BMWs are some of the world’s most famous and popular luxury cars. Like many German luxury cars, BMWs are well-known for both quality and performance. However, despite that, BMWs are not perfect. Some BMW owners, like with any other car brand, will regret their purchase.

Price matters

BMW is a luxury brand, and as such, BMW prices its cars on the high end of the spectrum. A BMW may not cost as much as the most expensive sports cars do, but a BMW is still going to set you back more than a basic sedan or SUV might.

Of course, the cost for a BMW will vary based on which BMW you’re talking about, what trim you picked for it, and what other options you added to it. 

For example, Car and Driver says that the latest model years of a BMW can start at anywhere between $36,000 for the cheapest BMW sedans to almost $150,000 for the top-end cars in BMW’s garage. While $36,000 may be affordable for many Americans, that is for a sedan, and not many Americans are shopping for a sedan. So, the price for a BMW for most Americans may be in the $40,000 to $60,000 range. 

This high price tag is one of the reasons why owners on Bimmer Post, which is a forum for BMW owners, say that they regret buying a BMW. There are many more affordable makes and models to choose from, so if you’re not ready to spend that amount of cash on your BMW, you may very well regret it in the future. 

BMW maintenance issues

While BMWs are well-designed cars, that doesn’t mean that they have the reliability of a Toyota or a Honda. In fact, that’s one of the reasons why some BMW owners on Reddit say that they regret buying a BMW. 

A BMWs need to be maintained often and on schedule, or else they’ll run into wear and tear issues that any other car will have. However, unlike any other regular car, a BMW is a luxury car, and as such, it’ll have luxury parts.

Repairing or replacing those luxury parts will mean spending even more money on it. That’s ultimately why some BMW owners on Reddit expressed regret with their purchase.

Indeed, according to RepairPal, the average BMW is fairly costly to maintain. On average, a BMW costs about $968 a year to maintain. For comparison, the average Toyota costs about $441 a year to maintain and the average Honda costs $428 a year to maintain.

Know what you’re getting into with a BMW

While these two problems are the most common reason why BMW owners regret buying their car, the simple way to avoid them is to be aware of them in the first place. Sure, BMWs are great cars to drive around in and they’re very prestigious too, but are you willing to pay the price that BMW asks?

If you think what BMW offers you isn’t enough for the extra money you’re paying, then you’re probably better off either buying a used BMW or just buying from another brand entirely. But if you are comfortable with that extra cost, then you probably won’t regret paying for it. 

And, in terms of maintenance, while the average BMW will cost a lot more to maintain than an average Toyota, the average BMW is far more luxurious than the average Toyota is. You’ll have to factor in this extra price tag too when you’re comparing between cars.

So, if these extra costs and hassles seem fine by you, then you probably won’t regret buying a BMW, as BMW still makes some of the best luxury cars on the road. After all, you don’t see many people driving around frowning in a BMW.