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How Many Miles Can A BMW Last? (17 Models Analyzed)

How Many Miles Can A BMW Last? (17 Models Analyzed)

How many miles can a BMW last? In this blog, we’ve used the database of Autotrader.com to analyze around 25,000 BMWs and see what kind of mileage they normally reach. We will go through 17 different models in detail but let’s start with a quick answer:

On average, BMW’s last between 180,000 – 210,000 miles. The BMW Z3, 3-Series, 5-Series, X5, X3, and 7-Series all last between 180,000 – 260,000 miles. The BMW 1-Series, X1, 6-Series, Z4, X6, and 4-Series all last between 140,000 – 180,000 miles. The X4, X2, 2-Series, 4-Series, i3, and i8 are the least reliable BMWs with a maximum of 70,000 – 130,000 miles.

However, that doesn’t tell the whole story. Below we have sorted 17 BMWs on reliability and their mileages. We start with the most reliable one work our way down. We listed the average miles that they normally reach, what percentage reaches the 150,000 miles mark, and the highest recorded mileage for each car. Finally, we also discuss the maintenance cost per year for every car and their reliability ratings. Read on!

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1. BMW Z3

A BMW Z3 normally lasts between 160,000 – 180,000 miles with regular maintenance. From the 149 Z3’s that we analyzed, we found that 6.71% of them had a mileage higher than 150,000 miles. The highest recorded mileage of a Z3 was 200,000 miles.

2. BMW 3 Series

A BMW 3 Series normally lasts between 230,000 – 250,000 miles with regular maintenance. From the 12,481 3 Series that we analyzed, we found that 3.09% of them had a mileage higher than 150,000 miles. The highest recorded mileage of a 3 Series was 270,000 miles.

However, looking at data from Repairpal, we find that, even though the car seems to be able to reach decent mileage, you won’t get there without a scratch. Here’s a summary of the reliability:

  • BMW 328i: reliability of 3/5. The 328i needs to go to the garage for unscheduled maintenance around 0.95 time per year with a 12% chance of the problem being severe.
  • BMW 335d: reliability of 1.5/5. The 335d needs to go to the garage for unscheduled maintenance around 1.44 times per year with a 24% chance of the problem being severe.
  • BMW 335i xDrive: reliability of 2/5. the 335i xDrive needs to go to the garage for unscheduled maintenance around 1.16 times per year with a 16% chance of the problem being severe.

Overall the 3-Series is not without its problems, and there are some models within this series that you should not touch at all. Read more about the 3-series here: How Many Miles Can A BMW 3-Series Last? & BMW 330e Problems.

3. BMW 5 Series

A BMW 5 series normally lasts between 240,000 – 260,000 miles with regular maintenance. From the 6,700 5 Series that we analyzed, we found that 2.97% had a mileage higher than 150,000 miles. The highest recorded mileage of a 5 Series was 280,000 miles.

With the 5-Series, we find the same thing as with the 3-series. The car is sold a lot which means a lot of cars can reach higher mileage. However, there’s definitely some risk involved because the 5-Series also has many problems:

  • BMW 528i xDrive: reliability of 2.5/5. The 528i xDrive needs to go to the garage for unscheduled repairs around 1.44 times per year with a 13% chance of the problem being severe.
  • BMW 535i xDrive: 2/5. The 535i xDrive needs to go to the garage for unscheduled repairs around 1.36 times per year with a 13% chance of the problem being severe.

Read more about the potential mileage of the 5-Series here: How Many Miles Can A BMW 5-Series Last?

4. BMW X5

A BMW X5 normally lasts between 210,000 – 230,000 miles with regular maintenance. From the 6,638 X5’s that we analyzed, we found that 2.24% of them had a mileage higher than 150,000 miles. The highest recorded mileage of an X5 was 250,000 miles.

  • Reliability rating of 2/5. The X5 needs to go to the garage for unscheduled repair around 0.83 times per year with a 17% chance of the problem being severe.

Also read BMW X5 Diesel Problems, X5 Battery Problems, and X5 xDrive35i Problems.

5. BMW X3

A BMW X3 normally lasts between 200,000 – 220,000 miles with regular maintenance. From the 7,608 X3’s that we analyzed, we found that 2.17% of them had a mileage higher than 150,000 miles. The highest recorded mileage of an X3 was 240,000 miles.

  • Reliability rating of 2.5/5. The X3 needs to go to the garage for unscheduled repair around 0.84 times per year with a 14% chance of the problem being severe.

If you want to know more about the maximum mileage of an X3, then please check out this article that we wrote earlier: How Many Miles Can A BMW X3 Last?

Want to know more about the problems of an X3?: BMW X3 2003 – 2010 Problems, 2010 – 2017 Problems, xDrive28i Problems, xDrive35i Problems.

6. BMW 7 Series

A BMW 7 Series normally lasts between 190,000 – 210,000 miles with regular maintenance. From the 2,703 7 Series that we analyzed, we found that 1.78% had a mileage higher than 150,000 miles. The highest recorded mileage of a 7 Series was 230,000 miles.

  • Reliability rating of 2/5. The 750Li needs to go to the garage for unscheduled repairs around 1.08 times per year with a 23% chance of the problem being severe.

7. BMW 1 Series

A BMW 1 Series normally lasts between 150,000 – 170,000 miles with regular maintenance. From the 291 1 Series that we analyzed, we found that 1.72% had a mileage higher than 150,000 miles. The highest recorded mileage of a 1 Series was 180,000 miles.

