Frequently flogged the shit out of my n55, as if it were a 90’s Nissan. Yeah the intake pipes shatter but replace it with a metal one and they’re fine lol
My F30 bought @ 110k KM Clocked, Brought it for first service: 1. Battery Replacement, 2. Tyre Replacement, 3. all filters replacement 4. Radiator need servicing, 5.Fuel Pump Relay Needed Replacement. Now Oil seal needs replacement, Water Reservoir tank dried and broken, radiator hoses dried up, water pump reached mileage, water pump sensor needed replacement, the housing is bad. Now there's some weird ticking during startup...
The straight 6 in my 2007 525i was well built. Got 200k miles from it so far. It began leaking oil at 180k. $1k to fix and not a drip since. Original ac and transmission. Cant complain.
I just thought you should know that the effort you put into this is truly amazing and it was definitely not a waste of your time. You’re obviously a true enthusiast and knowledge you tuber.
Way I see it, no car is every truly "reliable" when you have hundreds of different components (electronic or mechanical) something is bound to fail eventually.
The B58 was released in July '15 and has been an excellent engine. I've only ever opened one up and it turns out the mechanicals were fine - turns out it just needed software. I think BMW's relationship with Toyota has resulted in the quality we're seeing with this family of B-engines.
@@eazy-333 Incorrect. The current Toyota Supra uses the BMW B58 engine and Toyota insisted that in order for it to be used in their product it had to meet reliability standards that, while perhaps typical for Toyota, exceed BMW's historical reliability. Toyota engineers worked with BMW's during development. If BMW simply 'improved it every generation' then by now it would be a faultless variation of the original, but it's not. The B58 is very different from every inline 6 before it.
I started seeing the improvements just from working on my brother's N55 in his X6. There was two-issue addressed with the motor. One was the PCV system that made a loud noise and the Valvetronic motor. Besides that, knock on wood, it has been very reliable. I do hope that this continues to be a trend for BMW
Here's why BMW's are now reliable....compared to previous BMWs. Basically they will still be unreliable compared to Toyotas....but Toyota apparently thinks BMWs are reliable enough to let BMW make their Supras...so my guess is instead of failing before 100k, they will fail around 150k miles. On the other hand...a car that goes 3.7 seconds 0-60 is never gonna be reliable compared to a car that goes 0-60 in 7-10 seconds.
@@DJUwU Toyota made a lot of changes to BMW design and materials during the development stage. There's lots of info on this, You can check it out. Ironically, the Z4 could prove to be the most reliable BMW of the modern era due to Toyota Engineers having done their own testing and contributing to the development.
@@DJUwU do you know how much time and money it takes to develop new engines? A engine from BMW is always a win plus you save time and most importantly money
@@DJUwU But most BMWs don't do 60 in 3.7, nor most toyotas 10. of course BMW is up market on top and has cars at that level but comparing a 7 second to 60 BMW to a 7 second Toyota or Honda BMW reliability is meh.
@@alxace Toyota did make a few changes to the B48 and B58 in the Supra, but not "alot". The Toyota and BMW partnership has been going on since the i8 was in development. Toyota have been a part of the development of the B-modular engines, the i8 is basically a Prius but with a B38.
BMW B58 is an engineering masterpiece.It is a perfect mix of power,efficiency,smoothness and reliability.It shows BMW's expertise in building great engines especially the inline sixes.
Picked up a 2019 B58 touring. Reliability combined with performance was a deciding factor. Previously I’ve done 250k across 2 320d F30s with hardly an issue.
Those are interesting points. I think to how the Toyota Supra would’ve used a BMW engine that it would have to be more reliable than past generations. Time will tell but your hypothesis on reliability makes sense at a first glance. Well learned from a master tech like you!!!!
AUTOCAR, ( the worlds oldest motoring journal) said that when TOYOTA collaborated with the BMW GROUP on using their engine for the SUPRA, Toyota’s engineering team required extensive quality upgrades to BMW’s seals throughout the engine to eliminate oil leaks ( which BMW are well known for) Toyota insisted that all the seals/ gaskets be manufactured in Japan to TOYOTA’S Stringent higher specifications and BMW agreed. Therefore, if you buy a SUPRA you are assured, like ALL TOYOTA ENGINES of a leak free engine effectively throughout its service life.
Philip Lee thanks for sharing. As a master tech myself, with experience in all makes, I can assure anyone that Japanese manufacturer sealing technology is superior to all other. I was surprised to see a BMW engine spec’d in a Toyota product primarily considering the leaky nature of their engines. The N series 6cyl oil filter housing gaskets have been superceeded 3-4 times and last I checked the most recent version is made by a Japanese manufacturer. That says something.
Each car manufacturer needs to have a video like this.I bought a KIA Stinger after reading the engineering of it--reliability in addition to performance were a priority.
I stopped buying bmws and believing in them after the N54 and diesel M57. Now im considering a B58 powerered bmw after your through technical analysis. Thank you very much.
Early direct injection in BMW’s were cam driven, not sure why they went away from that to the chain driven pump in N54 and early N55. later N55 had a plunger style pump. Hopefully they properly hardened the pump lobe or spec’d a proper hardness follower otherwise early failure of the camshaft is possible. That would be a large job to replace as the chain is on the transmission side now. Plastics they use aren’t easily recyclable because they’re made using fiberglass reinforced nylon. I’m not aware of secondary uses. The use of plastics are mostly due to part complexity. Far cheaper to make multiple molded components and fuse them to create the final part. Coolant bottles on X series were placed away from heat, still failed. Mostly at weak points- meld lines and utrasonic weld joints. Last issue I’ll address is plastics in general both under hood and interior- they’ve been trying to go away from heavily petroleum based plastics to their detriment. They become brittle sooner. And the overmolded buttons/trim have always been an issue with many German made cars because there’s no mechanical bonding of the 2 plastics.
You have to remember and take into consideration that excluding the rare 80's M1 supercar, the N54 engine was BMW'S first attempt at doing a turbocharged petrol engine. The N55 which came out before the B58, is a reliable relatively strong engine imo.
@@Ashley_van_Schooneveld It doesn't. N55 is based on much older technology that is far more unreliable than the B58 as they're completely different engine architectures. N55 might be reliable but it's the weakest turbocharged inline 6 that BMW has produced.
Umm...BMW's first turbo car engine was in 2002 Turbo in 1973. The M1 wasn't a turbo. lt had a tuned intake manifold with individual runners and throttle bodies for each cylinder along with a massive diameter "bundle" of snakes" stainless header. A detuned version of that engine went into E24 and E28 M635 and M5. A further detuned version went into the US M6 and M5.
Another informative video....I love this channel. As an F80 owner, I wish someone at BMW could explain the thinking behind using a two piece crank hub assembly over 4+ model years with so many known failures.
I have had 2 335i e92's. one 08 and now I have a 2013is. Other then the pump and plugs I have had to do nothing which is amazing to me. car is at 95k miles with no leaks so far. I'm sure turbos will go out soon but their still keeping up at 18psi. I personally believe with the updated injectors and coils, along with the update in software helps to make this car why more reliable for daily driving.
I have 2010 final N54 535i M-sport stock.. I have changed everything on it HPFP LPFP, my car had index 12 and they still failed, got all 6 new injectors again.. Transmission Service, Plugs Coils. Intake cleaning , gaskets, belt pulleys tensioner. I AM AT 156K MILES now.. spent tons and tons of money to keep it going and hopefully she does. Holding strong !!! You are making me buy another one :D
Had a brand new '18 BMW X1 MSport - within 50K miles - it required roughly $12K in parts and labor - simple estimates direct from the service invoices with part numbers and labor hours - everything from turbo/wastegate to constant all wheel drive adjustments to a $500 battery replacement. Got dumped right when the warranty ended. The newer ones may be more reliable - but I'll never know - as I won't be buying any - one and done. Really like this channel though - top notch work.
I have a 2016 340xi. 75k miles. Not a to single problem. I just got the transmission fluid changed. It was still clear! ZF for the win. Going to tune it with mhd.
I can’t believe zero engine issues at 15k is something unexpected over the last decade! I drive my cars hard, in NJ, and only had a problem with a Range Rover, fuel pump at 13k. Thinking about getting one of the new BMW M with S58.... this review is encouraging....
BMW has a higher reliability ranking than Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Jeep, Tesla, Volkswagen, Audi, Nissan, KIA, GMC, Lincoln, Cadillac, Volvo, and Mercedes-Benz
@@XcoolcoolbeansbeansX because most people lease them or trade for a new one before 80k miles. Most issues come later then that. People who say BMWs are more reliable then Japanese brands like Lexus or Acura either haven't hit that point in ownership yet or got lucky or are just being dishonest
@@dsong2006 no, that is not why actually, that’s just what your brain came up with. That ranking is from consumer reports 2020, which is arguably the most important reliability study.
@@XcoolcoolbeansbeansX Consumer Report mostly talks about new cars. How many G20s are out of warranty and have hit the 80-100k mark. If we're talking about BMW reliability we have to talk about the last 10-15 years. The turbo E90/F30s had well documented HPFP issues, NA and Turbo E90/F30s had electric water pump issues. Most BMWs have oil leaks galore by 100k miles and cooling system issues. I have a N52 E85 Z4 convertible for many years, supposedly a relatively reliable model and it still had its share of issues. Maybe the B58 model cars are better, but there's not enough data yet and the jury is still out on that one. When the N20 model cars came out people thought that was much better but now we are aware of timing chain issues after the cars started hitting higher miles.
