My first year of BMW ownership is now under my belt. It has been a good year, with only a few problems with the car. It has never left me stranded, and has always been dependable. I decided to add up my expenditures for the first year to see how it did. I was able to do all of the work myself (there are so many great DIY's out there and the forums are great learning tools), which helped a great deal. I have come up with 4 categories; Maintenance (things replaced before they failed, oil change etc), Repairs (things that broke or were about to), Cosmetics (dent removal, interior trim, things that did not really need to be done), Tools & Books There is a fine line between some items in the maintenance and repairs categories, but I think I am close. Maintenance $ 434.00 Repairs $ 583.00 Cosmetics $ 589.00 (dent removal was $300) Books & Tools $ 161.00 Total $ 1767.00 wo cosmetics, books, and tools the total was $1017.00 Not bad for a 10 year old car! I have learned a lot about this e46, and will no doubt learn a lot more. I am putting together a maintenance list for this year to stay ahead of things. Russ
Good work! You came in under the too-common $2K rule for used car expenditures. By buying a newer car and doing your own work you learned and saved. Enjoy!
