[halfmonkey]

So after 8 years and 5 months, it's time to say goodbye to my 2008 Montego Blue 335i sedan. We parted ways with about 141,200 miles on the odometer. Owning this car was a jump into the modern car era of technology as the previous car I had was a 2001 Lexus IS300 and that was a pretty basic car that didn't even have memory seats or navigation.

I remember walking into the showroom with my wife and seeing the blue color. I loved it and really wanted a color that was different from the usual black, white, gray, or silver that is pretty much all over the place in California. Besides, blue is my favorite color. They offered a Moncao Blue at the time and I considered it but I liked the bright blue of the Montego Blue much more. Ended up getting it with the gray interior and aluminum trim. Loved the color then and still love the color now. Every now and again, I get complements on the color still.

Didn't even test drive the car when we went to the dealer as I didn't need to. I knew how the car was going to drive and that was great. After all, 300 hp and 300 ft/lbs torque talks wonders to your enjoyment and again with the added technology that I didn't have in my previous car, I was really enjoying this car.

The driving experience was very fun but.....the ownership experience was not what I'm used to with previously owning Toyota and Lexus. Please keep in mind, I did previously own a 1988 325is and that was a wonderful little car. Hindsight, wish I had kept it because of the interest in that car now but hindsight is always 20/20. In any case, my 335 has had more issues than all of my family's cars put together. I won't bore you with the details of the problems but they're definitely not issues that I expect on a vehicle such as a $50k BMW. What makes it even worse is how the dealers treat you when you bring in the car for service. BMW dealers are definitely not known to have marks for customer service. Don't believe me, take your car to BMW of San Diego and tell me their customer service is great.

In any case, I wish you all the best with your rides and thanks to all of the people on this forum and helped me when I had questions. I really do enjoy the BMW community and enjoyed going to Bimmerfest but it's now time to move on.

[Miller335]

Good luck on your next car venture, wish you all the best.
Montego Blue is amazing on the E9x's, you will miss not seeing her.

If she was a women you might even drunk dial her late at night to see her again.

[jonluc88]

That was a long journey with the 335. What's next?

[halfmonkey]

Originally Posted by Miller335

Good luck on your next car venture, wish you all the best.
Montego Blue is amazing on the E9x's, you will miss not seeing her.

If she was a women you might even drunk dial her late at night to see her again.

Now that's funny. I do miss seeing the car already. Up until the end, I was still parking the car as far away as possible in parking lots and would still look back every now and again to see the car. It was and still is a great looking car.

I think BMW does the best blues in the business though I'm not too fond of the new Long Beach Blue. I love Esotril Blue II, Santorini (though I've only seen this color in pictures, it looks AWESOME!), Yas Marina, Monaco Blue, and LeMans Blue. ...and of course, Montego Blue.

[John 070]

Congrats (not to be leaving but it seems your car had a nice run), 141k is not bad.

Mine is an '07 and besides vanos, it's been good, but had its first major issue this year, the trifecta aka dsc hydro. Thank goodness it's a $250 diy repair (plus fluid, time, and software to bleed the abs). Maybe I have nine lives, the most I have paid a dealership is $280 for a new battery, which I did not need (stupidly changed it at 5 yrs., and the one that came out has a green eye to this day as I keep it charged).

Maybe it's time to go back to Lexus? I personally would love to get a '05 or '06 LS430 with low miles (65k tops)....that thing would run to 2026 without issue (unless it has the air suspension).....

Best of luck you had the 335 for a long time and I totally relate to how it felt to get one new...

[John 070]

Originally Posted by halfmonkey

Now that's funny. I do miss seeing the car already. Up until the end, I was still parking the car as far away as possible in parking lots and would still look back every now and again to see the car. It was and still is a great looking car.

I think BMW does the best blues in the business though I'm not too fond of the new Long Beach Blue. I love Esotril Blue II, Santorini (though I've only seen this color in pictures, it looks AWESOME!), Yas Marina, Monaco Blue, and LeMans Blue. ...and of course, Montego Blue.

I totally relate, my '07 has zero dings and I park it as far away as possible.

I don't think BMW really builds a car like our E9xs today--the 4's do nothing for me, really. The M2 sounds interesting, but it's just not the same as 2007-10. Heck, we have a true dual exhaust. Name the cars that do in 2016?

[halfmonkey]

Originally Posted by jonluc88

That was a long journey with the 335. What's next?

Well, my mom recently bought a 2016 Lexus RX350 and so I'm getting her old 2004 GS430. It has about 130k miles and I hope it'll last me another 8 years or so. By then, we might just let our kid drive it then as he'll be turning 16 by then. Our Lexus SA says that the GS430 tranny and engine are bullet proof and that a lot of the service people actually own a GS themselves because they're so reliable. Hopefully, our GS430 will be just as reliable and so far so good.

I hope that when I'm ready to buy another car, the Toyota Supra will be out. I've always LOVED that car and now with them partnering with BMW, I'm very excited to see what come out as this love child. BMW driving engineering and Toyota reliability and materials....what more can I want? Well, let's keep the cost within reason and I'm all in. I'd love for it to starting in the mid-40's and top out at mid-60's. Let's get about 450hp and low 400 torque with low 3000 pound weight and that would be awesome.