Usually the first 40-60k miles, BMW dont have major issues. It is the high mileage cars that things start to wear down. I wonder if you keep the m340i at least pass 100k miles and see what’s it like for viewers.
I have 335is 33000 miles on it bought it new. Have value gasket and oil ring gasket replace due to oil leak and charcoal canister. Lol. No mechanical issue so far
One side of me says : Im excited to see how reliable the B-modular engines are gonna be in a few years considering the BMW and Toyota partnership have been going on long before the development of the Z4 and Supra. So many people claims that Toyota and BMW didnt start working with each other before the Supra and Z4 was in development, when they actually started working together with the i8, its basically a Prius with a B-modular engine (B38 to be exact)... I got a 330e now with the B48 so i hope its still gonna be OK in a couple of years lol. I got engine, drive train and hybrid battery insurance on it just in case anything happens tho. If we ignore the S85 because of obvious reasons, and the horrible timing chain issues on some N-engines which BMW have been in denial about. BMW engines have been fairly reliable for years, as other people here have already stated. Its everything around the engine thats usually failed because BMW started experimenting with using plastic parts in around 2005. New engines are still packed with plastic parts, but BMW got years of experience now experimenting with plastic parts, and now they know what works and wont work. Other side of me says: Some parts are still made unreliable on purpose tho... BMW arent even trying to hide the fact that they earn more money from selling spare parts than selling actual vehicles. Theyre also purposely placing parts and gaskets at places where theyre difficult to reach so its more time consuming to replace them.
The n55 with single turbo and valvetronic is extremely responsive, and the improved injectors are a big improvement. Each iteration has a lot of gains, 3 or 4 iterations is always huge. Cams gears on the back though I'm concerned with still. Any job starts to become an engine out ordeal, might as well be a rear/mid engined c8 or 911.
I have a 2014 535 with the N55 engine, and the only headache is the oil leaks at the oil filter and oil cooler housings. Serviced twice, and the car has only 55,000 miles on it.
@@mobilekaos Mine is a 2014 535i with X Drive and the M Sport package. The oil leak issue started a couple of years after I bought it. and I goy two new gaskets from the BMW dealer. Within two years, the leak started again. A German car parts vendor told me there are better gaskets available, so I bought them. Lower price-better quality with the new gaskets, and now more leaks.
I did 240k miles in my f10 530d. Never an issue. Even my e60 535d with 180k miles never had an issue except for an expensive wing mirror replacement. Regular maintenance from reputable garages make a huge difference
I ended up with a n54 cause it was in my price range and I kind of liked how it was over built. I have a back up so the reliability department wasn't a deciding factor. At some point I do want to get a 2015+ M3 cause I do believe that is a better motor.
I bought the 2007 335i brand new (in Sparkling Graphite).. That was an amazing car. The dual turbo virtually eliminated any turbo lag and that car was an absolute joy to drive...until the fuel pump started failing on me after my 4 year warranty period.
I had a 2010 328XI, which ran great until it hit 80k. After that, it cost about $6k a year to keep on the road, so I got rid of it. BMWs seem reliable until they aren't.
Oh man just looking at that all those components over the valve cover makes me anxious about valve cover gaskets.. You also surprised me on the water pump. As cool as it is to bleed the system without starting the engine, changing the water pump was pita and super expensive on my dad x3, N55. Well worth the money save, but... it failed at 70k miles.. No clue how long this new one will last.
Yep, water pumps religiously fail. You can practically set your watch by them. For me, every 60,000 miles. So the extra 10,000 for you was a bonus in my book.
A good friend of mine used to be a die hard Ford Taurus driver. He thought having his car serviced every month was perfectly normal until he got a Honda... then thought it was bad not to have his car serviced as often. He now drives a BMW... I am sure he is happy.
@@chrislim7976 i have bmw's for over 15 years, never left me stranded...current car is a 2014 f10 lci, in 5 years i had no issue, only time i went to service was for maintenance. I also have a f15 with over 150k km and works like a charm.
Car And Driver had a blue 2020 BMW G20 M340i that hit 40,000 miles in their long-term test on 3/4/2021. Only issue it had was 2 potholes, nothing mechanical at all. I'd like to get this version of the G20 someday, seems like a real solid upgrade to the N54. *EDIT: Not my G20. Not my website. Lol. So many replies. "40K MILeS?!?! tHaT nO lOnG tErM I kNoW oF! CoMe BaCk aFtEr wArRaNtY!" Yes. I understand. But did you know..? This is a Toyota engine now. The B58 engine will do 200k miles with no oil changes & constant neglect. The S58 engine will be the unreliable BMW you're all so familiar with. 😉
I have an Alpine White 2020 and coming from an 07 E90 with MHD Stage 2 this one is very similar though not quite the thrasher those twin snails are. A very healthy upgrade in every way - the X drive plus rear LSD standard make this a monster of comfort, capability and potential. 15K miles and one winter in, have had zero issues.
I have a 2017 F82 M4C and have had zero issues with it at 51,000 miles. I always do the required maintenance and on time. But I do drive it daily obviously, including seven track days in the last two years. The only thing I spent a substantial amount of money on is tires...lot's of tires.
As an owner of a E92 N52 car, I was really nervous when I bought the car for $11K with 98K miles. After 1.5 years of ownership and gained some DIY skills, I am quite confident that I can enjoy the car for many years to come. There are perks you get from owning a good looking BMW. People do notice the car and the drive is always a wonderful experience. I have owned Toyotas and a Miata. I always felt those cars trade driving pleasure and comfort for the reliability and cost reduction. Japanese cars simply can't corner properly, I've had so many close calls and minor accidents because of this. Also they always have terrible brakes, stopping the car at high speed is just a nerve wrecking experience. I never miss any of my Japanese car ownership but I do miss driving my German cars even when I have not driven for a few days, i would crave going for a drive.
I have had my e92 for 10 years this summer, and its N52 has proven exceptionally reliable. I have rear-wheel drive, no iDrive, and a manual transmission, all of which amounts to significantly more reliability IMO, without sacrificing the experience whatsoever (indeed enhancing it because I love driving manual). I absolutely love this car, and it has only 100k kms, so it can last a whole lot of years if I continue to take care of it. I believe it can make sense to own these cars if you are willing to do some of the work yourself. Support / DYI online is exceptional. Parts are easy to obtain. I too have had Japanese cars before (Nissan 240SX, Honda Accord). Just not the same...
My 2008 E90 with N52 now has 187K miles. I bought it CPO in 2011 with only 24K miles. It has all the normal repairs (most paid for by the CPO warranty) OFHG, valve cover, Oil pan gasket, water pump changed out preventatively, new set of coils. Just recently the fuel pressure regulator (one under rear driver side seat) cracked and failed. That fuel tank is a crazy design! Car runs like new. Doesn't burn a lick of oil between the 8K OCI I use. We'll see how long before all the nuisances begin from the plastic/rubber rotting. Already replaced the rotting rubber of the trunk release handle and the surround around the rear window. Also had 2 rear door window regulators fail. I just keep throwing new brake pads, tires and oil changes at it and it keeps running like new. The N52 was way better than the N54.
Obviously, you've never driven a GR Supra. My 2024 with B58 engine is an amazingly good handling car. Gazoo Racing knows a thing or two about handling.
I learned a lot and appreciate your insight. Having owned a 2009 1 series and having a bunch of issues with it and swearing off BMW for many years I am now considering one again. Thanks!
BMW has a higher reliability ranking than Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Jeep, Tesla, Volkswagen, Audi, Nissan, KIA, GMC, Lincoln, Cadillac, Volvo, and Mercedes-Benz
@Aria consumer reports 2020, actually. Arguably the most important reliability study. And yes BMW blows Ford and Kia out of the water, Ford hasn’t made a good car for years.
@Aria I agree with Bimmer Life. A BMW will last longer than a Ford. It will require less visits to the shop within it's warranty period than a Ford. I don't know enough about Kia to say for sure. However, Korean cars don't have a good track record for reliability.
Walking out the store the other day and I hear this weird noise, it was somebody at idle in their 340i B58, it sounded like a timing chain, car looked brand new. Immediately knew he doesn’t keep up with maintenance it was so loud and embarrassing as a bmw owner to see another bmw poorly looked after, incredible that you can have a B58 to run like crap. Very unfortunate we have bad owners then complain how unreliable they are when they can’t do simple services to prevent big issues.
@@FairladyS130 What else could it be? There’s no issues with the b58 with timing chains. I usually don’t claim someone isn’t taking care of it but that car wasn’t taken care of at all, dirty exterior bald tires, and a rear tail light is out with an M badge on it? Clearly one of those guys who don’t care and try to look cool. Wheels were that cheap black dip paint on it too. We both know that’s there only 1 reason a timing chain on a b58 would sound that bad, lack of maintenance/ neglect. My X5 is 18 years old now I haven’t had a timing chain issue yet and I live where climate is -4 winter sometimes and it’s hot as 102F I haven’t had to remove any engine parts except the valve cover for a leak. Do you know what it takes to damage a timing chain? It’s not easy..it doesn’t just wear out, you have to really get on that car on cold starts with dirty oil fairly consistently to get a timing chain to go wrong. Haven’t heard any modern bmw engine have timing issues since the N62 V8. That sound was too familiar. The poor F30 sounded rough bro.
