[Punchubby69]

hey everybody, new guy here! been a long time lurker, and thought i might as well make my self a account because i have a couple of questions, and would love to be apart of the E90post community. i have been a big fan of the E92 and E93 body styles, in a couple of months time i want to purchase a 07-09 E92 or E93 because these are the model years with the twin turbo n54 engine. (i think, please dont hate me if im wrong lol). right now i drive a 2011 MB E550, dont get me wrong i love that car to death, but i want something a little bit more nimble, and the 335i was the first thing that came to mind. i tossed around the idea of getting a E55 or CLS55, but the guys at MBworld have highly advised against that since im still in college, and that maintenance/upkeep costs could eat me alive.

1. my first question is are the E93 and E92 reliable? im asking this as i plan to buy a 07 to 09, and those dont come with warranty. i know before purchasing i should get a PPI, which i definitely will get done, but like is it are they reliable as DD? is the maintenance like super expensive?

2. how well does the n54 respond to mods? like tune, DP, and catback exhaust. how is the longterm longevity with mods like that done? are there any weak-points in the drivetrain that i should be worried about?

3. can i get 400whp without like turbo upgrades? im asking this as i want more power than my current car, which only has 382 crank HP. and if so, can i get this kind of power on crappy cali 91 octane?

4. whats the max HP the auto can handle? ( i know driving automatic makes me a bit of a female dog, but i just cant get used to manuals)

5. and my final question, would the e92 or e93 be viable option for a 21 year old college student? i have about 27k saved up and plan to spend 15 to 20k on a clean low mileage 335i, and use the rest for mods/maintenance. i dont have a job any more because my parents want me to focus mainly on study, but they dont mind helping me out here and there incase something does go wrong with the car, but i dont want to be facing like something wrong with the car everyday.


again i do apologize for all the ridicules questions but im just trying to get some info before i pull the trigger! thanks in advance guys!


Robert.

[TrAcK TRaP]

Read read read.. Search and read before you ask. You'll find every answer that you asked in 10 min. But one simple answer from me don't get an E92..

[Wingnut335]

If I was a 21 year old college student, I wouldn't buy an 07-09 n54. I think that for your situation it may be more than you can handle. Saving up $27k for a 21 year old is a big deal. I know it's difficult, but saving that money with compounding interest is such a better choice.

I know you didn't ask for all this, but figured if you were responsible enough to save $27k, you may want to think out this decision a little more.

Edit: I just realized you mentioned you are currently driving a 2011 mb e550. If your folks are willing to shell out the cash for the car and maintenance, I say go for whatever makes you happy. If the mb is yours, couldn't you just use that money towards a 2013 335is or a 2010 e92 m3?

[Punchubby69]

Originally Posted by N54CherryHill

Read read read.. Search and read before you ask. You'll find every answer that you asked in 10 min. But one simple answer from me don't get an E92..

Yea sorry about that, I totally forgot about the search function. Just being lazy I guess, but I have done some digging and I'm getting conflicting data from the search, some are saying these cars are reliable, while others are saying they are not.

[PureE92]

Benz and BMW repairs are pretty close in eating people alive lol.

[Punchubby69]

Originally Posted by Wingnut335

If I was a 21 year old college student, I wouldn't buy an 07-09 n54. I think that for your situation it may be more than you can handle. Saving up $27k for a 21 year old is a big deal. I know it's difficult, but saving that money with compounding interest is such a better choice.

I know you didn't ask for all this, but figured if you were responsible enough to save $27k, you may want to think out this decision a little more.

Edit: I just realized you mentioned you are currently driving a 2011 mb e550. If your folks are willing to shell out the cash for the car and maintenance, I say go for whatever makes you happy. If the mb is yours, couldn't you just use that money towards a 2013 335is or a 2010 e92 m3?

I have considred selling the E550, but I really like the long range capabilites of the car. With the active a cruise, it makes driving 3-400 miles a breeze, Basically it's a real nice long range cruiser. the 335is does seem like a nice ride, but it's unfortunately not in my price range, same thing with the M3. To tell you the truth i want to buy a car by myself, without the help of my parents, with just my own money.

[Punchubby69]

Originally Posted by PureE92

Benz and BMW repairs are pretty close in eating people alive lol.

LMFAO, pretty much the story with all German cars.

[Game]

If your Benz is reliable, I'd stick with it.