[BKBMW335I]

Originally Posted by halfmonkey

So after 8 years and 5 months, it's time to say goodbye to my 2008 Montego Blue 335i sedan. We parted ways with about 141,200 miles on the odometer. Owning this car was a jump into the modern car era of technology as the previous car I had was a 2001 Lexus IS300 and that was a pretty basic car that didn't even have memory seats or navigation.

I remember walking into the showroom with my wife and seeing the blue color. I loved it and really wanted a color that was different from the usual black, white, gray, or silver that is pretty much all over the place in California. Besides, blue is my favorite color. They offered a Moncao Blue at the time and I considered it but I liked the bright blue of the Montego Blue much more. Ended up getting it with the gray interior and aluminum trim. Loved the color then and still love the color now. Every now and again, I get complements on the color still.

Didn't even test drive the car when we went to the dealer as I didn't need to. I knew how the car was going to drive and that was great. After all, 300 hp and 300 ft/lbs torque talks wonders to your enjoyment and again with the added technology that I didn't have in my previous car, I was really enjoying this car.

The driving experience was very fun but.....the ownership experience was not what I'm used to with previously owning Toyota and Lexus. Please keep in mind, I did previously own a 1988 325is and that was a wonderful little car. Hindsight, wish I had kept it because of the interest in that car now but hindsight is always 20/20. In any case, my 335 has had more issues than all of my family's cars put together. I won't bore you with the details of the problems but they're definitely not issues that I expect on a vehicle such as a $50k BMW. What makes it even worse is how the dealers treat you when you bring in the car for service. BMW dealers are definitely not known to have marks for customer service. Don't believe me, take your car to BMW of San Diego and tell me their customer service is great.

In any case, I wish you all the best with your rides and thanks to all of the people on this forum and helped me when I had questions. I really do enjoy the BMW community and enjoyed going to Bimmerfest but it's now time to move on.

I feel you on everything you stated and though we know that the vast majority of us have this real love affair with our cars it is looked down here by many when we are brutally honest about the reliability factor of these cars. Like you this car has given me more problems than all of my previous cars put together.

Like you this will be the last time I buy a Bimmer, there are many things to like such as handling, looks, power and overall interior quality but there are many more to dislike concerning maintenance and costs that shouldn't happen in a 50K plus car.

If only BMW's Car Buying Experience in that sense crossed over to their Maintenance Department then it would make things a little easier to digest.

Best wishes with you new car.

[BravoJohny33]

Originally Posted by BKBMW335I

I feel you on everything you stated and though we know that the vast majority of us have this real love affair with our cars it is looked down here by many when we are brutally honest about the reliability factor of these cars. Like you this car has given me more problems than all of my previous cars put together.

Like you this will be the last time I buy a Bimmer, there are many things to like such as handling, looks, power and overall interior quality but there are many more to dislike concerning maintenance and costs that shouldn't happen in a 50K plus car.

If only BMW's Car Buying Experience in that sense crossed over to their Maintenance Department then it would make things a little easier to digest.

Best wishes with you new car.

I feel pretty much the same way.

[jonluc88]

Originally Posted by halfmonkey

Well, my mom recently bought a 2016 Lexus RX350 and so I'm getting her old 2004 GS430. It has about 130k miles and I hope it'll last me another 8 years or so. By then, we might just let our kid drive it then as he'll be turning 16 by then. Our Lexus SA says that the GS430 tranny and engine are bullet proof and that a lot of the service people actually own a GS themselves because they're so reliable. Hopefully, our GS430 will be just as reliable and so far so good.

I hope that when I'm ready to buy another car, the Toyota Supra will be out. I've always LOVED that car and now with them partnering with BMW, I'm very excited to see what come out as this love child. BMW driving engineering and Toyota reliability and materials....what more can I want? Well, let's keep the cost within reason and I'm all in. I'd love for it to starting in the mid-40's and top out at mid-60's. Let's get about 450hp and low 400 torque with low 3000 pound weight and that would be awesome.

Toyota will definitely keep you on the road for a long while. Maybe more than your last car. Saw someone having their lexus up to one million miles.

Once you get the Supra, keep it inside and use the GS for DD.

Good luck man!

[halfmonkey]

Originally Posted by jonluc88

Toyota will definitely keep you on the road for a long while. Maybe more than your last car. Saw someone having their lexus up to one million miles.

Once you get the Supra, keep it inside and use the GS for DD.

Good luck man!

Sorry but if I get that Supra, I will not be keeping it inside. I will be driving that car for sure. If I found a 1993 Supra Twin Turbo for sale that was in perfect condition, I'd jump on it. I LOVE that car!

...and if I don't get the Supra, maybe the RC F. I've already been dripping the idea of the RC F with the wife and she's onboard with the idea.

[jonluc88]

Originally Posted by halfmonkey

Sorry but if I get that Supra, I will not be keeping it inside. I will be driving that car for sure. If I found a 1993 Supra Twin Turbo for sale that was in perfect condition, I'd jump on it. I LOVE that car!