@@UMORIEGA Positive it was timing chain, on the B58 chains are in the rear of the engine so as I walked passed it slowly on purpose could tell it was around the middle of the car, it was consistent scratchy/click unique sound that mostly timing chains make.
What is your profession? Your observations are way beyond the average turner and even beyond the large majority of powertrain engineers. Heat cycling is absolutely the killer of reliability...EV's are susceptible to this phenomenon as well. Great video, so much to learn here for young engineers, ICE engines, electronics, but mostly important design considerations.
I got my new bmw 440i gran coupe with b58 engine in 2017, so far 30k+ miles with absolutely zero issues. So hope it will stay this way. However, I do worry about plastic parts in very hot engine bay given how hot it get
Great thoughts, even my 2011 N55 has been dead reliable at over 100k mi. Granted, I keep up on the maintenance. My worry is that with European laws getting more strict every year, manufacturers have to keep increasing complexity just to get through the emissions tests. Within 10 years there'll be nothing but EVs and hybrids available.
When the euro7 norm will be introduced, it's game over for ICE engines in Europe so that will be 2025, when a perfectly, in house build industry, will be ruined by the EU, importing all batteries from China which is half the cost of an electric car. Like they ruin everything, even 750 watt vacuum cleaners because of "environment" takes me twice as long to vacuum my carpet as a few years ago, hello....
EV's have their own red hearings. How do you dispose of a colossal battery in our politically toxic environment? Fossil fuel engines are not going anywhere. Reality driving across country then hitting into a white out snow storm with an EV. Yikes! Ha, not this guy. Doing research on 340i and the b58 engine. I hope it has Toyota roots for reliability. If it does I'll proceed toward the 340i for my wife. Seems like a reliable direction. Much appreciate the informative video.
*~*~*~ " Granted, I keep up on the maintenance. "................VERY VERY EXPENSIVE......................Now REPLACE ALL TH ELECTRICAL and cal me back!...end of story!
Man, that was very insightful. I think with the plastic intake manifold and valve covers, it's much cheaper and faster to make an intricate design. I have the N54 and man, gremlin after gremlin. And who would know better than you?
Makes sense, the B58 is awesome. Super interesting video! I've had literally zero issues so far in 2 years with my M140i, let's hope it stays that way. Actually taking care of your car and treating it right, keeping up with basic maintenance, etc. really helps too regardless of the brand. It does my head in when people beat their car into the ground and then complain when things break!
@@DennisH22A if you drive hard on a cold engine it's destined to break, that what's he is getting at. I drive calm the first 10 minutes until oil is at temperature and ever 6000/7000 miles an oil change I'm sure this engine will last a long time, also one of the best auto transmissions in those machines ZF8 are one of the best. Every day a smile in the M140i.
New BMW‘a are very reliable. My f30 has been so reliable with correct maintenance. G20’s are much more so in my opinion. BMW has been focusing on reliability, I couldn’t be happier with my modern such a beautiful looking and operating machine.
Actually i had E 90 and before E 46 and i was super happy with both, but i do realize many people had problems with E 90. Now my F 30 is fucking perfect, i'm trilled with it, except E 90 had much better feel behind the wheel.
Sincerely u should all try the diesels. Where i live they are more appreciated than gasoline engines. Me and my family own more than 7 bmws and none of us had problems with them. And just 2 of them are gas powered x3 m40i and a 2 series :))))
Having a first year Lexus IS 350, I know all about engineers trying out on customers and learning from mistakes that they made. My door jam is full of Lexus dealer recalls with working on that 12 injector V6 engine :( But I still drive it and I have to say it has been no more or less reliable compare to my friend's 335d. Awesome channel my friend you got a big thumbs up from me :P
@@johnmitchell2269 120K isn't near good enough. They also need to be more serviceable well beyond that. BMWs are full of parts that should last forever, but because they went with plastic, they turn to dust.
Per consumer reports 2020, BMW has a higher reliability ranking than Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Jeep, Tesla, Volkswagen, Audi, Nissan, KIA, GMC, Lincoln, Cadillac, Volvo, and Mercedes-Benz to name a few. Before you say anything about how great your Toyota is, just know Toyota currently offers two cars with BMW engines and drivetrains in them. the mid 2000s were the dark ages for BMW and many other manufactures trying to innovate as fast as possible. Reliability was sacrificed, and they will probably never live that down, this comment section is proof of that. Hopefully the haters get over themselves eventually
Great content, although although frankly I am sceptical that BMW are actually consciously going to do anything to make their cars more durable. 20 years of not caring and a solid track record to prove it makes it almost impossible to suggest that they really do care.
There has been some improvements on upgraded models, but am only speaking on inline6 and the B58 engine, anything V8 or 4cylinder is still junk the N63 is still a nightmare, anything 7series is a money pit.
Consumer Reports magazine now ranks BMW as #1 among 35 auto manufacturers, overall. If BMWs weren't reliable over the past 5 years, they would not have such a high ranking.
Even the late EWG N55s are fairly reliable. I have a 2014 M235i with 95k km and it's only needed general maintenance and an filter housing gasket. This is an early build M235i (12/13), on a brand new F22 platform. Consumer reports christened it the most reliable sporty car in the US in 2016. We added an X3 M40i in 2018 and its needed nothing in 30k.
Also a starter/generator on the front of the crank and all accessories electrical off engine will make engine a very powerful and reliable daily use appliance.
Based on my experience with my 2018 M240i that took seven trips to the dealer and two replacements of the SAME part - in addition to the dealer illegally charging me to fix something under warranty and required by federal law - there is no way in hell BMWs are reliable. That's in addition to the 'what's it going to do today?" infotainment system. I will say the mechanicals were flawless, but the whole car needs to be reliable to be considered reliable, especially when the dealer kept telling me that a driver's seatbelt that would not retract or work 'was normal'.
From what I heard, Toyota had a lot of issues on BMW's design/reliability not being that great. I hope they both learned a lot from working together. I think a lot of the bad rep comes down to costs. BMW's are quite a it more to maintain and repair. Same boat as other German vehicles. I own a German car, parts are ridiculously expensive compared to others.
Labor is expensive, the parts are a little more than a domestic, and a pain in the ass because everything must be ordered online. But if you have a toolbox with a good collection and know how to use them, no they really aren't. If you wrench yourself, you will come to love the brilliant engineering that went into everything. The little plastic clips with springs vs pull tabs, or e torque bits so you don't strip bolts. Everything comes apart with ease, and goes back together like a glove. I have owned my e90 335xi n54 for 5 years, she is now 108k miles and full bolt on since I got her. Never been stranded, but I fix my stuff, and keep up on maintenance. I don't wait until things are broken to fix them.
Not anymore. They rank #1 on Consumer Reports magazine's April 2024 auto issue and it's best to worst auto manufacturers for overall attributes such as performance, reliability, comfort, controls, safety, etc.
This is next level. Reminds me of my Dad. He knew all this stuff. Thanks for the in depth lessons. 😌 very helpful even if I’m not going to do most of this stuff myself. It’s just good to know.
Woaw I can't believe my ears. Calling this Reliable with life expectancy 120miles. Because it is full of complex plastic components that will fail 100%. My BMWs have no plastics on the engine. I have M20,M30,M40 engines in my cars. I have no idea about the milage and I honestly don't care but 30+ years old and they still work. Most people buy bmws when they are 120-150k miles second hand. The reality is that this new plastic cars can't last that long and there is no way around the plastic valve covers, and when we talk about long term if you have to change them every few years it get expensive very fast. For example 20 years old BMW cost around $5k how much is the stupid plastic valve cover on the E90? the whole intake manifold is plastic yea they reinforced the hell out of it but it won't matter as plastic ages while aluminum doesn't.
Plastic parts are fine when you jam a bunch of unnecessary metal objects around them to generate heat thats when its a pain. BMW is just a joke at engineering they worry so much able track performing but nobody is taking these cars on tracks.
@@bighorse215 They are not fine they are just cheap. That is the reason why we have so much plastics. Some argue it is for weight reduction, but you can use aluminum,titanium for light weight but it is not cheap. Also no manufacturer want to have cars going for 20+ years. They sell cars so it is no brainer why they design things in this ways. Oh your gearbox have filter in it. Let's integrate it in the pan so you can't replace it without replacing the pan. Oh you like to change oil on your car and fill it without paying us for it? Let's remove the dipstick you don't need to worry that your car is running low on oil and the oil is bad we have replacement engines once it spun the bearings, or you can just buy new car right.
@Matt Rampley I have 4 BMWs, 2 E30s E32 and E38. Trust me this car have been driven like there is no tomorrow, and they are reliable. You can't argue which engine is more reliable M20/M30 vs N54. My M30 is more than 300k miles and the most major issue I had with it was failed stud on the exhaust manifold. When this happen the machine shop couldn't believe this engine was with such millage. So from my point of view the reliability trend is downwards. M50s were less reliable than the M20/M30 then the Vanos made it even worse. M54 is oil drinking cam ruining disasterpiece and yet there are tons of people that say it is very reliable, but yea it is depending what you compare it to.
I have M40 , M20. But also a M50 with 230k km and 28 years. Still working great. I won't ever buy those new cheap plastic engine from BMW. M50 intake is kinda plastic but super strong. No issue at all. I would buy a brand new M50 today. I have the Vanos one too. But i change my oil very often and no issue yet.
