Just bought one.

[Bluesummers]

It was fairly cheap as well. 1997 328i. It has 143K on it though.
I traded in an 03 car (Dodge) with only 65K on it for it (so I have some cash left over)

Now, I know the Germans (as well as the Swedes) are notorious for making cars that will last until doomsday, but should I be worried about the milage?
If so, what can I do to keep this running for a while. I mean, besides oil changes and the like.
I'm a 21 year old college student, so my pockets aren't too deep, and I don't want this to be too much of a money sink.


I have a friend who drove his BMW well into 300,000 with hardly anything (mechanicaly speaking) that needed to be fixed.

Thanks for any help!

 

[Big Daddy]

Just about any brand these days can be driven to the 300k mark with proper care. If the car has had all the routine and required care it should be fine, but than again your Dodge would have been as well, even though I agree it is not as much fun to drive!

 

[Kirby]

The biggest concern with that age is usually the water pump and radiator. The water pump may have a plastic impeller which can break and cause overheating. The radiator plastic (especially the upper neck) gets brittle fro age and heat and is known to crack.

Shocks and struts are items that are usually worn out at or before this age. They may have been replaced already?