Decision: '09 vs '07
 

Howdy,

Finally time to trade in my e53 4.4i for an e70 4.8i.

Now for the decision making process. Is there any noticeable difference in reliability between an '07 with 130k miles and and '09 with 110k.

The '09 is $14,750 fully equipped. (Chicago car)
The '07 is $13,570 equally as equipped. (Florida car)

I have been tracking CL, cars.com, etc for months and finally found these two after a lot of search.

Both one owner
Both regular oil change certified on CarFax, etc. Both well maintained and really pristine. But reliability over 100k is very questionable and I want to set myself up for some long-term reliability.

Any suggestions or input? Anyone been in this position? What swayed your opinion?

That's a tough one I would usually say southern car over northern as the salt we get on the roads up here tears everything up but coastal Florida can have similar effects.

If you can, get them up on a lift and see how they look underneath. As far as reliability goes that's kinda a crystal ball question. I just picked mine up not too long ago. I have read up on the common issues and feel I can diy anything that may come up. If that's not you, keep in mind high mileage BMW's can be more $ to maintain than most are comfortable with. I still feel as though they are worth it and wouldn't give up any of mine:thumbup:

I am going with an aftermarket warranty ($1,50) on either of them from Endurance, which paid out very well in the long-term for my e53. Anyone got experience with this company?

Unfortunately, I am not able to see either of them really in person before I purchase, but both have been certified by BMW to be free of rust (I had both of them inspected at the dealer)

Absolutely a tough decision.

I also feel like I can DIY most of these things that commonly come up, but other t

Here's another option - Handy Man Special: 2008 X5 4.8i, 100K, $11.5K - Bimmerfest - BMW Forums

Local MB dealer. PM me if you have an interest.

Tell them I'll give them $4500 for it

Go LCI!

I'd go with the '09. Both for the lower miles LCI, and the fact that the '07 was the first model year.

Watch out for sun rot on the FL cars. Mine sits in a garage both at work and home. Cars that sit outside here have dried out leather and cracked dash boards. The sun can do a lot of damage here.

Why are you only considering only those 2? +100k miles 4.8s are super easy to find. They get traded in to Ford or Acura dealers all the time and are sold for great deals. Many times I have tracked them sitting for many months only to end up at one of those independent used car lots that scare people off. Go visit a few of those lots and you find that not all of them are bad.

The repair costs really pushes the demand down for these older models. Take your time and get just what you want. The early V8s usually have most of the options so that makes it even easier. And if you can swing a 2010 go for that. The iDrive in the 09s and back is just as bad as everyone says. The backup camera alone makes it worth it.

And don't forget to search for these on Craigs list. That is where they are advertised.

An '09 is not an LCI. That would be the '11. BMW LCI's are on 4 year cycles--not 2.