My god I have had 5 bmws. Now an f80 M3. I drive my cars.. bmw is for the person who loves driving ... I fucking killed all my cars and the only car that had issues was the 335d. That’s because of all the bullshit the feds make you do to a Diesel engine. Otherwise I have no clue how folks run around talking shit about BMW. These cars are better than anything else on the market. Every car has issues. New technology today versus the past. Less weight, more performance and technology. You cannot skip out on plastic. What use aluminum? Carbon? The folks complaining would never spend the money on that. Bunch of haters...
As a BMW tech there are some problems on b58s.....more older than newer versions. such as the pcv system ,plastic OFH, water pump pulleys, throwing belts,starters etc lmao love m340's though still
Love this channel, wow respect the best of TH-cam. And yes get the New M3. Forged engine from head to toe and you don’t have to tune it as it already comes with 510 hp, and 61NM of torque...
My 750LI bmw is reliable it’s all about doing the proper maintenance I bought my five years ago with 76,000 no issues only normal wear and tear oil changed brakes and rotors tires etc right now I have 178,000.00 miles running like a champ oh yeah I changed the spark plugs and did a transmission fluid change
I was close to selling my n52 e90 and get a 2019 340i buuuut I didn’t want to deal with a car payment along with car maintenance however this video is changing my mind. Appreciate the info
I’m keeping my 06’ 325i E90 until I reach 200k miles. Problem is mine is easily worth 10k with the expensive mods I have on it but kbb has E90’s at their lowest value ever right now. It can only go back up in value from here. Plus the N52 without a turbo is the most reliable BMW engine made since 2000.
@@thatgamertho227 That depends, if I sold it myself I could definitely get 10k for it you’d have to see it’s condition to understand. Otherwise yeah my insurance would probably value it at a measly 5k, or only 2.5k for a trade-in.
Any of these glass filled plastics are not going to last long in the engine bay. It's just too hot. The only plastics should be covers and certainly nothing in the coolant system.
@@XcoolcoolbeansbeansX I know, but I still don't think it's wise to fight physics. How many aluminum alloy engines have been completely destroyed by the failure of one plastic pipe in the cooling system?
@@garyvanremortel5218 I don’t know my guy, but I’m just trying to say it’s not a BMW problem. If it’s a problem, it’s a problem for every car being made now.
I agree with all of your points and it's great to see. These cars will be steals in a few years. Unfortunately the internal combustion engines days are numbered. If you like to learn about BMWs this channel should be on your list.
Yeah the S58 in the G8X M series cars might be the last hoorah for the straight 6 turbocharged engine before full electronification or mild hybrid tech comes into play. The Acura NSX is a good example of why your typical petrol head might not be ready for that but when their choices are full EV vs a ICE engine with hybrid technologies they will probably just be happy to still have that choice in a performance car.
Good comparison! The heat exchange on any engine plays a crucial role in its longevity and reliability. It's definitely improved but only time and miles will verify!
I have about every generations of X5s in both V8s and inline 6 and recently jumped out of X5 and got into 2021 x3 M40.... I have to say it’s pretty impressive what they have done with the build guality. The only thing it doesn’t work is the automatics seat heating/ preconditioning.
@@blocksource4192 I like them both but it all depends on how either one fits in your daily. I’m jumping out of the x3 into a 2024 m340 xdrive. After many years with these I want a sedan again. Also, the X3 is not getting the drive 8 ( the curve screen) until 2025. But overall, I really enjoy the x3, it’s built solid, it quite fast for an SUV. I don’t have any issue with it. The ride is stiff but I don’t have the adaptive suspension.
@@blocksource4192 heres the rub. The X3 would be faster delivery than the sedan. I orders the 340 a couple weeks ago, they don’t expect to see it for a couple of months.
@@pittwm Im 17, finishing my company and starting to sell software rn. Im not even done saving up for the m3 lol, delivery times dont matter much for me.
Thanks for making this video, I had no idea about how the engine tech was evolving. Then I went from super confused to super excited when you showed your next car. 😮
I came running when i saw bmw and reliable to see what kind of witch craft was being used
🤣🤣🤣😂😂🤣🤣
HAHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA
😂😂
It's the new kind of blinker fluid they are using.
@@Puplice23 apparently it's a turbo blanket 🤷♂️
BMW owner at 20K miles:
“Wow, this is WAY MORE RELIABLE!”
BMW owner at 70K miles:
“Who built all these pipes out of PLASTIC!!!!”
Depends on the model, 250k across 2 f30s with hardly a problem. I’m now on a B58 touring due to the performance and reliability.
Mine is 94000 miles N20 f10 and no problem so far in the motor. Yes maybe tomorrow this will happen but so far ...
Frequently flogged the shit out of my n55, as if it were a 90’s Nissan. Yeah the intake pipes shatter but replace it with a metal one and they’re fine lol
Exactly. This video ignores the reality of BMWs. Once they hit roughly 65k miles, they turn to crap. Every. Single. One.
My F30 bought @ 110k KM Clocked, Brought it for first service: 1. Battery Replacement, 2. Tyre Replacement, 3. all filters replacement 4. Radiator need servicing, 5.Fuel Pump Relay Needed Replacement. Now Oil seal needs replacement, Water Reservoir tank dried and broken, radiator hoses dried up, water pump reached mileage, water pump sensor needed replacement, the housing is bad. Now there's some weird ticking during startup...
The engines have always been ok, its everything around them that fails.
The straight 6 in my 2007 525i was well built. Got 200k miles from it so far. It began leaking oil at 180k. $1k to fix and not a drip since. Original ac and transmission. Cant complain.
Incorrect. Timing chain failures and initial BMW denial.
@@kerkiraz Infrequent oil changes and clocking are the cause of timimg chain failures.
except all v8 and v10 lol
Shit i wish my 745li was i loved that car but the one i put in it was to much for me
This sounds like when an alcoholic says he's clean now after not drinking for 2 days 😂
or even better, i stopped doing blow.
the day after tomorrow im clean for two days
It's a bit shocking that 15K miles without problems is something to remark about.
@@morstyrannis1951 Exactly! I'm embarrassed for this guy. Had a pile of BMW's but it always ended badly. Well, except my e30.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
I just thought you should know that the effort you put into this is truly amazing and it was definitely not a waste of your time. You’re obviously a true enthusiast and knowledge you tuber.
They're all reliable when they're new...
Way I see it, no car is every truly "reliable" when you have hundreds of different components (electronic or mechanical) something is bound to fail eventually.
@@rayzor285 Lol Toyota go brrrr
@@DeadlyBrianX Is it cold?
Exactly but over time probably not
@@rayzor285 You’ve never seen those old Toyotas live longer than their owners then
I haven’t had any issues with the B58 in my 2018 X3 M40i. Fun and addicting to drive!
The B58 was released in July '15 and has been an excellent engine. I've only ever opened one up and it turns out the mechanicals were fine - turns out it just needed software. I think BMW's relationship with Toyota has resulted in the quality we're seeing with this family of B-engines.
You have to be kidding me. Toyota did not do anything to develop a BMW engine that has been around for 30 years. They improve it every generation.
@@eazy-333 Incorrect. The current Toyota Supra uses the BMW B58 engine and Toyota insisted that in order for it to be used in their product it had to meet reliability standards that, while perhaps typical for Toyota, exceed BMW's historical reliability. Toyota engineers worked with BMW's during development. If BMW simply 'improved it every generation' then by now it would be a faultless variation of the original, but it's not. The B58 is very different from every inline 6 before it.
@@snerby141989 ok believe your fairytale.
@@eazy-333 lol
@@snerby141989 correct
I started seeing the improvements just from working on my brother's N55 in his X6. There was two-issue addressed with the motor. One was the PCV system that made a loud noise and the Valvetronic motor. Besides that, knock on wood, it has been very reliable. I do hope that this continues to be a trend for BMW
Scotty kilmer somewhere yelling at his screen
Scotty Kilmer is a kook. F that guy
@@morganwilliams2863 Good thing the Toyota Supra has this exact BMW engine in it
Are they still using plastic parts?! YES.
No thank you than
Scotty, “this is endless money pit.” Lol.
@@fantus04 every car manufacturer is using plastic now… fucking BMW started that stupid trend
TITLE SHOULD BE: " Here is why BMW's could now be reliable, unlikely, but you never know'
Here's why BMW's are now reliable....compared to previous BMWs.
Basically they will still be unreliable compared to Toyotas....but Toyota apparently thinks BMWs are reliable enough to let BMW make their Supras...so my guess is instead of failing before 100k, they will fail around 150k miles. On the other hand...a car that goes 3.7 seconds 0-60 is never gonna be reliable compared to a car that goes 0-60 in 7-10 seconds.
@@DJUwU Toyota made a lot of changes to BMW design and materials during the development stage. There's lots of info on this, You can check it out.
Ironically, the Z4 could prove to be the most reliable BMW of the modern era due to Toyota Engineers having done their own testing and contributing to the development.
@@DJUwU do you know how much time and money it takes to develop new engines? A engine from BMW is always a win plus you save time and most importantly money
@@DJUwU But most BMWs don't do 60 in 3.7, nor most toyotas 10. of course BMW is up market on top and has cars at that level but comparing a 7 second to 60 BMW to a 7 second Toyota or Honda BMW reliability is meh.