...and if I don't get the Supra, maybe the RC F. I've already been dripping the idea of the RC F with the wife and she's onboard with the idea.

RC-F is a good looking car. But for the same price, Id rather get the new M3/M4 for better handling and performance. Keep in mind, M3 has 4 doors for practicality.

I thought you were talking about the next gen Supra lol For sure, these cars deserve to be on the road not garage queens.

[halfmonkey]

Originally Posted by jonluc88

RC-F is a good looking car. But for the same price, Id rather get the new M3/M4 for better handling and performance. Keep in mind, M3 has 4 doors for practicality.

I thought you were talking about the next gen Supra lol For sure, these cars deserve to be on the road not garage queens.

Yes, I would love to get the M3 but I think I'm done with BMW's at least for a while until they have a change of heart as to how they engineer reliability into their cars, especially on a more strained car like the M3. Don't get me wrong, I love the M3 and M2 but I know it's not going to be a reliable and I need reliable just as much as I need fun. So with that, the RC F will work and by then, I assume the next gen RC F will be out and I expect it to be even better than the current gen RC F.

I was actually speaking about the next gen Supra but I was just saying that I love the car and if I found a very well maintained 1993 Supra Turbo, I'd jump on that even with it being from 1993.

[Eddien123]

Long time with your e90. Take care

[joeinsd]

Sorry to see another SD head go, but good luck with the new purchase!

[tlow98]

Good to hear you're still positive about he car overall. It's a good performer, but boy are the twin turbos thirsty for maintenance.

That GS430 will be cake in comparison. Lexus makes a great car.

[halfmonkey]

Originally Posted by tlow98

Good to hear you're still positive about he car overall. It's a good performer, but boy are the twin turbos thirsty for maintenance.

That GS430 will be cake in comparison. Lexus makes a great car.

I very much enjoyed driving the car and it met all of my needs except the reliability part. It's not a car that I can comfortably drive to Las Vegas or San Francisco with my wife and 3 young kids and not worry. The Lexus, even being a 2004 will be no problem and will continue to be a champ even as I put on the miles.

Again, don't get me wrong. I loved driving the car but the reliability issues were too much. From adding oil about every 3000 miles to the tranny hard shifting to the idle being a little rough and bouncy, it just doesn't give me confidence as a long term vehicle. It started out fine and had issues here and there but once I crossed 100k miles, it was like the car knew it crossed 100k and it started falling apart big time. BMW really are awesome engineers...because they can engineer a car to last 100k miles and then fall apart. They know their cars have the highest lease rate in the US and so people that lease and turn them back within 3 years or so will more than likely never encounter these problems. Then the people that buy the lease returns have the warranty up to 100k miles so they're not worried but once they cross 100k miles, they'll sell them. Not too many people keep BMW's long term and BMW corp knows this.

If I was ever in the market to lease, I would def lease a BMW for sure.

At this point, I was just worried that the tranny or the turbos could go any day and then any money I would have gotten from selling it would have just to recover the cost of fixing those problems and if the turbos go, I would have been n the negative because I've heard the turbos on the N54 cost about $7k to replace. Yikes!

[Needbmwpartzz]

I loved your opinion on BMW's customer service....got me thinking that they figure it like this;you pay overpriced bill/we fix your car sort of.....till the next problem/overpriced bill comes in then we solve first problem so on and so forth.
But good luck with Lexi

[mike@x-ph.com]

Goodbye and good luck with your new purchase

[mlifxs]

I plan to keep my 328i as long as possible, 10 more years, I hope. It's depreciated so much that selling it would be silly.

that said, I doubt I'll buy another BMW....but I also doubt I'll find a car forum as good as this one. made the problem solving much easier.

[CharlieBear]

So Smart So Smart. And this is how you ride a BMW for awhile and know when your losses will be coming and dump it.

Originally Posted by halfmonkey

I very much enjoyed driving the car and it met all of my needs except the reliability part. It's not a car that I can comfortably drive to Las Vegas or San Francisco with my wife and 3 young kids and not worry. The Lexus, even being a 2004 will be no problem and will continue to be a champ even as I put on the miles.

Again, don't get me wrong. I loved driving the car but the reliability issues were too much. From adding oil about every 3000 miles to the tranny hard shifting to the idle being a little rough and bouncy, it just doesn't give me confidence as a long term vehicle. It started out fine and had issues here and there but once I crossed 100k miles, it was like the car knew it crossed 100k and it started falling apart big time. BMW really are awesome engineers...because they can engineer a car to last 100k miles and then fall apart. They know their cars have the highest lease rate in the US and so people that lease and turn them back within 3 years or so will more than likely never encounter these problems. Then the people that buy the lease returns have the warranty up to 100k miles so they're not worried but once they cross 100k miles, they'll sell them. Not too many people keep BMW's long term and BMW corp knows this.

If I was ever in the market to lease, I would def lease a BMW for sure.

At this point, I was just worried that the tranny or the turbos could go any day and then any money I would have gotten from selling it would have just to recover the cost of fixing those problems and if the turbos go, I would have been n the negative because I've heard the turbos on the N54 cost about $7k to replace. Yikes!