to know him. Just kidding, he really is cool. All those guys are, and they know what they are talking about. I just wanted to put my 2 cents in....I can't add anything to that except be sure to get "gap" insurance. The second you drive away from the lot or even a private party, it may be worth less than what you paid. Gap will protect you from the difference if something, god forbid were to happen before you have made at least enough payments to have equity

Thanks CaliforniMan, see another great thought, slaves or I mean sisters, perfect, crack that whip, talk to ya soon brother.

@DavidH25 I'm so sorry this may sound stupid but is that a curtain kind of insurance? Or is that a option you can add on to your Policy? Could you inform me a little more about this "Gap" insurance please? Thanks :)

*Certain ^ typo

Does not sound stupid. Especially if this is a car dealer, as soon as you take possession and drive away, you will owe more than you can get for it, finance charges, taxes, document fees etc. Ask your insurance agent for "gap". If the car were to be totaled say 2 months from the day you buy it, your insurance will pay what it is worth, the adjuster will come up with a figure far below what you expect...... that will be less than what you owe, and YOU will be stuck with the difference, or, gap. It's a bad scenario to think about but pragmatic

There you are, I was looking for you pal, I am making a remark about another person who wants to start there car by remote and heat it up, that is getting so stupid. But really glad your here to help Mr. CaliforniaMan, as nothing looks better than a sharp dressed man climbing out of a BMW....LOL Clothes sales man, how much better does it get? Cheap clothes will help save money on those car payments, insurance, modifications and car wax.... and don't forget to tip your sister..LOL that was funny. Your own personal car wash. wow, this fella has it all.... and not to mention, how you made my day and made all the nonsense on this site suddenly all worthwhile !!

@DavidH25 so are you saying that if I pay $12,000 for this car and it wrecks and the insurance company gives me only $7,000 cuz they thinks that's all it's worth. But if I get "gap" insurance are they going to give me a check for how much I still owe so I won't be making payments on a car that I don't even own any more?

Hey you guys, look first off for a lender to loan you the money, they are going to require you have full coverage, so that means that no matter what, the lender is going to get paid. That's the fact, gap is good for under insured motorists and like if you end up in the hospital. I carry gap coverage. But believe this that lender won't lend you the money for the car if he thinks for a second that he won't get it all back, so that means full coverage, and if you wreck the lender gets the check and you will probably get nothing depending on the circumstances.

@llregal lol that is kinda stupid....well for me it is since I like in California, theirs not much cold weather here hahahahah but I guess you might maybe want it if you lived up in New England I guess my mothers Lincoln has that feature we never use it. it's always warm and sunny here lol and yes I don't think their would be anything cooler than a well dressed guy driving a BMW looking sharp! Hahahahah although I'm planning on switching jobs to work at a bank being a teller this summer. That's even better!!! Lol and yah her pay is me driving her to the mall lol hahah she told me "deal!" And yes a lot if people in this site have a lot if dumb questions....such as me be we all gotta learn somehow lol thanks for all you help I have never came across a person such as yourself. Kindness is hard to come by now days! :/

OK, maybe I didn't get it one hundred percent here, but through the magic of "GOOGLE" here this does,,,,, And keep in mind this guy is selling insurance, so you should Google this up for a better understanding. ,You might have heard of something called GAP insurance and you know it's important for leasing. But you might also wonder what exactly it is and if you need it for other car loans, too. GAP stands for "Guaranteed Auto Protection." Such insurance is indeed important when leasing, since you don't actually own the car and usually don't put down a large down payment. If you have an accident, your insurance will pay you the current market value of the car, but not the total amount of what you owe the finance company. This leaves a gap in your coverage, and an amount that you still have to pay. If your $20,000 car is totaled in an accident, you still could owe as much as $5,000, even after your insurance pays your finance company, says Scott Henderson, president and CEO of GapDirect.com. GAP insurance is a must for leasing. However, if you make a small down payment when you buy a car, you might also need a GAP policy. That's because car depreciation sometimes outpaces your car payments. So if you buy a car for $20,000 and put no money down, the car might be worth only $14,000 a year later, even though you still owe $19,000. If an accident totals your car, you will be responsible for paying the $5,000 difference. The good news, Henderson says, is that GAP insurance is included in almost all lease contracts. At the same time, he has seen an increase in no-down-payment car loans and has realized that GAP insurance for purchases is becoming increasingly more important, even though most car buyers have neglected it. Car dealers traditionally sell GAP insurance in the finance and insurance office as the sales contract is being prepared. Dealers typically charge $600 for GAP insurance, though the cost generally grows to a total of $800 over time once you figure the interest that's charged. Henderson's company offers GAP insurance for $185 and it provides coverage for the entire term of the loan. Leasing companies require GAP insurance, so it is usually included in the contract. If your lease requires a GAP policy but it's not included in your contract, you should shop around for this coverage (some car insurance companies sell it). If GAP coverage is included in the car lease, check to see how much is offered and how much you're going to be paying for it. (In some cases, lease contracts may include a "GAP waiver," which protects you from GAP charges in the event that the leased vehicle is declared a total loss. That eliminates the need for an actual GAP policy.) To see if you need GAP insurance for a financed car purchase, consider the coverage and the size of your down payment. If you are putting down less than 20 percent on your car purchase, you may need GAP insurance, particularly if you buy a car that depreciates quickly. (Look up depreciation on Edmunds' True Cost to Own). Also, look at how your auto insurance policy is written. If it says the policy will pay off the fully financed amount, then you don't need GAP insurance. A few things to keep in mind when buying GAP insurance: Although most people purchase it when they begin a lease, some car insurance companies will sell GAP policies any time during the lease term. You must be in compliance with all terms of the lease. Your GAP insurance policy might not be honored if you don't have collision and comprehensive insurance coverage. Furthermore, lease contracts generally require you to carry collision and comprehensive at all times. If someone steals your car or it's totaled in an accident, carefully follow all of the requirements that your auto insurance company makes. For example, some companies require you to continue making car payments on your totaled vehicle until the money from the GAP insurance is paid out. So when initiating a car loan or lease, always remember to ask your insurance agent or loan officer about GAP insurance. If you have an accident, you'll be glad you planned ahead.

You got it CaliforniaMan, like I said way back on this post, I lived in the Valley, well not in the Valley but in Calabasas. And yep, money, and don't try and sneak off with a car payment or two. They will put you somewhere like San Quentin CA.

@llregal WOW! I didn't know anything about this! Thank you soo much for all that info! I'm gonna have to call my insurance agent and get little details on it for a BMW 3- series and wow that's funny I'm in the Huntington Beach :)

Ok so I know this post is from 2 years ago now.... I stumbled across these questions because I myself am looking to buy a 2006 BMW 3 series so all these answers have helped me also....so Californiaman15 so did you get the car? Do you like it??

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