@@alxace Toyota did make a few changes to the B48 and B58 in the Supra, but not "alot". The Toyota and BMW partnership has been going on since the i8 was in development. Toyota have been a part of the development of the B-modular engines, the i8 is basically a Prius but with a B38.
BMW B58 is an engineering masterpiece.It is a perfect mix of power,efficiency,smoothness and reliability.It shows BMW's expertise in building great engines especially the inline sixes.
3.5 years with 2018 340 with fairly aggressive driving with zero problems so far 🙏
Just wait till 75k miles
jc33762 gonna get something newer before that :)
Picked up a 2019 B58 touring. Reliability combined with performance was a deciding factor. Previously I’ve done 250k across 2 320d F30s with hardly an issue.
Those are interesting points. I think to how the Toyota Supra would’ve used a BMW engine that it would have to be more reliable than past generations. Time will tell but your hypothesis on reliability makes sense at a first glance. Well learned from a master tech like you!!!!
AUTOCAR, ( the worlds oldest motoring journal) said that when TOYOTA collaborated with the BMW GROUP on using their engine for the SUPRA, Toyota’s engineering team required extensive quality upgrades to BMW’s seals throughout the engine to eliminate oil leaks ( which BMW are well known for) Toyota insisted that all the seals/ gaskets be manufactured in Japan to TOYOTA’S Stringent higher specifications and BMW agreed. Therefore, if you buy a SUPRA you are assured, like ALL TOYOTA ENGINES of a leak free engine effectively throughout its service life.
Philip Lee thanks for sharing. As a master tech myself, with experience in all makes, I can assure anyone that Japanese manufacturer sealing technology is superior to all other. I was surprised to see a BMW engine spec’d in a Toyota product primarily considering the leaky nature of their engines. The N series 6cyl oil filter housing gaskets have been superceeded 3-4 times and last I checked the most recent version is made by a Japanese manufacturer. That says something.
@@philiplee7604 Nice, thanks for the info. Hopefully they apply the lessons learned to all engines going forward.
@@greasemonkey1489 is it also happening to the N20 or B48? Thanks
Each car manufacturer needs to have a video like this.I bought a KIA Stinger after reading the engineering of it--reliability in addition to performance were a priority.
I stopped buying bmws and believing in them after the N54 and diesel M57. Now im considering a B58 powerered bmw after your through technical analysis. Thank you very much.
@Davelesr fuck yah bro i love it in my x5
@Davelesr i should have probably re-wrote what i said. I love the N54 and M57 but everything after that I stopped believing in BMW
@Davelesr i want to delete mine soon as i get an emissions code lol. Who did you use?
B58? Get a supra. Bmw engine, Toyota suspension.
M57 is the most reliable engine in the world...you are probably trying to say N57
15k miles without issues is a weak claim. Most people buy used cars and drive them well over 100k.
Early direct injection in BMW’s were cam driven, not sure why they went away from that to the chain driven pump in N54 and early N55. later N55 had a plunger style pump. Hopefully they properly hardened the pump lobe or spec’d a proper hardness follower otherwise early failure of the camshaft is possible. That would be a large job to replace as the chain is on the transmission side now. Plastics they use aren’t easily recyclable because they’re made using fiberglass reinforced nylon. I’m not aware of secondary uses. The use of plastics are mostly due to part complexity. Far cheaper to make multiple molded components and fuse them to create the final part. Coolant bottles on X series were placed away from heat, still failed. Mostly at weak points- meld lines and utrasonic weld joints. Last issue I’ll address is plastics in general both under hood and interior- they’ve been trying to go away from heavily petroleum based plastics to their detriment. They become brittle sooner. And the overmolded buttons/trim have always been an issue with many German made cars because there’s no mechanical bonding of the 2 plastics.
Dude your videos are refreshing and informative. No filler, you get straight to the point and you know what you’re talking about. I appreciate that
100%, my exact thoughts.
I’ll never get tired of this channel
You have to remember and take into consideration that excluding the rare 80's M1 supercar, the N54 engine was BMW'S first attempt at doing a turbocharged petrol engine.
The N55 which came out before the B58, is a reliable relatively strong engine imo.
My N55 was built at the time at the the B58 was also in production. I bet my N55 shares some revolutionary tweaks the B58 introduced.
@@Ashley_van_Schooneveld It doesn't. N55 is based on much older technology that is far more unreliable than the B58 as they're completely different engine architectures. N55 might be reliable but it's the weakest turbocharged inline 6 that BMW has produced.
Umm...BMW's first turbo car engine was in 2002 Turbo in 1973. The M1 wasn't a turbo. lt had a tuned intake manifold with individual runners and throttle bodies for each cylinder along with a massive diameter "bundle" of snakes" stainless header. A detuned version of that engine went into E24 and E28 M635 and M5. A further detuned version went into the US M6 and M5.
Another informative video....I love this channel. As an F80 owner, I wish someone at BMW could explain the thinking behind using a two piece crank hub assembly over 4+ model years with so many known failures.
I have had 2 335i e92's. one 08 and now I have a 2013is. Other then the pump and plugs I have had to do nothing which is amazing to me. car is at 95k miles with no leaks so far. I'm sure turbos will go out soon but their still keeping up at 18psi. I personally believe with the updated injectors and coils, along with the update in software helps to make this car why more reliable for daily driving.
I have 2010 final N54 535i M-sport stock.. I have changed everything on it HPFP LPFP, my car had index 12 and they still failed, got all 6 new injectors again.. Transmission Service, Plugs Coils. Intake cleaning , gaskets, belt pulleys tensioner. I AM AT 156K MILES now.. spent tons and tons of money to keep it going and hopefully she does. Holding strong !!!
You are making me buy another one :D
G80 M3? Are you serious? OMG....nice!!
We need someone like you in the E60 n54 community.
Yeah no kidding! We really get shafted with the limited parts and completely different lpfp setup.
@@milehighboost5521 Literally. I feel like I'm the only one that owns an e60 535i with how few parts are available for it compared to the e9X
@@Sporgan Same here, by that's why I'm planning a LS-3 swap......
I’m a Mercedes guy, but really enjoyed your discussion of the BMW inline 6 engine evolution.
Had a brand new '18 BMW X1 MSport - within 50K miles - it required roughly $12K in parts and labor - simple estimates direct from the service invoices with part numbers and labor hours - everything from turbo/wastegate to constant all wheel drive adjustments to a $500 battery replacement. Got dumped right when the warranty ended. The newer ones may be more reliable - but I'll never know - as I won't be buying any - one and done. Really like this channel though - top notch work.
I have a 2016 340xi. 75k miles. Not a to single problem. I just got the transmission fluid changed. It was still clear! ZF for the win. Going to tune it with mhd.
Get ready to spin your rod bearings.
I can’t believe zero engine issues at 15k is something unexpected over the last decade! I drive my cars hard, in NJ, and only had a problem with a Range Rover, fuel pump at 13k. Thinking about getting one of the new BMW M with S58.... this review is encouraging....
Wow... the words “BMW” and “reliable” in the same sentence. Lol 😂
It's called an oxymoron
BMW has a higher reliability ranking than Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Jeep, Tesla, Volkswagen, Audi, Nissan, KIA, GMC, Lincoln, Cadillac, Volvo, and Mercedes-Benz
@@XcoolcoolbeansbeansX because most people lease them or trade for a new one before 80k miles. Most issues come later then that. People who say BMWs are more reliable then Japanese brands like Lexus or Acura either haven't hit that point in ownership yet or got lucky or are just being dishonest
@@dsong2006 no, that is not why actually, that’s just what your brain came up with. That ranking is from consumer reports 2020, which is arguably the most important reliability study.
@@XcoolcoolbeansbeansX Consumer Report mostly talks about new cars. How many G20s are out of warranty and have hit the 80-100k mark. If we're talking about BMW reliability we have to talk about the last 10-15 years. The turbo E90/F30s had well documented HPFP issues, NA and Turbo E90/F30s had electric water pump issues. Most BMWs have oil leaks galore by 100k miles and cooling system issues. I have a N52 E85 Z4 convertible for many years, supposedly a relatively reliable model and it still had its share of issues. Maybe the B58 model cars are better, but there's not enough data yet and the jury is still out on that one. When the N20 model cars came out people thought that was much better but now we are aware of timing chain issues after the cars started hitting higher miles.
Usually the first 40-60k miles, BMW dont have major issues. It is the high mileage cars that things start to wear down. I wonder if you keep the m340i at least pass 100k miles and see what’s it like for viewers.
Yeah it would have been nice to keep it that long to really backup my claims.
I have 335is 33000 miles on it bought it new. Have value gasket and oil ring gasket replace due to oil leak and charcoal canister. Lol. No mechanical issue so far
Thanks Sherlock.
@@rickychen2966 And how much did that cost you?
One side of me says :
Im excited to see how reliable the B-modular engines are gonna be in a few years considering the BMW and Toyota partnership have been going on long before the development of the Z4 and Supra. So many people claims that Toyota and BMW didnt start working with each other before the Supra and Z4 was in development, when they actually started working together with the i8, its basically a Prius with a B-modular engine (B38 to be exact)... I got a 330e now with the B48 so i hope its still gonna be OK in a couple of years lol. I got engine, drive train and hybrid battery insurance on it just in case anything happens tho. If we ignore the S85 because of obvious reasons, and the horrible timing chain issues on some N-engines which BMW have been in denial about. BMW engines have been fairly reliable for years, as other people here have already stated. Its everything around the engine thats usually failed because BMW started experimenting with using plastic parts in around 2005. New engines are still packed with plastic parts, but BMW got years of experience now experimenting with plastic parts, and now they know what works and wont work.