[Fundguy1]

1. As reliable as anything else. I have 220k miles. The n54 had 2 main flaws. Waste gates and hpfp. Those were covered under an extended warranty that has no time limit. The revised parts are reliable. Rest is typical stuff. Water pumps generally last 75-100 . Mine went 200k. Radiator went at 200k also. And I had one wheel bearing at 120k. I wouldn't get an aftermarket warranty. You'll spend more on it than repairs covered and a lot of them sell the warranties, collect the premiums, then vanish with your money.

[Game]

Originally Posted by Fundguy1

1. As reliable as anything else. I have 220k miles. The n54 had 2 main flaws. Waste gates and hpfp. Those were covered under an extended warranty that has no time limit. The revised parts are reliable. Rest is typical stuff. Water pumps generally last 75-100 . Mine went 200k. Radiator went at 200k also. And I had one wheel bearing at 120k. I wouldn't get an aftermarket warranty. You'll spend more on it than repairs covered and a lot of them sell the warranties, collect the premiums, then vanish with your money.

Bit of a stretch there.

Curious, is your car tuned or modded at all?

[Fundguy1]

2 responds well but hp increases grow exponentially in cost. You start with 300hp. To get 385 is about $500. To get 450 is about $3000. To get 600 is about $10,000. Etc. I'm going for 675. I'm spending close to $20,000.

[Fundguy1]

Originally Posted by Game

Bit of a stretch there.

Curious, is your car tuned or modded at all?

Had a juice box since 5000 miles. Yes it's tuned and I drive it like a rented mule daily.

[Fundguy1]

3 Your 335 with 385 hp juice box will stomp your merchandise because it's lighter. $1500 should break 400 hp easy too.

[Game]

Originally Posted by Fundguy1

Had a juice box since 5000 miles. Yes it's tuned and I drive it like a rented mule daily.

Wow, that's awesome. Though your longevity and great luck isn't the norm.

[Fundguy1]

4 Max you can not worry about on an auto is 500-550ish. More than that you want to upgrade it. That's expensive. Manuals so far can handle anything anyone has made. I'm putting a 1000 hp clutch in mine. Most is in the 700s range now I think that some single turbo guys are making.

[Punchubby69]

Originally Posted by Game

If your Benz is reliable, I'd stick with it.

Reliable so far, fun car to drive in a straight line, but it attracts the wrong kind of attention. I'm looking for something a little more sportier, and something with 2 less doors.

[Fundguy1]

Originally Posted by Game

Wow, that's awesome. Though your longevity and great luck isn't the norm.

Agreed which is why I said the normal on the water pump seems to be 75-100k. That said there haven't been any other common problems but there are some that happen to every make and model sometimes. No different than ours. A leaky gasket or blown injector etc.

[Fundguy1]

E92 is coupe. E93 is convertible. Convertible is slightly slower, slightly worse handling, less trunk space, but otherwise pretty much the same so that's on you to decide if roof down is worth it. I thought it was.

Don't expect to find a 335i vert with a manual. BMW shipped about 0.007% of 3 series equipped that way. I special ordered mine. 😊

[Punchubby69]

Originally Posted by Fundguy1

4 Max you can not worry about on an auto is 500-550ish. More than that you want to upgrade it. That's expensive. Manuals so far can handle anything anyone has made. I'm putting a 1000 hp clutch in mine. Most is in the 700s range now I think that some single turbo guys are making.

Good to know! Stories like yours make me optimistic about these cars! If I do buy the E92/93 I an to spend 2 to 3k on mods to get to the 400whp range, will that be sort of enough?

[Punchubby69]

Originally Posted by Fundguy1

E92 is coupe. E93 is convertible. Convertible is slightly slower, slightly worse handling, less trunk space, but otherwise pretty much the same so that's on you to decide if roof down is worth it. I thought it was.

The e93 is what I have my eye on, it's drop dead sexy with top up and down.

[Punchubby69]

Originally Posted by Fundguy1

2 responds well but hp increases grow exponentially in cost. You start with 300hp. To get 385 is about $500. To get 450 is about $3000. To get 600 is about $10,000. Etc. I'm going for 675. I'm spending close to $20,000.

Holy hell, 20k?

[Game]

Originally Posted by Fundguy1

Agreed which is why I said the normal on the water pump seems to be 75-100k. That said there haven't been any other common problems but there are some that happen to every make and model sometimes. No different than ours. A leaky gasket or blown injector etc.

Cylinder misfires
Leaky seals
DME failure (Mosfet fix)
Bad Vanos solenoids
Wastegate rattle
Burning oil

All common issues off the top of my head.