  • BMW 128i: reliability rating of 3/5. The 128i needs to go to the garage for unscheduled repairs around 1.23 times per year with an 11% chance of the problem being severe.
  • BMW 135i: reliability rating of 2/5. The 135i needs to go to the garage for unscheduled repairs around 1.15 times per year with an 18% chance of the problem being severe.

8. BMW X1

A BMW X1 normally lasts between 160,000 – 180,000 miles with regular maintenance. From the 3,981 X1’s that we analyzed, we found that 1,28% had a mileage higher than 150,000 miles. The highest recorded mileage of an X1 was 200,000 miles.

  • Reliability rating of 3.5/5. The X1 needs to go to the garage for unscheduled repairs around 0.67 times per year with an 8% chance of the problem being severe.

9. BMW 6 Series

A BMW 6 Series normally lasts between 140,000 – 160,000 miles with regular maintenance. From the 1,016 6 Series that we analyzed, we found that 0.98% of them had a mileage higher than 150,000 miles. The highest recorded mileage of a 6 Series was 170,000 miles.

  • BMW 650i: Reliability rating of 2/5. The 650i needs to go to the garage for unscheduled repairs around 1.05 times per year with a 23% chance of the problem being severe.

10. BMW Z4

A BMW Z4 series normally lasts between 140,000 – 160,000 miles with regular maintenance. From the 691 Z4’s that we analyzed, we found that 0.87% of them had a mileage higher than 150,000 miles. The highest recorded mileage of a Z4 was 170,000 miles.

  • Reliability rating of 3/5. The Z4 needs to go to the garage for unscheduled repairs around 0.73 times per year with a 16% chance of the problem being severe.

11. BMW X6

A BMW X6 normally lasts between 150,000 – 180,000 miles with regular maintenance and premium fuel. From the 955 X6’s that we analyzed, we found that 0.73% of them had a mileage higher than 150,000 miles. The highest recorded mileage of an X6 was 185,000 miles.

  • Reliability rating of 2/5. The X6 needs to go to the garage for unscheduled repairs around 0.97 times per year with a 23% chance of the problem being severe.

12. BMW X2

A BMW X2 seems to last around 100,000 miles with regular maintenance. From the 1,719 X2’s that we analyzed, we found that 0% of them had a mileage higher than 150,000 miles. The highest recorded mileage of an X2 was 100,000 miles.

13. BMW X4

A BMW X4 seems to last around 130,000 miles with regular maintenance. From the 870 X4’s that we analyzed, we found that 0% of them had a mileage higher than 150,000 miles. The highest recorded mileage of an X4 was 134,000 miles.

14. BMW 2 Series

A BMW 2 Series seems to last around 110,000 miles with regular maintenance. From the 3,162 2 Series that we analyzed, we found that 0% of them had a mileage higher than 150,000 miles. The highest recorded mileage of a 2 Series was 116,000 miles.

15. BMW 4 Series

A BMW 4 Series seems to last around 140,000 miles with regular maintenance. From the 3,660 4 Series that we analyzed, we found that 0% of them had a mileage higher than 150,000 miles. The highest recorded mileage of a 4 Series was 140,000 miles.

16. BMW i3

A BMW i3 seems to last around 100,000 miles with regular maintenance. From the 510 i3’s that we analyzed, we found that 0% of them had a mileage higher than 150,000 miles. The highest recorded mileage of an i3 was 100,000 miles.

17. BMW i8

A BMW i3 seems to last around 70,000 miles with regular maintenance. From the 239 i8’s that we analyzed, we found that 0% of them had a mileage higher than 150,000 miles. The highest recorded mileage of an i8 was 72,000 miles.

Do you want to know how BMWs compare to other cars in terms of the expected miles they can last? Read more about that in this article: How Many Miles Can A Car Last? (156 Models Analyzed!)

How Much Do BMW’s Cost In Maintenance Per Year?

Furthermore, it’s also important to know how much a BMW costs on average in maintenance. There’s no point in having a car that can go many miles if this means you have to break the bank every year.

On average, a BMW costs $923,82 per year in maintenance. The BMW Z3 is the cheapest car to maintain, with an average of $691 per year. The 4-Series is the most expensive car to maintain a $1,229 per year.

We can clearly see from the list below that there’s a correlation between the cars that have a large percentage of them reach a mileage of 150,000 or higher and the cost of maintenance. The top 3 (Z3, 3-Series, 5-Series) are the same for both categories.

Also, cars with a lot of maintenance cost (4-Series, X6, to name a few) are lower on the list in terms of how many of them reach a mileage of 150,000 or higher.

However, we must say that BMWs, in general, aren’t budget-friendly. The Z3 is the cheapest per year, and with $691, it isn’t all that cheap. With the number of problems the 4-Series has, it costs $1,229 per year, and given that the highest recorded mileage of this model is 140,000 miles, it’s probably wiser not to get this car at all.

ModelAverage Yearly Maintenance Cost
BMW Z3$691
BMW 3 Series$773
BMW 5 Series$825
BMW 1 Series$870
BMW Z4$895
BMW X1$915
BMW 2 Series$922
BMW i8$979
BMW X4$988
BMW 6 Series$1012
BMW 7 Series$1027
BMW X3$1034
BMW X5$1166
BMW i3$1173
BMW X6$1206
BMW 4 Series$1229

Also read: The Complete Cost Of Maintaining A BMW

Sources

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