Other side of me says:
Some parts are still made unreliable on purpose tho... BMW arent even trying to hide the fact that they earn more money from selling spare parts than selling actual vehicles. Theyre also purposely placing parts and gaskets at places where theyre difficult to reach so its more time consuming to replace them.
Yes....M3 Competition....congrats!!!! Your channel is gold btw. You have made me a N54 expert and saved me thousands of dollars.
The n55 with single turbo and valvetronic is extremely responsive, and the improved injectors are a big improvement. Each iteration has a lot of gains, 3 or 4 iterations is always huge. Cams gears on the back though I'm concerned with still. Any job starts to become an engine out ordeal, might as well be a rear/mid engined c8 or 911.
I have a 2014 535 with the N55 engine, and the only headache is the oil leaks at the oil filter and oil cooler housings. Serviced twice, and the car has only 55,000 miles on it.
@@rollydoucet8909 Change your Rod bearing at around 100k bro
Just not good enough. Low quality and poor engineering. An old Saab would show them some engineering. BMW lost their way chasing money..
@@rollydoucet8909 2yr ago... Hope you get this and reply.
Serviced only twice? And it has 55000km?
What model and Do you still own it?
@@mobilekaos Mine is a 2014 535i with X Drive and the M Sport package. The oil leak issue started a couple of years after I bought it. and I goy two new gaskets from the BMW dealer. Within two years, the leak started again. A German car parts vendor told me there are better gaskets available, so I bought them. Lower price-better quality with the new gaskets, and now more leaks.
I did 240k miles in my f10 530d. Never an issue. Even my e60 535d with 180k miles never had an issue except for an expensive wing mirror replacement. Regular maintenance from reputable garages make a huge difference
I ended up with a n54 cause it was in my price range and I kind of liked how it was over built. I have a back up so the reliability department wasn't a deciding factor. At some point I do want to get a 2015+ M3 cause I do believe that is a better motor.
I bought the 2007 335i brand new (in Sparkling Graphite).. That was an amazing car. The dual turbo virtually eliminated any turbo lag and that car was an absolute joy to drive...until the fuel pump started failing on me after my 4 year warranty period.
From what you said, BMW is not a reliable car
Want a reliable bmw, buy the final rollout of the out going model
Or LCI model. Under 100k miles and clean PPI.
exactly why i just bought my 2023 540i
I have run that engine in the G05 and have done 45,000km in 18 months. So far so good.
I had a 2010 328XI, which ran great until it hit 80k. After that, it cost about $6k a year to keep on the road, so I got rid of it. BMWs seem reliable until they aren't.
Oh man just looking at that all those components over the valve cover makes me anxious about valve cover gaskets..
You also surprised me on the water pump. As cool as it is to bleed the system without starting the engine, changing the water pump was pita and super expensive on my dad x3, N55. Well worth the money save, but... it failed at 70k miles.. No clue how long this new one will last.
Yep, water pumps religiously fail. You can practically set your watch by them. For me, every 60,000 miles. So the extra 10,000 for you was a bonus in my book.
@@greggraham2642 330000 Miles on my original electric water pump.
Talk to us when you hit 100k miles.
Bingo!
Absolutely
His car is at 200k 😂
My B58 is at 125k with nothing but plugs and oil changes.
Yeah I’ve owned many BMWs and I’ve never had confidence that they wouldn’t leave me stranded after a while.
Then you aren't maintaining them.
you don't know to maintain them. I had 3 bmw's in last 12 years and didn't have any issue...
A good friend of mine used to be a die hard Ford Taurus driver. He thought having his car serviced every month was perfectly normal until he got a Honda... then thought it was bad not to have his car serviced as often.
He now drives a BMW... I am sure he is happy.
Maintenance on a BMW isn't a guarantee you won't be left stranded vs driving an appliance.
@@chrislim7976 i have bmw's for over 15 years, never left me stranded...current car is a 2014 f10 lci, in 5 years i had no issue, only time i went to service was for maintenance. I also have a f15 with over 150k km and works like a charm.
Car And Driver had a blue 2020 BMW G20 M340i that hit 40,000 miles in their long-term test on 3/4/2021. Only issue it had was 2 potholes, nothing mechanical at all. I'd like to get this version of the G20 someday, seems like a real solid upgrade to the N54.
*EDIT: Not my G20. Not my website. Lol. So many replies. "40K MILeS?!?! tHaT nO lOnG tErM I kNoW oF! CoMe BaCk aFtEr wArRaNtY!" Yes. I understand. But did you know..? This is a Toyota engine now. The B58 engine will do 200k miles with no oil changes & constant neglect. The S58 engine will be the unreliable BMW you're all so familiar with. 😉
Nice, yeah stock it feels like a stage 2+ N54 running on 93 octane in terms of performance. Add that along with reliability and you can't go wrong.
I have an Alpine White 2020 and coming from an 07 E90 with MHD Stage 2 this one is very similar though not quite the thrasher those twin snails are. A very healthy upgrade in every way - the X drive plus rear LSD standard make this a monster of comfort, capability and potential. 15K miles and one winter in, have had zero issues.
Great vid! Saying imo indicates you are open to other opinions and don't state yours as fact, don't worry it isn't annoying.
I have a 2017 F82 M4C and have had zero issues with it at 51,000 miles. I always do the required maintenance and on time. But I do drive it daily obviously, including seven track days in the last two years. The only thing I spent a substantial amount of money on is tires...lot's of tires.
I saw the story too
As an owner of a E92 N52 car, I was really nervous when I bought the car for $11K with 98K miles. After 1.5 years of ownership and gained some DIY skills, I am quite confident that I can enjoy the car for many years to come.
There are perks you get from owning a good looking BMW. People do notice the car and the drive is always a wonderful experience.
I have owned Toyotas and a Miata. I always felt those cars trade driving pleasure and comfort for the reliability and cost reduction. Japanese cars simply can't corner properly, I've had so many close calls and minor accidents because of this. Also they always have terrible brakes, stopping the car at high speed is just a nerve wrecking experience.
I never miss any of my Japanese car ownership but I do miss driving my German cars even when I have not driven for a few days, i would crave going for a drive.
I have had my e92 for 10 years this summer, and its N52 has proven exceptionally reliable. I have rear-wheel drive, no iDrive, and a manual transmission, all of which amounts to significantly more reliability IMO, without sacrificing the experience whatsoever (indeed enhancing it because I love driving manual). I absolutely love this car, and it has only 100k kms, so it can last a whole lot of years if I continue to take care of it. I believe it can make sense to own these cars if you are willing to do some of the work yourself. Support / DYI online is exceptional. Parts are easy to obtain. I too have had Japanese cars before (Nissan 240SX, Honda Accord). Just not the same...
🤣🤣🤣🤣 Delusional.
Heres the ULTIMATE DYI skill on all beeeeemers DYI to the JUNK YARD!!!!!
My 2008 E90 with N52 now has 187K miles. I bought it CPO in 2011 with only 24K miles. It has all the normal repairs (most paid for by the CPO warranty) OFHG, valve cover, Oil pan gasket, water pump changed out preventatively, new set of coils. Just recently the fuel pressure regulator (one under rear driver side seat) cracked and failed. That fuel tank is a crazy design! Car runs like new. Doesn't burn a lick of oil between the 8K OCI I use. We'll see how long before all the nuisances begin from the plastic/rubber rotting. Already replaced the rotting rubber of the trunk release handle and the surround around the rear window. Also had 2 rear door window regulators fail. I just keep throwing new brake pads, tires and oil changes at it and it keeps running like new. The N52 was way better than the N54.
Obviously, you've never driven a GR Supra. My 2024 with B58 engine is an amazingly good handling car.
Gazoo Racing knows a thing or two about handling.
The "newer" BMW's are reliable because they haven't 150k miles on them. Reliability to me starts thereafter, but then your BMW isn't new anymore.
Give them 10 years... will fall apart as always since 2006
@@rocaley in the middle east hot weather they completely fail around 5 years from the heat. On the other hand, the Toyota's easily last 20 years.
Exactly plus what about 200k miles
150k is nothing. BMW should drive 300k miles
@@syroboi3524 yup
Great video, now you’ve got me wanting an M340i. I’m glad BMW is focusing more on reliability while still making exciting & sexy cars.
You have the most informational channel and I can’t thank you enough for that really helps a lot
I appreciate that!
I learned a lot and appreciate your insight. Having owned a 2009 1 series and having a bunch of issues with it and swearing off BMW for many years I am now considering one again. Thanks!
Will see how reliable it is after 7 years and 100K+ miles on it.
BMW has a higher reliability ranking than Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Jeep, Tesla, Volkswagen, Audi, Nissan, KIA, GMC, Lincoln, Cadillac, Volvo, and Mercedes-Benz
@@XcoolcoolbeansbeansX I agree with all of that except for Nissan.
@Aria consumer reports 2020, actually. Arguably the most important reliability study. And yes BMW blows Ford and Kia out of the water, Ford hasn’t made a good car for years.
Yeah, ridiculous judging it after only 15.000 miles. Come back after you drove 300.000 miles then we'll see.
@Aria I agree with Bimmer Life. A BMW will last longer than a Ford. It will require less visits to the shop within it's warranty period than a Ford. I don't know enough about Kia to say for sure. However, Korean cars don't have a good track record for reliability.
BMW’s are so good that you can have zero issues in 15000 miles.
And he thinks that is so assume.
Walking out the store the other day and I hear this weird noise, it was somebody at idle in their 340i B58, it sounded like a timing chain, car looked brand new. Immediately knew he doesn’t keep up with maintenance it was so loud and embarrassing as a bmw owner to see another bmw poorly looked after, incredible that you can have a B58 to run like crap. Very unfortunate we have bad owners then complain how unreliable they are when they can’t do simple services to prevent big issues.
You are just guessing that a lack of maint is the reason, stop doing that.
@@FairladyS130
What else could it be? There’s no issues with the b58 with timing chains. I usually don’t claim someone isn’t taking care of it but that car wasn’t taken care of at all, dirty exterior bald tires, and a rear tail light is out with an M badge on it? Clearly one of those guys who don’t care and try to look cool. Wheels were that cheap black dip paint on it too. We both know that’s there only 1 reason a timing chain on a b58 would sound that bad, lack of maintenance/ neglect. My X5 is 18 years old now I haven’t had a timing chain issue yet and I live where climate is -4 winter sometimes and it’s hot as 102F I haven’t had to remove any engine parts except the valve cover for a leak. Do you know what it takes to damage a timing chain? It’s not easy..it doesn’t just wear out, you have to really get on that car on cold starts with dirty oil fairly consistently to get a timing chain to go wrong. Haven’t heard any modern bmw engine have timing issues since the N62 V8. That sound was too familiar. The poor F30 sounded rough bro.
@@aidenp5768 Any make of car can develop a fault irrespective of it's service history, that's just the way cars are.
@@aidenp5768 Are you sure it wasn't just direct fuel infection loud clicking - ticking noise?
@@UMORIEGA
Positive it was timing chain, on the B58 chains are in the rear of the engine so as I walked passed it slowly on purpose could tell it was around the middle of the car, it was consistent scratchy/click unique sound that mostly timing chains make.
What is your profession? Your observations are way beyond the average turner and even beyond the large majority of powertrain engineers. Heat cycling is absolutely the killer of reliability...EV's are susceptible to this phenomenon as well. Great video, so much to learn here for young engineers, ICE engines, electronics, but mostly important design considerations.
Informative vid. Gives confidence on a purchase of a low mileage b58 model. Now if my bitcoin would hit 80k then it's a M3 for me.
Holding my fingers for you brother to make it ☺️.
I got my new bmw 440i gran coupe with b58 engine in 2017, so far 30k+ miles with absolutely zero issues. So hope it will stay this way. However, I do worry about plastic parts in very hot engine bay given how hot it get
Great thoughts, even my 2011 N55 has been dead reliable at over 100k mi. Granted, I keep up on the maintenance.
My worry is that with European laws getting more strict every year, manufacturers have to keep increasing complexity just to get through the emissions tests. Within 10 years there'll be nothing but EVs and hybrids available.
When the euro7 norm will be introduced, it's game over for ICE engines in Europe so that will be 2025, when a perfectly, in house build industry, will be ruined by the EU, importing all batteries from China which is half the cost of an electric car.
Like they ruin everything, even 750 watt vacuum cleaners because of "environment" takes me twice as long to vacuum my carpet as a few years ago, hello....
EV's have their own red hearings. How do you dispose of a colossal battery in our politically toxic environment? Fossil fuel engines are not going anywhere. Reality driving across country then hitting into a white out snow storm with an EV. Yikes! Ha, not this guy.
Doing research on 340i and the b58 engine. I hope it has Toyota roots for reliability. If it does I'll proceed toward the 340i for my wife. Seems like a reliable direction. Much appreciate the informative video.
*~*~*~ " Granted, I keep up on the maintenance. "................VERY VERY EXPENSIVE......................Now REPLACE ALL TH ELECTRICAL and cal me back!...end of story!
Man, that was very insightful. I think with the plastic intake manifold and valve covers, it's much cheaper and faster to make an intricate design. I have the N54 and man, gremlin after gremlin. And who would know better than you?
Makes sense, the B58 is awesome. Super interesting video! I've had literally zero issues so far in 2 years with my M140i, let's hope it stays that way. Actually taking care of your car and treating it right, keeping up with basic maintenance, etc. really helps too regardless of the brand. It does my head in when people beat their car into the ground and then complain when things break!
Yeah you buy a "sports car" or the "ultimate driving machine" and the excuse is that it broke because you drove it hard? Get the fuck out of here
@@DennisH22A if you drive hard on a cold engine it's destined to break, that what's he is getting at. I drive calm the first 10 minutes until oil is at temperature and ever 6000/7000 miles an oil change I'm sure this engine will last a long time, also one of the best auto transmissions in those machines ZF8 are one of the best. Every day a smile in the M140i.
Black really blends the grill into the car
New BMW‘a are very reliable. My f30 has been so reliable with correct maintenance. G20’s are much more so in my opinion. BMW has been focusing on reliability, I couldn’t be happier with my modern such a beautiful looking and operating machine.
Actually i had E 90 and before E 46 and i was super happy with both, but i do realize many people had problems with E 90.
Now my F 30 is fucking perfect, i'm trilled with it, except E 90 had much better feel behind the wheel.
Do you guys have the 4 cyl or I6 on your F30?
Sincerely u should all try the diesels. Where i live they are more appreciated than gasoline engines. Me and my family own more than 7 bmws and none of us had problems with them. And just 2 of them are gas powered x3 m40i and a 2 series :))))
@@zareefhaider6451 4 cyl.
@Aria All three cars of mine were reliable.
I had a 2014 320i, car ran perfectly for 7 years 70,000 miles, it was sold to help pay for an M2
Having a first year Lexus IS 350, I know all about engineers trying out on customers and learning from mistakes that they made.
My door jam is full of Lexus dealer recalls with working on that 12 injector V6 engine :(
But I still drive it and I have to say it has been no more or less reliable compare to my friend's 335d.
Awesome channel my friend you got a big thumbs up from me :P
BMW is now reliable? Oh, hey look, a unicorn.
Most 2013 and later BMW models are reliable (untill they get to around 120k miles)
@@johnmitchell2269 120K isn't near good enough. They also need to be more serviceable well beyond that. BMWs are full of parts that should last forever, but because they went with plastic, they turn to dust.
Per consumer reports 2020, BMW has a higher reliability ranking than Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Jeep, Tesla, Volkswagen, Audi, Nissan, KIA, GMC, Lincoln, Cadillac, Volvo, and Mercedes-Benz to name a few. Before you say anything about how great your Toyota is, just know Toyota currently offers two cars with BMW engines and drivetrains in them.
the mid 2000s were the dark ages for BMW and many other manufactures trying to innovate as fast as possible. Reliability was sacrificed, and they will probably never live that down, this comment section is proof of that. Hopefully the haters get over themselves eventually
Great content, although although frankly I am sceptical that BMW are actually consciously going to do anything to make their cars more durable. 20 years of not caring and a solid track record to prove it makes it almost impossible to suggest that they really do care.
There has been some improvements on upgraded models, but am only speaking on inline6 and the B58 engine, anything V8 or 4cylinder is still junk the N63 is still a nightmare, anything 7series is a money pit.
Consumer Reports magazine now ranks BMW as #1 among 35 auto manufacturers, overall. If BMWs weren't reliable over the past 5 years, they would not have such a high ranking.
N52 will always be they best engine
Even the late EWG N55s are fairly reliable. I have a 2014 M235i with 95k km and it's only needed general maintenance and an filter housing gasket. This is an early build M235i (12/13), on a brand new F22 platform. Consumer reports christened it the most reliable sporty car in the US in 2016. We added an X3 M40i in 2018 and its needed nothing in 30k.
Also a starter/generator on the front of the crank and all accessories electrical off engine will make engine a very powerful and reliable daily use appliance.
Do your research, buy a car, take what comes with it. Like every brand.
Hopefully. You're right. CNt wait to snap up some of these 2020 models in a handful of years
Give it 10 years, 3 owners and at least 150k miles, then tell me about reliability. What these are still too new.
S55 has been pretty reliable for me so far.
Yeah, my 2015 S class with 57,000 miles broke down every 3 months. Got rid of it and never went back to Mercedes.
Based on my experience with my 2018 M240i that took seven trips to the dealer and two replacements of the SAME part - in addition to the dealer illegally charging me to fix something under warranty and required by federal law - there is no way in hell BMWs are reliable. That's in addition to the 'what's it going to do today?" infotainment system.
I will say the mechanicals were flawless, but the whole car needs to be reliable to be considered reliable, especially when the dealer kept telling me that a driver's seatbelt that would not retract or work 'was normal'.
From what I heard, Toyota had a lot of issues on BMW's design/reliability not being that great. I hope they both learned a lot from working together.
I think a lot of the bad rep comes down to costs. BMW's are quite a it more to maintain and repair. Same boat as other German vehicles. I own a German car, parts are ridiculously expensive compared to others.
We own 3 bmws... $2000 on maintenance in 6 years. What are u smokin? Dont tell me u go to mechanics...
Labor is expensive, the parts are a little more than a domestic, and a pain in the ass because everything must be ordered online. But if you have a toolbox with a good collection and know how to use them, no they really aren't. If you wrench yourself, you will come to love the brilliant engineering that went into everything. The little plastic clips with springs vs pull tabs, or e torque bits so you don't strip bolts. Everything comes apart with ease, and goes back together like a glove. I have owned my e90 335xi n54 for 5 years, she is now 108k miles and full bolt on since I got her. Never been stranded, but I fix my stuff, and keep up on maintenance. I don't wait until things are broken to fix them.
The Toyota GR Supras have been very reliable. Most have the B58 engine.
after 140,000miles I had to change the following : Injectors , Fuel pump , Turbos and rebuilding the gearbox and Vanos .. on my E71 .
The thing about bmw's is once that thing hits 100k on the odo it's disposable.
Not anymore. They rank #1 on Consumer Reports magazine's April 2024 auto issue and it's best to worst auto manufacturers for overall attributes such as performance, reliability, comfort, controls, safety, etc.
Thank you for explaining the engineering with no BS. Very clear and informative.
This is next level. Reminds me of my Dad. He knew all this stuff. Thanks for the in depth lessons. 😌 very helpful even if I’m not going to do most of this stuff myself. It’s just good to know.
do it!!! your videos are the best, you helped me fix my N54 and the attention to details has always helped more than any other youtuber!
Woaw I can't believe my ears. Calling this Reliable with life expectancy 120miles. Because it is full of complex plastic components that will fail 100%. My BMWs have no plastics on the engine. I have M20,M30,M40 engines in my cars. I have no idea about the milage and I honestly don't care but 30+ years old and they still work. Most people buy bmws when they are 120-150k miles second hand. The reality is that this new plastic cars can't last that long and there is no way around the plastic valve covers, and when we talk about long term if you have to change them every few years it get expensive very fast. For example 20 years old BMW cost around $5k how much is the stupid plastic valve cover on the E90? the whole intake manifold is plastic yea they reinforced the hell out of it but it won't matter as plastic ages while aluminum doesn't.
Plastic parts are fine when you jam a bunch of unnecessary metal objects around them to generate heat thats when its a pain. BMW is just a joke at engineering they worry so much able track performing but nobody is taking these cars on tracks.
@@bighorse215 They are not fine they are just cheap. That is the reason why we have so much plastics. Some argue it is for weight reduction, but you can use aluminum,titanium for light weight but it is not cheap. Also no manufacturer want to have cars going for 20+ years. They sell cars so it is no brainer why they design things in this ways. Oh your gearbox have filter in it. Let's integrate it in the pan so you can't replace it without replacing the pan. Oh you like to change oil on your car and fill it without paying us for it? Let's remove the dipstick you don't need to worry that your car is running low on oil and the oil is bad we have replacement engines once it spun the bearings, or you can just buy new car right.
@Matt Rampley I have 4 BMWs, 2 E30s E32 and E38. Trust me this car have been driven like there is no tomorrow, and they are reliable. You can't argue which engine is more reliable M20/M30 vs N54. My M30 is more than 300k miles and the most major issue I had with it was failed stud on the exhaust manifold. When this happen the machine shop couldn't believe this engine was with such millage. So from my point of view the reliability trend is downwards. M50s were less reliable than the M20/M30 then the Vanos made it even worse. M54 is oil drinking cam ruining disasterpiece and yet there are tons of people that say it is very reliable, but yea it is depending what you compare it to.
I have M40 , M20. But also a M50 with 230k km and 28 years. Still working great. I won't ever buy those new cheap plastic engine from BMW. M50 intake is kinda plastic but super strong. No issue at all. I would buy a brand new M50 today. I have the Vanos one too. But i change my oil very often and no issue yet.
My god I have had 5 bmws. Now an f80 M3. I drive my cars.. bmw is for the person who loves driving ... I fucking killed all my cars and the only car that had issues was the 335d. That’s because of all the bullshit the feds make you do to a Diesel engine.
Otherwise I have no clue how folks run around talking shit about BMW. These cars are better than anything else on the market.
Every car has issues. New technology today versus the past. Less weight, more performance and technology. You cannot skip out on plastic. What use aluminum? Carbon? The folks complaining would never spend the money on that.
Bunch of haters...
As a BMW tech there are some problems on b58s.....more older than newer versions. such as the pcv system ,plastic OFH, water pump pulleys, throwing belts,starters etc lmao love m340's though still
GR Supras with the B58 have been very reliable over the past 4.5 years. I have a 2024 and expect to drive it no more than 5000 miles per year.
I'm really looking forward to you getting into the N63TU engine in our X50i, so I can learn more about it. I've read everything I can find.
This was so informative, knowledgeable and very comforting since I'm taking delivery of my first BMW on the 25th of this month. Thanks again.
Love this channel, wow respect the best of TH-cam. And yes get the New M3.
Forged engine from head to toe and you don’t have to tune it as it already comes with 510 hp, and 61NM of torque...
650 NM right?
My 750LI bmw is reliable it’s all about doing the proper maintenance I bought my five years ago with 76,000 no issues only normal wear and tear oil changed brakes and rotors tires etc right now I have 178,000.00 miles running like a champ oh yeah I changed the spark plugs and did a transmission fluid change
I was close to selling my n52 e90 and get a 2019 340i buuuut I didn’t want to deal with a car payment along with car maintenance however this video is changing my mind. Appreciate the info
I’m keeping my 06’ 325i E90 until I reach 200k miles. Problem is mine is easily worth 10k with the expensive mods I have on it but kbb has E90’s at their lowest value ever right now. It can only go back up in value from here. Plus the N52 without a turbo is the most reliable BMW engine made since 2000.
@@DillonRust mods don’t add value on 325’s. They barely add value on 335’s
I’d never make payments on things that go down in value,
@@thatgamertho227
That depends, if I sold it myself I could definitely get 10k for it you’d have to see it’s condition to understand. Otherwise yeah my insurance would probably value it at a measly 5k, or only 2.5k for a trade-in.
F30 340i owner here, 50k kms in 7 years still love it
...don't forget about the 745 Turbo from the '80s.
Edit: I wish I could "Like" this vid 3 times over!
you sold me. the b58 will be my next. thank you!!!
Lots of input from toyota or so I read. Closed head vs open head. Intercooling etc. Now if they could use better quality plastics.
Any of these glass filled plastics are not going to last long in the engine bay. It's just too hot. The only plastics should be covers and certainly nothing in the coolant system.
@@garyvanremortel5218 There is not one manufacturer on this planet, not currently using the same shit plastic. It is what it is.
@@XcoolcoolbeansbeansX I know, but I still don't think it's wise to fight physics. How many aluminum alloy engines have been completely destroyed by the failure of one plastic pipe in the cooling system?
@@garyvanremortel5218 I don’t know my guy, but I’m just trying to say it’s not a BMW problem. If it’s a problem, it’s a problem for every car being made now.
@@XcoolcoolbeansbeansX Glass filled polyamide is the bane of modern engines.
I agree with all of your points and it's great to see. These cars will be steals in a few years. Unfortunately the internal combustion engines days are numbered. If you like to learn about BMWs this channel should be on your list.
Yeah the S58 in the G8X M series cars might be the last hoorah for the straight 6 turbocharged engine before full electronification or mild hybrid tech comes into play. The Acura NSX is a good example of why your typical petrol head might not be ready for that but when their choices are full EV vs a ICE engine with hybrid technologies they will probably just be happy to still have that choice in a performance car.
@@VehicularDIY Yes and it appears you not gonna miss out.
Good comparison! The heat exchange on any engine plays a crucial role in its longevity and reliability. It's definitely improved but only time and miles will verify!
How in tf does my boy have only 58k subs!?? BMW knowledge for DAYS!! 🤘😝
congrats on the m3, looks so sick in black
I have about every generations of X5s in both V8s and inline 6 and recently jumped out of X5 and got into 2021 x3 M40.... I have to say it’s pretty impressive what they have done with the build guality. The only thing it doesn’t work is the automatics seat heating/ preconditioning.
Hopefully they can address that via an over the air update.
How is an x3 m40i? I am looking to buy an m3. But I'll take an x3m if it's better.
@@blocksource4192 I like them both but it all depends on how either one fits in your daily. I’m jumping out of the x3 into a 2024 m340 xdrive. After many years with these I want a sedan again. Also, the X3 is not getting the drive 8 ( the curve screen) until 2025. But overall, I really enjoy the x3, it’s built solid, it quite fast for an SUV. I don’t have any issue with it. The ride is stiff but I don’t have the adaptive suspension.
@@blocksource4192 heres the rub. The X3 would be faster delivery than the sedan. I orders the 340 a couple weeks ago, they don’t expect to see it for a couple of months.
@@pittwm Im 17, finishing my company and starting to sell software rn. Im not even done saving up for the m3 lol, delivery times dont matter much for me.
I wish BMW avoided turbocharging. What do you think of the B58 in the 2021 540i. Great video!
BMW has cheap parts under the hood, and it was never reliable after 40K miles. I´ll never go back.
My bmw turned me into an amg guy
They’re recycled plastics.VW does the exact same thing. Amazing how much recycled plastics cost too…..
Thanks for making this video, I had no idea about how the engine tech was evolving. Then I went from super confused to super excited when you showed your next car. 😮
If you're buying a new M3 Comp you should definitely option the manual
Manual gets old I wish I went with auto
comp are auto normal m3 are manual only !